Mastering the Graduate Entrance Exams

Graduate school standardized tests are designed to test your general knowledge, skills and ability to communicate. Some exam will often also ask you for specialized knowledge pertaining to a field. Your score on the exam will often be a crucial component in the evaluation of your application. Testing is not the end-all and be-all of admission, but it can be a more important consideration at the graduate level than it was when you applied to your undergraduate program.

GRE Graduate Record Examination
www.gre.org
1-800-GRE-CALL

• Time: 3 hours
• Structure: Three sections—Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical Writing
• Scoring: Verbal and Quantitative are each scored on a 200-800 scale. The Analytical section is graded 0-6 in 1/2 point increments.
• Testing: Registration and testing can be done online. There is a basic word processing program built into the test for the writing section.

GMAT Graduate Management Admission Test
www.mba.com
1-866-505-6559

• Time: 3 1/2 hours
• Structure: Three sections—Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical Writing
• Scoring: Each of the three sections is scored on an individual basis; each score is then put into a 200-800 range.
• Testing: You can register and take the test online, including the writing section.

LSAT Law School Admission Test
www.lsac.org
1-215-968-1001

• Time: 3 1/2 hours—you may also see it listed in places as a half-day test because it has a lunch break built in.
• Structure: Six sections—Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning, Trial Section, Writing Sample.
• Scoring: The number of correct answers for each section is put on a scaled score 0—180. Your score is made up from four sections—not counting the writing sample and the trial section.
• Testing: Though you may register online, the LSAT is not given online. You must sit for this exam at a test center. Plan to take the exam by June or October of the year prior to the fall you wish to enter Law School.

MCAT Medical College Admission Test
www.aamc.org
1-202-828-0690

• Time: 5 hours 40 min.
• Structure: Four sections—Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Writing Sample.
• Scoring: You get a separate score for each section of the exam. The score is a scaled score 1—15 for each section. The school sees all scores and a “grade” for the writing sample.
• Testing: You can register and take all sections of the test online.