GRE test more tasking thanks to new format

The launch of the GRE revised General Test introduced the heaviest overhaul in the test's 60-year history. The major revision aims to provide a better indicator of success in graduate school.

"There was enough feedback from graduate schools that Educational Testing Services agreed that it was time to make changes to this test," said Lee Weiss, director of graduate programs for Kaplan Test Prep.

As of Aug. 1, the GRE is longer, has a new scoring scale and contains different question types that address graduate schools' desire for a focus on critical reasoning.

Weiss said the GRE is now more appealing to business schools because the changes make it more like the Graduate Management Admission Test, which is the more popular test for business school admission.

"In nearly two months, 100 additional business schools have joined the more than 500 already accepting the GRE General Test for MBA admissions," according to a July 13 news release on the ETS website.

The graduate program at UCF's College of Business Administration still prefers the GMAT but does accept the GRE with a competitive score, said Judy Ryder, the program's director.

"We have traditionally accepted competitive GRE scores, but these account for under 20 percent of the scores we receive," Ryder said.

Patricia Bishop, vice provost and dean for the College of Graduate Studies at UCF, said the college will take the new criteria into consideration as it receives applicants.

"We understand that the quantitative and verbal sections are more constructed to align with skills that graduate students are likely to use in graduate school," Bishop said in an email.

She added that universities will not start seeing these new GRE score reports until late November.

These quantitative and verbal sections, which deal with math and language skills respectively, make up the bulk of the four-hour test.

The analytical section remains, but the essay prompts are now more focused and allow only one half-hour each to respond.

Weiss said test takers should practice building up their endurance and mental energy to perform strongly through to the end.

Despite its daunting duration, the new GRE offers some appealing additions, such as the ability to navigate between questions within a section. Another bonus is the on-screen calculator for use on the math section.

Sharlynn Gabarda, a senior micro and molecular biology major, said the test's length wasn't too bad.

"I was pretty relaxed," Gabarda said. "They give you an estimated score compared to the old GRE scoring, and I did really well on the math."

Gabarda said she used Princeton Review's online practice test and borrowed test prep books from the library to study.

Senior statistics major Erik Lee said he took advantage of the free test prep resources he found online and leaned more toward preparing for the math portion of the test because he plans to pursue a master's in statistics at UCF.

"I took the practice test, and I felt pretty confident, so I've just been using what's available for free because I don't feel like I need that much extra," Lee said.

Senior psychology major Deandhra Downs, a campus representative for Kaplan Test Prep in the Student Union, said she plans to take the GRE in November.

"Definitely prep longer and harder, and with an actual course," Downs said. "Don't just go out and get a book."

She also mentioned one of the benefits of using Kaplan's course is the option to retake the GRE course for free if students are unsatisfied with their scores, which is understandable, due to the more difficult nature of the test.

"This new exam is definitely more challenging than the GRE in the past, but certainly that should not deter any students from taking the test and applying to graduate school," Weiss said.