Many graduate school aspirants are signing up for GRE at-home amidst the ongoing Covid outbreak. Early last year, ETS announced their home-based GRE test to combat the test center shut-down worldwide. The at-home GRE service has allowed millions of students worldwide to take the GRE in the safety of their homes. The response has been so positive that ETS has announced that the test’s home version is here to stay indefinitely.
In the beginning, there was a lot of speculation about the differences between the two tests. However, the only significant difference between the two tests is the way they are delivered. Concerning the contents and format of the test, everything is the same as the regular test.
Is GRE at-home harder or easier than the regular test?
On paper, there is no distinction between the two tests. They both have the same format, the same structure, the same duration, and the same difficulty. If the home-based test is indeed more challenging, ETS would be legally obliged to disclose that information. I see no reason why the two tests will carry different difficulty levels. They are both GRE tests, and they cover the same topics.
However, I will admit that some students have expressed that the quant section on their home GRE was a lot harder than the regular test. You will find multiple posts and comments on r/GRE, where people are convinced that GRE at-home is more challenging.
The problem with this sentiment is that
- It is not an objective assessment, and
- there is no probable rationale for ETS to do something like this.
However, I understand why some students who have taken both the tests feel that at-home is tougher. If you go through such posts, there is a commonality amongst them. The students who found the at-home test more difficult also received three quant sections.
In GRE, there are a total of six sections. Two are verbal, two are quant, one is AWA, and one is an experimental section.
The AWA section always comes at the very beginning of the test. The other sections are randomized. You may get either a verbal or a quant section after AWA. Moreover, the experiment section is also random and can either be verbal or quantitative.
Experimental sections don’t count towards your total score and are only meant to test new questions’ difficulty. GRE is available globally year-round, and ETS needs a lot of material to keep the questions fresh. ETS doesn’t just make further questions and then add them to the test. Instead, they test them out first through the experimental section.
The catch here is that the test-taker has no indication of which section is the experimental one. If you get unlucky and get an additional experimental quant section, then you are bound to have a tough time. Moreover, the experimental section is likely to have stricter questions since that’s the whole point. ETS needs the data, such as the time you spent answering a question to assess the difficulty.
Hence, I think that the people who found the at-home GRE more challenging had the bad luck of getting an experimental quant section. This can also happen on the regular test.
Moreover, I don’t see why ETS would intentionally make the at-home test harder. I don’t think a company like that would risk its reputation. They have stated multiple times on their website and updates that the two tests are identical. There might even be grounds for litigation if that was found to be untrue.
What has ETS Said About it?
ETS has explicitly stated in multiple updates that the at-home GRE test is identical to the regular test. For example, in an update dated Nov 2, 2020, ETS said,
“7 months ago, we proudly announced that we had quickly introduced a solution for students who COVID-19 had impacted to take the TOEFL iBT test and the GRE General Test at home until in-person testing could resume. The tests have the same content, format, on-screen experience, and scoring as the test center’s tests. And thanks to artificial intelligence and remote proctoring, institutions can feel assured that the tests are administered securely and that the scores are reliable.”
Moreover, under frequently asked questions, in response to, “How does the GRE General Test at home compare to the regular testing option?” ETS says,
“The GRE General Test taken at home is the same valid and reliable GRE General Test you know and trust. The test is identical in content, format, on-screen experience, and scoring to the test given at a test center. Students can prepare for the test using the same prep materials. Only the delivery method has changed.”
So there you have it, ETS has stated multiple times that the two tests are identical in all regards. Hence, any perceived change between the two tests’ difficulty levels is purely speculative, in my opinion.
So please don’t fret about it anymore and register for the test. The home-based test is a convenient and safe option and if you meet the requirements, go for it. However, if you are still convinced that the regular test is easier than register for that. It doesn’t make any difference as long as you can find a seat in time for your admission deadline.