Happy New Year. In the last 6 months, ETS made a few newsworthy changes to the GRE. Many prospective test takers are unaware of these updates and they have major implications to how students prepare for the GRE and how scores are interpreted. With colleges now coming back in session after holiday breaks and hundreds of thousands of current college students and college graduates contemplating applying to graduate school sometime in 2013, now is a great time to review these updates.
- ScoreSelect. Since July 2012, ScoreSelect allows GRE test takers to choose—after viewing their scores—to report to schools scores from only the most recent GRE test taken, or scores from all of the GRE tests taken in the past 5 years. Additionally, if a student sends score reports after Test Day, the student can have full freedom over which scores to report: from any testing administration(s), not just the most recent. Test takers cannot report only Quantitative Reasoning scores or only Verbal Reasoning scores from a given test—results from any testing administration must be reported intact. For more on the ScoreSelect option, go to: ets.org/gre/scoreselect
- Taking a GRE test again. From the launch of the revised GRE in August 2011, test takers were only able to take the GRE once per 60 days. Since July 2012, individuals may take the new GRE once every 30 days, which is a big win for test takers, especially if they are late in the admissions cycle and are brushing up against application deadlines. For more on the retake policy, go to: www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register
- Another free practice test from ETS. When PowerPrep II was released in July 2010, it contained only 1 full-length practice Multi-Stage Test. PowerPrep II version 2.0 contains 2 free full-length MSTs. This software will be available for download from www.gre.org and will only work on a PC. (Kaplan’s realistic practice tests can be taken on a Mac or PC, and a free practice test created by our team is available here.)
- GRE scores are now being piloted for employment decisions. Just last month, ETS began a pilot program, “whereby GRE test takers will be permitted to send their official GRE scores to employers.” ETS writes, “This three-year period will evaluate the use and role that GRE scores play in employment decisions and provide the GRE Program with an opportunity to determine whether or not there is evidence to support the use of GRE scores for employment purposes.” It will be interesting to hear more from ETS on this pilot. Have you heard stories of your advisees submitting GRE scores to organizations they are applying to? If you have, share them below.
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