Taking the GRE

1. Taking the GRE R. Eric Landrum Department of Psychology Boise State University Boise State Psi Chi Invited Talk March 30, 2005

2. Why do I have to? • Graduate admissions committees often care about verbal and quantitative GRE scores because they are useful predictors of performance of some of the key tasks of graduate school, namely writing and statistical ability. • Of all admissions criteria, it is the only item that is standardized across applicants. • GRE scores are the single best predictors of graduate school success.

3. Says who? • Nationally, 93% of doctoral departments and 81% of master’s departments require GRE general test scores. • About half of doctoral-level programs and one-third of master’s-level programs require applicants to submit scores from the GRE Psychology Test (more on this later).

4. How are the scores used? • “The vast majority of graduate programs in psychology will require GRE scores, and the minimum expected Verbal plus Quantitative score is 1,000 for master's departments and 1,100 for doctoral departments. The mean scores of incoming students are about 1,040 for master's-level students and 1,200 for doctoral students. Incoming doctoral students average a 3.5 undergraduate grade point, incoming master's students, a 3.2 (Norcross, 1997).”

5. How are the scores used?

6. Graduate Record Examination • This information refers to the GRE General Test. • The GRE is owned by the Educational Testing Service. • For additional information, go to www.gre.org

7. GRE Sections • The verbal section measures your ability to analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it, to analyze relationships among component parts of sentences, to recognize relationships between words and concepts, and to reason with words in solving problems. There is a balance of passages across different subject matter areas: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

8. GRE Sections • The quantitative section measures your basic mathematical skills, your understanding of elementary mathematical concepts, and your ability to reason quantitatively and solve problems in a quantitative setting. There is a balance of questions requiring arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. These are content areas usually studied in high school.

9. GRE Sections • The analytical writing section tests your critical thinking and analytical writing skills. It assesses your ability to articulate and support complex ideas, analyze an argument, and sustain a focused and coherent discussion. It does not assess specific content knowledge.

10. Typical Computer-Based GRE General Test * For the Issue task, two essay topics will be presented and you will choose one. The Argument task does not present a choice of topics; instead one topic will be presented. ** An unidentified verbal or quantitative pretest section may be included and may appear in any order after the analytical writing section. It is not counted as part of your score. *** An identified research section that is not scored may be included and it will always be at the end of the test.

11. Analytical Writing Section • The 2 writing tasks are delivered on the computer, and you must word process your responses. • For the Issue task, you will be able to choose 1 of 2 essay topics selected by the computer from the pool of topics. • The Argument task does not offer a choice of topics; the computer will present you with a single topic selected from the topic pool.

12. Analytical Writing Section • The testing software uses an elementary word processor developed by ETS so that individuals familiar with a specific commercial word processing software do not have an advantage or disadvantage. The software contains the following functionalities: inserting text, deleting text, cut and paste, undoing the previous action, and scrolling. Tools such as a spelling checker and grammar checker are not available in the software, in large part to maintain fairness with those examinees who handwrite essays at paper-based administrations.

13. Issue Task The Issue task gives you considerable latitude in the way you respond to the claim made about a given issue. To prepare for this task, try asking yourself the following questions as you review the published list of Issue topics. Practice writing responses on several of the topics, keeping to the 45-minute limit. • What does the statement mean? What does it imply? What, precisely, is the central issue? • Do I agree with all or with any part of the statement? Why or why not? • Is the statement valid only in certain circumstances. • Do I need to explain how I interpret certain terms or concepts used in the statement? • If I take a certain position on the issue, what reasons support my position? • What examples — either hypothetical or drawn from my readings or direct experiences — could I use to illustrate those reasons and advance my point of view? Which examples are most compelling? • What reasons might someone use to refute or undermine my position? How should I acknowledge or defend against those views?

14. Examples of the Issue Task • "History teaches us only one thing: knowing about the past cannot help people to make important decisions today." • "Competition for high grades seriously limits the quality of learning at all levels of education." • "Governments should focus more on solving the immediate problems of today rather than trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future." • "The depth of knowledge to be gained from books is much richer and broader than what can be learned from direct experience." • "The increasingly rapid pace of life today causes more problems than it solves." • "Too much emphasis is placed on role models. Instead of copying others, people should learn to think and act independently and thus make the choices that are best for them."

15. Argument Task Because the Argument task is constrained by the line of reasoning in the argument presented to you, be sure to read and analyze the argument carefully. Try asking yourself the following questions as you review the list of published Argument topics, and practice writing responses to several of the topics within the 30-minute time limit. • What claims, conclusions, and underlying assumptions does the argument make? • What alternative explanations and counterexamples can I think of? • What additional evidence might weaken or strengthen the claims? • What changes in the argument would make the reasoning more sound?

16. Examples of the Argument Task • Until recently, people in Hiparia did most of their shopping by driving to shopping malls. They are beginning, however, to do more of their shopping by ordering merchandise from mail-order catalogs and the Internet. These purchases are delivered to them by mail or by a delivery service. For many purchases, Hiparians no longer need to drive to and from shopping malls; there will therefore be a resulting reduction in the consumption of vehicle fuel in Hiparia.

17. Examples of the Argument Task • The following appeared in a memorandum from the president of Humana College. • "Last year the number of students who enrolled in long-distance degree programs at Omni University increased by 50%. During the same year, Omni showed a significant decrease from prior years in expenditures for dormitory and classroom space, most likely because instruction in the long-distance programs takes place via interactive video computer connections. In contrast, over the past three years, enrollment at Humana College has diminished and costs of maintaining buildings have risen. Thus, to increase enrollment and solve the problem of budget deficits at Humana College, we should initiate and actively promote long-distance degree programs like those at Omni."

18. Examples of the Argument Task • The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a newsletter on health issues. • "For the past decade, most health experts have advised teenagers to avoid eating greasy foods in order to prevent acne and related skin conditions, but the number of teenagers who sought medical help for these skin problems has actually risen over the same period. In a recent study, teenagers who avoided greasy foods for a month reported approximately as many outbreaks of acne and related skin conditions as did those who ate an average of two servings of greasy food per day. Such data indicate that eating greasy foods is unlikely to be a cause of acne and related skin conditions. Therefore, health experts should no longer recommend that people avoid such foods."

19. Verbal and Quantitative Sections • The verbal and quantitative sections of the General Test are adaptive tests; that is, they are tailored to your performance level and provide precise information about your abilities using fewer test questions than traditional paper-based tests. At the start of each section, you are presented with test questions of middle difficulty. As you answer each question, the computer scores that question and uses that information, as well as your responses to any preceding questions and information about the test design, to determine which question is presented next.

20. Verbal and Quantitative Sections • As long as you respond correctly to each question, questions of increased difficulty typically will be presented. When you respond incorrectly, the computer typically will present you with questions of lesser difficulty. Your next question will be the one that best reflects both your previous performance and the requirements of the test design. This means that different test takers will be given different questions.

21. Verbal and Quantitative Sections • Because the computer scores each question before selecting the next one, you must answer each question when it is presented. For this reason, once you answer a question and move on to another, you cannot go back and change your answer. The computer has already incorporated both your answer and requirements of the test design into its selection of the next question for you.

22. Tips for V + Q • Try to practice test questions under timed conditions so that you get used to the pace of the test. For example, if there are 30 questions in a section and you have a total of 30 minutes to complete the section, give yourself an average of 1 minute to complete each question. When you are practicing, keep your time in mind and remember that if you spend too much time on one question, you will have less time to spend on others.

23. Tips for V + Q • Use the computer tutorial to your advantage. The tutorial is included in the GRE POWERPREP software that will be sent to you when you register. The tutorial will let you try out the functions of the computer (e.g., the mouse, the scroll bar) that you will need to use during the test.

24. On the Test Day • Report to the test center at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment for check-in procedures. If you arrive late, you may not be admitted and your test fee will be forfeited. Plan to be at the test center up to 4 hours. • What to take to the test center: • your authorization voucher if you registered by mail. • valid, acceptable photo identification

25. On the Test Day • Pace yourself throughout the test — You want to finish! • Use the resources available for test practicing (test preparation books, software) to become familiar with the test and test instructions before you get to the test center. • Read the directions carefully before you begin. The directions at the beginning of each test section give you the total number of questions in that section as well as total time allotted for that section. • Try to budget enough time for each question so that you will be able to complete the test without having to rush at the end of each section. Keep in mind the average amount of time you may want to spend per question.

26. On the Test Day • Pace yourself throughout the test — You want to finish! • Once you start the test, an on-screen clock display will continuously count down the remaining time. You can hide this display if you want, but it is a good idea to check the clock periodically to monitor your progress. The clock will automatically alert you when 5 minutes remain in the allotted time for that section. • Use your time wisely. Read each question carefully to determine exactly what is being asked. Eliminate the wrong answers and select the best choice. Don't let yourself get stuck on a tough question and lose time. Keep moving through the test and try to finish each section.

27. On the Test Day • Know the rules. • Computer-adaptive tests require that you answer every question in the order it is presented. You can't skip a question and go back. The computer selects the next question you see from a large pool of available questions based upon your previous responses.

28. On the Test Day • Know the rules. • Click on the appropriate answer. Answer each question by clicking on the oval next to your answer choice or by clicking on any part of the text of that answer choice. Complete your answer by clicking on "Next" and then "Answer Confirm." You can change your answer any time before confirming it by clicking on a different answer choice.

29. On the Test Day • Know the rules. • Understand the implications of exiting a section or quitting the test. Once you exit a section, you cannot return to it. Click on the "Test Quit" box at the bottom of your screen only if you decide to end your testing session. If you quit the test, you will not receive a score for any section, even for sections you have already completed. If you click on "Section Exit" or "Test Quit" by mistake, you will be given the opportunity to reverse or confirm your decision.

30. On the Test Day • Know the rules. You may take the computer-based General Test once per calendar month up to 5 times in a 12-month period. This applies even if you ended your testing session by clicking on "Test Quit " or canceled your scores after completing the test.

31. On the Test Day • Don't panic if you don't know an answer. • Don't spend too much time on any one question. The last thing you want to do is waste a lot of valuable time on any one question. If, after you've given it a reasonable amount of thought, you don't know the answer, eliminate as many answer choices as possible and then select and confirm the answer you think is best. Keep going and aim to complete the test.

32. On the Test Day • Don't panic if you don't know an answer. • If you are running out of time at the end of a section, make every effort to complete the test. Data indicate that most test takers get higher scores if they finish the test. In fact, based on analyses of test takers, a majority of test takers will score higher if they finish the test than if they do not attempt to answer all of the questions. There is a chance that guessing at the end of the test can seriously lower your score. The best strategy is to pace yourself so that you have time to consider each test question, and won't have to guess.

33. Scores Reported on the General Test • Three scores are reported: • a verbal score reported on a 200-800 score scale, in 10-point increments, • a quantitative score reported on a 200-800 score scale, in 10-point increments, and • an analytical writing score reported on 0-6 score scale, in half-point increments.

34. How much does it cost? • The General Test is US $115 for individuals testing in the United States, U.S. Territories, and Puerto Rico, US $175 for individuals testing in China, including Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan, and US $140 for individuals testing in all other locations. Individuals who would like to request a fee waiver, should read about the requirements and procedures in the Fee Waiver section.

35. GRE Psychology Test • About half of doctoral-level programs and one-third of master’s-level programs require applicants to submit scores from the GRE Psychology Test.

36. GRE Psychology Test • GRE Psychology test is paper-and-pencil, multiple choice test with five possible answers per item. It includes approximately 215 items, and student have 2 hours 50 minutes to complete it. It is given three times a year at test locations.

37. GRE Psychology Test • Based on data from the 1990s, the mean GRE Psychology Test score is 554; the 1st percentile is 340, and the 99th percentile is 770. There is a correction for guessing; your score is based on the number of questions you answered correctly minus ¼ of the questions you answered incorrectly. If you can eliminate 1 or 2 of the distracters, then you should guess, otherwise leave it blank.