Instead of continuous testing, the exam will be given approximately 35 times a year worldwide. The number of administrations in any given region will depend on the test volumes in that region.
Test Content Changes
The revised General Test will measure the same general skills that are measured on the current General Test: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing. However, each of the sections will be revised to better focus on skills that are necessary for success in graduate school.
The New Verbal Reasoning Section
Measures the ability to
o understand the meanings of words, sentences, and entire texts; understand relationships among words and among concepts
o select important points; distinguish major from minor or irrelevant points; summarize text; understand the structure of a text
o analyze and draw conclusions from discourse; reason from incomplete data; identify author's/speaker's assumptions and/or perspective; understand multiple levels of meaning (such as literal, figurative, text's intent, etc.)
Emphasis on skills related to graduate work, such as complex reasoning
o increased emphasis on inferential reasoning
o increased emphasis on verbal reasoning in context
o increased number of reading comprehension questions based on a greater variety of reading passages
o reduced emphasis on vocabulary out of context (no Antonyms or Analogies)
Inclusion of new question formats other than traditional multiple choice (e.g., highlighting a sentence in a passage that serves the function described in the question)
Two 40-minute sections
The New Quantitative Reasoning Section
Measures the ability to
o Understand quantitative information
o Interpret and analyze quantitative information
o Solve problems in a quantitative setting
o Apply basic mathematical skills and elementary mathematical concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics
Quantitative reasoning skills that are similar to skills generally used in graduate school
o increased emphasis on questions involving real-life scenarios
o increased emphasis on data interpretation
o reduced emphasis on Geometry
On-screen four-function calculator with square root (reduced emphasis on computation)
Inclusion of new question formats other than multiple-choice (such as entering a numeric answer via a keyboard)
Two 40-minute sections
The New Critical Thinking and Analytical Writing Section
A new name to more accurately reflect the skills being measured
A performance-based measure that integrates the assessment of critical thinking and analytical writing
Measures the ability to
o articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
o examine claims and accompanying evidence
o support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
o sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
o control the elements of standard written English
New, more focused prompts
o Requires a more specific response from the test taker
o Will reduce the possibility of reliance on memorized materials
The Issue and Argument tasks are each 30 minutes in length
Essay responses will be made available electronically to institutional score recipients
Test Administration Changes
The revised Verbal and Quantitative sections are changing from an adaptive test format, where the questions presented to each examinee vary according to his or her performance, to a linear test format, where all examinees testing at the same time receive the same questions.
The GRE General Test will be administered on computer on approximately 30 test dates worldwide. The number of administrations in any given region will be based on the test volume in that region.
To address possible security concerns, starting times for the test will be staggered across time zones.
An expanded Internet-based testing network with about 3,500 test sites will be available worldwide.
For more details on the changes you may visit the GRE website - www.gre.org
For GRE preparation, check out: GRE prep classes
