David Payne, VP & COO for the Global Education Division, speaks to PRAKRITI ROY about the revised GRE General Test, the importance of taking it and key points to keep in mind during the test
What are the advantages of taking the GRE examIJ
The computer-delivered GRE revised General Test features advanced technology that gives test takers the flexibility to use some of their own personal test-taking strategies. Also, GRE scores are good for five years so you can take the test now and use your scores in the future.
Does the GRE revised General Test hold any advantage over GMATIJ
Both tests measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills. However, the GRE revised General Test is the only admission test that is accepted by graduate and business school programs worldwide, giving test takers more opportunities for success. It is also the only test that features a test-taker friendly design that lets test takers use more of their own testing strategies. The GRE revised General Test also features the ScoreSelect option that lets test takers decide which scores to send, so if they take the test once or more than once, test takers can send only the scores they want schools to see.
The widespread notion is that GMAT is required to pursue degrees at business schools. In that case, why would students take the GREIJ
More than 1,200 business schools accept GRE scores for their MBA programmes. There is no minimum GMAT or GRE score to apply and we do not have a bias toward one test or the other The GRE revised General Test is a great option for students applying to MBA and specialised master’s programmes. Students can skip questions and change answers on a GRE test, which helps lead to better scores according to data. Plus, if test takers decide to take the test again, they can send only their best set of scores and with the ScoreSelect option they have up to five years to send what they feel are their best scores.
What are the options that can be pursued by those who take the GREIJ
The test assesses the graduate-level skills institutions seek in their applicants for a variety of masters, MBA, specialised master’s in business and doctoral programmes.
What are the upcoming trends that you foresee in IndiaIJ
During the most recent testing year (July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015), more than 96,000 citizens from India took the GRE revised General Test, up 12 per cent from the prior year, continuing a multi-year growth pattern. In addition, the number of test takers in India that chose to take the test more than once increased to 24 per cent.
To what do you attribute this increase in the number of takers of the examIJ
The programme continues to be vibrant. We have seen strong interest from test takers in all regions of the world. With the number of institutions accepting GRE scores at an all-time high, students can use GRE scores to apply to graduate, MBA, specialised masters in business and doctoral programs around the world. Many test takers are choosing to take a GRE test because of its test-taker friendly features.
What are the courses that most students opt for after the examIJ
The test takers indicate a variety of intended fields of study. Our 2014-15 data indicate that the most popular broad intended graduate major fields are life Sciences, Engineering, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. In addition, we have seen significant growth in several fields, including business (plus 10 per cent), Physical Sciences (8.3 per cent) and engineering (plus 3.7 per cent).
What is the most important thing while preparing for the GREIJ
Preparation varies from person to person but taking a practice test is a good way to get an idea of the areas to focus on. The best way to take a practice test is with the free Powerprep II software. It is very close to the actual test — two full-length practice tests, a timed feature to help get users accustomed to the pace of the test and design features, like mark, review and the on-screen calculator.