Planning on studying abroad? GRE is certainly on your list of exams to take to ensure that you can get into a good university. However, GRE has something that is unique to GRE: the unscored sections. So what’s the point of having extra sections which won’t even be scored? How do you prepare for these sections? Can you choose to skip them? Let’s look at what exactly these sections are, what they look at testing, and why you shouldn’t ignore it. Read on!
Experimental Section
This is called the ‘Experimental’ section because of its out-of-the-box nature of being unscored, yet having a definite reason to exist within the GRE exam. It is a full section with 20 questions, but you don’t get scored irrespective of your answers. However, you are expected to answer every question nonetheless. Also read - What GMAT Score Does It Take To Get Into The Top B-Schools In The World?
Why does ETS include this section?
While this section does not add to your final GRE score, ETS uses it to gauge the difficulty level of questions. Consider this section as a way for ETS to analyze their exams without putting their students’ scores under any peril. With the help of this section, ETS ensures that the new edition of the exam is comparable to the earlier editions.
What kind of questions can you expect?
The unscored section is either a Quant or verbal section. Therefore, if you get 3 verbal sections or 3 Quant sections, then you know that one of those is unscored. However, it’s impossible to guess which of them are unscored, so it’s better you attempt each section seriously.
How do you prepare for the unscored section?
The simple answer is: you don’t. While we refer to this section as ‘unscored section’ or ‘experimental section’, the section isn’t as important to students as it is for ETS. There is nothing additional you can do for this section since this is just an extra quant or extra verbal section.
Research Section
Just like the Experimental Section, there is another section that the GRE exam might consist of. It’s called the Research Section. It is an unscored Quant or Verbal section, but it is always marked and always appears at the end of the exam.
Why is it included?
Like the Experimental Section, the Research Section is a way for ETS to gauge the exam. It’s called ‘Research Section’, because it is used for research purposes, and hence it is unscored and optional.
Can you skip this section?
While the experimental section isn’t marked, you can’t skip it. However, the research section of GRE is optional and you can actually skip it. That’s all for today. Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments. If you have taken GRE, or are planning on taking it soon, do share your prep strategies with us in the comments below. Until next time!Have you also read: