GRE Misgraded?!

[AgtOrange]

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Wondering if anyone else got this letter...

The ETS sent me a letter informing me that my Quantitative section on the GRE was misgraded - in their words, "In a very small number of cases, the computer algorithm may not have selected an optimal distribution of test questions that would have allowed the test taker to fully demonstrate his or her true ability. It appears this may have happened to you on the Quantitative section. As a result, the ETS is offering you the opportunity to take a free retest on this particular section only."

Blach! 😡 Thanks for the voucher...too bad the scores are already sent to the colleges. The rest of the letter is very neutrally worded - it's hard to decipher if they are saying the section was misgraded too low or too high, but the free retest makes me think it was too low. My quantitative section wasn't too bad - 640 - but now I'm paranoid.

I'm not sure if the algorithm mess-up was location-related or time-related - I took mine in September in Columbus, OH.

Reason 776,239 not to wait 'till the last minute to take the GRE 🙂

 

[rachroo]

"In a very small number of cases, the computer algorithm may not have selected an optimal distribution of test questions that would have allowed the test taker to fully demonstrate his or her true ability. It appears this may have happened to you on the Quantitative section.

How would they determine that a few weeks/months after you already took the test?

Man, I really hope I get one of those letters!! 😀

 

[AgtOrange]

It doesn't say exactly how they figured it out - all they say is, "the GRE program recently implemented a review process of individual test performance for the computer-based GRE General Test...the purpose of the process is to analyze each test taker's performance data."

The only thing I can think of, short of a program glitch, is that we were told before the test that there would be 2 sections of either the Verbal or Quantitative, and one of the two sections wouldn't count - they were practice questions the GRE was developing for later tests. I took 2 Quantitative sections, and I felt like I did wayyyyyy better on the second one, but of course I don't know which one actually counted towards my score. I don't know if a large discrepancy between the sections would affect anything? Did everyone else take an extra section?

 

[rachroo]

I had 1 verbal and 1 quant section...but at the end I did have an optional test that was being tested for future questions. The format was a little different and I knew that it was optional--I was bribed into taking it since you had the chance to win $.

 

[nyanko]

The rest of the letter is very neutrally worded - it's hard to decipher if they are saying the section was misgraded too low or too high, but the free retest makes me think it was too low.

The computer version of the GRE general test is adaptive. This means that when you answer a question, the algorithm selects your next question based on whether you answered the question correctly or incorrectly. And from what I understand, you start at a midrange score (NOTE: I DON'T KNOW THE ACTUAL NUMBERS BUT I AM JUST GIVING AN EXAMPLE OF HOW I'VE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE THE GRE SCORING WORKS) and answering an early question right bumps you up a lot, say 100. Answering the next question right, another 100. Next one wrong, down 100, etc, and basically it uses the later questions to fine-tune your score within that range, like missing one at the end only drops you down 10, or getting one right up 10, or whatever. Like I said, those are probably poor numbers but hopefully you get the idea.

ANYWAY, the way I interpret what they wrote is that perhaps the first part of the test did not work correctly in giving you questions of an appropriate adaptive level to raise your score. Like, it was supposed to give you an 800 level question after you got a 700 right but instead got somehow stuck on 700 or went back down to 600, so as a result the end questions for fine tuning were in the wrong range for you. Incidentally that could be why you felt that the one section was easier even though your score wasn't that high - the questions they were "adapting" to you were too easy for your actual ability.

Hopefully I explained that okay. I have a clear idea of how it works in my head that is kind of hard to get down on paper, I guess. 😕

FWIW, were I in your shoes I might contact the vet schools and let them know of ETS's error, and ask if they will consider the re-take at least for the quant portion of your score. 640 is actually not too good of a percentile rank on the quant if you can do better, because of the high percentage of people who get 750+ on it.

 

[stick91]

Hey, so I got that same letter except about the Verbal section. I was happy enough with my verbal score that I didn't particularly care to re-take it, plus I had probably forgotten most of the vocab I had memorized and I was starting to study for the Bio GRE. I would say, if you think you have a shot at doing better or just want that shot then reschedule to take the quant section again, inform any schools you applied to about what happened and what you are doing about it, they may take it or they may not. I think the letter said that the new score would replace the old one but maybe I'm wrong about that, but that is definitely something to check out and consider whether it would be worth the risk. Also, try looking through the "successful applicants" thread for people who got accepted to the schools you applied to and around what their GRE scores are. Check out schools websites too and see if they have past applicant statistics. From what I've looked into, if you had a decent score on the verbal then I think a 640 would still be competitive. good luck, don't panic!

 

[VAgirl]

You could probably also do the free retest and then elect not to send those new scores to schools if they're not better. If they're better, you can send them. Maybe schools won't look at them because it's too late. But if you get to the interview stage, they'll likely look at whatever new info you have for them.

Still, seems to me like 640 is decent enough to go either way.

 

[AgtOrange]

my Verbal percentile was much higher than my Quantitative, so I'm leading towards retaking it. In other standardized tests in the past, I've always tested with math in the higher percentile than verbal. **crosses fingers**

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

 

[EqSci]

Yes, I got the same letter, but for the verbal section. I got it way back in the summer. I elected not to retest, because I felt I did ok on my verbal section. The problem is that you don't know whether you will do better or worse. My understanding was the the retest REPLACES your current score in that section. So if you do worse you're really out of luck.

It's a tough decision for sure. Frustrating that it's not even your fault! Good luck with whatever you decide. I don't think either choice would be a bad one for you.

 

[philomycus]

You could probably also do the free retest and then elect not to send those new scores to schools if they're not better. If they're better, you can send them.

You can't decide not to send them after you've already seen your score though.

 

[nyanko]

I'm assuming this is what you got in the mail, but this section of the FAQ on the ETS site looks relevant to this thread:

9. How and when will my original and retest scores be reported?
The scores from your original test were reported to the institutions that you requested through the standard reporting process. If you take the free retest, the retest score for the affected section will REPLACE the original score on your permanent record. A revised score report will be sent to you and your designated score recipients within 10-15 days after testing. If a department to which you are applying needs the score sooner, the department can contact the GRE Program at 1-609-683-2002 or [email protected].

10. What are score recipients told about my scores?
Your scores on the test you recently took were sent to your designated score recipients as part of the regular GRE score reporting process. If you decide to retest, your designated score recipients will be informed about the retest when the retest score for the affected section is sent to them. The designated score recipients will be advised to replace the original score on the affected section with the retest score. If you decide not to retest, no additional communication will be sent to your designated score recipients.

It also mentions that if you do the retest that you should do only the section that they indicated was misgraded on your voucher.

If it were me I'd do it.

 

[VAgirl]

You can't decide not to send them after you've already seen your score though.

Couldn't you indicate that you want score reports sent to no schools, initially (this option is typically available as one may take the GRE before knowing where they will apply). Then, later, one can send out their report. I might be wrong that what I'm outlining could be done in this situation as I've never seen this retest situation before. But that's usually how it works with the SATs and GREs. FWIW, that's what I did with my own SATs way back in the day when I took it a second time. Took the pressure off. I'd already sent out one set of scores to schools (from my first time taking the test). I only elected to send out reports that contained my second set of scores (plus my first set) after I'd gotten notification of what my second set of scores was.

The only thing is you'd be missing out on 4 free score reports this way. Not huge, in the grand scheme of things.

 

[nyanko]

It looks like (from the FAQ on their site) if you take the retest you have no choice, and the new score will be subbed in for the old one and sent to wherever you sent the old score.