Читать книгу GRE 2022 For Dummies with Online Practice - Ron Woldoff - Страница 11

In most parts of the world, the GRE is a computer-based test, which makes it easier to administer to individual test-takers. Sign up early so you can choose the day, time, and place that work best for you. If you’re a morning person who’s sharpest at sunrise, you can schedule the test for early morning; if you’re a night owl who tends to sleep in, you can opt for late morning or early afternoon. Actual time-slot availability varies according to the testing center, but you have more days and times to choose from than you do with paper-and-pencil tests, such as the LSAT and SAT.

At the time of this writing, the world is slowly getting back on its feet after COVID-19, and everything is up in the air. The GRE became available to take at home, so this option may still be available when it’s your turn. If you do take it at home, you’ll be taking the computer version. If you take it at a testing center, you will also most likely be taking the computer version.

The paper and computer versions of the GRE are slightly different. For one thing, the paper version has 25 questions per section, with four sections, while the computer version has 20 questions with five sections. Don’t worry too much about the differences; your only option will most likely be to take the computer version, and either way your preparation is the same.

To sign up for the GRE, see the current GRE Information and Registration Bulletin (available through most college admissions offices), register online at www.ets.org, or register via phone by calling 800-473-2255. You can also check the GRE testing center locations and available time slots at www.ets.org.

To help you get in the right mindset, take at least one practice test at the same time of day that you plan to take the real thing. (Check out the practice tests in Part 5 of this book and in the online access.) I’ve had students use this strategy to become accustomed to the effects that their circadian rhythms (hunger and nap patterns) have on their test-taking abilities. If you’re used to eating or relaxing at a certain time each day, make sure these tendencies don’t sneak up on you during the exam. As I discuss in greater detail throughout this book, one of your goals is to make the exam and testing experience as familiar as possible, so that you’re used to it and it’s almost no big deal. (See Chapter 3 for more on how to prepare for the GRE.)

Because the computerized GRE is administered to individual test-takers, testing centers tend to have few seats, and those seats fill up quickly during peak admission deadline months (April and November). If you’re planning to take the GRE in a testing center (as opposed to at home, if that’s still available) around these months to get your test scores in on time, schedule your test early and secure your ideal time slot. You can always reschedule, but the last thing you need is an inconvenient time or location. Before at-home testing was available, I had a student wait until the last minute to schedule his exam, and he had to drive from Phoenix to Tucson (some 120 miles) to take his GRE and get his scores in on time. He called me during his drive, and we reviewed math formulas, but this wasn’t an ideal way to ramp up for the test. If at-home testing is still available, this may not be an issue, but at this time, I’m not sure where those chips will land.