SAT, GRE, GMAT; we have all heard all of these acronyms quite often. But not many know what is the purpose of all of these tests. I have so many Bnagladeshi students enrolling for totally wrong tests or buying all the wrong Saifur’s guides at the wrong time. This is only because of the scarcity of knowledge we have regarding these topics. Let’s delve into the realm of all these western standardised tests; why to take the tests, when to take them and most importantly, for whom these tests will suit the best?
But wait a minute; what is a standardised test?
Standardised test
Standardised tests are specially designed tests where the questions and interpretations are consistent. The questions of these tests are prepared by keeping a standard in mind. There is a specific pattern, mark distribution and time limit for each of these tests. These standards are the same for any students across the globe. A student attending SAT from the USA and someone from our country will face similar standard questions and those will be judged and marked in a constant manner as well.
In our country the secondary school certificate and the higher secondary school certificate exams are one kind of standardised tests, as these exams are setted based on a standard, it is graded and judged following the same manner. Any student from any place of Bangladesh can register and sit for these exams.
Since we now know what a standardised test is, let’s get into the main segment.
SAT
The former “Scholastic Aptitude Test”, which was later changed to “Scholastic Assessment Test”, then the “SAT I: Reasoning Test”, then the “SAT Reasoning Test”, is now simply called the SAT. This test is the most famous one among the international aspirants as most of us plan to continue their education in the three supreme western countries, the USA, the UK and Canada. The administration and conduction of the SAT test is done through the College Board and this is going on from the inception of the test.
The students who have completed high-school or according to our country’s HSC or A levels, are the perfect candidates to sit for the exams. So if someone is already committed to any undergrad programs at any university or college, they have no purpose taking this test.
GRE
You might be thinking, then what is the test needed for post graduation or other higher study applications? Well GRE would be the one which is required.
The graduate record examination (GRE) is another standardised exam which is used to measure a graduate student’s aptitude for abstract thinking in the areas of analytical writing, mathematics, and vocabulary. The GRE is commonly used by many graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada to determine an applicant’s eligibility for the program. And just like the definition of standardised test, GRE can also be taken by any aspiring student from any field. So those of you who want to pursue post graduation (master’s and doctorate) in the US or Canada can sit for the exams during your last years of undergrad (honour’s).
GMAT
Now we know that SAT is for those who are applying for undergraduate programmes and GRE is for applying for post graduation. A question might arise now, then why does the GMAT test even exist. The Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, is a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) to assess the analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English for use to get into graduate management programmes. So in an easy way, GMAT is the GRE for business students.
Now we know the key differences between all the standardised examinations which are required for applying to foreign studies. All these tests are for different students of different levels. As an aspirant wanting to study abroad, one needs to know these crucial differences as one test will not suit everyone.
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Writer :
Rifah Zakiah
Intern, Content Writing Department,
YSSE