Comments on: Why We Need To Dispense With The GRE

By: Milton Franklin

Milton Franklin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:37:48 +0000

I have to wonder what the author of this great article does after putting out such vital information. Just hope he has not resigned to rest on his laurels where this issue is concerned. Crony capitalism and rampant corruption comes to mind after reading this article, not unlike the putrefying stench emanating from wall street and their cheaply bought politicians. Those connected to the GRE are thinking people, so it is hard to imagine advanced thinkers allowing such a rotten system to go on in perpetuity. I’ve already completed my masters at a state university but my harrowing experience with the GRE left me a bad taste and disappointed at how much advanced thinkers willingly allow themselves to be used.

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 02:44:35 +0000

My worst fears have been confirmed through this article. It is not that i fear to do GRE at the end of the day i will do it for it is a requirement for United States Universities. But after going through the verbal sections of the old and new GRE, i have come to realise that this is not a good way of measuring capability of handling graduate work. Instead the exam throws one into a frenzy of claming vocabularies and familiarizng with the format which at the end of the day beats the logic of the initial intention.

The verbal part of the new GRE is even worse where by in the part of completing some blanks in a text, one can end up earning no credit because he answered two blanks correctly and failed one. Further more some questions can have two possible answers and the idea of the best is too subjective.

The exam is also unfair for people coming from other education systems that rarely use multiple choice questions…especially the common wealth. The last time i did multiple choice questions was more than 20 years while in primary school.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:35:12 +0000

Good article. I’m one of those unlucky ones that does poorly on standardized tests. Although I’m an honors student in finance, with an in major GPA of 4.0 at a well regarded school (my overall GPA is 3.94), I did quite poorly on the quantitative portion of the GRE (about 33rd percentile). The problem with the test, as I see it, is that the quantitative section focuses on, and requires remarkable speed in, middle/high school math. So, as someone who is on the theoretical side of statistics & calculus, and has been taught as an undergrad to value accuracy over speed, the test is counter intuitive and doesn’t actually measure any of the quantitative skills needed for my chosen vocation.

The second major problem with the GRE is that rather than score, a applicant’s percentile placement is often looked at. Because the test is HIGHLY rigid in format and EXTREMELY coachable, particularly on the quantitative side, there is s significant advantage to those test takers who have the resources to pay for tutoring.

By: brandon

brandon — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:43:23 +0000

Thanks for sharing the results of the quantitative research. I’d like to suggest an alternate explanation of the facts (but by no means a true one) : if GPA and GRE scores are equally good indicators, and if they’re both by themselves not particularly strong ones, might it then make sense to use both? And, for that matter, to use other, strictly qualitative predictors (recommendations, writing sample, personal statement, etc.)?

I’d guess (and might bet a small sum) this is the reason graduate schools still use the GRE. It’s in their interests to predict student performance as best as they can, and to junk indicators that don’t mean much. (Note, for instance, the disappearance of the GRE History exam, which was little but random trivia.)

You evaluation of the test, too, would be more convincing if you gave weight to an additional tutoring company. Princeton Review was founded in opposition to “buckle-down-and-learn-your-math-concepts” Kaplan, and champions a “these tests are crap — we’ll show you how to crack ‘em without making you smarter!” mentality. Such a perspective certainly captures a piece of the truth, but not the entire thing. “There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in Princeton’s Review’s educational philosophy.”

I make no claims, though, to objectivity: I’m an independent GRE tutor. For anyone taking the test, I recommend he/she considers it an opportunity to re-master the (now-evaporated) fundamental math skills, radically expand vocabulary, and improve in analytical reading. If anyone’s interested, I’m happy to give book suggestions!

By: crazycris

crazycris — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:44:58 +0000

What’s the big deal? The GRE is just as easy as the SAT! They’re both pretty basic in what they require… and that goes for the subject specific ones as well (at least the Biology one which I took). I only had a week to prepare and found it relaxing!

For those of us having studied overseas and wanting to enter US graduate programs etc., the GRE is much more reliable than GPAs! Basically because in most countries and universities outside of the US it’s nearly impossible to find anyone with a GPA above 3. In Spain having a GPA of 2 is considered a decent grade! Grading is much tougher over here in Europe. The only exam you’re likely to get 100% on is a multiple choice, and that isn’t at all easy! Anything written will almost never get you a perfect grade because there’s almost always something you could have written more…

By: Nick

Nick — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:32:32 +0000

I agree. Great article. I am one of the fortunate few who takes standardized tests with no problem, but my wife is not. She agonized over the GRE for two month prior to taking it and then she did fairly well but nowhere near what her intelligence and grades in previous schools would have indicated. The GRE is just another way for ETS to make a ton of money, which as a 501(c)(3) they should not be focused on profit. I think that it may be time for the IRS to review their tax-exempt status. I will tackle the GRE this fall also and am scared to death….

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:52:40 +0000

Great article. One of the main and many reasons why I’ve been avoiding grad school is because of the GREs. I am an horrible test taker and when I heard that the GREs took out the analytical part and replaced it with a written one sometime ago, I knew I was screwed. They took away my best part and replaced it with my worse. I got into undergrad somehow without them receiving my SATs so I just hope that might happen again.