The Revised GRE, Part III: Reading Comprehension

by , Apr 11, 2010

Guest Author Bob Verini is a 30-year Kaplan veteran teacher, trainer, and curriculum developer

While the GREs overall content breakdown will remain the same for the 2011 test change that is, itll still consist of analytical writing, math, and verbal sections the specific question types are undergoing quite the transformation. The most radical changes will be seen in the area of Reading Comprehension, where the testmakers are introducing two brand-new question types, both of which take fuller advantage of the computerized format than either the old GRE or the current GMAT ever have.

The first new type consists of multiple choice questions which have more than one possible answer. This is a variation on the traditional Roman numeral question, a perennial on the GMAT, in which you are handed three Roman numeral statements and one or more are correct, e.g. III only; I and II only; I, II, and III. The killer tactic for Roman numerals has always been to begin with the one that appears most often, so as to narrow down your options. If, for instance, incorrect statement III appears in every answer choice except for (A), then the correct answer must be (A) by definition, case closed.

But in the new type, I, II, and III will be replaced by A, B, and C, and any or all of them may be part of the answer. There will be no pre-set combinations to sort through. Moreover, there will be no partial credit offered; as the ingenue sings in Oklahoma!, its all er nuthin. The examinee will have to give equal and due attention to all three statements, without Roman numeral shortcut tactics to lean on. Scary? Maybe. You be the judge.

The second new question type is Select-in-Passage, in which the examinee is to click on a specific passage sentence that matches up to a particular task. In other words, shell be asked to Select the sentence that addresses a commonality between opposing views; or distinguishes between two phenomena; or shows why a hoped-for outcome wont take place. This question type requires understanding not just a sentences content, but the authors purpose in writing the sentence and placing it where she does. Both GRE and GMAT Reading Comprehension questions have always rewarded an examinees focus on author purpose, but never more so than now.

B-school aspirants who are thinking about going with the GRE will need to make sure they are fully prepared for these new question types. As should be pretty clear, these types require more complex thinking than the current tests questions, and are less vulnerable to test taking shortcuts.

Students worried about having to deal with question types that havent appeared on any previous standardized tests need to remember that they can still take the current GRE up until July 31, 2011, and a score so achieved will be valid for five years after taking the exam. Or they can go with GMAT and opt out of the whole revision to-do altogether.

Many people believe the devil you know is better than the devil you dont. Whether that devil is the GRE or the GMAT, thats a proverb youre likely to hear repeated quite often as opportunities to take the GRE in its current form begin to dwindle, and the choice between GRE and GMAT becomes more acute.

More on the GRE content changes, and how they affect you on your road to b-school, in future posts!

Read other articles in this series:

• The Revised GRE for B-School Aspirants, Part I: The Scoring Scale
• The Revised GRE for B-School Aspirants, Part II: Redefined Navigation