How to Assess GMAT Skills

Is the GRE adaptive? is one of the main queries that GRE candidates have on how their scores will be determined.

Yes, in a nutshell, but many test takers aren't fully aware of what the GRE adaptive testing comprises. In order to better understand computer-adaptive testing as it relates to the GRE, we'll look at which exam portions are adaptable, how adaptive testing influences the difficulty level of the questions you encounter, and more.

How Is the GRE Exam Adaptive?

As already stated, the GRE uses computer-adaptive testing. However, the GRE is different from other computer-adaptive tests you may know, in that it adapts at the section level. A test such as the GMAT, on the other hand, adapts at the question level.

Section-adaptive testing means that your performance on the first section of a particular kind determines the difficulty of the second section of that kind. So, the difficulty adapts from one section to the next, rather than one question to the next within a section.

Which Test Sections Are Adaptive?

Before we get into exactly how section-adaptive testing works, we should note that on the GRE, only the two, scored math sections and two, scored verbal sections are adaptive. The experimental/research section, which can be either a third math or third verbal section, is not adaptive, since it is not factored into your score. Likewise, the Analytical Writing section is not adaptive, as it needs to be scored by a human after your exam. So, your performance on the first Analytical Writing task will not have been assessed before you see the second task. Thus, your performance on the first task cannot affect the difficulty level of the second task.

So, when we talk about computer adaptive testing on the GRE, we are just talking about the sections whose scores you add together to get your total score (quant and verbal).

How Does Section-Adaptive Testing Work?

The first thing to know about the section-adaptive nature of the GRE is that there is no “cross-pollination.” In other words, your performance in quant does not affect the difficulty level of the verbal sections, or vice versa. So, while quant and verbal are both adaptive, they are “siloed.” Quant performance affects quant difficulty only, and verbal performance affects verbal difficulty only. Specifically, your performance on the first scored quant section determines the difficulty of the second scored quant section. Likewise, your performance on the first scored verbal section determines the difficulty of the second scored verbal section.

Remember, because the GRE follows this section-adaptive format, the difficulty level of each question you see within a section does not change based on your performance on previous questions in that section. Computer-adaptive testing at the question level is used on the GMAT and the EA, not on the GRE.

How and When Does Question Difficulty Change?

To ensure a level playing field for all test-takers, the first quant and first verbal sections you see on any GRE will contain questions that are medium-level overall. The number of questions you answer correctly in each of those sections will determine whether the second section of the same type is harder or easier than the first section, or about the same. For example, say that in quant section 1, you answer 18 out of 20 questions correctly. Given that high accuracy rate, the 20 questions you see in quant section 2 will be mostly harder than the questions you saw in quant section 1. (As a result, they will also be worth more points overall than the section 1 questions.)

On the other hand, say you answer 7 out of 20 questions correctly in quant section 1. In that case, the questions you see in quant section 2 will be mostly easier (and worth fewer points overall) than those in section 1. Alternatively, say you correctly answer 12 out of 20 questions in section 1. In that case, the section 2 questions should be about the same difficulty overall (medium) as the section 1 questions.

Now, these are just a few examples. Moreover, it’s important to note that there is conflicting information out there in the wilds of the internet about exactly how many correct/incorrect questions in a section will lead to an easy, medium, or hard section 2. Furthermore, seeing a “hard” or “easy” section 2 does not mean that every question in that section will be a backbreaker or a breeze, respectively. Let’s discuss.

Section-Adaptive Testing Takes a Holistic View

The GRE takes a holistic view of your performance in a section. So, your overall accuracy in a section determines the overall difficulty level of the next corresponding section. The word “overall” is important here. Remember, the GRE sets difficulty at the section level, not the question level. So, getting a “hard” second section does not necessarily mean seeing hard-level questions exclusively, or the hardest GRE questions out there. More precisely, it simply means seeing questions that are, in general, harder than those you saw in the first section.

Thus, depending on your section 1 performance, you could see a mix of medium and hard-level questions in section 2. Overall, that mix would still be “harder” than section 1. Likewise, an “easy” section doesn’t necessarily mean easy-level questions exclusively. Similarly, a medium-level section 2 would have a mix of medium, hard, and easy-level questions, for instance, and still be “medium” overall.

Thus, it’s best to think of GRE section difficulty as an average, rather than a fixed level that applies to individual questions within a section. Your accuracy in answering questions determines how much harder or easier the questions in the next corresponding section are. However, that overall difficulty level does not indicate that the difficulty level of individual questions in the section is uniform.

The Difficulty Level of Specific Question Types

Let’s say that you correctly answer 16 out 20 questions in quant section 1. So, quant section 2 is, overall, “hard.” However, 2 of the 4 questions you got wrong in section 1 were on rates. Can you expect, then, that even though section 2 is harder overall, any rates questions you see in that section will not be harder? Unfortunately, not.

Although a “harder” section overall can be made up of, say, a mix of medium and hard questions, in selecting the questions for the section, the GRE does not look at your performance on specific topics. So, even if you got the rates questions you saw in section 1 wrong, if you’re moving on to a harder section 2, it could be the luck of the draw that you see hard-level rates questions in that section. Remember, in setting the overall difficulty of a second quant or verbal section, the GRE looks at the number of questions you got wrong in the first corresponding section, not the specific types of questions.

How Will Section-Adaptive Testing Affect My Score?

A key aspect of GRE adaptive scoring is that it takes difficulty level into account. So, correctly answering hard questions boosts your score more than correctly answering easy questions does. Of course, the only way you’ll have a chance to see those harder, more score-enhancing questions is by correctly answering enough of the comparatively easier questions in the first quant and verbal sections presented.

Thus, we could say that achieving high accuracy on the first scored verbal and math sections is a bit more important than achieving high accuracy on the second sections. After all, if your accuracy is low on the first sections, the second sections will contain easier questions. As a result, your score potential will effectively be “capped.” On the other hand, if your accuracy is high on the first sections, you’ll see hard questions in the second sections. Thus, you’ll have a much greater opportunity to boost your score.

For example, say test-taker A and test-taker B both got 16 out of 20 questions correct on their second verbal sections. However, test-taker A’s second section was hard because she performed well in the first section. Test-taker B’s second section was relatively easy because she did not perform so well in section 1.

Both test-takers got the same raw number of questions correct in section 2. However, because GRE scoring takes difficulty level into account, test-taker A will get more credit for the second section than test-taker B.

Don’t Neglect the Second Section

Although performing well in the first quant/verbal section is of primary importance because it “unlocks” the potential to earn a top score, it’s up to us to harness that potential. In other words, to earn that top score, we still have to be able to correctly answer a good number of those harder questions. So, at the end of the day, your goal in the first and second sections of a particular type should be basically the same: get as many questions correct as possible!

Why Is the GRE Section-Adaptive?

The GRE is section adaptive because being section-adaptive enables the GRE to accurately assess test-taker’s skills using fewer questions than it would need if it were not adaptive. Here’s how that works.

Test-takers who are less skilled won’t likely be able to get hard questions correct. So, presenting these test-takers with many hard questions would not serve any purpose. However, if a test is not adaptive, it will have to present all test-takers with the same number of hard questions. Similarly, presenting highly skilled test takers with many easy questions would not serve any purpose. They would just get all the easy questions correct without indicating much about how skilled they are However, if a test is not adaptive, it will have to present all test-takers with the same number of easy questions.

On the other hand, if a test is adaptive, once it has an indication of a test-takers skill level, it can present the test-taker only with questions that fit that skill level. So, if the test-taker is less skilled, the test can use easier questions to determine exactly how skilled that test-taker is. Similarly, if a test-taker is highly skilled, the test can use harder questions to assess exactly that test-taker’s skills. In both cases, the test-takers won’t have to see lots of questions that don’t provide new information about their skills. So, the GRE is section-adaptive to save test-takers time and trouble by presenting them with questions appropriate for testing their skills.