New GRE Question Types

September 11, 2008

There’s been a lot of concern about two new experimental question types that were added to the GRE in November 2007. Do they count? How can you spot them?

These experimental questions are separate from the experimental section. They are embedded in the sections that do count on your test, yet are not “counted” towards your score. Recognizing these questions now can allow you to save time on GRE, but before taking the test, it’s essential to do your homework!

The testmaker’s website claims “The GRE Program will begin counting these question types toward examinee scores as soon as an adequate sample of data from the operational testing environment is available.” So, as soon as these questions begin to count, you can’t afford to breeze by them. You may find one in the verbal section, one in the math section, or none at all. Let’s take a closer look.

Verbal Format

If you happen to have an experimental verbal question, it will be a sentence completion item with two or three blanks. You’ll be using the same skills that you already use when answering a sentence completion.

The difference is in the way the answer choices are presented: These experimental questions require you to select answers separately for each blank. Up to this point in your GRE studies, you have enjoyed the double-jeopardy elimination opportunities that come with answer choices in two-blank sentence completions containing two words. The testmakers hope that when this new question type is included in your score, it will force students to do more analytical reasoning to select the correct choices.

Math Format

If your test presents you with an experimental math question instead, you'll see familiar content in the question stem. For example, you might see a question on triangles or exponents.

The difference, once again, will be in the way you’ll be answering the question. Instead of the standard five-choice set-up or the quantitative comparison format, you will see a box in which you must type your answer. Gone is the safety net of making sure your answer is one of the options. The testmakers are again looking to reduce opportunities for elimination and strategic guessing.

How can I “do my homework” on test day?

Verifying with the testmaker that these questions do not count on the day of your test is crucial. You can call ETS at (609) 771-7670 or 1-866-473-4373. You may also check the website for any new announcements, or ask the staff at the front desk of your testing center. Be prepared!

Jeff Sackmann is a test-prep tutor based in New York City and the author of Total GRE Math, among other GRE and GMAT resources.

Need a better Quant score? Check out Total GRE Math.