Feb.11 - The revised Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test will be offered for the first time worldwide in September, officials of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) announced on Feb 8.

 

Unlike the current GRE General Test that is administered in two parts in Asian countries, the revised GRE will be offered during single testing sessions. The first test date in China will be September 16, 2007.

 

Since 2003, test takers in China have been required to take the Analytical Writing section of the General Test at a computer-based testing center, and the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections at a paper-based site. Now, test takers will be able to complete all three sections of the revised General Test in one session, with all testing to be completed on a computer.

 

The new test will last about 4 hours and 10 minutes and contain seven sections.

 

Scores from the first testing date will be available in early November after a new score scale has been established.

 

After this date scores will be made available within 15 to 18 business days of testing. Registration for the revised GRE General Test begins on July 1, 2007. The current GRE General Test will no longer be offered after July 31, 2007.

 

Instead of continuous testing, the exam will be given approximately 35 times a year worldwide. The number of administrations in any given region will depend on regional test volume.