So, how hard is the GRE?

[joecool]

easy ... seemed exactly like the act to me.

 

[thirtythree]

Originally posted by: WhoBeDaPlaya
GRE = t3h suck. It's basically a frigging English test.
If you're an engineering / math major, the math portion is pretty much a cakewalk.

I don't think you need to be an engineering / math major. I didn't take a single math class in college, unless you count statistics for psychology.

 

[bobdelt]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: bobdelt
Well the first thing you'll need to learn is grammar. It's "plan to" not "plan on."

It's like a harder old SAT. The math I hear is very easy. The verbal will be quite tough. Lots of analogies. It all depends on where you want to go, what score you need, and what the rest of your application looks like.

"Plan on" works in the way the OP used it.

Wouldn't it still be "plan to take"?

 

[bobdelt]

Originally posted by: fitzov

Originally posted by: bobdelt

Originally posted by: fitzov
All I can say is this--it doesn't belong at the graduate level. It's SATs all over again.

It actually does an incredible job at predicting graduate school success. Much better than undergraduate GPA.

How so? If schools base funding off scores, then you have a false cause. (It is the good funding that fosters success.) Also, the subjects studied on the GRE are not wholly related to the subjects studied as a graduate student. The only reason why the GRE even exists is so deans can point to their students and say, "See, my students have high scores!"

Schools spend a lot of money to compare how GPA and scores relate. Obviously they use both.

Testing you on a subject doesn't test how smart you are. It just test how well you know that subject. Knowledge does not equal smart. You could be great at adding (undergrad) but suck at multiplication. (graduate) Your GPA and transcript already tell the academic story. Having another test would be redudant.

But a standardized test, should show how smart someone is, how how good they are at reasoning. Every applicant would have taken the test, have the same background, and have the same chance to do well regardless of their undergraduate background. Studying for reasoning test can only do so much.

Schools invest a lot of money into this. If there was a better way of picking applicants, a better test for them to take, wouldn't you think they would be doing that?

I once read, for business schools, undergraduate GPA had under a 30% rate of predicting success, and the GMAT was almost 50% accurate, and them combined was just over 50%.

 

[fitzov]

Schools invest a lot of money into this. If there was a better way of picking applicants, a better test for them to take, wouldn't you think they would be doing that?

Not too long ago, there was no GRE. The university/educational system got along fine. The best way to pick applicants is to read their material and to know about where they are getting their former degree from (reputation of school). This is why we have a writing sample, and letters from former professors. Like I said, the GRE does not even test on the areas you will be studying (except for specific subjects). The test measures your ability to take a test, not how smart you are at coming up with new material in your field, which is what getting a doctorate is supposed to be about.

 

[sniperruff]

Originally posted by: cyclohexane
damn GREs, I'm trying to take it before they change the format in Fall 2007.

if the new one is close to the pilot that i took earlier this year... it's an easier test with less intense vocab but instead more critical thinking. i had a lot of time left when i finished, too.

 

[thirtythree]

Originally posted by: fitzov

Schools invest a lot of money into this. If there was a better way of picking applicants, a better test for them to take, wouldn't you think they would be doing that?

Not too long ago, there was no GRE. The university/educational system got along fine. The best way to pick applicants is to read their material and to know about where they are getting their former degree from (reputation of school). This is why we have a writing sample, and letters from former professors. Like I said, the GRE does not even test on the areas you will be studying (except for specific subjects). The test measures your ability to take a test, not how smart you are at coming up with new material in your field, which is what getting a doctorate is supposed to be about.

For the most part (at least for the schools I applied to), it seems like schools only use GREs to weed through applicants, and the cutoffs are pretty low. They take letters and personal statements and everything else into account too.

 

[Accipiter22]

well, the English section is pretty hit or miss, I tested anywhere between 500 and 750 on it in practice, ended up with a 600. and I have a very broad vocab...there were several words on there that I couldn't even deliniate the root of.....Math is straight forward, very easy. The essay portion, just make concise, logical arguments and back them up with examples, and check spelling and punctuation. I got a perfect 6 on that section

 

[bobdelt]

Originally posted by: Otaking
Has anybody taken both the GMAT and GRE? Any opinions on comparing the two? I'm taking the GMAT a 2nd time for sure, but I may take the GRE in the near future as well. I have not yet decided if I wish to apply to a dual degree program yet.

The GMAT has a lot of grammar and data sufficientcies which is a lot harder than the stuff on the gmat. Most people only struggle with the analogies on the GRE. If you can handle the math on the GMAT, the GRE will seem easy. The GMAT also has arguements, but those are pretty easy.

 

[bobdelt]

Originally posted by: fitzov

Schools invest a lot of money into this. If there was a better way of picking applicants, a better test for them to take, wouldn't you think they would be doing that?

Not too long ago, there was no GRE. The university/educational system got along fine.

Then why did they change?

This is why we have a writing sample, and letters from former professors. Like I said, the GRE does not even test on the areas you will be studying (except for specific subjects).

It doesnt test the subject matter, thats the whole point! It tests your basic reasoning skills. If they want to know your kownledge of the subject matter, they would look at your transcript. Think what you want, schools aren't going to base their selections on some tests for no reason. For Business schools, the GMAT, and for the Law Schools, the LSAT, are much more important than GPA.

Passing an "acadmic test" or test on the specific subject doesnt tell the school anything since everyone will study and get awesome scores. You can't really study for a reasoning test (even though its my job, I teach these classes)

If you dont believe me, do a google search, this is the first one that came up for me.
http://mentalhealth.about.com/library/sci/0301/blgre301.htm

 

[fitzov]

Then why did they change?

They saw that their allumni were all lacking basic reasoning skills, but somehow managed to get PhDs and said to themselves, "Boy, we need standardized testing."

 

[Eeezee]

I heard it was pretty easy if you've done okay through college

 

[erub]

Originally posted by: Otaking
Has anybody taken both the GMAT and GRE? Any opinions on comparing the two? I'm taking the GMAT a 2nd time for sure, but I may take the GRE in the near future as well. I have not yet decided if I wish to apply to a dual degree program yet.

Well since I took both within 60 days last fall, I think that I am qualified to compare the two..

GRE: less "grueling" of the two tests, b/c the parts that count (the essays are basically weeders to make sure that you are literate) are much shorter..it also didn't give me as much of a time to get into my "groove" which may have caused my lower performance
Verbal: tougher - analogies (very tough), sentence completions (find the right word,
difficult when you don't recognize any of the choices, hehe), reading comprehension

-I memorized about 300 words from Kaplan and PR, and some of them did show up..there were others of course that I didn't know

Math: easier - probably easier than SAT math, I was unhappy I didn't get an 800

GMAT:
Verbal: easier - no crazy vocabulary
Sentence corrections are probably the hardest part of the verbal here (small grammar points), reading comprehension, critical reasoning aren't bad
Math: hader - mainly with the data sufficiency questions, but once you train yourself for those you will be fine

For preparation I use Kaplan and PR books forboth, went thru the free official practice tests, and a couple of PR and Kaplan's tests (these aren't very good indicators but help with pacing)

Results:
GRE: 580 v (83%), 760 m (87%)
GMAT: 41 v (93%), 49 m (91%) --730 (97%)

I was accepted to the two top engineering schools I applied to--#12 University of Texas (with a generous fellowship) and #4 Georgia Tech (assistantship), but was rejected from #29 business school (dual degree at GT)..I have to think that my 0 yrs of work experience hurt me, I will apply again to start next fall because I am going to GT for my M.S...if not, I can always apply to a top school after working for a few years, with my score and undergrad+grad work, I should be in good shape at that time..