GRE China - anyone taken it?

[Laska]

Are any foreign nationals out there planning on taking the GRE in China? Or have you already taken it?

If so, I be really interested in comparing notes and sharing experiences with you.

[niubi]

i am thinking about taking the gre this autumn in the prc, but haven't registered or begun preparing for the exam itself yet.

[pandaxiongmao]

I've taken the GRE in Kunming. The registration people at www.51test.com are completely incompetent (especially on the phone - both in Chinese and English), but the test itself was very well run. I did not notice any cheating, in sharp contrast with the HSK.

However, you might want to take the test outside of China if you plan to travel at all. That way you can avoid the boneheaded split-test design that has been imposed upon test takers in mainland China.

[billybot]

However, you might want to take the test outside of China if you plan to travel at all. That way you can avoid the boneheaded split-test design that has been imposed upon test takers in mainland China.

What exactly is the split-design?

[pandaxiongmao]

The split test means you do the analytical writing portion on the computer first. If you don't cancel that score, you can then take the verbal and quantitative sections on paper the next time it is offered (over a month after the analytical writing appointment). There is no option in China to do it all on the computer.

The computerized test takes less time in terms of actual test time. You can also get your scores right away.

For the privlege of taking the split test, you have to wait much longer for your scores. You also have to pay more money. You can only pay by money order (unlike every other place that allows credit cards).

ETS will send some software to practice for the exam. But this being China, the software arrived several weeks after I did the verbal and quantitative sections on paper. I registered for the test nearly 3 months early. I think the software is geared toward test-takers that take the computerized exam (though I never bothered to try out the software when it arrived).

[billybot]

or the privlege of taking the split test, you have to wait much longer for your scores. You also have to pay more money.

How long did it take to have your scores reported/sent to you?

Wow, I thought it might be more difficult than just walking into a test center in China and taking the test, but man, that sounds like a real deterrent to taking the test here. I may bump up my test date by a month or so, so I can take it in the states this summer.

When and where did you take it?

[billybot]

Just ran across this article while getting info for the test. It seems as though it could get much more convienient soon. Although the article says that only the TOEFL Internet based test would be launched this August, with the GRE Internet based soon following hopefully.

[Laska]

Thanks for everyone's replies. I hadn't seen them earlier.

I'm now signed up for the GRE in China--taking the computer part in September and the written part in October. I signed up completely online. It was pretty convenient, and the customer service was good, but they weren't used to dealing with foreigners.

An advantage to the split test: Each part is shorter, so you won't feel so tired after the test. :-)

[centurion]

currently i'm studying mandarin at zhongshan university ( Guangzhou )

is it possible to take toefl test in guangzhou?

i want to submit my application to australian university for january intake , so i need to take toefl test as soon as possible

i will appreciated any clue or suggestion

thanks in advanced

[pandaxiongmao]

No no no... the Split Test is longer. There were more questions on the math section than there would have been if I took a computerized version of the test.

It is good to hear that customer service has improved, but when I took it, I had to go to the post office to pay money. So it couldn't have been completely online for you...

[Laska]

Centurion--ETS directs Chinese TOEFL takers to this website http://www.neea.edu.cn/

Apparently "NEEA" is the administrator for TOEFL in China

pandaxiongmao--You really prefer the computer test? I like old-fashioned paper tests where I can control which questions I do and which questions I skip. I'll first skip any math questions that I don't understand how to solve immediately. The feeling of control raises my score. The fact that you don't have to write essays first on the day of the verbal and math test can only decrease the stress, especially for me because I get stressed out about writing timed issue essays.

I read that ETS is going back to a paper-based test when the change the GRE format next year. But the new GRE containes, apparently, logical reasoning games similar to the LSAT, which I don't like at all. The vocabulary-heavy approach is just right for me.

[gato]

I read that ETS is going back to a paper-based test when the change the GRE format next year. But the new GRE containes, apparently, logical reasoning games similar to the LSAT, which I don't like at all. The vocabulary-heavy approach is just right for me.

According to the ETS FAQ, the new GRE (scheduled for 2007) is going to be computer-based. The logic games were replaced by the analytical writing section in the last round on the revisions. I don't think they are coming back.

See http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=c04fec3c1f0b8010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=53e65da22af66010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD

[Laska]

Thanks. I must have read that the new test is going to be "linear" and assumed it was paper-based. It's the adaptive computer tests that I don't like. But reading about the new verbal section, I see now that I am mistaken about the logic games. More reading sounds just fine. All those analogies and antonyms are annoying. Anyhow, I should take the test early and get it over with. I don't want to be stressing about the GRE while I'm filling out aps. And I don't want to be a guinea pig for the new test... something weird could happen and grad schools wouldn't know how to interpret it right away...

There's actually been some psychological tests done that demonstrate Americans generally do better on tasks when they have at least the illusion of control over the task environment. Maybe that's why ETS changed back to a linear format. Interestingly, there is work that suggests East Asians may not be suscetible to this effect.

[pandaxiongmao]

I really do prefer computerized tests. I tend to do better on them, perhaps because of the pressure of not knowing what will come up next. It keeps me on task.

I must be your polar opposite. I also like the logic games like on the LSAT. That was the only test I found challenging because of question difficulty and not just because of time pressure.

In any case, one can hope the GRE will eventually go the way of the SAT－ not regarded as particularly important for admission.

[kdavid]

The last activity on this thread was way back in September 2006. Has anyone taken the GRE in China since then? Has anyone taken it within the last year?

I'm planning on taking the GRE next year, and was curious if the split test is still the only option available, or if it is all done on computer.

Recent experiences, anyone?

[Sarpedon]

I took it in Korea in October 2008, and Korea has the same restrictions as China did (and probably still does.)

I had to take the split test. I went to the writing center one day, and to a different location on another day to take the written test. It took two months to get my scores.

Make sure if they tell you to put your passport number on your analytical writing portion that you ignore them and put your social security number (if you're an American.) I listened to them and then my passport number showed up on the scores in place of my SSN. I had to jump through hoops to get that corrected with ETS.

Anyway I was accepted at my choice university and am in the middle of earning my MS now.

[BrandeX]

I have been wondering, can you take the GRE subject tests here as well (psych, comp sci, etc.)? Or just the general GRE exam?

[Wilberma]

I planed to take that , but I heard U need at ;least ten thousands vovabulary` it is tough

[naturegirl]

Has any foreigner taken the test in china, preferably beijing, this october?

Then you must have heard about the cancelation of the scores because of ETS's brain-damaged mistake to

erroneously use the same questions as in 2005. If I can find some others in a similar situation that would be great!