GRE.. pointless exam??

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 1, 2007

Most of those "pointless exams" you refer to are given for a purpose other than to test your familiarity with specific subjects. They are designed to test the way you think ... how your mind works to solve problems and/or discern answers. A good school is looking for the best thinkers, NOT for the people who have memorized specific content.

If the school wanted to know, "Who knows the most about physiology?" they would give a physiology test. But that's not what they want to know. For the school's purpose, a physiology test would be useless.

iLovemyJackRT · Aug 1, 2007

Hey JC, i'm going through the same thing. i started studying from the GRE for dummies book a few weeks ago....why the heck do I need to know analogies to be a nurse anesthetist.....anyway, My GPA isn't anything to brag about so I need to score really high on my GRE's....did you look into applying schools that don't require GRE"s if your GPA is above a 3.0 ? Mine is , but barely, so i'm countin on my gre's to get me into school !! I think if your gpa is low, they can really make you look better....

Brooke

shandsburnRN-CRNA · Aug 1, 2007

Just remember GPA and GRE are only part of the "package". Take me for example, my GPA..great, my GRE not so great. But I have good experience in a Level I ICU, certs in CPR, ACLS, PALS as well as instructor cert in ACLS, good references, dressed professionally for my interview, studied hard prior to interview to tackle the clinical side of the interview process (and did well), be confident and sell yourself to the interview committee...I was accepted.

I didn't like the GRE either, but its a tool the schools use to evaluate your thinking process and its required, so you'll just have to bite the bullet and get it done...I too used the GRE for Dummies book, it helped me the most.....Good Luck.

elkpark · Aug 1, 2007

In the first place, count your lucky stars that there isn't a specialty GRE for nursing! There are specialty exams for a lot of others subjects, and I have several friends who had to take (and do well on!) not only the general GRE but also a separate, specialty exam in psychology (because that was their field), and I've heard that the specialty exams are real killers.

In the second place, re: "pointless" questions, the point of the GRE is to measure how well prepared/equipped you are, in general, to do graduate level coursework, so, as another poster pointed out, the point is to measure not how much you know about a specific topic, but to measure your general fund of knowledge and how well your brain works.

cvicu80 · Aug 1, 2007

hey Brooke,

do you know all of the schools who dont take GRE's for crna????let me know if you have a list of schools!! thanks alot!! I'm glad you agree with my statement! good luck!

JUSTIN

japaho41 · Aug 1, 2007

A few years back I knew someone that applied to three schools that didn't require the GRE. The schools were in Kansas, Minnesota & Connecticut. I am not sure if these requirements have changed.

shandsburnRN-CRNA · Aug 2, 2007

I have also heard, don't know for certain, that Michigan schools do not require the GRE for CRNA school.

Asherah, BSN, RN · Aug 3, 2007

You may view the exam as pointless and irrelevant, but clearly if there are potential schools that you would like to have a chance to be admitted to, you should consider it to be very relevant.

Sometimes, you need to submit to the often silly rules and play the game...and in this case, graduate schools and CRNA programs require the GRE. I'm taking it in October for the first (and hopefully, only) time.

In the long run, putting in a month (or less) of effort to bone up on the testing criteria may positively supplement your future applications. I would not exclude programs just because you would rather not put forth the effort to take one standardized test. Considering the fact that CRNA programs are ultra competitive, wouldn't you rather cast a wider net?

sg930 · Aug 3, 2007

Is the GRE similar to the SAT or ACT?

jen123321 · Aug 3, 2007

To all of you that don't know...after october the GRE is completely changing. The test will be much longer and will not be computer adaptive...will be less user friendly and reviews say that it will be harder b/c for most question there will not be a choice- you will be manually entering an answer. I don't believe ETS is scoring these ?'s at first, but it still makes for a pain in the butt. Hurry up and take the test before 11/1/07!!!

starae · Aug 4, 2007

pointless and irrelevant material covered on this exam..
I agree with you that is material may seem pointless and irrelevant, but I caution you against viewing the test that way. You need to take this test very seriously, and if you are approaching it with a negative attitude you may not do as well.
On the other hand, I think it is good to have another way of seperating the many applicants who are all in competition for CRNA school. I don't know about you, but I found nursing school and undergrad sciences to be easy. If I could do really well in them, then so could many other people and many applicants would look the same. However, the GRE made me study something completely new to me that I was not interested in. After getting a solid grade on the exam I was proud of myself for being able to stand up to that challenge. It gave me a lot of confidence that I could do well on something that far outside of my normal element. Instead of looking at it as a pointless waste of time, look at is as an opportunity to prove your academic capabilities.
It may not be a perfect way to look at applicants, but for many schools it is a tool they use. You can use it as a way to set yourself apart from other applicants, and for some it may be an opportunity to compensate for a lesser GPA.
Good luck!