The Computer Adaptive Test (CAT)
A few years ago, Educational Testing Service (E.T.S.) phased out the old paper-based versions of the GRE and GMAT and replaced them with computer-based versions. Instead of taking a three to four hour paper-based test with several Verbal and Quantitative sections per test, test takers now get only one crack at each section. Whether you take the GRE or GMAT, you get only one chance to prove your Verbal and Quantitative skills. If you take the GRE, 30 questions will determine your Verbal score and 28 questions will determine your Quantitative score—period. On the GMAT, you get 41 Verbal questions and 37 Quantitative questions to prove you belong in graduate business school. That leaves little room for error.
How can so few questions reliably indicate your Verbal and Quantitative abilities? Educational Testing Service’s answer to this question is the Computer Adaptive Test (CAT). A CAT is designed to determine your test taking abilities using fewer questions than paper-based tests. Essentially, a CAT bases your score on the number of questions you answer (correctly or incorrectly) and the difficulty level of each question.
In a CAT, your performance on each question determines how difficult the next question will be. The test always begins by assuming that you are an average test taker. No matter who you are, you begin each section of the GRE or GMAT with a question of average difficulty (in GRE and GMAT terms, this means a question worth a score of 500 points that about half of all test takers will answer correctly). If you get that first question right, then the test assumes that you are somewhat above average, and your score increases (to 580 points, to be exact). On the other hand, if you get that first question wrong, then the test assumes that you are somewhat below average, and your score decreases (to 420 points). Each time you get a question right, your score increases and the next question becomes slightly more difficult. When you get a question wrong, your score decreases and the next question becomes slightly easier.
As you progress throughout each section, your score goes up and down in this way as you answer questions correctly and incorrectly, until you finish the section. The difficulty level of the final question of each section equals your score. However, one important note of caution: if you fail to finish a section, there is a major penalty for every question left unanswered. Nothing will ruin your GRE or GMAT score more quickly than failing to finish a section.
An interesting quirk in the scoring system of the CAT is that questions at the beginning of a section count more toward your final score than questions at the end of each section, so it is important to work carefully on the first 10 to 15 questions of each section.
Seem complicated? It is. But don’t worry. Every inlingua GRE and GMAT instructor is an expert in the CAT and will make sure that you master the skills and strategies needed to take advantage of the structure and scoring system of the CAT to achieve your target score on test day.