ETS moves to eliminate paper and pencil version of GRE

Students planning to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) may be surprised to learn that the February 1995 administration has been removed this year as a first step towards phasing out the paper and pencil version entirely by 1997. According to Jose Ferreira, Director of GRE Programs for Kaplan Educational Centers, the nation's largest test preparation organization, students who wish to avoid the computerized GRE must take the exam on December 10th, if they plan to meet winter application deadlines.

"The computerized GRE does offer some benefits. Students have a wider choice of test dates and can get their scores immediately," explained Mr. Ferreira. "But the computerized format doesn't enable students to change answers or mark up problems in their test booklets. Many students find this format intimidating and are simply more comfortable with a paper and pencil test."

The GRE is the first major exam of its kind to shift to a computerized format, and will likely serve as a paradigm for other standardized tests such as the SAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

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