Press Releases
Plans for the Revised GRE® General Test Cancelled
Contact: Tom Ewing
(609) 683-2899
mediacontacts@ets.orgPrinceton, N.J. (April 2, 2007) —ETS has cancelled plans to launch the revised Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®) General Test. The decision was made in consultation with the Executive Committee of the GRE Board.
While ETS and the Board remain committed to improving the test, on balance, GRE officials said they believe problems guaranteeing complete access to the new Internet-based test outweighed the benefits of immediately moving to the new format.
ETS originally planned to launch the revised GRE General Test worldwide in September. Instead, the company will continue to offer the test worldwide in its current computer-based, continuous testing format. Registrations in India, China and Japan, which had been closed, will be reopened in the near future to accommodate application deadlines. Like wise, registrations for the current GRE General Test will continue elsewhere.
"The decision to cancel the revised GRE General Test best serves the interests of test takers and the graduate institutions that use those scores to make admissions decisions," says David Payne, Executive Director of the GRE Program at ETS. "After much debate and evaluation,it became clear that the current format offers students more convenient and flexible opportunities to test when and where they choose, while still providing score users with valid predictors of test takers' preparedness for graduate school study."
The primary reason for cancelling the launch of the revised GREGeneral Test was test taker access. Plans called for the revised testto be delivered over the new worldwide network of 3,200 Internet-basedtesting centers. Despite the network's size, ETS officials did not believe that full access to the General Test for all students could be confidently assured.
"As the launch approached, ETS determined that, despite the aggressive development of our Internet-based testing network, we could not guarantee complete access to all students needing to take the exam"Payne explains. "While the graduate community supports, and in fact helped develop and pilot the revised GRE General Test, they have also stated that they are satisfied with the current GRE General Test, until such time as improvements can be gradually implemented. ETS is being responsive to their best interests."
ETS officials will work with the GRE Board to implement many of the planned test content improvements in the future without the access issues associated with changing to an entirely new test delivered over a brand new testing network.
Administering the GRE General Test in two testing sessions in The People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong), The Republic of Koreaand Taiwan will also continue for the immediate future.Test Taker Frequently Asked Questions
About the Cancellation of the Revised GRE® General Test
Why is ETS® canceling the revised GRE® General Test?
ETS® is canceling the revised GRE General Test because, on balance, officials believe the potential risk to testing access outweighed the benefits of immediately moving to the new format. After a thorough review, it was determined that full access to the test for all students could not be confidently assured. The decision was made in consultation with the Executive Committee of the GRE Board. After careful review, we believe the current GRE General Test remains the best means of achieving those goals. The decision to cancel the launch was made withthe best interests of test takers and score users in mind.
What was the major risk to testing access?
The primary reason for canceling the launch of the revised GREGeneral Test was access for test takers. Plans called for the revised test to be delivered over the new worldwide network of 3,200Internet-based testing centers, which ETS is using to deliver the Test of English as a Foreign Language™(TOEFL®) test. Despite this large network, ETS officials did not believe that full access to the General Test for all students could be confidently assured. The new format would have limited the convenience and flexibility that students benefit from with the current test format.
I was unable to register for the General Test because registration was closed in my country. Will I now be able to register?
Registration for the General Test will reopen the week of April 2,2007, in India, China, and Japan. Test takers in those countries should contact the appropriate Regional Registration Center (RRC) to schedulean appointment to test.
When will registration open up for test dates beyond July 2007?
Registration will open up the week of April 2, 2007, for General Test appointments beyond July 31, 2007.
What will be the cost of the General Test in the 2007-08 testing year?
The price of the revised General Test has not yet been finalized.However, due to increased costs for test development and delivery,
it is expected that the price of the General Test will increase.
Will there be any revisions to the General Test in the 2007-08 testing year?
The General Test will continue to consist of Verbal Reasoning,Quantitative Reasoning. and Analytical Writing sections. Nothing will change, with the possible exception of seamless adjustments to the Analytical Writing prompts. Score scales for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning measures will continue to be 200 to 800, in10-point increments. Analytical Writing scores will continue to be reported on a 0-6 score scale, in half-point increments.
Will the GRE General Test in China (including Hong Kong), Korea, and Taiwan still be offered as a Split-Test Administration?
Yes. The GRE General Test will continue to be offered as a Split-Test Administration in these countries.
Will the revised General Test be introduced at a later date?
ETS officials will work with the GRE Board to implement some of the planned improvements to the General Test in the future. These planned improvements will be without the access issues associated with changing to an entirely new test delivered over a new testing network.[ 此贴被kiwiy在2007-04-03 08:23重新编辑 ]
