Briefly speaking: Tests for grad school admission

Senior Amira Zaid knew the day would come when all her career dreams would hinge on one exam. The genetics major from Davis studied countless hours and sought advice from others who had already been through the ordeal -- the five-hour exam required to apply for medical school.

For students like Zaid, who have definite career paths in mind and admission exams for graduate or professional school along the way, thinking ahead is ideal, says Tammy Hoyer of Advising Services at UC Davis.

"Even with all the preparation, it was still a nerve-wracking experience," says Zaid, who took the test in April and will apply to medical schools in June. "This is the exam that makes or breaks your career."

Each graduate and some professional schools require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), while other professional schools use admission tests like the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and the Graduate Management Admission Test.

Hoyer, program director of pre-graduate and professional advising, encourages students to begin meeting with advisers as early as their sophomore year to determine which schools they may apply to and which tests they’ll need to take and when.

Four major exams

The GRE measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills. Subject tests, which assess undergraduate achievement in eight fields of study, may also be required.

Hoyer recommends that students planning for graduate school take the GRE the summer before their senior year so they don’t have to weave test preparation into an already busy fall quarter. The GRE is offered six days a week, year-round.

The MCAT is a multiple-choice exam that gauges problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills and knowledge of science needed to study medicine. Those heading to medical school may plan to take the MCAT as early as their junior year, but they should check with their adviser to be sure they have first completed specific courses. The MCAT is offered 25 times during the year.

The LSAT, required for admission to most law schools, uses multiple-choice questions to measure reading and verbal reasoning skills. Copies of a writing sample, which is not scored, are sent to law schools to which test-takers apply. The exam is administered in June, October, December and February.

The GMAT -- used by Master of Business Administration and other graduate management programs -- measures verbal, mathematical and analytical writing skills. Appointments are available six days a week.

Examination fees range from $117 for the LSAT to $250 for the GMAT.

Preparation is key

If students are still considering their career options, they should not rush into an admission test. "Be sure of your path first, and then take the appropriate test," Hoyer says.

But for any admissions test, Hoyer suggests that students study in advance. Pre-graduate and professional advisers can help students assess their test-taking strengths and weaknesses to advise them on how best to prepare. Students can buy a test preparation book, take a prep course and practice tests online.

"Don’t go in cold to the test; you don’t want to have to retake it if you get a poor score," Hoyer says. "Study once. Study right."