IFW Udaipur-Students


— GRE—

	What is GRE?
	The Graduate Record Examination is a Standardized test that measures verbal, mathematical and analytical skills. It is intended to help the graduate schools (of all fields other than business) assess the potential of applicants for advanced study . Nearly 2300 universities in the US require GRE scores from each applicant. The GRE tests the fundamental skills - Reasoning and Comprehension included - and does not require any subject-specific theoretical study. (This is true only for the General GRE, and not the GRE Subject, which is required by certain universities. In this section, we mean the General GRE whenever we refer to the GRE)

	The test is designed in such a way that it would be unlike any other test you would have taken at school or college. First, the test has no question paper or answer sheets, nor does it have the same set of questions for all the examinees. Further, it does not give you the option of not answering a question (unless, of course, you run out of time at the end). All this because the GRE is an entirely Computer based test - the keyboard and mouse do the work of a pen or pencil. The test is scored out of 2400 (in multiples of 10), and most scores fall in the range of 1800-2000. However, a score of even 2400 is not unheard of!

	The GRE is only one of several parameters which the graduate schools look at to determine the selection of an applicant. A high score alone does not translate into an admission offer from a great school. But the test can be looked upon as the first major hurdle to be cleared in the process of getting admission into a Graduate school of your choice.

	Who administers the GRE?
	The GRE is developed and administered by the US-based "Educational Testing Service" (ETS) under the direction of the Graduate Record Examination Board , a non-profit organization of graduate business schools worldwide. This implies that ETS sets the questions, conducts the test, and sends each examinee the score report. For the conduct of the test, ETS has appointed Testing Agencies in various countries, which act as franchisee for ETS. In India, this agency is the "Sylvan Testing Services Pvt Ltd" which administers the test at 9 centres in the country: Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Trivendrum.

	When is the GRE held?
	All-round-the-year. Unlike other exams, you can choose your own date and time for taking the GRE! The test is administered in the above cities five-days-a-week (Monday through Friday), twice-a-day. September to December is the high season for GRE, so in case you intend to take the test during this period, you need to register very early (say 90 days in advance) to get a date of your choice. Otherwise, registering at least 15 days in advance is mandatory. The test lasts roughly three-and-a-half hours, and most centres offer two slots : 9 A.M. and 2 P.M.

	Eligibility and Fees
	Anyone and everyone is eligible for taking the GRE - there are no restrictions based on age or qualifications. The test scores are valid for five years, i.e., most universities accept scores up to five years old. But it is always better if your scores are recent (not older than 2 years).

	Test fees for GRE may vary according to the country in which you take the test. In India, this fee is US $125 (approx Rs. 5400), payable at the time of registration. You cannot pay in Indian Rupees. The fees has to be paid through a US Dollar denominated draft, made out in favour of "ETS - GRE" payable in the U.S. Such a draft is usually available with the Main Branches of most banks (which have a foreign exchange counter) in most of the big cities for a nominal charge (around Rs. 200). Alternately, the payment can also be made through a credit card which has global acceptance. The credit card need not necessarily be yours - you can get your father to sign for you!

	How to Apply?
	Obtain the "GRE Information Bulletin" available free with Sylvan Testing Services and USEFI. You can also request the bulletin from Infozee at Request Test Forms and it will be delivered to your given address. The Test Scheduling Form comes with the bulletin. The Test Scheduling Form comes with the bulletin. There are three ways to register:
	Registering by Fax: If registering by fax, you must send your fax at lest SEVEN DAYS prior to your first choice of a test day
	Registering by Phone: You may call up Sylvan Delhi office until 12:00 noon to register. Make sure to call at least THREE BUSINESS DAYS before the test date.
	Registering by Mail/Courier: Fill in the form, get the draft made (if you are not paying by credit card), and submit these to the Sylvan Learning Centre at New Delhi either by hand or by registered post/courier. You must send the documents at least THREE WEEKS before your choice of a test day.

	Sylvan Learning Centre Sylvan Testing Services Private Limited, Senior Plaza, 160-A, Gautam Nagar, Yusuf Sarai, Behind Indian Oil Building, New Delhi-110049, India. Ph: (011) 651-1649 Fax: (011) 652-9741

	What is a Computer-Adaptive Test?
	In a computer-adaptive test, the computer screen displays one question at a time, which is chosen from a very large pool of questions categorized by content and difficulty. The first question is always of a medium difficulty, and each subsequent question is determined by your responses to all the previous questions. In other words, the CAT adjusts itself to your ability level - you’ll get few questions that are either too easy or too difficult for you.

	Content and Format of the GRE
	The test has three distinct sections : Quantitative, Analytical, and Verbal. The Quantitative section has Problem Solving questions, which test your mathematical skills and concepts of roughly the high-school level. The Verbal Section has four types of questions : Antonyms, Analogies, Reading Comprehension, and Sentence Completion. The questions of each type appear in no set sequence. Questions in the Analytical Section test your logical and structural reasoning ability. There are a total of 93 questions, 28 in Quantitative, 35 in Analytical, and 30 in Verbal.

	In addition to the objective-type questions test, the GRE has introduced the Writing Assessment as a separate test in October 1999. This test measures critical thinking and analytical writing skills, consisting of two analytical writing tasks : (1) "Present your perspective on an issue", and (2) "Analyze an Argument". Whether you will actually need to take this test will depend on whether the graduate schools you are planning to apply to require or recommend this test.

	Quantitative Section
	The section tests you on a level of Maths that is comparable to Class 10 mathematics, with questions on Number Systems, Percentages, Fractions & Decimals, Algebra (including Quadratic Equations), Geometry (including Basic Coordinate Geometry), Ratio & Proportion, Area & Volume of 2-D and 3-D figures, and Probability. This list is not exhaustive; questions from beyond these topics may also be asked.

	Verbal Section
	The verbal section in GRE requires a good vocabulary level, the basic skills of correct English coupled with reasoning and analysis. The 30 questions, to be attempted in 30 minutes, consist of four types : Antonyms, Analogies, Sentence Completion, and Reading Comprehension. The four types are intermingled, with no fixed number for each type.

	Analytical Section
	This section tests pure analytical and logical reasoning skills, and is akin to the standard "IQ tests". It has a total of 35 questions, to be attempted in 60 minutes. The questions are based on the interpretation and analysis of some data presented - which may be quantitative data or verbal information.

	Reporting the Score
	ETS has the provision of reporting your GRE scores to a maximum of four universities of your choice, the cost of which is built into the fee you pay. You have to indicate the four universities where you wish a copy of your GRE score to be sent after you get to know your scores. For reporting to each additional university, the ETS charges you $13, payable by an international credit card or a dollar denominated draft.

	The Scoring Pattern in GRE
	The GRE results comprise four different scores : a total score, and separate scores for Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical sections. The total score is reported out of 2400 and the sectional scores are out of 800.

	In addition to these scores, the score report also contains percents (%) below. These "% below" indicate the percentage of examinees who scored below you based on the scores of the entire GRE testing population for the most recent three-year period. These percentages are important in considering how an applicant for admission to a particular management school compares with everyone in the specified period, with all other applicants to the same school, and with students already enrolled at the school.

	Retaking the GRE
	Even though an "I could have done better" feeling is inevitable after any test, taking the GRE again may not be helpful. Sometimes it is necessary to take the GRE more than once, like when a management school asks you for more recent scores than what you have. However, unless your scores seem unusually low compared to your performance in the practice tests, or if you have not been able to perform well because of a sudden illness or similar exceptional circumstances, it’s advisable not to succumb to the temptation of repeating the test. This is so for given the nature of the test, it is unlikely that your scores can substantially improve, and in fact, your scores may decrease.

	If you repeat the test, your scores from the latest test date and the two most recent test administrations in the last five years will be reported to the institutions you designate as recipients. In any case, you cannot take the test more than once in the same calendar month, even if you have taken the test and cancelled your scores.

	To read more FAQs regarding GRE, click here.


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