Major GRE changes at the end of 2023

Key points㊙️㊙️㊙️:

• Writing: Argument / Issue → Issue only

• Verbal/Quantitative 40 → 27 questions

• No more break or extra (unscored) section

• The whole test is done within two hours

My analysis

Pros ✅

• As long as validity isn't affected, it's easier to stay focused and perform well in a 2-hour test than in a 4-hour one

• Same question types, less content, so no need to change how you prepare

• At-home testing is still available

• Scoring stays the same

Cons ❌

• Less room for error: before, it was basically one point per question; now one wrong answer may cost you 2-3 points (based on what score range you're in)

• Scoring high on AW gets harder, and Issue was already a weak spot for Taiwanese students

• New and old score reports look the same, and there's no policy change for at-home testing (when are they going to go after cheating in China???)

I'm actually pretty in favor of the new format, lol. Last time I took the old version I went 309 → 319 → 318 and was about to lose it mentally, so I'm just waiting for the new format to take another shot!