Unlocking the GRE

Presentation to FLC Psychology Club

November 2003

Beverly Chew

Types of GRE Tests

General C.A.T. format Tests verbal,

quantitative, and analytical writing

Required by most graduate programs

Subject – Psychology Paper format Tests undergraduate

knowledge in experimental, social, and ‘other’ areas

Required by some graduate programs

General GRE Exam lasts between 2 hr. 45 min. & 3 hr. 15 min. Three sections:

- Verbal - Quantitative -Analytical Writing C.A.T. format; questions & answers differ for each

test taker Offered 1st 3 weeks of each month in major cities $115 cost; scores sent to 4 schools (about $15 per

additional school) Scores good for 5 years May cancel score but all test dates show on record;

may take multiple times

Scoring of General GRE

Hard questions count more than easy ones You may not skip a question; you can’t

return to previous questions Raw score Scaled score Percentile

score (percent of norm group receiving similar or lower scores)

Norm group is from last 3 years of test-takers

Scoring, continued

Verbal & Quantitative sections are scored from 200 – 800

Because of norm referencing and large numbers of high quantitative scores, a perfect 800 on this scale cannot be higher than the 96th percentile!

Writing is scored holistically from 0 – 6 in half point intervals

How to Prepare for General GRE Don’t avoid math and writing-intensive courses Constantly work on your vocabulary and word use Allow 4 to 6 months for GRE prep. Learn the GRE format/directions for standard questions Take a pre-test (strengths and weaknesses)

– http://www.gre.org – Use Kaplan (or other) review book ($35 approx.)– Focus first on weak areas then add stronger ones while

continuing to practice weak areas Leave at least 2 weeks for final reviewing including at

least two timed post-tests

Verbal – 30 min for 30 multiple choice questions Analogies

MAP : ATLAS :: word : dictionary Sentence completion

The winning argument was ____ but persuasive (cogent, flawed) Antonyms (opposite meanings) Reading comprehension (read a passage and answer

several questions about its ideas and plausible inferences)

On-line examples: http://www.gre.org/practice_test/index.html

Quantitative – 45 min. for 28 multiple choice questions Problem solving (includes algebra, geometry, central

tendency, probability)If a sweater sells for $48 after a 25% markdown, what was its original price? (5 options to choose from)

Quantitative comparisonsColumn A Column B

2x 3x4 options: Col A is greater; Col B is greater; the two are equal; cannot

determine relationship

Graph problems (several questions about one or a set of graphs)

On-line examples: http://www.gre.org/practice_test/index.html

Analytical Writing – Two essays: 45 min. for Issue; 30 min. for Argument Present your perspective on an issue

The drawbacks to the use of nuclear power mean that it is not a long term solution to the problem of meeting ever-increasing energy needs.

Assess the logic presented in an argumentThe problem of poorly trained teachers that has plagued the state public school system is bound to become a good deal less serious in the future. The state has initiated comprehensive guidelines that oblige state teachers to complete anumber of required credits in education and educational psychology at the graduate level before being certified.

Scored: Outstanding (6), Strong (5), Adequate (4), Limited (3), Weak (2), Fundamentally Deficient(1), Unscorable (0) [½ pt intervals]

GRE General: PsychometricsAnalytical Verbal Quantitative

Reliability .76(interrater = .94)

.92 .91

SEM .47 33 43

SE Diff .66 47 60

Range 0-6 200-800 200-800

50th p 4 ? 470 610

Psy applic.

Mean (SD)

470 (94)

(50th p)

534 (118)

(33rd p)

More Psychometrics…

Correlation between V & Q: r = 0.41 Fixed reference group scoring: 1952 group

set = 500, = 100 Recently, V mean = 469 (119),

Q mean = 591 (148) So, today a score of 500 is at the 58th p for

Verbal and the 27th p for Quantitative

GRE General Validity Studies

Correlations with Graduate 1st year GPA (all departments)Verbal = .30 Quant = .39 Analy = .28

Correlations with College GPA : 0.37 V & Q & A : 0.34 V & Q & A & College GPA : 0.46 Meta-analysis of 1,753 studies confirms this

– GRE also related to comprehensive exam scores, publication counts, faculty ratings but Subject tests tend to be better predictors than VQA tests

Questions about the General GRE?

Subject GRE - Psychology Exam lasts 2 hr. 50 min. 215-220 multiple choice questions over

vocabulary, names, theories: breadth not depth is important

Paper / scantron format; no test aids allowed Offered 1 Sat. in April, Nov., Dec. at various sites $130 cost; scores sent to 4 schools ($13 per

additional school) Scores good for 5 years May cancel score; may take multiple times

Scoring of Psychology Subject Test

Raw score: # correct - ¼ (# wrong)

(unanswered questions don’t affect score) Scaled score: 200 – 900 Percentile rank score

(comparison to population of other test-takers) Subtests scores for experimental/natural

science and social/social sciences categories: 20 - 99

Scoring of Psychology Subject Test - Example

Correct = 155Incorrect = 20Omits = 40Raw score = 155 - ¼ (20) = 150Scale score = 670Percentile rank score = 84…you scored as well or better than 84% of

other test takers.

Content of Psychology Subject Test

Experimental or Natural Science

40%

Learning Memory Language

Thinking Sensation Perception

Physiological Ethology Comparative

Content of Psychology Subject Test

Social or Social Science

43%

Abnormal Social Clinical

Developmental Personality

Content of Psychology Subject Test

General

17%

History Applied Measurement

Research design Statistics

How to Prepare

T.A. for an Intro. Psychology class Take a pre-test (strengths and weaknesses)

– http://ftp.ets.org/pub/gre/Psychology.pdf– Kaplan (or other) review book ($15 approx.)

Review all 8 content areas– Focus first on weak areas then add stronger

ones while continuing to practice weak areas Leave at least 2 weeks for final reviewing

including a timed post-test

Topics: Social

Attitudes Affiliation Prosocial Behavior Antisocial and

Aggressive Behavior Conformity and

Compliance

Self Perception Social Perception Groups Leadership Cooperation and

Competition

Topics: Developmental

Nature/Nurture Controversy

Heredity Growth and

Maturation Newborn

Characteristics Cognitive

Development

Language Development

Social / Emotional Development

Temperament Attachment Moral Development Parenting Research Methods

Topics: Personality & Abnormal

Theories– Psychodynamic

– Behaviorism

– Humanism

– Trait / Type

Understanding Mental Disorders– DSM IV major

categories

Diathesis-Stress Model

Primary Prevention Labeling

Topics: Physiological

Central and Peripheral Nervous System

Anatomy of the Brain Neurons and Glial

Cells Neural Transmission Neurotransmitters

Psychopharmacology Endocrine System Neuropsychology Sleep and Sleep

Disorders Perception of Emotion

Topics: Sensation and Perception

Psychophysics Sensory Information

Processing Vision Visual Perception and

Illusions

Auditory System Other Senses

– Taste

– Smell

– Touch

– Motion

Perception and Attention

Topics: Cognitive

Memory Problem Solving Decision Making Creativity

Language– Theories

– Language and Thought

– Gender Issues

Intelligence Metacognition

Topics: Research Design and Statistics Research Design

– Hypotheses

– Types of Variables

– Sampling

– Confounds

– Experimenter Bias

– External Validity

– Demand Characteristics

Statistics– Levels of measurement– Descriptive statistics– Inferential statistics– p-values– Type I & II errors

Tests & Measurement– Reliability– Validity– Types of tests

Psych Subject GRE: Psychometrics

Mean = 574 (100) on 300 – 800 scale Reliability = .95

– Experimental = .90– Social = .86

SEM = 21 (E = 2.9, S = 3.4) SE Diff = 30 (E = 4.1, S = 4.8) Validity correlations w/ 1st year GGPA

– Subject = .37– Subject & College GPA = .46– Subject & GRE General & College GPA = .50

Questions about the Psychology Subject Test?