The Educational Testing Service, which administers most of the nation's standardized academic entrance exams, has announced changes to the Graduate Record Examination.
Beginning Oct. 1, the current analytical skills section will be replaced with two essays, "Present Your Perspective On an Issue," where students take a position on one of two topics, and "Analyze an Argument," where students critique another person's argument.
"ETS thinks that the ability to communicate analytical skills through writing is a good way to assess future performance," said Bonnie Eissner, a public relations manager for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.
The essays will be graded by human graders on a scale of zero to six. The 200-800 scale for the math and verbal sections will not be altered.
Students can take the old version of the test until October. More information on the changes can be found at http://www.gre.org.
-Philip Badaszewski
