The GRE Gets Cut In Half

If you’re looking to apply to graduate school, then you’re probably familiar with the GRE. The GRE, the graduate school admissions test, has long been the bane of prospective graduate school students with its four hour run time. Well, the good news is that the test is now being cut in half!

The Educational Testing Service, the nonprofit organization who owns and operates the test, has announced that, beginning in September 2023, the test will be cut down to two hours. The organization has eliminated the analytical writing task, as well as 46 questions from the quantitative reasoning and verbal sections.

“These changes are intended to provide test takers with a better experience that values their time and reduces anxiety and fatigue,” the organization said in a statement. 

The move also comes at a time where the tests seem to be in a decline. Like many undergraduate programs, graduate programs moved to a test-optional policy during the height of Covid. To date, some programs have resumed their testing policies while others have adopted a permanent test-optional policy. 

At Ivy Link, we always recommend taking the tests, even if the program you are applying to is test-optional. Whether in an undergraduate or graduate program, an excellent test score gives you a leg up in admissions, especially in a competitive program. It gives the college to which you are applying an “objective” metric to gauge your preparedness for the program. Otherwise, the college must rely on subjective information. 

If you are interested in tutoring and/or test prep while preparing to take the GRE, reach out to Ivy Link below.