Issue Task Directions - ANALYTICAL

The following below are the

• Directions for the 'Issue Task' section from the Analytical Writing section of the GRE Test.

• Two sample issue topics.

Directions for the Issue Task

• Present Your Perspective on an Issue in 45 Minutes
  

You will have a choice between two Issue topics. Each topic will appear as a brief quotation that states or implies an issue of general interest. Read each topic carefully; then decide on which topic you could write a more effective and well-reasoned response.

You will have 45 minutes to plan and compose a response that presents your perspective on the topic you select. A response on any other topic will receive a zero. You are free to accept, reject, or qualify the claim made in the topic you selected, as long as the ideas you present are clearly relevant to the topic. Support your views with reasons and examples drawn from such areas as your reading, experience, observations, or academic studies.

GRE readers who are college and university faculty will read your response and evaluate its overall quality, based on how well you do the following

• consider the complexities and implications of the issue
• organize, develop, and express your ideas on the issue
• support your ideas with relevant reasons and examples
• control the elements of standard written English.

You may want to take a few minutes to think about the issue and to plan a response before you begin writing. Be sure to develop your ideas fully and organize them coherently, but leave time to reread what you have written and make any revisions that you think are necessary.

Issue Topic Selection

Present your perspective on one of the issues below, using relevant reasons and/or examples to support your views.

TOPIC 1:

"Both the development of technological tools and the uses to which humanity has put them have created modern civilizations in which loneliness is ever increasing."

TOPIC 2:

"Our declining environment may bring the people of the world together as no politician, philosopher, or war ever could. Environmental problems are global in scope and respect no nation's boundaries. Therefore, people are faced with the choice of unity and cooperation on the one hand or disunity and a common tragedy on the other."

THINGS TO REMEMBER - REGISTRATION

When Registering for the GRE General Test????

These are the key points to remember when registering for the GRE General Test. They are :

• Register early. Test centers fill up quickly.

• Take the test as soon as possible so your scores will be received by the college or university of your choice in time to be considered with your application.

• When registering, be sure that the spelling of your name matches the name printed on the identification document(s) you will present at the test center. If this information does not match, you will not be permitted to test and your test fee will be forfeited. See Identification Requirements.

• Information regarding test center availability is subject to change. The most current information regarding test centers, dates, and other registration information is available in the GRE online registration system for the Computer-based General Test and the Paper-based General Test.

• Although you will be asked to select a desired test date and test center during the registration process, your testing information will not be confirmed until your registration has been processed.
  

• You should receive your admission ticket about three weeks after you register. If you do not receive your admission ticket at least 10 days before the test date, please contact ETS immediately to confirm your test center assignment.

• Late registration is available, if you registering online. Late registration closes one week after the regular registration date. The fee is $25.

REGISTRATION - GRE

As we already came to know, GRE is both Computer and Paper based depending on the test taker to take which one suits their own interest. GRE involves both General and Subject test. The former category is mostly taken by students who want to pursue MS. Let us see how we can register for the general category.

Registering for Computer Based(CB) GRE

The General Test is a computer-based test in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries. Of course, Paper-based General Test administrations are offered in areas of the world where computer-based testing is not available.We will discuss about it later.

Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Register early to get your preferred test date, and to receive your test preparation material in time to prepare for the test.

Ways to Register

There are four ways to register in for CB-GRE :

• Web
  
• Phone
  
• Mail
• Fax
  

Of the above, Fax alone is not available for the US, US Territory and Canada.

Rescheduling or Canceling a Test Appointment

• A nominal fee of $50 is charged for rescheduling a test appointment irrespective of the countries.

• For US test takers, Contact either the local center where you are scheduled to test or call 1-443-751-4820 or 1-800-GRE-CALL (1-800-473-2255) no later than three full days before your appointment (not including the day of your test or the day of your request).

• For test takers outside US, Contact the appropriate registration center no later than three full days before your appointment (not including the day of your test or the day of your request).

• For test takers outside US, there is no option for changing the Regional Registration Centers(RRCs).
  

GRE Quants - Sample Questions

Quantitative Comparisons


7x² = 21

Column A --> x

Column B --> 2

• A. The quantity in Column A is greater
• B. The quantity in Column B is greater
• C. The two quantities are equal
• D. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given

Answer: B


Problem Solving

In the fig shown, if CP=BP and x=120, then y=

• A. 30
• B. 45
• C. 60
• D. 75
• E. 90

Answer: C


Data Interpretation

In which of the following years did the number of graduate student applications increase the most from that of the previous year?

• A. 1985
• B. 1986
• C. 1988
• D. 1990
• E. 1991

Answer: B

QUANTITATIVE SECTION - STRATEGIES AND QUESTION TYPES

The Quantitative section can have questions only of these three types. They are :

• Quantitative Comparisons
• Problem Solving
• Data Interpretation

Quantitative Comparisons

It measures your ability to :

• Determine the relative sizes of two quantities
• Perceive that not enough information is provided to make such a decision

Problem Solving

Each of the questions GRE Math problem solving is followed by five answer choices. You have to select the best of the answer options given. This tests your :

• Knowledge of maths involving percentages, simultaneous equations, polygons, probability, etc.
• Ability to read, understand, and solve problems quickly and accurately.

Data Interpretations

This is the toughest section in GRE Math. Many have poor Math scores because of the high difficulty of Data interpretation GRE questions. Practice with lots of tough DI questions to do get a good GRE Math score. Data interpretation in GRE Math section measures your ability to:

• Read and interpret data
• Perform statistical calculations on the data provided

The data interpretation questions in GRE Math usually appear in sets and are based on data presented in tables or graphs.

STRATEGIES

1. Quantitative Comparisons

• Convert algebraic expressions to a standard form
• Avoid calculations such as how much larger or smaller one quantity is than the other.
• Do not assume all variables represent positive integers - be aware of negative numbers, fractions, and zero as possible numbers.
• Geometric figures are not always drawn to scale, so do not make assumptions simply based on the appearance of a figure given
  

2.Problem Solving

The basic strategies are :

• Determine what is given and what is being asked
• Scan options to decide the level of approximation required
• Avoid long computations
• Scan all options before answering a question

3.Data Interpretation

The strategies to be adopted are :

• Look carefully at the data and understand how it is presented
• Try to make visual comparisons and estimate products and quotients rather than perform computations.
• For graphs, pay attention to the scales as well as read any accompanying notes
• Answer questions only on the basis of data given.

QUANTS SECTION

Hello Everyone, I think we had enough of verbal section, and its high time we need to know something about Quantitative section. In the previous section, we discussed about the strategies to solve, or make the verbal section easier by following some key ideas. Finally, we even saw some Sample Questions which can be solved through those key points to get the desired answer.Like verbal section, it is also graded on a scale of 200-800, in 10 point increments. In a quantitative section, you may have 28 questions, every test taker is ensured that he has 45 minutes to complete the section.

Now, moving ahead to this section, which involves basically good mathematical skills of higher secondary levels. It starts from the great 'Srinivasa Ramanujam' and the inherits from him are passed on to us, so basically we Indians are proud to say that maths is in our blood. This makes us very special when it comes to GRE quants section since it is relatively easier.

We will move further into the Quantitative section and it needs to cover these topics:

• Arithmetic
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Data Analysis

Arithmetic

The arithmetic is a vast topic which includes the following :

• Arithmetic Operations
• Powers
• Radical Expressions
• Estimation
• Percent
• Absolute Value
• Number Property
  
• Factoring

Algebra

The algebra has the following sub-topics:

• Exponential Rules
• Factoring and Simplifying
• Relations and Functions
• First and Second degree equations
  
• Simultaneous equations
• Word Problems

Geometry

The geometry is classified into:

• Parallel lines
• Circles
• Triangles
• Rectangles
• Other Polygons
• Area
• Perimeter
• Volume
• Pythagoras Theorem
• Angles
• Co-ordinate Geometry

Data Analysis

The data analysis involves with:

• Basic Probability
  
• Basic Statistics
• Mean
• Median
• Mode
• Range
• Standard Deviation
• Percentiles
• Data Interpretation
• Line Graphs
• Bar Graphs
• Circle Graphs
• Frequency Distributions

Lets see what are the type of questions asked in this section in the coming posts and how to tackle them. See you later.