The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required for all PA programs, but it for roughly one third, so I figured I should cover it as one of the prerequisites. There's not too much for me to say about, so this will be a short post. First of all, before applying to programs or signing up for the exam, double-check to see if any of the programs in which you're interested actually require it. If they don't then congrats! That's one less thing to check off your list. However, if the schools do require it, don't freak out. The GRE is quite similar to other standardized tests like the SAT and the ACT, which, if you're in or have completed undergrad, you have almost certainly taken before. There are some differences though, so I''d recommend doing a bit of prep before taking the exam. Most libraries will have GRE prep books you can borrow for free that will give you an outline of the exam as well as practice questions and sometimes even full practice exams. If it's been a while since you've done a standardized exam, it would be worth it to go through one of these books or other prep activities to learn what things you need to brush up on. These books will usually also give you tips on how to take the test, such as whether answering a question incorrectly subtracts from your score or doesn't affect it negatively. I lucked out because the year I graduated my college randomly selected some seniors to take a GRE-like mini test. The goal was to compare the scores of incoming freshmen with those of outgoing seniors to see the impact of education at my school. It wasn't necessarily a fun way to spend an hour or so, but I earned $10 and I unknowingly got a bit of practice for the GRE, so that was an excellent bonus.
Really, my advice for taking the GRE is probably something you've heard for any standardized test: prepare ahead of time, know how the test is scored and how to use that to your advantage, get a good night's sleep, know what you need to bring with you and what is not allowed into the testing area, etc. By this point, you probably know the drill so I'll just end with these tidbits: the GRE bases your score only on correct answers so guessing does not hurt you (I'd say if time's running out, answer every question with something) and the GRE is adaptive, so the difficulty of the second sections of Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning that you take will depend on how well you did in the first sections of those categories. Lastly, if you took the GRE on the computer (which should be the most common, if not the only, method by now), you will get your Verbal and Quantitative scores immediately after completing the exams (and before choosing which colleges to send those scores to), though you'll have to wait to get your Analytical Writing scores. Good luck!
Really, my advice for taking the GRE is probably something you've heard for any standardized test: prepare ahead of time, know how the test is scored and how to use that to your advantage, get a good night's sleep, know what you need to bring with you and what is not allowed into the testing area, etc. By this point, you probably know the drill so I'll just end with these tidbits: the GRE bases your score only on correct answers so guessing does not hurt you (I'd say if time's running out, answer every question with something) and the GRE is adaptive, so the difficulty of the second sections of Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning that you take will depend on how well you did in the first sections of those categories. Lastly, if you took the GRE on the computer (which should be the most common, if not the only, method by now), you will get your Verbal and Quantitative scores immediately after completing the exams (and before choosing which colleges to send those scores to), though you'll have to wait to get your Analytical Writing scores. Good luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment