To continue from where we left off, besides the TOEFL & IELTS, there are some other prep tests that need to be cracked, which adds value to your overall resume & besides, is highly valued & required by American Universities & employers.

GRE- which stands for Graduate Record exam is another standardized test that is intended to measure the abilities of all graduates in tasks of general academic nature, regardless of their fields of specialization. The test that is conducted in over 230 countries worldwide, measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study.

The test is conducted worldwide by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) & is a computer based multiple choice test in most countries which tests students' verbal, mathematical & writing (essay) abilities.

The exam consists of 4 sections:

• Analytical Writing section- consisting of 2 different essays written on a computer using a word processing program specifically designed by ETS. The program allows only basic computer functions and does not contain a spell-checker or other advanced features.

• Verbal Section- Consists of analogies, completions & reading comprehension passages & is a multiple choice response.

• Quantitative section- is again multiple choice consisting of problem solving and quantitative comparison questions that test high-school level mathematics.

• Experimental section- can be either a verbal, quantitative, or analytical writing task, containing new questions that ETS is considering for future use. Although the experimental section does not count toward the test-taker's score, it is a necessary part of the test.

Scores for the Verbal & quantitative are measured on a 200- 800 point basis whereas those of the Analytical writing are measured on a scale of 0-6.

Since GRE tests 3 basic things i.e your basic intelligence, your speed of responding & your performance under pressure, as clichéd as it sounds, preparation is a must since the exam decides your future course of action.

It includes:

• Effective time management.

• Awareness of the test sections and structure.

• Repeated practice.

• Preparing without delay.

• Repeated tests to assess oneself.

• Working harder on weakness.

The Test scores even though may vary, are considered differently by different programs. For example, one who is opting for liberal arts may need their verbal scores to be higher while quantitative scores are mainly considered for science & maths streams.

The test is valid for about 5 years & costs approx. about $190 in other countries & $160 in the US.

GMAT- which stands for Graduate Management Admission Test is another computer adaptive standardized test in Maths & English language for measuring your aptitude to study academically in graduate business studies abroad. Business schools commonly use this test as one of many selection criteria for admission into an MBA program mainly in the US.

The test lasts for about 4 hours & includes verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills similar to what is done in the GRE exam with more emphasis on Mathematics.

The maximum score that can be achieved on the exam is 800 & the test is valid for a period of 5 years. A student has to pay a fee of $250 to write this test & has to prepare really well if he is serious of pursuing his studies abroad.

Even though GRE is an important test that is accepted by many universities, Business schools are particularly partial towards GMAT scores. Also where GMAT’s emphasis is on logic & a person’s mathematical ability, GRE measures the test takers vocabulary & is more appealing to international students taking admission to other fields of study.

I’d just like to add here, that if you think you are the one to catch up with studies last minute & procrastinate, don’t do so where the above 2 tests are concerned because even though there’s no failing or passing in it, you might not be provided with too many chances!!!

So, wish you all the luck & if there’s anything else you might like to add, please do so, I’d love to see your comments on this interesting topic!!!

Take care,

Charmaine

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