GRE Changes of November

GRE test takers experienced the new question types introduced this November. The introduction of new question types in the Sentence Completion and Quantitative sections was a well planned and systematic move by Education Testing Service (ETS) after their withdrawal of the proposed sudden and big changes in April 2007 worldwide.

This time the changes have been introduced in a very test-taker-friendly manner. The changes occurred in the form of at most one question each (either there will be one question of new type or none) in the Quantitative reasoning and Verbal reasoning modules of the test.

Moreover, in the initial takes (not clearly specified) of the test the new question type will not contribute to the test taker's score but the catch here is that test takers will not know when it actually started contributing to their score. In any case, it is time to get accustomed to the new types and start practicing them more often during your preparation for GRE.

Some Practice Questions for the New GRE Question Types (Verbal)

GRE Verbal: NEW* Sentence Completion

1. The company's strategy __(Blank 1)__ focusing on the changing market, establishing __(Blank 2)__ distribution partnerships, making well timed investments and developing __(Blank 3)__ product features.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Combined	Crucial	Experimental
Amalgamated	Constant	Novel
Considered	Essential	Innovative

2. Progressive business leaders welcome constructive __(Blank 1)__ as a __(Blank 2)__ that leads to __(Blank 3)__ improvements in the quality of their decision making process.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Dissonance	System	Significant
Discord	Pattern	Ominous
Dissent	Process	Prized

3. The deal was a __(Blank 1)__ to show he had a gift for __(Blank 2)__ after years spent bringing order to __(Blank 3)__ groups of companies lacking strong coordination from the centre.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Chance	Coalition	Different
Platform	Coercion	Diverse
Coincidence	Cohesion	Disparate

4. Ultimately, in the __(Blank 1)__ against global poverty, it is the affected __(Blank 2)__, that have to pull themselves up and out of the __(Blank 3)__ swamp.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Initiative	Countries	Penury
Strike	Provinces	Paupery
War	Regions	Privation

5. The current makeover addresses inferior __(Blank 1)__ of service and __(Blank 2)__, lack of appropriate training, poor time management and __(Blank 3)__ pricing.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Quality	Material	Unrealistic
Pattern	Item	Quixotic
Nature	Product	Improbable

6. Some companies are __(Blank 1)__ on manufacturing industrial equipment in India with the objective of reducing cost and making the country their __(Blank 2)__ hub for __(Blank 3)__ equipment to neighboring countries.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Dependent	Sourcing	Distributing
Keen	Original	Transferring
Relying	Recruiting	Exporting

7. The earliest known Greek __(Blank 1)__ are Mycenaean, written on clay tablets, and __(Blank 2)__ records, but cannot be __(Blank 3)__ literature.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Runics	Document	Labeled
Transcripts	Register	Termed
Writings	Classify	Deemed

8. The Phoenician alphabet, a __(Blank 1)__ of the Semitic alphabet of the Canaanite area was __(Blank 2)__ throughout the Mediterranean world by the traders sailing along the __(Blank 3)__ trade routes.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Genre	Exchanged	Naval
Category	Disseminated	Maritime
Variant	Disbursed	Aquatic

9. A method suggested to enhance __(Blank 1)__ productivity is to build one's __(Blank 2)__ by working to the body's natural bio-rhythm of the __(Blank 3)__ and renewing of energy throughout the day.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Tangible	Power	Expending
Physical	Vigor	Using
Material	Energy	Conserving

10. Aristotle clearly __(Blank 1)__ that the __(Blank 2)__ plot is better than the simple one; in it there is the sudden reversal of situation and the __(Blank 3)__ of the truth.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Indicates	Puzzling	Unveiling
Concedes	Complex	Discovery
Testifies	Difficult	Exposition

11. The __(Blank 1)__ of feminist scholarship and funds for __(Blank 2)__, gave a new __(Blank 3)__ to the new ways of thinking about women.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Fostering	Development	Incentive
Advocacy	Advancement	Stimulant
Patronage	Education	Impetus

12. The __(Blank 1)__ Indian Scriptures __(Blank 2)__ the original dance forms as the manifestation of the __(Blank 3)__ rhythmic energy.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Ancient	Portray	Pristine
Archaic	Depict	Primal
Venerable	Limn	Paramount

13. Freud's work was __(Blank 1)__ by Rousseau's and the widely __(Blank 2)__ notion of hidden, __(Blank 3)__ forces at work in human nature.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Vaunted	Asserted	Mysterious
Influenced	Ubiquitous	Occult
Stimulated	Prevalent	Recondite

14. The corporation's __(Blank 1)__ franchise partner has decided to exit the mass production business and __(Blank 2)__ only on the __(Blank 3)__ brands.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Model	Concentrate	Premium
Prototype	Insist	Popular
Original	Rely	Profitable

15. One __(Blank 1)__ of record breaking skyscrapers is that they can say as much about __(Blank 2)__ as they can about wealth, __(Blank 3)__ and technology.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Notion	Hubris	Ambition
Perception	Haughtiness	Intention
Impression	Arrogance	Purpose

* Only Three blank questions are given here. As per the changed pattern, the other two ways possible are two blank questions and passage type questions.

GRE® General Test to Include New Question Types

Computer-Based GRE® General Test to Include New Question Types in November 2007

Beginning in November 2007, two new question types will be included in the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the computer-based GRE® General Test. Test takers may see ONE new Verbal question or ONE new Quantitative question or no new questions at all. No test taker will receive more than ONE new question. The new question types are part of the first phase of the General Test improvements that will be introduced gradually over time.

The new question types have been through extensive field trials, and the results indicate that they are functioning as intended. The GRE Program will begin counting these question types toward examinee scores as soon as an adequate sample of data from the operational testing environment is available.
Read more on the ETS official website

Download Sample Questions and Strategies

* New Verbal Reasoning Question Type: Text Completions (PDF)
* New Quantitative Reasoning Question Type: Numeric Entry (PDF)

Revised GRE General Test 2007

Overview of the Revised GRE General Test

The revised Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®) General Test will be offered for the first time worldwide in September. The first test dates will be September 10, 15 or 16 (depending upon location), and 29, 2007.

With the new test, the GRE Program will introduce a significantly revised and improved GRE General Test. The primary reasoning for the revisions to the test are to (1) address current and potential future security challenges associated with continuous testing, and (2) increase the validity of the test by reducing the possible effects of memorization in the Verbal and Analytical Writing sections of the test. Revisions to the test are also being made to provide faculty with better information on applicants' performance, and measure skills more directly related to graduate study.

Revisions to the test include revisions to the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Critical Thinking and Analytical Writing measures; modifications to test structure and administration, and new Verbal and Quantitative score scales.

The revised General Test will measure the same general skills that are measured on the current General Test: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing. However, each of the sections will be revised to better focus on skills that are necessary for success in graduate school.

The New Verbal Reasoning Section

• Measures the ability to
  • understand the meanings of words, sentences, and entire texts; understand relationships among words and among concepts
  • select important points; distinguish major from minor or irrelevant points; summarize text; understand the structure of a text
  • analyze and draw conclusions from discourse; reason from incomplete data; identify author’s/speaker’s assumptions and/or perspective; understand multiple levels of meaning (such as literal, figurative, text’s intent, etc.)
• Emphasis on skills related to graduate work, such as complex reasoning
  • increased emphasis on inferential reasoning
  • increased emphasis on verbal reasoning in context
  • increased number of reading comprehension questions based on a greater variety of reading passages
  • reduced emphasis on vocabulary out of context (no Antonyms or Analogies)
• Inclusion of new question formats other than traditional multiple choice (e.g., highlighting a sentence in a passage that serves the function described in the question)
• Two 40-minute sections
• Verbal Reasoning Sample Questions

The New Quantitative Reasoning Section

• Measures the ability to
  • Understand quantitative information
  • Interpret and analyze quantitative information
  • Solve problems in a quantitative setting
  • Apply basic mathematical skills and elementary mathematical concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics
• Quantitative reasoning skills that are similar to skills generally used in graduate school
  • increased emphasis on questions involving real-life scenarios
  • increased emphasis on data interpretation
  • reduced emphasis on Geometry
• On-screen four-function calculator with square root (reduced emphasis on computation)
• Inclusion of new question formats other than multiple-choice (such as entering a numeric answer via a keyboard)
• Two 40-minute sections
• Quantitative Reasoning Sample Questions (coming soom!)
  

The New Critical Thinking and Analytical Writing Section

• A new name to more accurately reflect the skills being measured
• A performance-based measure that integrates the assessment of critical thinking and analytical writing
• Measures the ability to
  • articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
  • examine claims and accompanying evidence
  • support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
  • sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
  • control the elements of standard written English
• New, more focused prompts
  • Requires a more specific response from the test taker
  • Will reduce the possibility of reliance on memorized materials
• The Issue and Argument tasks are each 30 minutes in length
• Essay responses will be made available electronically to institutional score recipients
• Critical Thinking and Analytical Writing Sample Topics (coming aoon!)

The New Verbal and Quantitative Score Scale

The mean of the new score scales will be 150 with an expected range will be 130 to 170, in 1-point increments. Final specification of the precise score scales will be determined based on data from the initial revised General Test administrations, before scores are reported.

• Advantages of the new score scales include:
  • The Verbal and Quantitative means will be aligned which will allow score users to see relative strengths for a particular candidate.
  • Score users will be less likely to interpret small score differences as meaningful differences between candidates.
  • The new scales will help facilitate more appropriate comparisons between candidates.
  • The new score scales are compatible with backend systems in most graduate schools.
  • The new score scales will not be easily confused with scores from the current General Test or the Subject Tests.
• The score scale for the Analytical Writing section will continue to be 0 to 6, in half-point increments.
• Scores will continue to be available for reporting for 5 years following the examinee’s test administration.

Sample Revised General Test Score Report

Test Date	Verbal*
MMDDYY	Original Score	New Score	% Below
10/28/07	-----	160	74
10/06/06	520	156	64
07/10/04	540	158	69

*For tests taken beginning in September 2007, scores will be printed in the "New Score" column and dashes will be printed in the "Original Score" column. For tests taken before September 2007, scores will be printed in the "Original Score" column and approximate equivalents on the new scale will be printed in the "New Score" column.