Graduate Record Exam

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Graduate Record Exam

• Dr. Michael Radis
• Howard University
• Presented at University of Texas at El Paso
• September 21, 2004

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Verbal Section---4 Types of Questions 30
Questions in 30 Minute

• Antonyms
• Find the answer that is most nearly opposite the
  word in question
• Some questions require a fine distinction between
  words
• BANAL
• Faithful
• Arresting
• Inclined
• Forced
• Elaborate
• CORRECT ANSWER (Elaborate)

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Antonyms

• Some questions may require you to find second
  meanings of words
• Example depress can mean to press down or to
  make sad
• Predilection
• Unwillingness to choose
• Desire to please
• Ambiguity
• Stereotype
• Propensity to dislike
• CORRECT ANSWERPropensity to dislike

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Analogies

• Tests your ability to see
• A relationship in a pair of words
• To understand the ideas expressed in the
  relationship
• To recognize a similar relationship in the answer
  choice

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Analogies Hints

• 1. Before you look at the answer choices, state
  to yourself the precise relationship between the
  2 words in the question
• Tree is to Forest as
• A tree is a part of a forest
• You will be looking for a relationship that is a
  part to a whole

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Analogies Hints

• 2. After you have noted the relationship in the
  question then look at the answer choices for the
  same relationship
• Finger is to hand
• A finger is a part of a hand

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Analogies

• Always compare the relationship between the pairs
• They must always be in the same direction
• The first term is to the second term (in the
  question) as the first term is to the second term
  in the answer
• Pediatrics Children
• Dermatology Skin
• Pathology Medicine
• Meteorology Forecasts
• Neurology Psychologists
• Ecology Environmentalists
• Correct Answer Dermatology Skin

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Sentence Completion

• Require you to grasp the meaning of a sentence
  and supply the appropriate word (or words) to
  fill in the blanks
• Read each sentence to get the overall meaning
• Mentally provide your own answer
• Find the answer choice that is closest to your
  answer

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Sentence Completion

• REMEMBER
• There is almost always a part of the sentence to
  help you figure out relationships
• Words like and, moreover, also, but, although,
  however, therefore
• Take out the extra words that do not contribute
  to the structure
• After making your choice reread the sentence to
  make certain that it makes sense.

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Sentence Completion

• Heavily perfumed white flowers, such as
  gardenias, were favorites with collectors in the
  eighteenth century, when _________ was valued
  much more highly than today.

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• Heavily perfumed white flowers, such as
  gardenias, were favorites with collectors in the
  eighteenth century, when ____ was valued much
  more highly than it is today.
• Scent
• Beauty
• Elegance
• Color
• Variety
• Correct Answer Scent

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Reading Comprehension

• You will get two of these One will be in a
  technical area and the other in a social science
  or humanities area
• You are not required to have knowledge of the
  subject matterOnly what is stated in the passage
• What does the author say about _____
• What is the main point
• What does the passage imply
• What is the style or tone or attitude of the
  author

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Reading Comprehension

• Every fifth line is numbered so that you can
  quickly refer back if the question is about a
  specific line
• According to the passage, the role of the flow
  restriction (lines 16 and 17) in a heat pump is
  to.

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Reading Comprehension

• To Prepare
• Read Newspapers, Magazines etc. on line
• Practice scrolling down to read longer articles
• In the Reading Passages
• Content is irrelevant
• Vocabulary is important

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GRE- Quantitative Test

• Three types of Questions
• 28 Questions- 45 Minutes
• Regular Multiple Choice- Stand alone questions
  with five answer choices
• Quantitative Comparisons- two quantities are
  compared with 4 answer choices
• Data interpretation- a 5 choice question
  referring to a display of data these questions
  appear in sets of two consecutive questions from
  the same data display

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Mathematical Content Level

• Standard High School Mathematics
• Not normally beyond precalculus
• No trigonometry
• No Calculus
• No College level math

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What is covered?

• Arithmetic
• Elementary operations,
• Percent,
• Properties of integers
• Counting Methods

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What is covered?

• Algebra
• Algebraic expressions and manipulations
• Solving Equations and Inequalities
• Functions and Graphs
• Setting up and solving word problems with algebra

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What is covered?

• Geometry
• Elementary geometric figures and concepts- lines,
  circles, polygons, area, perimeter, volume,
  Pythagorean Theorem, coordinate geometry
• The ability to construct geometric proofs is not
  required
• Figures drawn on the test are not to scale

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What is covered?

• Data Analysis
• Basic descriptive statistics
• Mean
• Median
• Standard Deviation
• Interpretation of Graphs of data
• These are drawn to scale
• Elementary Probability

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Quantitative Comparison Questions

• Always have the same answer choices in the same
  order
• Quantity in Column A is greater
• Quantity in Column B is greater
• Two Quantities are equal
• Relationship cannot be determined from the
  information given

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General Hints- Quantitative

• Read Carefully- dont overlook something or
  misread the question
• The answer is always there
• Reread the question to make sure that you have
  answered the question that was asked
• Remember you cannot skip a question- if you get
  stuck make an educated guess so that you can go
  on to the next question

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GRE- Writing Assignment

• Two Analytical Writing Tasks
• 45 Minute--- Present Your Perspective on An
  Issue
• 30 Minute--- Analyze an Argument

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Topics

• You will be given a choice between two Issue
  topics.
• Each states an opinion on an issue of broad
  interest and asks you to discuss the issue from
  any perspectives that you wish.
• As long as you provide relevant examples and
  reasons to explain and support your views.

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Sample Issue Topic and Directions

• DirectionsPresent your perspective on the issue
  below using relevant reasons and/or examples to
  support your views
• Issue Topic
• In our time, specialists of all kinds are highly
  over-rated. We need more generalistspeople who
  can provide broad perspectives.

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Topics

• You will not be given a choice in the Argument
  essay.
• You will be given an argument to analyze
• It is your task to analyze how well an argument
  was thought out and well reasoned it is.
• You need to consider the logical soundness of the
  argument rather than whether or not you agree
  with it.

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Sample Argument Topic and Directions

• Directions
• Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument
• Topic
• Hospital statistics regarding people who go to
  the emergency room after roller-skating accidents
  indicate the need for more protective equipment.
  Within this group of people, 75 of those who had
  accidents in streets or parking lots were not
  wearing any protective clothing (helmets, knee
  pads etc.) or any light reflecting materials
  (clip on lights, glow in the dark wrist pads
  etc.) Clearly these statistics indicate that by
  investing in high-quality protective gear and
  reflective equipment, roller skaters will greatly
  reduce their risk of being severely injured in an
  accident.

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Scoring

• Readers take into consideration the time
  constraints and consider the writing a first
  draft- spelling and grammar (unless extremely
  poor) are not given as much weight as
  organization and content.
• Readers are all college and university faculty
  experienced in writing and writing intensive
  courses.
• Each essay is judged as a whole

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Scoring

• 6 Point Scale
• 6- Cogent, Well Articulated, Demonstrates a
  mastery of effective writing
• 5- Develops a well developed analysis of the
  complexities of the issues and strong control of
  the elements of effective writing
• 4- Competent analysis of the issue and adequate
  control of the elements of writing
• 3- Some competence in its analysis of the issue
  and control of the elements of writing but is
  clearly flawed

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Scoring

• 2- Serious Weakness in analytical writing
• 1- Fundamental deficiencies in analytical writing
  skills
• 0- Off topic, in a foreign language, merely
  copies the topic, consists of only keystroke
  characters, illegible, blank or nonverbal

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Structure of Test

• Although your will only be scored on three
  sections Verbal, Quantitative, Writing You will
  be given 4 tests.
• You may get a second one of any of these
• This is a section in which ETS can test out the
  validity of questions
• You do not know which section is the one on which
  you are not scored so you must try your best on
  all tests

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Structure of Test

• At one point the computer will ask if you want a
  break.
• If you take one be certain to return to your
  station on time
• The computer will start the next test and the
  timing whether you are there or not

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Structure of Test

• Dont get hung up and waste a lot of time on a
  question
• You must answer a minimum number of questions in
  each section in order to receive any score
• Anything below the minimum number of questions
  attempted (whether correct or incorrect) will
  result in a No Score and the section will not be
  counted.

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• Download
• Power Prep- www.ets.org or www.gre.org
• This is a FREE way to get study materials
• Questions from old tests
• Answer Explanations etc.
• Sample tests with scoring and timing and results

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• STUDY HARD
• AND
• GOOD LUCK !