Before you apply to Graduate School, find out what you need to know about popular (and often, required) grad school tests.

Grad school test: The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test
What it is: Similar to the SAT for high school students, the GRE General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking and analytical writing skills.
What it's used for: The GRE General Test provides graduate schools with a standard measure for comparing the qualifications of applicants. GRE scores may also be used to determine eligibility for merit-based grants and fellowships, as well as teaching and research assistantships.
Test format: The GRE General Test is a computer-adaptive test (CAT), meaning the computer actually adapts to your performance as you're taking the exam. Each right or wrong answer directly affects the next question the computer gives you. (If you opt to take the paper-based GRE General Test instead, your raw score will be converted to a scaled score to match those of computer-based test takers.)
Test tip: Never skip a question on the GRE General Test, since there is a penalty for every question you don't answer.
Test length: 2.5 hours (58 questions and 2 essays)
Test fee: $140
test prep: Download free grad school test prep software at www.ets.org.

Grad school tests: GRE Subject Tests
What they are: GRE Subject Tests gauge undergraduate achievement in 8 specific fields of study--biochemistry, cell and molecular biology; biology; chemistry; computer science; literature in English; mathematics; physics; and psychology.
What they're used for: GRE Subject Tests may be required for admission into a master's degree program.
Test format: Subject Tests are paper-based, and consist exclusively of multiple-choice questions.
Test tip: If you don't know it, skip it. Unanswered questions are not counted in the scoring, but you lose 1/4 point for each incorrectly answered question.
Test length: 2 hours, 50 minutes
Test fee: $130 for each GRE Subject Test
Test prep: Download free grad school test practice books at www.ets.org.

Grad school test: Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
What it is: The MAT is a mental ability test requiring the solution of problems stated as analogies.
What it's used for: MAT scores help graduate schools assess a candidate's analytical thinking skills; fluency in the English language; general knowledge of literature, history, science, mathematics, and fine arts; and ability to recognize relationships between ideas.
Test format: 120 partial analogies
Test tip: With just 30 seconds to complete each analogy, you'll need practice to build your test-taking skill and speed.
Test length: 60 minutes
Test fee: Approximately $70, varies by testing center
Test prep: Take a practice test for $23.99 at http://milleranalogies.com.

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