As more and more graduate school hopefuls flocked to take the GRE in 2011, the newly reformatted exam caused a splash in the U.S. and worldwide, stiffening the competition for admissions.
The Educational Testing Service, which administers the graduate school entry exam, said it saw a 13-percent increase in test-takers in 2011 with a record high of 800,000 exams taken.
According to the testing service, the largest growth in test-taking was seen overseas, with a 28-percent increase in exams taken in China and a 43-percent increase in India.
A combination of factors contributed to the increase in test-takers, according to Andrew Mitchell, director of pre-business programs for Kaplan Test Prep.
Mitchell said Kaplan cites the August 2011 GRE overhaul as a main reason for a drastic increase in administered tests. Not only was the test’s format changed, but the scoring scale and grading algorithms were also revamped.
“People want to take the test they are familiar with,” Mitchell said.
Communication disorders junior Melissa Gutierrez said she took the GRE in July 2011 so she could take it before it changed. Unsatisfied with her score, Gutierrez said she took the new test in December and preferred the reformatted version.
“It seemed shorter, but I also studied more for it, and calculators were allowed for the math section,” she said, adding there was less emphasis on vocabulary. “My friends who took it also said they like the newer version better.”
Gutierrez said she anticipates beginning graduate school in May 2013, ideally at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, where she wants to continue studying communication disorders. But the competition is tough, and GRE scores weigh strongly on admission.
Competition is another factor that plays into in-state and international test increases, Mitchell said.
More Americans began pursuing higher education after the recession struck in 2008, he said. The pressure of international competition for American jobs and spots in U.S. higher education institutions strongly contributed to more Americans’ desire to take GRE.
Mitchell said the GRE has also become a more widely accepted entrance exam at many business schools that previously required the GMAT, which also faces changes later this year.
“It will be interesting to see if there will be another increase next year,” Mitchell said. “Will test-takers rise in the U.S.?”
 
 
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Contact Brian Sibile at [email protected]