The Graduate Record Examination General Test’s three parts–verbal, quantitative, and analytical–are designed to measure examinees’ reading comprehension, mathematical, interpretative, and logical reasoning skills. Taken in a timed, proctored setting, the multiple-choice written test causes stress for many students. Though anxiety over the

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test has not changed, the format has. On April 11, 1999, the option to take the exam in written form was eliminated (except in developing countries). Today, the Computer Based Test (CBT), which replaces the pencil and paper version, is offered daily in centers around the world. Soon-to-be test-takers, and GRE test preparation companies, such as Kaplan Incorporated and The Princeton Review, have had to adjust to the features of the new design. In the past, paper-based GRE questions were identical: presented and weighted equally for all test-takers. Now, the “adaptive” CBT presents students with unique combinations of questions tailored to their skill level. Students complain about early questions on the computer-based test having greater bearing on their final scores and about the inability to answer questions out of sequence. Many agree, however, that the benefits of CBT, including instant scoring, continuous availability, and better data analysis capabilities, far outweigh the disadvantages. Research indicates that scores from the paper-based tests are comparable to those of the computer-based test. Each section of the test yields a separate score ranging from 200 to 800. Scoring may change in October 2002 when one of the multiple-choice analytical sections will be replaced by a writing component.