The Computer Adaptive Test (CAT)

Several years ago, Educational Testing Service (ETS) 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, 40 questions will determine your Verbal score and 40 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.

GRE

In this CAT,the test is section-level adaptive rather than question-level adaptive like the GMAT. This means that the computer will select the difficulty level of the second timed section based on your performance on the first timed section. Each section has a variety of question formats and response requirements such as select one multiple choice, select one or more multiple choice, select-in-passage, and numeric entry. All questions are weighted equally, and partial credit is not awarded on select one or more questions.Your raw score on the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections will be determined by the number of questions you answer correctly in each section, and nothing is subtracted from your score for incorrect responses. This raw score for each measure will be converted to a scaled score.

An interesting quirk in the scoring system of this CAT is that, within each separately timed section,the GRE revised General Test allows the test taker to respond to questions in any order as well as review and possibly adjust the response(s) to questions that have already been answered. Therefore, it is in your best interest to work carefully on those questions which you are more comfortable with first before moving on to those you find more difficult.

Seem complicated? It is. But don’t worry. Every inlingua GRE 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.

GMAT

In this 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 GMAT with a question of average difficulty (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 GMAT score more quickly than failing to finish a section.

An interesting quirk in the scoring system of this 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 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.