Candidates appearing for the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) will now have the option of selecting their test scores before applying to universities. Candidates can choose from recent score and scores in the past five years and send it to top business and management schools across the world.

The score select option has begun from July 2, a statement released on Monday by Educational Testing Service (ETS) that conducts the examination said.

Candidates can decide which test scores to send to the institutions they choose, so they can send the scores they feel reflect their personal best. On the test day, when viewing their scores at the centre, they can select the 'Score Select Most Recent' option to send their scores. And Score Select All option is to send all their scores of the last five years. Both the services will be free to candidates.

For example, if a candidate wants to go to either Harvard or Yale University and he/she only wants to send Harvard the latest test scores. Then the candidate can click 'Most Recent' option and Harvard will only see the candidate's most recent scores. For Yale, if the candidate wants to send them all three scores, then he/she can select the 'all' option and Yale University will receive all of his scores.

Individuals taking the paper-based GRE revised General Test or a Subject Test will select their options prior to test day. The score select option focuses on helping test takers succeed on the road to an advanced degree because they can approach test day with more confidence, the statement further added.

Read More About GRE

There is no such strategy which says that you should start studying from the Verbal section and then move on to Quant or vice-versa. Start with whatever you are comfortable with! Choose whichever you think you are good at. Generally, people with good language and vocab skills should start with Verbal ability section, it gives them confidence to move on. If you think you good at maths and data interpretation, start with Quants. Starting your preparation with something you find easy helps reduce stress and generate interest.

The GRE preparation study never ending. GRE word list never ends and memorizing those words can sometime freak you out. On the other hand maths section has no cap. More you practice, better you get at it.

There are bunch of options available on internet and off the internet for GRE preparation. The snap speaks it all for you. Off the internet material mostly starts from those small vocab notes, Kaplan guides for Verabal and maths, GRE for dummies book, Barron's guide to ETS software CDs.

Over internet there are lot of options available for preparation and checking your preparation. You could start with browsing some YouTube videos on selected topics like Sentence Correction, Sentence Completion, Reading Comprehensions, Analogies, Antonyms, etc. Then move on to maths and start with algebra and DI, graph analysis, etc.

For checking your preparation, one strong and recommended way is to keep appearing for mock tests and keep the check with where you need to focus your preparation efforts.

• To provide students with simulated GRE enviroment and extensive practice on the same.
• To enable students understand their performance trajectory and predicted GRE score in order to decide on the prospective universities.
• The 10 mocks will help you assess your performance and make amends to your preparation based on your weak areas
• The questions will be on the lines of those generally asked in GRE.

The mocks will give the student enough practice before attempting the actual GRE. You will get the score in the GRE format immediately after you complete the test. This will give you a better idea of where you stand and how you have progressed with each test. There will be a 3600 analysis of the test with section based performance tracking. You can take the test anytime (24*7) from the comfort of your home. You can look at the detailed solutions and see where you went wrong.

If you are a serious GRE aspirant, this is the place to be. Please visit our Test Center

One of the mostly awaited point of discussion before one turns up for GRE test is ‘SCORING SYSTEM OF GRE?’.The Graduate Record Exam has replaced the familiar 200-800 scoring scale by a scale that ranges from a low score of 130 to a high score of 170, with one-point intervals between scores. Thus, everyone who takes the Revised General Test will receive two scores on the 130 - 170 scale: one for the Verbal Reasoning section and one for the Quantitative Reasoning section. Test-takers will still receive a single score on the same 0 - 6 scoring scale for the Analytical Writing section. Because both the test and the scoring scale have changed, scores for the Revised General Test will not be immediately available when the test is first offered.

As GRE test taker is aware of the fact that the test has been segmented into three sections:

1. Quantitative Section(on a 130-170 scale, in 1-point increments)
2. Verbal Section(on a 130-170 scale, in 1-point increments)
3. Analytical Writing Section(on a 0-6 scale, in half-point increments)

GRE test can be computer based or paper based test. According to computer based as well as paper based test there is minute variation in the scoring system. Each section of the test has its own story of scaling system. Following paragraphs will trace the picture of GRE scoring system in each section on both the basis.

Computer Based Test

On the computer based GRE, ETS uses an algorithm to compute the scaled score for each section that takes into account the following factors:

• The number of questions answered within the time permitted
• The number of questions answered correctly
• The statistical characteristics (including level of difficulty) of the questions answered

Quantitative Section And Verbal Section

Determining scaled scores for the computer-based Quantitative and Verbal sections is not simply a matter of tallying up correct responses. For each of these two measures, a test taker's scaled score is determined by the total number of correct answers and by the overall difficulty level of the questions presented. The computer-based GRE is section adaptive. This means that the test adapts to a test taker's individual ability, but only at the section level. For every test taker, the overall difficulty level of the first scored Verbal (or Quantitative) section will be average. The testing system will select the second such section based on a test taker's performance on the first section. For example, if a test taker performs better than average on the first scored Verbal section, then the second such section will be more difficult than average and the test taker can earn greater credit for correct responses. By the same token, if a test taker performs poorly on the first Quantitative section, then the second such section will be appropriately low in overall difficulty and the test taker's scaled score will account for that easier level.

Analytical Writing Section

The Analytical Writing (AW) score is a single number that is the average of the Present Your Perspective on an Issue essay score and the Analysis of an Argument essay score. Each essay is read and scored by two readers, who each give the essay a grade on a scale from 0 to 6. If the two grades are identical or differ by one point, the average of the two grades becomes the final score for that particular essay. However, if the scores differ by more than one point, a third reader resolves the discrepancy and determines the final score. Once each essay has been assigned a final score, those two final scores are averaged and then rounded to the nearest half-point. This number is the test-takers Analytical Writing score. In evaluating the overall quality of your writing, the GRE readers will take into account four general skill areas:

• Content: your ability to present cogent, persuasive, and relevant ideas and arguments through sound reasoning and supporting examples
• Organization: your ability to present your ideas in an organized and cohesive fashion
• Language: your control of the English language—specifically, your diction (word choice and usage) and syntax (sentence structure)
• Grammar: your facility with the conventions of standard written English (grammar and punctuation)

Which of these areas is most important? The first two areas are far more important than the last two. However, writing style, grammar and diction — i.e., your ability to communicate ideas effectively in writing — may influence readers as well. So the bottom line is that you should strive to demonstrate competency in all four areas. Of course, if you're weak in one area you can still achieve a high overall score by demonstrating great strength in other areas.

Paper Based GRE Test

For the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the paper-based GRE revised General Test, a raw score is computed. The raw score is the number of questions for which the best answer choice was given. The raw score is then converted to a scaled score through a process known as equating. The equating process accounts for differences in difficulty among the different test editions, so a given scaled score reflects approximately the same level of ability, regardless of the edition of the test that was taken. For the Analytical Writing section, each essay receives a score from two trained readers, using a six-point holistic scale. In holistic scoring, readers are trained to assign scores on the basis of the overall quality of an essay in response to the assigned task. If the two assigned scores differ by more than one point on the scale, the discrepancy is adjudicated by a third GRE reader. Otherwise, the scores from the two readings of an essay are averaged. The final scores on the two essays are then averaged and rounded up to the nearest half-point interval. A single score is reported for the Analytical Writing section. The primary emphasis in scoring the Analytical Writing section is on your critical thinking and analytical writing skills rather than on grammar and mechanics. (Read the "Issue" and "Argument" scoring guides.) During the scoring process, your essay responses on the Analytical Writing section will be reviewed by ETS essay-similarity-detection software and by experienced essay readers.

Test-taker Response Required for Score Tabulation

For each Verbal and Quantitative section, the testing system will tabulate a score regardless of the number of available questions you've answered, except that if you don't respond to at least one question during a section an "NS" (no score) will appear on your score report for that section only.

For either of the two writing tasks, if you fail to key in (type) at least one character using the word processor, you'll automatically receive a score of 0 (on a scale of 0 to 6) for that writing task, and that score of 0 will be averaged with your score for the other essay to determine your Analytical Writing score.

GRE Percentile Rankings

For each of your three GRE scaled scores you'll also receive a corresponding percentile rank — from 0 to 99 percent. Your percentile rank indicates how you performed relative to the entire GRE test-taking population during a recent multi-year period. For example, a percentile rank of 70% means that you scored higher than 70% (and lower than 30%) of all other GRE test takers over that multi-year period.

The future is unknown, and this is definitely the case with the new GRE scores. The key is to know the range in which you want to score and come up with a target percentage. After all, regardless of your final score, you ultimately will be competing against other grad-school bound students. Many grad schools will be looking at your percentage scores. Whether your 80% is 156 or 158 shouldn’t make too much difference. The key is to prep diligently so you can reach your full potential, whether that be 95% or 165.

Are you tired of grappling GRE preparation issue? Do not let the fear of GRE overcome your strength for preparing for it. Just set your goal for GRE and say to yourself ‘READY STEADY GO’. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) does not check your knowledge in specific subject but measures your ability to apprehend given data and respond to questions based on it.

In August 2011, the GRE revised General Test replaced the GRE® General Test. Featuring the new test-taker friendly design and new questions, the revised test more closely reflects the kind of thinking you'll do in graduate or business school and demonstrates that you are ready for graduate-level work.

Revised GRE test consists of three sections

1. Verbal Reasoning - Measures your ability to analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it, analyze relationships among component parts of sentences and recognize relationships among words and concepts. Learning speed reading can also help you save your valuable time in the exam. You must read quality articles like editorials and try to understand the usage of some keywords and phrases in them.
2. Quantitative Reasoning - Measures problem-solving ability, focusing on basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number reasoning and data analysis. You must solve as many practice problems as you can. Study guides include all the techniques of fast calculations and effective use of diagrams and figures to solve the maths problems.
3. Analytical Writing - Measures critical thinking and analytical writing skills, specifically your ability to articulate and support complex ideas clearly and effectively. Under this Section you need to write two essays. For the first essay you need to analyze an issue and for the second you need to analyze an argument. Time allotted is 30 minutes for each task. While you prepare for the GRE test you need to practice writing these sample essays under similar time constraints. You must learn how to make an outline of your idea and gather your thoughts quickly. From your study guides you will know the techniques of how to prepare for the GRE essay test.

To mould your knowledge according to GRE test, its preparatory material can be classified into subjective material and online material. Subjective material unleashes a cascade of books in the market that helps to prepare for GRE.

Barron’s How to Prepare for the GRE Test with CD-ROM

This book is also among the best GRE prep books and covers all the sections of the GRE test. This book has a good verbal reasoning section; it contains a good vocabulary section covering about 3500 words. This book features 6 model tests which are very helpful while preparing for the test. This book also helps you in improving your skills in math. This book also explains how to manage time during the exam. The tips given to take the test can be really helpful. A CD-ROM is available with the book which is a great help as it contains computer-adaptive model tests. It creates the real environment for the test which helps while appearing for the actual test.

Crash Course for the GRE by Princeton Review

This book is also among the best books for GRE preparation. It is helpful for those students who have decided very late to appear for the test and don't have time for the detailed studies. This book is a well organized book and gives a quick brush up for all the three sections. It gives practical tips on the strategy you should follow to take the test. This book contains lots of practice questions with explanations of the solutions. However, this book does not contain full-length sample papers. Therefore, it will be good to supplement this book with some mock tests online.

Writing Skills for the GRE and GMAT (Peterson)

This is one of the best GRE prep books and focuses on the Analytical Writing Assessment section of the GRE. This book contains exercises for both types of essays- issue as well as argument type. This book helps you to plan the essay and organize your ideas into introduction, content and conclusion. This book contains many sample essays. This book will help you to improve your writing skills and English grammar.

UniApply Test Series Platform for GRE Preparation

Uniapply.in, an education portal has recently lauched a GRE test platform in association with Abhyaas Educorp, Hyderabad. You can visit this at www.uniapply.in/test_partner/abhyaas

Online material covers various websites and software available that help in testing ones efficiency in every respect and gives you good indication of where you stand. Identify your weak areas from the result of the test and try to strengthen them with practice. Various websites that are available are

• http://www.number2.com/
• http://www.kaptest.com/
• http://www.mygretutor.com/

There are various other sites which can be found on Google. Powerprep CD is provided by ETS on registration which helps to practice mock tests made according to GRE test. Some of the valuable tips that can make you perfect are

• Practice original test papers
• Practice timed CATs
• Revise your vocabulary for 2hrs daily
• Revise the strategies on one section everyday for an hour
• Practice timed reading

Always think of your dream university and that will keep your motivation levels high while you prepare for GRE. Get enough study materials and join a good course if you can. Plan your study and take lots of practice tests as practice makes the man perfect. This will prepare you for the GRE test completely.