Introducing Shorter GRE – Welcome to the new era of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) – a crucial stepping stone for students with dreams of higher education in graduate programs, business schools, or legal institutions. In an initiative to enhance the test-taking experience, minimize test anxiety, and respect the time of the candidates, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) is launching a shorter version of the GRE. Starting September 2023, the revised GRE General Test will only require less than two hours to complete, cutting the current test time in half. This evolution marks the GRE as the shortest and most time-efficient graduate school admissions test available, leading the way in modernized educational assessments.
If you’re planning to take the GRE General Test in or after September 2023, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with these changes and prepare accordingly. Let’s dive into the new world of the GRE, making your journey to your dream school smoother and more informed.
In this Blog Post, we will answer the major Questions:
1. How is the Shorter GRE different from the Current GRE?
2. How will it impact your Preparation Strategy?
3. What are the changes to the Shorter GRE that we don’t know about yet?
What are the Major Changes in the Shorter GRE
Here’s a comprehensive list of all the major changes that will be implemented in the new, shorter GRE:
Change 1: Reduced Testing Time
The overall duration of the GRE General Test will be reduced by half, shortened from approximately 4 hours to just under 2 hours. This is a significant change aimed at reducing test fatigue and improving focus for test-takers.
Change 2: Removal of the “Analyze an Argument” Task from the Analytical Writing Section
The Analytical Writing section will now only include the “Analyze an Issue” task. The “Analyze an Argument” task will be eliminated. This means the Analytical Writing section will only require you to write one essay instead of two, saving you time and energy.
Change 3: Reduced Number of Questions
The Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning sections will have fewer questions. The exact number of questions per section will be decreased from 40 to 27. Despite the reduced number of questions, the average time available to answer each question remains the same.
Change 4: Removal of the Unscored Section
Currently, the GRE includes an unscored section that is used for ETS research. This section, which does not count toward the test-taker’s score, will be removed in the shorter GRE.
Change 5: No Scheduled Breaks
Since the test duration will now be under 2 hours, the scheduled 10-minute break that currently exists after the second hour of the test will be removed. However, those taking the GRE in a test center can opt to take unscheduled breaks, but the clock won’t stop unless they have been approved for a test accommodation due to disability or health-related need. Unscheduled breaks are not allowed for those testing at home.
Change 6: Faster Score Reporting
Test-takers can expect to receive their official GRE scores much faster, within 8-10 calendar days. This is an improvement from the current time frame of 10–15 calendar days. This will help applicants complete their applications quicker.
What will remain unchanged in the transition from the current GRE to the shorter GRE?
Several elements of the GRE General Test will remain consistent, even with the transition to a shorter test. Here are the major aspects that are not changing:
Test Structure: The GRE will continue to include sections on Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning, maintaining its fundamental structure.
Scoring: The scoring process for all three measures will not change, and the score scales for the shorter test will be the same as on the current test.
Score Report: There are no changes to the Official Score Report format for the shorter GRE.
Adaptive Nature: The shorter GRE will still be section-level adaptive, meaning the difficulty of the second operational section of each scored measure is based on the performance on the first section of that measure.
Accommodation: The accommodations available for the shorter GRE test will be the same as those on the current version.
Test Fees: The costs associated with the GRE will remain the same despite the test’s duration being reduced.
Delivery Mode: The shorter GRE will continue to be delivered both at test centers and at home, like the current GRE.
Use of Scores: Graduate and professional programs will continue to use GRE General Test scores as they always have, regardless of the test length.
Retake Policy: The policy allowing you to take the GRE General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days), remains unchanged.
Score Validity: GRE scores continue to be reportable for five years following your test date.
