Monday, September 19, 2011

10 important things about new GRE exam pattern

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GRE exam is generally taken by those students who want to take admission in any foreign university for graduate programmes. The Graduate Record Examination is generally known by GRE and the exam is conducted by the Education Testing Service (ETS) on behalf of the Graduate Record Examination Board and Council of Graduate Schools. The pattern of the exam is objective with multiple-choice questions. This exam score is necessary criteria for taking admission in one of the foreign universities.
ETS has brought some changes in the pattern of the GRE exam to make this exam student friendly and less complicated as compared to other exams. This new pattern will help the universities to evaluate the students well, make the right choice and enable them to enroll more deserving candidates. This new pattern will be active from August 2011.
The team of new GRE pattern 2011 said, "It is the largest revision in the history of GRE, which is about 60 years." They also mentioned that the changes in the demographics of the test takers, technology changes, etc, have encouraged them to make changes in the exam pattern and they are really excited about the new format. Below are 10 important changes in the new GRE pattern:
1. Improved Design: This new modified design permits you to go back and forward in a particular section and modify or make changes in your answers. In this new format, you can mark and go back to a question to make changes and revise it. This new format is different in pattern as compared to the current GRE. The main aim behind this new pattern is to create a better and natural test experience.
2. Improved Quality of Data: The quality of the data used for the GRE Test will be better in the new pattern. The new format of the GRE exam will evaluate the skills of the students that are really necessary for graduate and business programmes.
3. Major changes in Verbal section: In this new GRE exam the verbal section has seen the maximum changes. In new format there will be more complex reasoning. No antonyms and analogies will be asked. There will be no vocabulary asked which is out of the context. Expect new types of questions in this section.
4. Quantitative reasoning: The new pattern allows using the calculator to avoid small mistakes. The new pattern puts more emphasis on the reasoning ability and not on the arithmetic calculations. This new pattern concentrates more on Data interpretation and real life scenarios.
5. Analytical writing: In this section there are no major changes but there will be expectations for more focused responses and less generalisations.
6. New test score rating: Due to new changes in the verbal and quant sections, the new range will be between 130 and 170 score scale with increments of 1 point instead of earlier 200 to 800 with 10 points increments. The scale for analytical section is unchanged as 0 to 6 with 0.5 increments. The new test is designed to give enough opportunity to students to demonstrate their reasoning skills irrespective of their background.
7. First new GRE 2011 test score and test: The score for the test taken between August and October will be available in the month of November. The applicants who want their score before November can take the present test before August 2011. The score of reporting will go back to normal time frame of 10 to 15 days after late November.
8. Paper based testing: All the students who are thinking to appear in paper-based test, have to take the test before November, 2011. ETS has proposed various changes in the exam pattern; all these changes will get implemented from August, 2011. All the changes will also be carried out in paper-based test too.
9. Split test going away: If a student is taking this test in Asian continent such China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, you may be using a split-test pattern. This format will not exist in the new GRE exam. The modified GRE test version will provide faster reporting, offered more often on computer and can be done in single day in one sitting only.
10. GRE test prep material: GRE has already made available the new practice papers for aspirants to make them familiar with new exam format. GRE has launched this paper available more than a year before. You can also check the preparation material by visiting the official website of the GRE test.

Executing Turbo C++ on Windows 7, 64-bit using DOSBox

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Who said you cannot run the old 16 bit Turbo C++ on Windows 7 64-bit???

Of course you can, even without the hassles of when an OS natively supports it. I mean that because, you have to install C++ in root of C: drive in order to effectively work, isn’t??? Well, that’s the problem when we try to execute that application directly through a Windows OS. When using a DOSBox, you can overcome that glitch & execute the program anywhere effectively. To do that you either have to copy & paste the installed files onto any drive or any folder you wish & execute the ‘TC.exe’ from there. Another way is to do a clean install by DOS BOX. You just have to enter the following commands onto your DOSBox window. First of all, copy the Turbo C++ installer to any drive or folder you wish & execute the following commands. In my case the installer name is ‘TurboC.exe’. In all the commands below, you have to replace the drive letter & path according to yours, but the commands remain the same.

Installing via DOSBox
------------------------------
1) MOUNT D D:\C++
2) D:
3) TURBOC.EXE -D

Executing via DOSBox
---------------------------------
1) MOUNT D D:\C++
2) D:
3) TC\BIN\TC.EXE

If you enter these commands accurately the good old blue window will open up without any error saying ‘Invalid Directory’.
CAUTION: Whatever may be the case, don’t mount your original root of C: drive as C:, or else you will probably screw up with your OS files.

Automating
--------------------------
If you’re sick of typing these commands every time, then there’s an easy way to do that & that is, editing the ‘conf’ file.
1) After installation of Turbo C++ via DOSBox, copy down the path of TC.exe. That is D:\C++\TC\BIN\TC.exe

2) Go to ‘C:\Users\Robin Mathew Rajan\AppData\Local\DOSBox’. (You need to replace ‘Robin Mathew Rajan’ to your username. The easier way to go to that directory is to type %AppData% onto the RUN box & hit enter, move back onto LOCAL, search for DOSbox & voila you’re there!!)There you’ll find a file called ‘dosbox-0.74.conf’. Copy that file to that folder itself & rename it as ‘TurboC.conf’ (without the quotes)
Open ‘TurboC.conf’ with the notepad & enter these lines at the end of the file, just below you see ‘# You can put your MOUNT lines here’. Please note that the MOUNT command below require a double quote when specifying the path, or else the code don’t work.

MOUNT D "D:\C++"
D:
TC\BIN\TC.exe

3) Save it & close the file

4) Now go to the desktop, where the shortcut of DOSBox is, while installation.

5) Right click on it & select properties

6) In the ‘Target box’ at the end of the line, type a space & enter ‘-conf’ (without the quotes). Type again a space & enter the path of the conf file which we created in double quotes, that is, TurboC.conf. For eg: “C:\Users\Robin Mathew Rajan\AppData\Local\DOSBox\TurboC.conf” (Please note that, this time we have to enter the path in double quotes as mentioned above). Click on OK & close the dialog box.

7) Rename the ‘DOSBox’ shortcut on Desktop to ‘C++’ for quick reminding.
That’s it. Click on the shortcut on the desktop & enjoy.

GRE pattern to change from 2011

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For those students who have aspirations to study abroad next year and are preparing for GRE, there is an important news for you. Education Testing Services (ETS) has announced major changes to GRE Exam from 2011. The new GRE in 2011 will be administered from Fall 2011. Here are the details on the changes and the scoring pattern for the same.

Changes to GRE in 2011

  • All the three sections in GRE will be revised (verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing).
  • Grading scale from 130 to 170
  • No More Antonyms and analogies in GRE Verbal section
  • Antonyms and Analogies will be replaced with reading-comprehension.
  • Skip back and forth between exam questions. No more computer adaptability for every question is required.
  • Students can use calculators in new GRE.

The new score scale for the GRE revised General Test:

  • GRE Verbal: 130-170 score scale, in 1-point increments (current GRE pattern 200-800 in 10-point increments).
  • GRE Quantitative:130-170 score scale, in 1-point increments (current GRE Pattern 200-800 in 10-point increments).
  • Analytical Writing: will continue to be reported on the same 0-6 score scale, in half-point increments.

Impact on Admissions with New GRE 2011

Differentiation among those who have earned a particular GRE score on the new scale will be difficult, and should put extra emphasis on other differentiating components of applications, such as essays and letters of recommendation.

Possible GRE Scores

  • Possible scores is spread out to 41 (170 - 130)
  • Current GRE is 71 ( 200 to 800)
Same number of GRE test takers will fall under 41 scores than 71 which means, it's hard to differentiate applicants based on score? You need to have strong application to get admission. This indirectly creates another admission requirement. In other words, a student who gets good scores along with the strong Recommendation Letters (LORs), Statement of Purpose (SOP) with relevant work experience (if required) will be given preference over a student having good scores or academic profile or no work experience or documents.
A student whose score is 135 might not get admission if the minimum score requirement of the university / department is 140. While in the current format, if minimum required GRE is 1100, students with a 1000 score do have a possibility to get admission.
Hence, consider all the advantages and disadvantages of new GRE pattern and apply accordingly. Decide well in advance and book GRE Test dates for 2011. If you wish to appear for the test this year only than register as soon as possible and do not wait till last minute.
For any queries please refer to our counselors or leave your comments below.
Best of Luck!

Six easy steps to crack GRE

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To get admission in one of the foreign university you have worked hard during your three years of graduation studies. However, do not let your struggle get wasted by not being able to deliver your best on the exam day. GRE is one such exam which is important to take admission in Post Graduate programmes in America and Canada. Here are some simple steps which will prove helpful for you to score high in your GRE.



1. The requisites of the GRE
First and most important step is to secure a date to take the exam. Try to schedule a date around six months from the start of your GRE preparation. To make the payment for the exam fee you require a credit card. If you attempt the exam only once it will cost you around Rs. 6000. Make sure that you get your seat reserved on time and according to your availability, it happens many times when students do not get a test date according to their wishes as the slots get full. The GRE exams are conducted five times a week in most of the major cities of the country. The minimum time gap to be maintained between two attempts is a month. Most universities take the higher score among your attempts, though some universities do consider the average score. The purpose of theGRE is to test a student's basic verbal and quantitative aptitude, along with his/her writing skills. The test requires a basic knowledge base of class 10th Mathematics and basic fluency in written English.
2. Format of the GRE exam



You will appear for a two-and-a- half hour long computerised test. The exam is divided into three different sections: Quantitative, Verbal and Essay. In this GRE paper except the essay section, all the questions are objective type, each question carry five options as answer choice. The total marks for the GRE exam are 600, and the essay section will be graded on a decimal grade of 6. Quantitative and Verbal section both carried 800 marks. Every post graduate discipline has its own section requirement of the score. If any student score a score of 1,400 or above it is considered as good score. An essay of grade of 5 or above is regarded as good score.
The GRE test is not an accurate and precise evaluation of your aptitude. This is because the exam has a little tricky format, which generally hampers a student to score well in the exam. It is always advised that one should be well informed and use it to your advantage.
3. Make your GRE strategy



The GRE is computer based exam. Always make sure that before moving to next question, the previous question has to be attempted. An attempt would mean that you click any of the available options from the choice and confirms the same before moving to next question. Once a question is attempted, you can not revert to it. So be sure about the question you attempt.
GRE exam is adaptive in nature. The first question you attempt in the GRE exam will be off average difficulty. Half the people attempting the GRE get it right, which is generally indicates that it is fairly simple.
If you click on the correct option, the next question on your screen will be bit more difficult. If you answer the first question of the exam wrong the next question will be easier. Once you attempt 7 to 10 questions, the computer fixes a difficulty level for you depending upon your answer in the previous questions. If you attempt more tough questions, your chances of getting high score will increase accordingly. The first question carries the maximum marks, followed closely by the second and then so on.
The first seven to ten questions are very important and decisive. Your section score in GRE will be decided by your performance in these questions. For example if you answer first eight questions correctly, your score will range between 700 to 800, which is maximum score.
Therefore, take time to crack the first 7-10 questions, even if you miss out on five questions at the end. A good performance in the initial questions will help you to score good in the exam and increase the chances to score of 800.
4. GRE quantitative section



This section of the GRE exam carries 28 questions and has a time limit of 45 minutes. If you manage this section well, in this section your chances of scoring high will increase and you can score 750+ easily. Try to make sure that the first 10 questions you attempt in this section of GRE are correct. Spend more time over these questions, as they can really boost your score.
You will be provided blank sheet for calculation work. Use them rather than doing so mentally as that will consume more time. Question related to statistic and geometry, note that the figures drawn may not be to scale, so do not use them as reference. Read all the figures and units carefully- as they can mislead you. In algebra questions, verify all the answer choices. Do not just mark the answer choice you work out. It might be possible that while attempting the question you may neglect certain important point.
5. GRE verbal section



The time allotted for this section is 30 minutes with 30 questions. While answering this section concentrate on the reading comprehension passage. They are long and time consuming at times. Also scrolling up and down and reading a 1,500 word art passage is not easy task. So prepare well this section to score high.
In this section of GRE the easier question to handle are the antonyms, sentence completion and the analogies. To attempt this section you need to be well aware about the GRE word list of 3,500 words. While preparing for this section, consult the reference books to score high. Try to develop your reading speed. Maximum number of students taking the GRE find this section a bit lengthy. So take enough time to practice this section to develop a good speed.
6. GRE essay section


First, do not under the false impression that a good GRE essay should flaunt your vocabulary. Neither should it turn out a masterpiece. They do not expect you to write like good author or a perfectionist in half an hour. Try to be grammatically correct and construct meaningful sentences rather than writing complex sentences. Make sure that you are clear and logical in your thought flow.
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