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Educational Testing Service (ETS), the organization that designs the GRE General Test, recently began phasing in various revisions of the GRE. During the 2009-2010 testing year, the only GRE test revisions you might encounter involve these two new question formats:
- During a Verbal Reasoning section, not more than one text completion item. This question type involves a 1-5 sentence passage with either two or three fill-in blanks, three choices per blank (no partial credit will be given for selecting less than all of the correct choices).
- During a Quantitative Reasoning section, not more than one numeric entry question. In this type of Problem Solving question, you enter a number response (e.g., "125" or "-14.2") using the keyboard rather than select among multiple choices.
Until further notice by the testing service, some test takers will encounter one text-completion item; some test takers will encounter one numeric entry question; and some test takers will encounter neither question type on their exam. In any event, no test taker will encounter both question types. Over the coming years, the GRE will include an increasing number of both question types. Also in the years to come, ETS will be phasing in other revisions to the GRE. Don't worry: test takers will be given ample notice of such changes. Here are some of the planned revisions:
- Verbal Reasoning — eliminating Analogy and Antonym test items (or reducing their number)
- Verbal Reasoning — incorporating paragraph-length arguments with questions that gauge your ability to follow an argument's line of reasoning and to identify and distinguish between an argument's premises and conclusions.
- Quantitative Reasoning — incorporating multiple-choice, multiple-blank questions
Also, ETS plans to provide test taker essay responses to all score recipients (test takers and schools) at some point. Finally, ETS is currently exploring further refinements in the computer-based GRE and in the scoring and reporting process. Possible future refinements include:
- Customizing GRE scores for each school. For example, if a particular school determines that Reading Comprehension should be weighted more heavily than Antonyms, scores can automatically be adjusted accordingly. (Currently, separate scores are not reported for the different components within the Quantitative and Verbal sections.)
- Incorporating questions that measure other cognitive abilities.
- Refining the computer-adaptive algorithm to allow test takers to review previous questions and change responses to them.
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