gre r score scale brochure

7/28/2019 GRE r Score Scale Brochure

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Inside:• A -deph lk a he ew

130 – 170 sce scales

• Gdace makg heas he ew sce scales

• Helpfl csdeas whesg GRE ® sces

A helpful overview of what you need to know

The newVerbal Reasoningand QuantitativeReasoning

score scales:

Betterby Design™



Using the new score scales:

Here’s a quick review o the new score scales:

• Verbal Reasoning scores are reported on a

130 – 170 score scale, in one-point increments(the prior 200 – 800 score scale was reported in

10-point increments).

• Quantitative Reasoning scores are reported on a

130 – 170 score scale, in one-point increments

(the prior 200 – 800 score scale was reported in

10-point increments).

• Analytical Writing scores are reported on the

0 – 6 score scale, in hal-point increments.

How the new score scales provideclearer dierentiation

The 41-point score scales were selected to relect the

changes in content, test length and the new psychometric

model o the GRE revised General Test.

In setting the new score scales, one goal was to have scores

spread out across the entire range o possible scores.

For example, in the case o the Quantitative Reasoning

scale, this will reduce the portion o test takers’ scores

that are “bunched” at the upper end o the scale —

as has been the case in the past — providing betterdierentiation between top-scoring applicants.

Why one-point increments lead tobetter decisions

Scores in the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning

measures are reported in one-point increments, making

it easier or you to distinguish perormance dierences

between your applicants.

For example, a 500 and a 520 on the prior VerbalReasoning score scale created the impression that there

was a bigger dierence in ability than there actually was.

But by reporting in one-point increments, a 150 and 152,

or example, demonstrate small di erences.

Now small score dierences are less likely to be interpreted

as meaningul when comparing applicants — and larger

score dierences will stand out more clearly.

How they provide more simplicity in comparing applicants.

The GRE ® revised General Test was introduced in August 2011, making the most trusted

assessment o graduate-level skills even better — or you, and or your potential students.

With new question types and the new test-taker riendly design, the GRE revised General Test also eatures new score

scales or the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning measures. These new score scales will help you make more

meaningul comparisons between applicants — and even better admissions decisions or your program.



Scaled

Sce

Pece f Examees Scg Lwe haSeleced Scaled Sces

VErbALrEASoninG

QuAntitAtiVErEASoninG

160 86 84

159 84 82

158 79 79

157 77 77

156 72 74

155 69 69

154 64 67

153 62 65

152 56 61

151 51 56

150 48 53

149 42 49

148 40 44

147 36 40

146 31 36

145 28 32

144 26 26

143 21 22

142 18 19

141 16 16

140 13 12139 10 10

Percentile Ranks:A valuable sourceo inormation

Percentile ranks are very

helpul when comparing

scores on the prior and new

tests because they’re indicative

o how well the test taker

perormed in relation to other

test takers.

Here’s how:

• A percentile rank for a score

indicates the percentage o

test takers who took the test

and received a lower score.

• They’re based on the

perormance o the current

reerence group rom a recent

three-year period.*

• The reference group is

updated every year, which

means the percentile rank or

any score may vary slightly

over the years.

* July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2010.

The current percentile ranks will

be appropriate for use through

June 2012.

A Sample o the Percentile Ranks TableBased on the performances of examinees who tested between

July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2010.

To view the complete Percentile Ranks table, go to

www.ets.org/gre/percentile.

To learn more about using GRE scores, download theGRE® Guide to the Use of Scores at www.ets.org/gre/guide.



Since GRE ® scores are valid or fve years, these concordance tables will help you understand the relationship

between scores on the new 130 – 170 score scales and scores on the prior 200 – 800 score scales — making it

easier or you to compare candidates.

Percentile ranks are also included on the concordance tables or your convenience. A sample portion o each

concordance table is shown to the right.

For business schools: The easy-to-use GRE ® Comparison Tool

The GRE Comparison Tool places GRE scores in the context o GMAT®

Total scores, so business schools that are more amiliar with GMAT

scores can understand and appropriately interpret GRE scores.

• This online tool calculates a predicted GMAT Total score

based on an applicant’s GRE Verbal Reasoning and

Quantitative Reasoning scores.

• You can calculate an estimated GMAT Total score by

entering GRE scores on either the 130 – 170 score

scales or the 200 – 800 score scales.

Try it now at www.ets.org/gre/comparison.

To help you more easily transition to using scores on the new score scales, we’ve created

two concordance tables — one or the Verbal Reasoning measure and one or the

Quantitative Reasoning measure.

Comparing applicants:Using concordance tables to get familiar with

the new score scales.



A Sample o the Verbal ReasoningConcordance Table

For use November 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

A Sample o the Quantitative ReasoningConcordance Table

For use November 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

650 163 93

640 162 90

630 162 90

620 161 89

610 160 86

600 160 86

590 159 84

580 158 79

570 158 79

560 157 77

550 156 72

540 156 72530 155 69

520 154 64

510 154 64

500 153 62

490 152 56

650 151 56

640 151 56

630 150 53

620 149 49

610 149 49

600 148 44

590 148 44

580 147 40

570 147 40

560 146 36

550 146 36

540 145 32530 145 32

520 144 26

510 144 26

500 144 26

490 143 22

Sces heP Scale

Esmaed Sces he

Ce Scale% rak

Sces heP Scale

Esmaed Sces he

Ce Scale% rak

View the complete Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning concordance tables at www.ets.org/gre/concordance .




Here’s a closer look:

• Score reports or those who tested on or ater August 1, 2011

show Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores on

the new 130 – 170 score scales, in one-point increments.

• Score reports or those who tested beore August 1, 2011

show scores originally earned on the 200 – 800 score scales,

along with corresponding estimated scores on the new

130 – 170 score scales.

• All score reports show the Analytical Writing measure scores

based on the 0 – 6 score scale, in hal-point increments.

• All score reports show one set o percentile ranks or each

measure, which indicate how the applicant perormed

in comparison to the reerence group rom a recent

three-year period.

Plus:

• You will also receive the test taker’s email address, phone

number, intended graduate major and more.

• New paper score reports eature the ETS® Security Guard —

a special heat-sensitive ink that, when activated, veriies the

report’s authenticity.

For your convenience, GRE ® score reports are available in

these ormats:

• paper reports

• electronic score iles via SCORELINK ® Internet Delivery Service

• electronic score files on CD-ROM

The new score report:Redesigned to give you more information about applicants.

t lea a ecevg sces va he SCORELINK sevce,

he fases mehd f sce epg, g

www.ets.org/gre/scorelink .



Estimated scores

on the current scale

for administrations

before August 2011.

New test-taker

information including

email address, telephone

number and intended

graduate major.

Special heat-sensitive

ink for added security.

Scores on the

prior scale for

administrations

before August 2011.

Percentile ranks

based on the

most recent

three-year period.

Scores on the

current scale for

administrations

in August 2011

or later.




One o the most signifcant enhancements introduced with the GRE ® revised General Test is

the advanced technology o the new Multi-Stage Test (MST) design. With the MST design, the

Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning measures o the computer-based test are now

adaptive at the section level.

Here’s what that means or scoring:

• Each measure has two operational sections; the

computer selects the second section o a measure

based on the test taker’s perormance on

the irst section.

• Within each section, all questions contribute equally

to the inal score.

• For each o the two measures, a raw score is computed,

which is based on the number o questions

answered correctly.

• The raw score is then converted to a scaled score

through a process called equating, which accounts or

GRE ® scores:A look at how the test is scored.

minor variations in diiculty among the dierent

test editions as well as dierences in diiculty among

individuals’ tests introduced by the section-level

adaptation. This means a given scaled score relectsapproximately the same level o perormance —

regardless o which section was selected and when

the test was taken.

To learn more about scoring o the computer-based

and paper-based test or all three measures — Verbal

Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical

Writing — visit www.ets.org/gre/aboutscores .



As graduate and business school programs around the world become amiliar with the

new score scales, it’s a good time to refect on the benets o using GRE scores.

For more than 60 years, the GRE General Test has been a valid predictor o success at the graduate level. With its

introduction in August 2011, the GRE revised General Test continues to:

• assess the skills that graduate and business school programs value — verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning,

critical thinking and analytical writing.

• provide a common measure or comparing applicants with di ering educational and cultural backgrounds.

• urnish independent inormation to supplement the evaluation o grades and recommendations.

• provide access to a broad, diverse pool o highly qualiied applicants interested in pursuing an

advanced degree.

A look at how scores are helpful in the admissions process.




As you become amiliar with the new score scales and score report, now is also a

good time to review best practices or evaluating applicants’ scores. Following these

guidelines will help you make the best decisions or your program.

What to keep in mind when using thenew score scales

Make the transition to the new 130 – 170 score scales

Departments and programs that accept GRE ® scores are

encouraged to transition rom using the prior score scales

to using the new score scales. To make the transition, youare encouraged to use scores rom the prior test that are

converted to the new 130 – 170 score scales based on

the concordance tables — as well as the actual scores

rom test takers who took the GRE revised General Test.

It is not recommended to take the new score scales and

revert to the prior score scales.

Use concordance inormation to transition to the

new score scales

Concordance tables show the relationship between thescores on the prior score scales and new score scales.

These tables may be appropriately used or translating an

institution’s historical guidelines or GRE scores on the prior

score scales to the new score scales. Using the tables in this

way should result in the selection o approximately the

same proportion o students.

It’s important to note that the scores in the concordance

tables are approximations, not equivalences, and that a

test taker who has a particular score on the prior scale

would not necessarily obtain the exact concorded scorei they had taken the GRE revised General Test.

Score users should use special care in evaluating test

takers who received a Quantitative Reasoning score at

the top end o the prior 200 – 800 score scale. Now, with

the new 130 – 170 score scale, we can provide more

dierentiation or higher ability test takers. However,

test takers who took the prior test and received an

800 on the Quantitative Reasoning measure receivedthe highest score possible that they were able to earn

on the measure. Thereore, this inormation should be

considered when making admissions decisions.

Rerain rom making decisions based on small

score dierences

One beneit o moving to one-point increments is that

small score dierences are less likely to be interpreted

as meaningul dierences. That’s why it’s recommended

that small dierences in GRE scores not be used to make

distinctions among applicants.

Another thing to consider: With all standardized tests —

including the prior GRE General Test — there’s a standard

error o measurement (SEM). The SEM o the dierence

between scores should be taken into account when

comparing applicants’ scores on the same measure,

because this means a score in a measure may actually be

a ew points higher or lower than reported. SEMs vary by

test; the SEMs or GRE tests are available in the

GRE® Guide to the Use of Scores, which you can download

at www.ets.org/gre/guide.

Best practices:Helpful guidelines for usingGRE ® scores in your admissions process.



Other resources to help you make the transition to the new score scalesVisit www.ets.org/gre/inocenter to:

• Register for an upcoming webinar, featuring live Q&A session with GRE measurement experts.

• Sign up for our eUpdate newsletter to receive updates and stay inormed about the GRE revised General Test.

Plus, go to www.ets.org/gre/scoring to:

• Review concordance tables for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning measures.

• See percentile ranks for scores in the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing measures.


What to consider when using GRE scores

in general

Use multiple criteria, in addition to GRE scores,

when considering applicants

As part o the admissions process, it is recommended

that multiple sources o inormation be used to both

ensure airness and balance the limitations o any single

measure o knowledge, skills or abilities.

These sources may include:

• Undergraduate grade-point average

• Letters o recommendation

• Personal statement

• Samples o academic work

• GRE ® Subject Test scores, which measure achievement

in a particular ield o study in eight subject areas

• TOEFL® scores, which measure the ability o nonnative

English speakers to use and understand the English

language as it is heard, spoken, read and written in the

university classroom

• ETS® Personal Potential Index Evaluation Reports,

which provide quantitative and qualitative eedback

rom evaluators on six core personal attributes widely

recognized as essential or graduate-level success

Use the most recent percentile ranks when comparing

applicants from different GRE testing years

In addition to test scores, the GRE Program describes scores

in terms o their standing in appropriate reerence groups. To

that end, each GRE test score is reported with a corresponding

percentile rank, which indicates the percentage o test takers

who received a lower score or that measure. Percentile

ranks are included in score concordance tables and on score

reports or easier comparison between applicants, and

are based on three years o perormance data. The current

percentile ranks will be appropriate or use through June 2012.

Consider Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning

and Analytical Writing scores as three separate and

independent measures

For each measure, the level o skills required or success

in graduate and business school varies by ield or by

department. Scores or these measures should be

considered independently and should not be combined.

Avoid using cutoff scores when considering applicants

The use o multiple criteria as part o the admissionsprocess is important, so GRE scores should never be the

sole basis or an admissions decision. To that end, a cuto

score below which applicants are categorically denied

admission without consideration is not recommended.

Plus, as with all standardized tests, the SEM means the score

may actually be a ew points higher or lower than reported —

another reason why using a cuto score is not advised.



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Learn more about the GRE ® revised General Test.

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