Computerized SAT's and GRE's

[Anne Hird <ANNEHD@DSL.RHILINET.GOV>]

I did not receive any responses to my question about test taking strategies
for computerized tests, but can now share my own experience. After having
taken the GRE's in this format, I would NOT recommend it. The questions
are aimed at the individual test taker's ability, based on the response to
the prior question. It is easy to become frustrated because each question
is intended to find the level at which you max out, and therefore all
questions are difficult for the test taker. You must also answer all questions
and you cannot go back to previous questions. The test-taking strategy of
leaving blank and returning to difficult problems does not work. Time is
also a major concern in the computerized test. Since you cannot return to
a question, it is difficult to determine when to give up and guess on any
given question.

The conditions at the test center were also less than ideal (poor lighting,
old computer monitors,etc.) and the test was not started until 90 minutes
after the scheduled time.

I would strongly urge students NOT to consider the computerized tests an
option and to plan their test dates accordingly. The only compelling reason
to take the test by computer is an application deadline. Until software is
available which actually simulates the computerized testing, students will
not be armed with adequate test-taking strategies for the CAT format. (There
are several versions of test prep on disk, but all that I have seen are
only the paper test on a disk, not the CAT version that the student will
encounter.)