Nathan Weiss Graduate College Requests GRE

Every year, approximately 600,000 prospective graduate school applicants take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in hopes of receiving acceptance into their preferred graduate programs. The GRE is a standardized test accepted by thousands of graduate schools; it evaluates student's preparation for graduate level work. Several of the graduate programs at the Nathan Weiss Graduate College (NWGC) accept GRE scores including political science, criminal justice, communication studies, and psychology among several other programs.

Each section of the GRE is scored differently. The minimum requirement score for the GRE accepted by the NWGC is a combined score of 800. The GRE is comprised of four sections: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills.

Verbal reasoning measures reading comprehension and verbal and analogical reasoning skills, which emphasize on the test taker's aptitude to analyze and evaluate written material. The verbal reasoning section has sentence completion questions, analogies, antonyms, and reading comprehension questions. The scores for verbal reasoning range from 200 to 800 points.

Analytical writing measures critical thinking and analytical writing skills that express complex ideas efficiently. This section has two essay prompts to be completed; in one essay, writers must present their perspective on an issue, and the other is to analyze an argument. Analytical writing scores range from one to six.

Quantitative reasoning measures problem-solving ability, which focuses on arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. The math questions on the GRE resemble high school level math, so it is important to brush up on math skills prior to taking the exam. Quantitative reasoning scores range from 200 to 800 points.

It is very important for students to put time aside to study for the GRE to get the best score. There are GRE preparation books that can either be bought from bookstores or borrowed from the library. To prepare for the GRE, students can begin by taking a practice test to determine their strengths and weaknesses to learn what they need to work on. Many practice tests are offered online at www.princetonreview.com/GRE or at www.greguide.com/gre-practice-tests. Taking a practice test also allows students to manage their time, because the three sections on the test are timed. Some facilities, including Kaplan, offer GRE practice classes which help prospective graduate students prepare for the exam.

To register for the GRE, log on to www.gre.org. On the website, local test sites will also be provided, when and where the test will be available. The GRE is available in two test forms: paper or electronic. The registration process and the test sites may differ depending on which form of the test chosen. The test costs approximately $150, which is paid during the registration process.

For more information, contact the Educational Testing Service at 800-GRE-CALL, 609-771-7670 or log on to www.gre.org. For more information about the Nathan Weiss Graduate College at Kean University, call 908-737-472, email grad-adm@kean.edu, log on to the website at www.kean.edu/~keangrad/ or visit the East Campus, Room 205F.