GRE Workshop: Introduction and
Group Work
Most graduate programs require a good GRE
score for unconditional admission. In the
M.Ed. Reading Specialist Program, we require
a 450 verbal, a 450 quantitative, and a 4.0
analytical for unconditional admission. For
conditional admission, we require a 300 on
the verbal section and 300 on the quantitative
section for conditional admission.
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In the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and
Instruction with different specializations, a
good combined GRE score would be 1,000,
but other criteria are involved.
Please contact Bobbette M. Morgan, Ed. D.,
Office of Graduate Programs Director,
bobbette.morgan@utb.edu or her secretary,
Ms. Alma Tapia, alma.tapia@utb.edu, for
more information.
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Please check with the program you are
interested in enrolling in to determine the
GRE requirements.
The Graduate Program Coordinator or
Department Chair should know.
Mari Stevens in the Graduate Studies Office
also has this information.
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 problemsolving ability, focusing on basic concepts of
arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis
 This information is from:
http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about
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Verbal Reasoning (computer-based, 30
questions 30 minutes; paper-based, 76
questions, 38 per section, 60 minutes)
Quantitative Reasoning (computer-based, 28
questions, 45 minutes; paper based, 60
questions, 60 minutes)
Plus there are unscored sections with varying
times after the Analytical Writing section; these
are not counted as part of your score.
This information is from:
http://www.ets.org/GRE/general/about/content/
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Analogies — Analogy questions test your ability to recognize parallel
relationships. Examples are relationships of kind, size, spatial contiguity or
degree.
Antonyms — Antonym questions measure the strength of your vocabulary and
ability to reason from a given concept to its opposite. Answer choices may be
single words or phrases.
Sentence Completions — Sentence completion questions measure your ability
to use a variety of cues provided by syntax and grammar to recognize the
overall meaning of a sentence and analyze the relationships among the
component parts of the sentence. You select which of five words or sets of
words can best complete a sentence to give it a logically satisfying meaning
and allow it to be read as a stylistically integrated whole.
Reading Comprehension — Reading comprehension questions measure your
ability to read with understanding, insight and discrimination. These questions
explore your ability to analyze a written passage from several perspectives,
including your ability to recognize explicitly stated elements as well as
underlying statements or arguments and their implications.
This is from: http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about/content/verbal/
Quantitative Comparison — These questions test your
ability to reason quickly and accurately about the relative
sizes of two quantities or to perceive that not enough
information is provided to make such a comparison.
 Problem Solving — The format of these multiple-choice
questions varies. The solution may require simple
computations, manipulations or multistep problem-solving.
 Data Interpretation — Some problem-solving questions
involve data analysis. Many occur in sets of two to five
questions that share common data in the form of tables or
graphs that allow you to read or estimate data values.
 This information is from:
http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about/content/quantitative
/
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http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/sam
ple_questions/quantitative/comparison
(quantitative comparisons)
 http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/sam
ple_questions/quantitative/problem_solving
(problem solving)
 http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/sam
ple_questions/quantitative/data_interpretati
on
(data interpretation)
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Analytical Writing:
One Issue task (45 minutes computer or paper
version). For the Issue task, two essay topics are
presented and you choose one.
One Argument task (30 minutes computer or
paper version). The Argument task does not
present a choice of topics; instead, a single topic
is presented.
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This information is from:
http://www.ets.org/GRE/general/about/content/
The Issue task states an opinion on an issue of general
interest and asks you to address the issue from any
perspective(s) you wish, as long as you provide relevant
reasons and examples to explain and support your views.
 The Argument task requires you to critique an argument
by discussing how well-reasoned you find it. You are asked
to consider the logical soundness of the argument rather
than to agree or disagree with the position it presents.
 The Issue task requires you to construct a personal
argument about an issue, and the argument task requires
you to critique someone else's argument by assessing its
claims.
 This information is from:
http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about/content/analytical/
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The Analytic Writing Section tests your ability to:
 articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
 examine claims and accompanying evidence
 support an argument with relevant reasons and
examples
 sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
 control the elements of standard written English (this
factor plays a role only to the extent that poor writing
skills impede readers' understanding of the argument)
This information is from:
http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about/content/analyti
cal/
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Present your perspective on the issue below, using relevant reasons and/or examples.
"Important truths begin as outrageous, or at least uncomfortable, attacks upon the
accepted wisdom of the time."
"Originality does not mean thinking something that was never thought before; it means
putting old ideas together in new ways."
"Laws should not be rigid or fixed. Instead, they should be flexible enough to take account
of various circumstances, times, and places."
"It is always an individual who is the impetus for innovation; the details may be worked out
by a team, but true innovation results from the enterprise and unique perception of an
individual."
"The function of science is to reassure; the purpose of art is to upset. Therein lies the value
of each."
"The study of an academic discipline alters the way we perceive the world. After studying
the discipline, we see the same world as before, but with different eyes."
"It is possible to pass laws that control or place limits on people's behavior, but legislation
cannot reform human nature. Laws cannot change what is in people's hearts and minds."
"What most human beings really want to attain is not knowledge, but certainty. Gaining
real knowledge requires taking risks and keeping the mind open—but most people prefer
to be reassured rather than to learn the complex and often unsettling truth about
anything.“
This information is from: http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/sample_questions/analytical/issues
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.
A recent study shows that people living on the continent of
North America suffer 9 times more chronic fatigue and 31
times more chronic depression than do people living on the
continent of Asia. Interestingly, Asians, on average, eat 20
grams of soy per day, whereas North Americans eat virtually
none. It turns out that soy contains phytochemicals called
isoflavones, which have been found to possess disease–
preventing properties. Thus, North Americans should
consider eating soy on a regular basis as a way of preventing
fatigue and depression.
 This is from:
http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/sample_questions/a
nalytical/argument
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Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.
"In order to save a considerable amount of money, Rockingham's
century-old town hall should be torn down and replaced by the
larger and more energy-efficient building that some citizens have
proposed. The old town hall is too small to comfortably
accommodate the number of people who are employed by the
town. In addition, it is very costly to heat the old hall in winter and
cool it in summer. The new, larger building would be more energy
efficient, costing less per square foot to heat and cool than the old
hall. Furthermore, it would be possible to rent out some of the
space in the new building, thereby generating income for the town
of Rockingham.“
 This is from:
http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/sample_questions/analyti
cal/argument
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The ScoreItNow service gives users:
practice for the Analytical Writing section of the GRE
General Test
a variety of essay topics to choose from
opportunity to compose essays either online or offline
immediate feedback so students can measure their
own progress
general suggestions for improving essay writing skills
benchmark essay responses at each score point
The service costs U.S.$13, and entitles the user to
write two essays and receive an e-rater score for each.
This information is from:
http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/scoreitnow
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It is offered electronically in the UTB Testing
Office in Tandy, 216, at 8:30 a.m., but you
need to arrive at 8 a.m.
It is offered at UTB several days a month. For
instance, it will be offered on Jan. 25, 26, 27,
31, February 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16,
etc.
The computer-based test lasts 4 hours, so
you should be finished at 12:30. Each section
is timed.
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Go to GRE.org. In the middle you will see :
General Test >
(If you test before August 1, 2011), then
register for the old test.
Continue clicking. You will be asked to
register for a computer-based test or a paper
test. A paper-based test is only available in
places that don’t have Internet access.
The test is $160.00.
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No, because the point is to get accepted into
your program. You don’t want to have to
retake the test, which is expensive, or be
denied admission because your GRE scores
were too low.
The revised GRE includes vocabulary in context,
real-life math scenarios, data interpretation, and
focused writing prompts.
 Registration opens for the revised test on March 15,
2011.
 The first revised test administration will take place
on August 1, 2011.
 Revised test preparation materials:
 http://www.ets.org/GRE/revised_general/prepare
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Find a study buddy and practice together
frequently.
 Go to www.ets.org and practice or buy a study
guide at a bookstore.
 Do whatever it takes to sleep well the night before.
 Eat a high protein breakfast and complex
carbohydrates before the test.
 Don’t be fooled by long distracters.
 Risk unknown words in the answers if you
eliminated the other distracters.
 Eliminate all distracters, not just one or two.
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Language, Literacy, and Intercultural Studies
(Reading Specialist, Bilingual Education, ESL)
Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (Math,
Science, Technology, Curriculum and Instruction)
Educational Psychology and Leadership (Special
Education programs, Early Childhood, Counseling,
Ed. Leadership programs)
Health and Human Performance (C&I with a
specialization in Health and Human Performance)