ETS makes paper GREs a thing of the past

As it moves toward a completely computerized testing system, the Educational Testing Service administered its last national paper-based Graduate Record Examinations test April 10. The new computer-based exam, which officials at the Princeton, N.J.-based ETS term "computer-adaptive testing," is designed to personally adjust to a student's own ability. The test begins with a series of questions of average difficulty. If the student answers the question correctly, the next question is either at the same or a more difficult level. If the question is answered incorrectly, the computer presents an easier question to the student. ETS officials said the move toward computer-based testing benefits students by adjusting to their own abilities and speed. "We feel the computer creates a much better test for students because the old paper test was sort of a one-size-fits-all," ETS spokesperson Tom Ewing said. "The computer test personalizes each test for each student." Ewing added that "you don't need to be a computer programmer to take the test." But several students noted that while the test is personally tailored to each student's ability, the computer-based aspect of the exam precludes students from going back to review or change an answer. "Using a computer would be much more flexible," College junior Jumin Kim said. "But it might really make me feel nervous [while testing] since I can't go back." And pointing to the personalized aspect of the exam, College junior Kristina Herbert added that the first few questions on the exam are weighed too heavily in determining the basis for a student's ultimate score. "It's kind of upsetting because if you screw up on the first couple of questions, you [might not be able] to do as well on the rest," Herbert said. Ewing conceded that the downside of the test "is that you can't skip a question and you can't go back and change your answers." The 4 1/2-hour GRE General Test measures reasoning abilities by testing verbal, quantitative and analytical skills. The traditional paper-based test was administered twice a year, while the new computer-based General Test is administered about 150 days out of the year. Ewing added that recent research has shown that the scoring of the computer-based GRE is comparable to that of the paper-based test because statistical characteristics of each question, including difficulty and subject matter, are taken into account. "[This system] allows you to get your scores back earlier, that's good," College junior Robert Kanapka said, commenting about how the computer-based test makes scores available upon completion. The shift to computer-based testing marks the ongoing technological changes in the area of assessment. "This is just the beginning of how it's going to improve assessment," Ewing said. "This is going to open windows to how we'll be able to assess students." Ewing noted the possible use of video streaming, video clips of lectures, charts and direct changing of text in future tests.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.