To
get straight to the point, this article intends to answer the question:
What are the GRE and GMAT exams all about? To begin with, however,
let's look at the US education system and find out how the GRE helps in
the process of getting there.
The US education system
consists of 12 years of schooling, four years of undergraduate study
(such as a BA or BS) and two years of graduate study. Most colleges or
universities expect you to have four years of undergraduate study, three years of undergraduate and a year's Masters.
Admission cycles
Most
US colleges and universities offer admissions twice a year. The first
is in September, known as the Fall semester. The second is in February
-- the Spring semester. You have a choice of joining a college in either
semester.
The GRE
Individuals
applying to graduate schools in order to pursue a Masters in Arts (MA)
or Science (MS) take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination). The test
helps schools by providing them with common measures for comparing the
qualifications of applicants.
Admission cycles
Most
US colleges and universities offer admissions twice a year. The first
is in September, known as the Fall semester. The second is in February
-- the Spring semester. You have a choice of joining a college in either
semester.
The GRE
Individuals
applying to graduate schools in order to pursue a Masters in Arts (MA)
or Science (MS) take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination). The test
helps schools by providing them with common measures for comparing the
qualifications of applicants.
There are two types of tests
. The
General Test measures verbal and quantitative ability, and analytical
writing skills. Data shows that scores on the GRE General Test
consistently predict graduate school students' grades and performance.
. The
Subject Test measures the achievement in a particular subject area or
extensive background in that discipline. These tests are in the
following areas: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Biology,
Chemistry, Computer Science, Literature (English), Physics and
Psychology.
Our emphasis will be on the General Test, as that will be the eligibility criteria for most programs you intend to pursue.
Why GRE?
In
addition to being an admission criterion, schools often use GRE scores
to determine eligibility for merit-based grants and fellowships, as well
as teaching and research assistantships programs. The large state
schools establish cut-off points for GRE scores to limit the application
pool, while others use GRE scores to directly determine how much
financial support you receive. Investing time and effort in preparing
for the GRE today can help you get into the grad school of your choice
and can greatly increase your chances of getting financial aid.
The
GRE is conducted by the Education Testing Services group (ETS). For
now, the test can be taken all the year round. From coming year,
however, there will be fixed dates. The fees for the test are US$140 (Rs
7,000).
The exam in detail
The
GRE consists of three main sections: Verbal, Quantitative and
Analytical Writing. The Verbal and Quantitative Scores are out of a
scale of 200-800 each. The Analytical Writing section is of a maximum of
six points. The most important thing is the test is Computer Adaptive,
which means the next question that appears onscreen depends on whether
the previous question has been answered correctly or not.
The
Analytical Writing section tests your critical thinking and writing
skills. It assesses your ability to articulate and support complex
ideas, analyse an argument, and sustain a focused and coherent
discussion. It does not assess specific content knowledge.
The
Verbal section measures your ability to analyse and evaluate written
material and synthesize information obtained from it, to analyse
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.
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.
