Changes coming to the GRE

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StartingoverVet

StartingoverVet

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For those of you still planning on taking the GRE, the test is drastically changing next year (in case you hadn't heard).

That means your test prep courses will likely not be as useful next year as they are now. But, for those of you with verbal headaches, they are eliminating antonyms and analogies.

the highlights of the changes:
* more time to take the test
* can go back and correct/review previous questions
* calculators allowed on the math portion
* eliminated analogies and antonyms
* more reading comprehension (which I hated)
* new scoring system (fewer possible scores)

The changes seem to make the test easier, but who knows. I would definitely try to take the test once on the old system and once on the new system and see how you do. So happy I am done with it.

Here are some links talking about the changes.

http://kennedy.byu.edu/wordpress/?p=576

http://www.michigandaily.com/content/gre-be-overhauled?page=0,1

http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/sample_questions/revisions/index.html
http://kennedy.byu.edu/wordpress/?p=576
Members don't see this ad.
 
StartingoverVet said:
For those of you still planning on taking the GRE, the test is drastically changing next year (in case you hadn't heard).

That means your test prep courses will likely not be as useful next year as they are now. But, for those of you with verbal headaches, they are eliminating antonyms and analogies.

the highlights of the changes:
* more time to take the test
* can go back and correct/review previous questions
* calculators allowed on the math portion
* eliminated analogies and antonyms
* more reading comprehension (which I hated)
* new scoring system (fewer possible scores)

The changes seem to make the test easier, but who knows. I would definitely try to take the test once on the old system and once on the new system and see how you do. So happy I am done with it.

Here are some links talking about the changes.

http://kennedy.byu.edu/wordpress/?p=576

http://www.michigandaily.com/content/gre-be-overhauled?page=0,1

http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/sample_questions/revisions/index.html
Click to expand...

WOW..these changes make the test WAY easier, almost worthless IMO.
 
OMG I'm so jealous! not that I'd ever want to take it again, but this sounds so much better
 
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zeebra44 said:
WOW..these changes make the test WAY easier, almost worthless IMO.
Click to expand...


well now I don't know what to do. to take the old one (I've got a pretty competitive score without studying, so I was planning on rocking it this summer) or wait for the new and easier one? hmmm.
 
wow is this a late april fools day joke?!?!?! WTFF i cant believe it!!! thank god i got into my dream school but this makes me sooo mad because it is wayyyyyy easier. Go back and look at answers? calculator? wow, easily get an 800 on quantitative now!!

This may hurt science students more though, the percentile for quantitative is already lower because lots of people score high. Example: my 750 was only around 85%, if you score a perfect 800 it is only low 90s I think. Now, an 800 score could potentially be only the 80% range. I wonder if they will make the questions harder, thats the only way to keep the percentiles from going crazy.
 
Apparently they are changing to "data analysis" type questions for the quantitative. The calculator won't really help anymore.

I am skeptical about the "easier" part.

Don't forget, it is a standardized test!
 
I thought it was nice when you took the computer based version that the questions change depending on how well you are doing. So since you can go back and change things I'm guessing that aspect of the test is being eliminated???? Well, I took the test twice and it is definitely a drainer. I don't know how I feel about the changes.
 
StartingoverVet said:
* calculators allowed on the math portion
Click to expand...

This almost guarantees a harder math section!

zeebra44 said:
WOW..these changes make the test WAY easier, almost worthless IMO.
Click to expand...

I don't think the changes will make it worthless, but more up to date. I would believe they will change the questions up as well. In the instance of a calculator, how often are you without one? Most phones have them. And if you know you will need a one or you use one often, you will most definitely have one within reach.

I didn't think about what Natalie said. I liked them making it easier/harder based on how well you do. Well I made a decent score so hopefully I will never have to take it again!
 
what is it with eliminating analogies? i love them, but they took them off the sat and now the gre...?
 
Did anyone else take the sample quant for this while taking their GRE? I took it (experimental section), and while you do get a calculator, the questions are a lot harder.

Also, boo on removing analogies - I always destroy those things.
 
Looks like I'll have to add the GRE to my listy of tests for the summer. The current test definitely plays to my strengths so I imagine I'll score lower on the new one.
 
Tiktaalik said:
Did anyone else take the sample quant for this while taking their GRE? I took it (experimental section), and while you do get a calculator, the questions are a lot harder.

Also, boo on removing analogies - I always destroy those things.
Click to expand...

I did! Agree that it was much harder. The whole time I was taking it I kept thinking 'thank god this doesn't count, thank god this doesn't count!'. Didn't help that I knew it was for practice so I kinda mentally checked out...

The calculator on the screen took some getting used to. It was different then the typical one that comes on most PC's.
 
Dear Man Who Invented the GRE,
Eff you.
Love,
Everyone
 
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That sounds so much easier!
I mean, I'm relieved I never have to take it again, but OF COURSE they go take out the parts I had the most trouble with the year after I take it.
 
StartingoverVet said:
the highlights of the changes:
* more time to take the test
* can go back and correct/review previous questions
* calculators allowed on the math portion
* eliminated analogies and antonyms
* more reading comprehension (which I hated)
* new scoring system (fewer possible scores)
http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/sample_questions/revisions/index.html
Click to expand...


Whoa, so glad I'm done. I suck at doing reading comp on a computer screen. On paper, like when I took the SAT, I aced it. On the computer, not so much. The analogies and antonyms were my strong point on the GRE because of that.
 
hmmm...interesting. I haven't taken it yet but math is my strong point, and I always felt like that analogies would bring me down. Maybe I will take it this summer and depending on how I do take it next summer also.
 
I'm not so sure the changes are going to make the GRE any easier. In some ways--or at least for some people--they are likely to make it much harder.

For example, all parts of the multi-part fill-in-the-blank questions have to be correct; there is no partial credit given. Miss one part out of three, and it doesn't matter that you got two of them right--your entire answer set is considered to be wrong. That's going to kill a lot of people.

The old multiple-choice option was easier--just plug in each likely string of answers, and even if you weren't entirely sure if one of them fit, you could still answer with reasonable certainty if one word was undeniably right and another at least seemed adequate.

Also, removing antoyms and analogies (which are fairly easy to study for by memorizing vocab lists) in favor of more reading comprehension questions (which are much more demanding) is going to be the bane of a lot of test-takers--particularly those who are not strong readers, or who are used to only reading for information, and who avoid challenging material.

The Quant. questions that require you to work out the problem, then type the answer into a box also make things harder than the old multiple-choice option. If you're like me and math is your weak spot, you can't just plug the available choices into the equation until you find the one that fits. You have to know the math well enough to actually do it. If you can't figure out the answer, you can't just guess and hope you get lucky.

I'm not going to take the GRE again until next year (the last time I took it was 6 years ago), so if I want to take the current version it looks like I'd better do it before August 2011. But honestly? I'm not too fussed about it either way.
 
TheEvilShoe, I hurried to take the SAT before the writing portion came along. I'm glad I'm done with the GRE before the new version is scheduled to come out, since the antonyms/analogies served me pretty well, as did the computer-adaptive test. Next, they're going to change the NAVLE the year after I take it! :hungover:
 
I think they changed the SAT the year after I took it. All my younger friends are always so weirded out when I tell them my SAT score was in the 1400's, haha.
 
variegata said:
I think they changed the SAT the year after I took it. All my younger friends are always so weirded out when I tell them my SAT score was in the 1400's, haha.
Click to expand...

Hah, yeah, same here. I think it might have been two years after I took it. Maybe one. Don't remember.

I wouldn't have minded having a writing portion on the SAT though. I rock that standardized writing stuff.
 
TheEvilShoe said:
For anyone young enough, remember when the new SAT format came out? Ugh. I took it on the first scheduled date of the new version, and everyone's "writing" scores came out so whacked out. Wonder if it has improved at all since then, hmm...
Click to expand...
The SAT has a writing portion? When did that come out? What's the SAT score range now? I thought the max was 1600.
 
2400, the extra 800 is due to writing, IIRC.

Also there's like Biology SATs and stuff now. Never took the new SAT but I think it has all sorts of new subject tests you can opt to take.
 
toymoonhorse said:
Data analysis? I'm scared...
Click to expand...

Considering that the purpose of the GRE is to assess preparation for graduate study, I actually am going to be a dissenting opinion here and say that if implemented properly the new quant format will be much more representative of skills related to success in grad school and I am glad that they are changing it.

Not that it means it's appropriate for vet school admissions...but pre-vets are a very small percentage of test-takers so you can't really expect them to cater to that segment.

edit: If it didn't cost so much I would probably sign up next year to take the new one for funsies.
 
Hmm. I'm wondering if it's a good thing or not that I have to take mine this summer.
 
StartingoverVet said:
Funsies? I am not sure anyone entering a professional program should still be using the word "funsies."

Do you still count on your "toesies?"

:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

i talk like this to my kitty lol i figure its better than doing it to my real baby and making them dumb :D

also, doesn't JD say funsies on Scrubs a lot? sounds like something he'd say lol
 
BlacKAT33 said:
i talk like this to my kitty lol i figure its better than doing it to my real baby and making them dumb :D
Click to expand...
:laugh: Relevant cartoon

You're probably right about JD. I mostly remember him using "handsy" a lot.

Eh, I don't think it's a big deal to use slang now and then on a semi-anonymous forum. Nyanko clearly is articulate enough to talk seriously when needed and converse with clients.
 
nyanko said:
It's a good thing you're going to Penn, where no funsies are to be had. ;)
Click to expand...

heyyyyyyyyyy lol i think us pennwe's had the first funsie outting with our new c/o 2014
 
nyanko said:
.... if implemented properly the new quant format will be much more representative of skills related to success in grad school...
Click to expand...

I sure hope so.

My GRE scores were not the greatest. My undergraduate immunology professor told me, "You'll never get into grad school with scores like that." I had taken the test twice and was not going to take it again.

And here I am some years later with a PhD in Immunology. IMO the GRE, as it is now, was a poor predictor of my ability to do well in grad school. I think of all the folks (like me) that would have done super in grad school that did not get the chance due to GRE scores and it makes me sad. :(
 
effing GRE. I'm taking it in June. I better do decent so I never have to see it again LOL!
 
Armymutt25A said:
The SAT has a writing portion? When did that come out? What's the SAT score range now? I thought the max was 1600.
Click to expand...

My graduating class from high school was the first to take the new SATs, so I'd say it came out in 2005, maybe late 2004.

Honestly, I have never really understood the point of standardized tests. I know people who have incredibly high GPAs, are very intelligent, well-rounded people but just bomb when it comes to these tests. And then I know people who are horrible students, don't do well in any of their classes or put an effort forward, do zero prep for these exams and come out in the top percentages.
 
I graduated from high school in 2005. My class was the last class to take the old SAT that was out of 1600. Must have been late 2004 since I remember taking it the summer after my junior year.

No more analogies? That means I actually could have done well in the verbal section. Well, it doesn't matter anymore anyway! :)
 
nitheninny said:
Honestly, I have never really understood the point of standardized tests. I know people who have incredibly high GPAs, are very intelligent, well-rounded people but just bomb when it comes to these tests. And then I know people who are horrible students, don't do well in any of their classes or put an effort forward, do zero prep for these exams and come out in the top percentages.
Click to expand...

Agreed. But I also don't understand the purpose in comparing GPAs from 2 separate schools. School A could be a lot harder/rigorous/grade deflating than School B. So, why are the grades for a student from School B compared to those of the student from School A? This is where I feel standardized tests are helpful and give at least some indication of aptitude of a student (it is NOT perfect, but is still moderately useful.)

I know people will argue that really smart people can do poorly on the test, but I feel like it gives schools some degree of standardization of GPA scores.
 
nitheninny said:
Honestly, I have never really understood the point of standardized tests. I know people who have incredibly high GPAs, are very intelligent, well-rounded people but just bomb when it comes to these tests. And then I know people who are horrible students, don't do well in any of their classes or put an effort forward, do zero prep for these exams and come out in the top percentages.
Click to expand...

I know people who think the that plural of anecdotes is data.

I agree with what luvgoldens said above this post.

Besides, it isn't like any vet or grad school is making any decision based 100% on GRE scores. Your hypothetical first person is far more likely to get in than your hypothetical second person, so don't worry. :rolleyes:

edit: really smart people can have craptastic GPAs too, fyi...
 
nyanko said:
I know people who think the that plural of anecdotes is data.

I agree with what luvgoldens said above this post.

Besides, it isn't like any vet or grad school is making any decision based 100% on GRE scores. Your hypothetical first person is far more likely to get in than your hypothetical second person, so don't worry. :rolleyes:

edit: really smart people can have craptastic GPAs too, fyi...
Click to expand...

Oh I agree, too. I just always felt like these tests are more about knowing how to take that particular test than actually understanding the questions ask. My Princeton Review course for the GRE literally taught us a bunch of "tricks" for the math section. This other kid and I, both of whom were taking calc or above at the time, would try to approach an algebra problem, you know, algebraically, and the instructor would stop us, teach us a trick that would get the problem done in under 30 seconds, and move on. Which is great, but then why on earth did I need to be taking calc II that summer???

And then there's the way they prepare you for the verbal. "Learn these 500 vocab words. If you're lucky, you'll see one or two on the actual test."
:wtf:
 
Maybe the VCAT will be resurrected.

I hate the CAT part of the GRE. But wouldn't want 'fill ins' either. I miss the paper version.
 
nitheninny said:
My graduating class from high school was the first to take the new SATs, so I'd say it came out in 2005, maybe late 2004.

Honestly, I have never really understood the point of standardized tests. I know people who have incredibly high GPAs, are very intelligent, well-rounded people but just bomb when it comes to these tests. And then I know people who are horrible students, don't do well in any of their classes or put an effort forward, do zero prep for these exams and come out in the top percentages.
Click to expand...

Oh man I'm old. Had no idea the SATs had writing now.

And yes, standardized tests are dumb.
 
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