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October GRE biased?

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 11:13 pm
by quizivex
Hey all,

I'm taking the October GRE just because I'll get to know my scores before I apply to places...

Though I have a concern... At my school, nobody else at all is taking the October test since they think they need more time to prepare.

Knowing that GRE scores are based on percentiles, I'm getting concerned that only the brightest, most knowledgable and prepared students are taking the October test and that I may get a much lower percentile in this test than I would if I took the November test.

As we recall, in previous years the December test was worthless and everyone had to take the November test and so everyone was compared to everyone else on a level field.

Can anyone comment on this? Does ETS somehow account for a statistical overall difference in the abilities of students taking different tests? Is this even a valid concern?

Thanks

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:19 am
by stardust
The dates I see listed for ETS subject tests are only:
11/03/07 and 4/12/08. Are you sure they are offering an October test?
What date is it?

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 1:13 am
by quizivex
http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menu ... f95190RCRD

That site lists all the dates... What you saw may have been a registration page in which the October test date wouldn't have been listed because registration is closed for it.

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 1:53 am
by stardust
Thanks. But, I thought they had a thing where you can still be a walkin or
a standby.

Looks like in previous years the tests were Nov and Dec and was now
moved earlier to Oct and Nov. Now, I wonder how many people's
admissions they messed up with the later dates and scores not arriving
on time with the later test date. There must have been an impact in order
for them to change it.

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 2:44 am
by baksiidaa
I don't think that percentiles based on the actual outcome from each test date. I seem to remember reading something about that on the ETS website. Ahh - here it is, from the "GRE Guide to Use of Scores" (http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/994994.pdf).
"Percentile ranks shown on score reports are based on the performance
of the current reference group for each test regardless of when
the scores were earned."

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:17 am
by quizivex
Ah thanks baksiidaa, I'm somewhat relieved now (though still insanely nervous since the test is in 2 weeks haha)

So, the pamphlet suggests that our performance is compared to all students who have taken the tests over the past three years or so, and they assign percentiles that way.


@ stardust

Oh yea that's true you can just show up as a standby... but I don't know how anyone could comfortably do such a thing... Who would want to spend all the time preparing and yet have a chance of being turned away at the test center

And yes the inconvenient test dates in past years have really hurt a lot of students.