In this post, we, at First Academy, are going to try and address most concerns about the new GRE test and answer the questions the change raises.

What are the changes?

The GRE test is about to undergo major changes. Practically all aspects of the tests are undergoing a change.

Here is a pattern of the examination in short:

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Changes in the Question types

All in all, the changes are all positive. The best part is the elimination of the Analogies and the Antonyms section. This means that the dependence on words is reduced. Gone are the times when most marks were scored by people who by-hearted words.

The Emphasis is on understanding and application of the words. The bottom line is this: If you can understand the context, you will be able to get close to the answer.

More information about the change in the question types in the GRE general test can be found at this link.

Changes in the Scoring Pattern

In the current pattern of GRE, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections have a score scale of 200 – 800, reported in 10-point increments. The new pattern will have a score range of 130 – 170 in 1 point increments.

Is this an advantage? Yes.

Why? Earlier, if two candidates performed equally well, they would have had a score difference of 1o points. Say 590 and 600. Now, if two candidates perform equally well, the will only have a score difference of one or two points, which will not seem too large. Say 165 and 167 .

Should I take the new test or the old test?

No reason to panic. ETS will start administering the new GRE general test from August 2011 (not 2010). In ETS’ own words, if you want your results by November 2011 (yes, 2011, not 2010) you are advised to take the GRE test in the CURRENT pattern.

What that means is, you will ideally be taking the NEW GRE test if you are looking at admissions for Fall 2012 (Please not the year here. It is not 2011, it is 2012).

Once again: The New GRE General Test is primarily for people who wish to seek admissions for Fall 2012.

What else do I need to know?

That is more of less all the information you need. If you want to know more about GRE Coaching, IELTS Coaching or TOEFL coaching at First Academy, please feel free to drop us a line here.

All the best!

If you still feel slightly unsure about the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ of IELTS, you could do two things:

1. take a free mock test at our office
2. attend a couple of classes at our institute, again free of cost

The duration of the course is 5 weeks or 3 weeks

The timings are as follows:

06:30 – 08:00 am
08:30 – 10:00 am
10:30 – 12:00 noon
6:30pm – 8:00 pm

If you still need more information, you can reach us by any means listed here.

There are a lots of myths and misinformation floating around the IELTS test. If you need more information about the same, please click here.  We have tried to list out the most common question areas. If you however have any more queries, please feel free to reach us. You can find way to reach us, here.

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In fact, more institutions accept TOEFL test scores than any other test scores in the world — more than 7,000 colleges, universities and licensing agencies in more than 130 countries, to be exact.

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The TOEFL iBT measures how well you read, listen, speak and write in English and use these skills together in the university classroom. For example, you might read a passage or listen to a lecture, and then write or speak about what you learned.

The Structure of the TOEFL test

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The GRE® General Test is your gateway to graduate programs and an essential early step along your career path.

Graduate programs and business schools use GRE® scores to evaluate your readiness for graduate-level work. The GRE General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills that are not related to any specific field of study.

Analytical Writing — Measures critical thinking and analytical writing skills, specifically the test taker’s ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively

Verbal Reasoning — Measures reading comprehension skills and verbal and analogical reasoning skills, focusing on the test taker’s ability to analyze and evaluate written material

Quantitative Reasoning — Measures problem-solving ability, focusing on basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis

Who Takes It and Why?

Each year, more than 600,000 prospective graduate school applicants from approximately 230 countries take the GRE General Test. Applicants come from varying educational backgrounds and countries, and the GRE General Test provides the only common measure for comparing their qualifications.

GRE scores are used by admissions or fellowship panels to supplement undergraduate records, recommendation letters and other qualifications for graduate study.

Where Do People Take It?

The GRE General Test is offered year-round at computer-based test centers in many countries. It is offered at paper-based test centers in areas of the world where computer-based testing is not available.

Who Accepts It?

The GRE General Test is accepted at more than 3,200 graduate and business schools as well as departments and divisions within these schools.

(The here is the copyright of Educational Testing Service)

From 1 May 2006 the policy on candidates re-taking IELTS has been amended. The restriction on re-taking IELTS within 90 days has been removed and candidates are able to repeat the test whenever they wish. Candidates will still be asked to indicate on their application form whether they have taken the test before. This information will appear on the Test Report Form and will only be used for monitoring purposes. Bottom line, there are no restrictions. You can repeat the test whenever you want.

When will I receive my test results?

You will receive your Test Report Form in the mail 13 days after your test date. Some test centres also provide SMS alerts and an Online Results Service. Keep your Test Report Form in a secure place as you only receive one copy.

Which Module should I sit for, Academic or General Training ?

The Academic Reading and Writing Modules assess whether a candidate is ready to study or train in the medium of English at an undergraduate or postgraduate level. Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses is based on the result of these Modules.

The General Training Reading and Writing Modules are not designed to test the full range of formal language skills required for academic purposed, but emphasize basic survival skills in a a broad social and educational context. General Training is suitable for candidates who are going to English speaking countries to complete their secondary education, to undertake work experience or training programmes not at degree level, or for immigration purpose to Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

It is the responsibility of the candidate to inform the test centre whether they wish to take the Academic or General Training Modules. Centres are not responsible for providing this information. The general Training module is not offered at all test administrations. it must be noted that it may not be possible to change module later or on the day of the test.

What is the test format and how long will it take?

IELTS has four parts – Listening (30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (11–14 minutes). The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The Listening, Reading and Writing tests are done in one sitting. The Speaking test may be on the same day or up to seven days before or after the other tests.

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We will reach you at the earliest. Alternatively, you could learn more about us here.

If you are unsure about the exam, you could do two things:

1. take a free mock test at our office
2. attend a couple of classes at our institute, again free of cost

The duration is 5 weeks or 3 weeks

As for the timings, you can have a class at any of the following times:

06:30 – 08:00 am
08:30 – 10:00 am
10:30 – 12:00 noon

If you need any more information, please feel free to contact us.

IELTS tests are held in over 500 centres with tests up to four times a month. IELTS respects international diversity and is fair to anyone who sits the test, regardless of nationality

You can choose from two types of IELTS test: Academic or General Training, depending on whether you want to study, work or migrate. Both modules are made up of four parts – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. IELTS results are graded on the unique IELTS 9-band scale.

To help you prepare, IELTS provides samples and practice tests. The test covers the full range of ability from non-user to expert user. You are not limited in how many times you can sit the test.

You can trust the quality and security of IELTS because it is managed by three reputable, international organisations: British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL).

IELTS is recognised by more than 6000 institutions across 120 countries.

The United States of America

On an average, about 65,000 Indian students chose to study in the US each year. This combined with the already existing Indian population in addition to the world class facilties and the felxibility of the education system has made US the destination of Indian students from all disciplines.

Another interesting aspect is that the US tops the list of money spent on research. Not only that, the qualifications earned from the US colleges and universities are recognised all over the world.

A large Indian population, the flexibilty of the course structure and the easy-to-adjust environment of the US make it the most preferred destination for abroad study.

The United Kingdom

The UK is the second most preferred destination of Indian Students. On an average about 25000 Indian students choose to study in the UK each year. The advantage of pursuing a masters degree in the UK is that a student will earn a world recognized Masters degree in a short span. This however has a flip side. The education in the UK is more intensive than most other countries.

Traditionally, UK has been known as the hub of education and is in general a very student friendly destination. The facilities for students in the UK are amongst the best in the world, in some instances even surpassing those of the US, especially in the areas of transport and student support.

Lower cost of education and earning a degree in a shorter time are two of the reasons why UK is one of the preferred destinations for students aspiring for an internationl degree.

Australia

Australia in terms of number of students going there is as popular as the United States with an average of 80,000 Indian students hitting the Australian shores each year. While the recent instances of racism have dented the image of Australia as a preferred student destination, it still remains popular.

Apart from the capital city of Canberra, major cities include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, and Hobart. Australia has a very small population and the majority of the population lives along its very beautiful coastline.

The weather being very close to that of India is one of the major contributing factors behing Australia being a desired destination for Indian students. This coupled with a good lifestyle and the image of Australia as a beautiful and an exotic location ensures Australia’s popularity.

The GRE exams primarily tests your aptitude for logic and reasoning. While it is true that you would need to have working knowledge of

Click for GRE Sample Questions

many words, simply knowing the meaning of the word will not help you in getting a good score. What you need to know is how these words operate in conjuction with other words and with the sentences they are in.

Understanding this logic will help you in being able to answer the GRE questions and in quite a few cases help you answer the questions even without knowing the meaning of the words and even in the worst cases help you in guessing the right answer.

The Course Description:

Total Duration: 6 weeks (Verbal aptitude & Quantitative aptitude)

Personalised coaching (individual sessions with the trainer) is also provided. Please contact us for further details and fee structure.

Course Structure:

The first week of the course will look at the basics of vocabulary. This includes:

1. Basic list of words that you need.
2. Overview of some root words
3. Words forms
4. Parts of speech
5. Relations between words

The Second week will start with the logic and practice tests and continue with learning a few more words and the logic involved in:

1. Analogies
2. Reading Comprehension
3. Sentence Completion
4. Antonym Exercises.

Quantitative Aptitude will include exercises designed to help both the beginners and the advanced learners with questions arranged from the level of easy going to very difficult. It will help those from non-mathematics background to know that GRE does not have any mathematics that an average Indian would not have done in school.