📝💥 Da GRE Test Cut in Half: Only Two Hours and pau

Da GRE, da nearly four-hour marathon of a test dat stay da bane of plenny aspiring grad students, stay being cut in half. Now it go take less den two hours. 😱💨

Da Educational Testing Service, da nonprofit organization dat own an’ administer da test, wen announce da changes on Wednesday, like dey saying, “Eh, we know da test no moa as important fo’ graduate school admissions, yeah?” 😏🤷‍♀️

Dey saying dat da changes fo’ da test going be da kine: no moa dis task fo’ analytical writing, 46 fewer questions fo’ da quantitative an’ verbal reasoning parts, an’ no moa one section dat no get scored. 📝📉🔢

“Da changes, dey like fo’ give test takers one bettah experience dat value dey time an’ make dem less stress an’ tired,” da organization said. Dey planning fo’ start implementing da changes wen da tests go out in September. 📅✏️🎓

An’ da oddah changes dat go happen, dey go release da scores mo’ fast. 📊🚀

Wassup wit dis: Da admissions tests, dey no stay popular no moa. 📉

Da changes show dat plenty people no moa like da standardized tests, ’cause some university guys tink dat da tests no good fo’ predicting if somebody go do good or not, an’ dat dem tests can stop some folks from applying, especially da ones from groups dat no get much representation. 😔📚🚫

Some studies wen find out dat da tests stay hard fo’ da kine students who no get plenny money an’ who stay part of minority groups. It’s ’cause da rich kids can pay fo’ da expensive test prep classes an’ raise dey scores. An’ on top of dat, da GRE test itself stay one expensive ting — $220 fo’ da most part. 💸💰🤑

Da School of Public Health at Boston University wen say dat aftah dey no make da GRE one requirement in 2019, mo’ Black an’ Hispanic guys wen apply, an’ dey no see any drop in how da students do in school. 👩🏿‍🎓👨🏽‍🎓

Lemme tell you someting moa: Dey calling dis one “GRExit.” 📉

Mo’ an’ moa graduate programs stay making da GRE optional o’ completely doing ‘way wit’ it fo’ admissions. 🙅‍♀️🚫

Last year, Duke University, dat fancy private school in North Carolina, wen announce dat most of its graduate programs no need da GRE fo’ apply. Dey stay doing dis policy where you can take da test o’ not take ’em, an’ dey started ’cause of da pandemic. 💼🏫

Scientific guys wen do one survey in 2019 an’ dey call ’em GRExit, an’ dey wen ask 50 top-ranked graduate programs ’bout da GRE. Dey find out dat 44 percent of da molecular biology Ph.D. programs wen stop asking fo’ da scores. 📊🧪

Anyways, some law schools now even let you use GRE scores instead of da Law School Admission Test, da LSAT. 😲📚

But still, da number of people taking da GRE stay going down. In 2021, ony 341,574 people wen take da test, compared to 541,750 people in 2017. 📉👨🏻‍🎓📉

Dis kine drop stay da same as da SAT an’ ACT wen people wen start doing “test-optional” for undergrad admissions, an’ now nobody like take ’em anymore. 📚🙅‍♂️

Da College Board, dat stay in charge of da SAT, stay planning to make da test online an’ shorter, starting in 2024. First, dey going introduce ’em in oddah countries in 2023. Da new SAT go take two hours instead of three, an’ da reading parts go be shortah wit’ less questions. Less work fo’ you, brah! 📖💻👨‍🎓

Wat goin’ happen next? 🤔

Da Supreme Court, dey stay going announce dis decision befo’ dey pau dis term. Plenny people tink dey going cut out or limit how colleges consider race fo’ admissions. If dat happen, da undergrad an’ graduate programs no goin’ get fo’ give extra help to da minority students fo’ make moa variety in da class. 😳📝

Dis decision goin’ put pressure on colleges fo’ limit o’ do ‘way wit’ da standardized admissions exams. Dey goin’ try do more stuffs fo’ look at da whole picture, not jus’ one test score. 🏫📊👩🏾‍🎓

Now you know da scoop, yeah? Da GRE test going be shortah, an’ plenny schools no moa like use da test fo’ admissions. Let’s see wat da future bring. 🎓🔍✨

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NOW IN ENGLISH

📝💥 The GRE Test Is Cut in Half: Only Two Hours and Done

The GRE, the nearly four-hour marathon of a test that has been the bane of many aspiring graduate students, is being cut in half. It will now take less than two hours. 😱💨

The Educational Testing Service, the nonprofit organization that owns and administers the test, announced the changes on Wednesday, tacitly acknowledging that the test is no longer as important for graduate school admissions. 😏🤷‍♀️

According to the organization, the changes to the test will include the removal of the analytical writing task, 46 fewer questions on the quantitative and verbal reasoning sections, and the elimination of an unscored section. 📝📉🔢

“These changes are intended to provide test takers with a better experience that values their time and reduces anxiety and fatigue,” said the organization. They are planning to implement the changes starting with the tests administered in September. 📅✏️🎓

In addition, the changes will also result in faster score release. 📊🚀

Why does this matter? Admissions tests are becoming less popular. 📉

The changes reflect a general decline in the use of standardized tests. Many university administrators are concerned that these tests do not effectively predict success and may discourage applicants from underrepresented groups. 😔📚🚫

Several studies have shown that these tests create disadvantages for low-income and minority students. Wealthier students can afford expensive test preparation courses to improve their scores. On top of that, the GRE test itself is costly, with a fee of $220 in most locations. 💸💰🤑

Boston University’s School of Public Health reported that after removing the GRE requirement in 2019, they saw an increase in Black and Hispanic applicants, without any decline in student performance. 👩🏿‍🎓👨🏽‍🎓

This phenomenon has been coined “GRExit.” More and more graduate programs are making the GRE optional or eliminating it entirely from their admissions requirements. 🙅‍♀️🚫

Last year, Duke University, a prestigious private institution in North Carolina, announced that the GRE would not be required for most of its graduate programs. They have implemented a policy where applicants can choose whether or not to submit test scores, which began during the pandemic. 💼🏫

A survey conducted by the academic journal Science in 2019, called “GRExit,” found that 44 percent of molecular biology Ph.D. programs among the top-ranked graduate programs no longer required GRE scores. 📊🧪

Furthermore, some law schools now accept GRE scores in place of the standard Law School Admission Test (LSAT). 😲📚

Despite these changes, the number of people taking the GRE has been declining. In 2021, only 341,574 people took the test, compared to 541,750 people in 2017. 📉👨🏻‍🎓📉

This decline mirrors similar trends seen with the SAT and ACT as more colleges adopt test-optional admissions policies for undergraduates. 📚🙅‍♂️

The College Board, which administers the SAT, is also planning to make changes. Starting in 2024, they will introduce a shorter, online SAT. The new test will take two hours instead of three and will feature shorter reading passages with fewer questions. Less work for students! 📖💻👨‍🎓

What’s next? 🤔

The Supreme Court is expected to announce a decision by the end of its term that may eliminate or limit the consideration of race in college admissions. This means that colleges and universities may no longer be able to provide preferential treatment to underrepresented minority students in an effort to increase diversity in their classes. 😳📝

This decision is likely to put additional pressure on institutions to limit or eliminate the use of standardized admissions exams. They will need to adopt more holistic admissions policies that consider the whole picture, rather than relying solely on test scores. 🏫📊👩🏾‍🎓

Now you’re up to date! The GRE test will be shorter, and many schools are no longer relying on it for admissions. Let’s see what the future holds. 🎓🔍✨