I do not aGRE

Dear Sir/Ma’am,
Apropos to the mandatory requirement of GRE scores as an application requisite, I entreat you to (re)consider its mettle (and to most test takers, nettle) as an index of competency. I have, as my sole source and reference, my own personal journey.

The General Record Examination conducted and instituted by ETS is an examination that serves to provide proof of mental competency in terms of analytical and problem-solving abilities, as well as mental acuity and recall. These are tested in the verbal, quantitative, and writing sections, all of which call upon the aforementioned capabilities. However, there is a third important skill, that is constantly reiterated in all preparatory materials: test taking.

Most of the materials, including that provided by ETS itself has a section devoted to the function, format, scoring of the examination, as well as general strategies to approach preparation and test-taking . I learned why GRE scores were important in determining successful candidature and how they came into play often as a tie-breaking measure. It took little rhetoric to convince me of the legitimacy and urgency of such an exam; one that demonstrates impeccable quality, egalitarianism, fairness, and value.

The GRE is a very smart testing device and I would gladly submit myself to its rigorous scrutiny, but for one thing. I am not a test taker. Let me explain.
I took a deep breath and plunged into the morass of material expecting to be met with predatory attacks. Nothing happened. The introductory chapters seemed warm and reassuring. The math seemed quite catholic, surprisingly, and the verbal almost insouciant. The analytical section, well, just too deep. Now, I’ve fought many a battle with math but it was here that I realized its one true gift- its finality and the binary quality of its answers – right or wrong, no shades of gray. Verbal, on the other hand, my most trusted companion, played quisling. I was warned that there were really no right answers and only some wrong answers. So really, all I had to do was decide what the most likely answer was. Closeness of fit is a good strategy but only when subjectivity doesn’t create play between the answer and the choices. So sometimes the answer is wrong even though the fit is right. So someone with exceptionally fine luck or someone who is more inclined to suck it up and agree with the computer becomes a better candidate for your course. It is but a minor injustice but a significant one for the more deserving among us.

To top it all, the test lasts four hours, which makes it seem rather more like a test of stamina (mental endurance if you like) than a test of relevant analytical prowess. In this respect, it is self defeating in that it assumes one need possess both in order to excel, which in reality is seldom true. So, while I have been doing my mental push-ups and running my cerebral obstacle courses, I fear I just won’t fire on D-Day.

I realize this perspective is entirely personal and therefore astigmatic. However, I am aroused by my futility, to question the system that I have so far been wont to conform to. I am not a ‘test-taker’ and I find it tragically ironic that my aptitude rests critically on an ability that I believe I will need the least to achieve excellence.

I offer this plea, therefore, as my collateral in this potentially calamitous venture I am about to embark on.

Thank you for your patience.

Sincerely,

Swathi Gopalakrishnan