The information below is of particular importance to those who need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and who plan to apply for spring, summer, or fall 2012 admission to graduate programs.
The GRE is undergoing dramatic changes in 2011. ETS has at last provided more information about the changes. They refer to the new GRE as "the GRE revised General Test."
All of the information at the website indicated at the bottom of this email is important, but, as you plan when to take and prepare for the GRE, pay particular attention to the dates when the revised GRE is being phased in. Here are a few key points (but again, read all of the information about the revised GRE on the ETS site and plan accordingly):
If you take the GRE revised General Test between August and September 2011, ETS says it will report your scores by mid-November 2011. (Registration for the revised GRE begins March 15, 2011. ) They recommend that if you need your scores before November 2011 you should take the current GRE exam before August 2011.
Therefore, it is extremely important as you are researching which programs to which you might apply that you confirm when each program needs your GRE scores. Be mindful of rolling admission deadlines (i.e., programs which begin filling spots as soon as their application cycle opens) so that you get your scores to them earlier for maximum competitiveness. ETS recommends that you take the GRE at least four to six weeks prior to when you need the scores reported.
It would seem, then, that those who plan to apply for admission to graduate programs for summer or fall 2012 admission or beyond will likely be taking the revised GRE. For those who are applying for spring 2012 admission, it is a bit less certain when you should take the GRE, but it seems that those applying for spring 2012 admission may need to take the current GRE in order to optimize rolling admissions or meet application deadlines. As indicated above, in order to decide by when you need take the GRE, you first need to determine when each program needs the scores. Remember that if your programs need your cores before November 2011, ETS recommends you take the current version of the GRE before August 2011.
Those applying for earlier admission to graduate programs – for instance, for spring, summer, or fall 2011 admission – will be taking the current GRE.
Read more detailed information about the revised GRE General Test, and how it will be phased in, at www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/know.
IMPORTANT: Various links in the left margin of the revised General Test page will take you to important information about the new GRE design, information about how the test questions themselves are changing, and information about how to prepare for the revised exam (including sample questions and the pool of topics on which the writing section will be based).
For information about the current GRE, see www.ets.org/gre/general/about.
Finally, pre-OT students and pre-PT students should consult the newly expanded HPPLC OT and PT sites (hpplc.indiana.edu > Other Health Professions > PT or OT) for additional information and tips related to the GRE. The pre-PA site has not yet been fully expanded, but pre-PA students can still make use of the GRE information on either the PT or OT page – it will be very similar when adapted to the PA page.
Note: This information was prepared for Indiana University Bloomington students by the Health Professions and Prelaw Center. Please note that specific requirements and policies can change at any time without notice. Students are responsible for obtaining the most current information directly from application and testing services, and the schools and programs in which they have an interest. Refer to each program's web pages, bulletins, and other publications for the most current information. Students are responsible for understanding degree course requirements, as well as other requirements, policies, and procedures related to the degree(s) they are pursuing; for enrolling in appropriate courses; for understanding IU policies/procedures; and for following through properly with regard to all of the preceding.
