CS subject GRE on Nov 8, 2008 - my date with destiny

[schrilax]

hi,

i am going for the CS subject GRE to be held on Nov 8, 2008.

here below i am providing a response to my query.

 

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Thank you for contacting the GRE Program.

 

Dear XXX,

 

Regarding your inquiry:

 

Paper-based GRE® Subject Test administrations are offered at test centers worldwide. The test dates for the 2008-09 testing year are listed below. For an updated list of test centers, see the Test Center and Institution Code Lists on the GRE website at www.ets.org/gre/stupubs.html.

 

• October 18, 2008

• November 8, 2008

• April 4, 2009

 

You can register for a paper based Subject Test online or by mail (see below) beginning July 2008. Register early to get your preferred test date and to receive your test preparation material in time to prepare for the test.

 

Web:

• www.ets.org/gre/grereg.html

• Credit card required (American Express®, Discover®, JCB®, MasterCard®, or VISA®)

• Online registration is not available to examinees testing in Nigeria

 

Mail:

• Credit card/money order/certified check

• Download and complete the paper-based registration form found on the GRE website at www.ets.org/gre/stupubs.html. The registration form can also be found in the center of the GRE Information and Registration Bulletin.

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• Late registration is available for online registration only for a fee of $25. Late registration closes one week after the regular registration deadline.

• Allow four weeks for processing.

 

Registration forms cannot be faxed.

 

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-----Original Message-----

 

 

From:

Sent: 25 Jun 08 08:14:45

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Cc:

Subject: Registration

 

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by

() on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 08:14:43

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ref_web_page: Contacting the GRE ® Program

 

email2:

 

message: Hi Sir/Madam,

I would like to register for the GRE Subject Test for Computer Science but I am unable to do so. I am a resident of India and am applying for MS in Fall 2009.

Could anyone help me out with location related information of test centers and date related information about the test with respect to India and how can i register for the same?

Hoping for a quick response.

 

Warm Regards,

XXX

 

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name_last:

 

country: India

 

bdate:

 

sex:

 

submit: Send this e-mail to GRE

 

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I found this of course to be incorrect and that the CS subject GRE takes place in India only on Nov 8 at the following centers:

 

Bangalore

Coimbatore

Kolkata

Mumbai

New Delhi

Pilani

Ranchi

Trivandrum

 

courtesy page 13 of list

 

my dilemma was of course whether to go for the Oct or Nov date, an ambiguity created due to that response.

 

that ambiguity removed after verification, it brings another one.

what do i write to the univs when i apply to them in oct nov?

i want to report my CS subject GRE score to the univs if and only if i get a good one.

any help here.

[schrilax]

regarding preparations.

i have already started mine.

waiting for registration lines to open in july(as mentioned in the response) when i can apply.

 

following these so far.

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gre-computer-science/62746-advice-needed-gre-cs-prep-test-april-14-2007-a.html#post411230

 

an honest estimate with respect to me would be:

Software Engg - dont like it, got the pressman ebook. will do the necessary or course.

Networking - not my strongest point. but did well in my bachelors.

Algorithms/Data Structures - my strong point. my line of interest in my MS pursuit in Fall 09.

OOPS - been programming close to 3 years in C/C++.

Theory of Computation - part of theoretical CS. my line of interest.

Compilers - fair.

OS - again not my strongest point. but good.

Discrete Maths - pretty good. love maths.

 

i have started focusing on those stuff suggested by CalmLogic.

i wanted to know how far in depth should i go into.

actually i wanted to know the strategy how to go about my preparations basically.

problems? the sources for them?

wanted to work on problems which are really what are asked in subject GRE.

is the subject GRE known to throw surprises?

how can one be prepared for them?

 

could anyone provide me with some help?

 

warm regards,

schrilax

[CalmLogic]

Thanks for the info about online registration starting in July.

 

Just to reiterate the advice that has been given before:

 

Basically, you want to take all the exams in the old ETS booklets at the Yahoo GRECS group as a way to see which areas you are weak in as far as the old GRECS exams are concerned. Since new topics/questions from each area of the syllabus are added each year, you also want to tackle the problems in the Titanium Bits study guide, learning as much as you can from the explanations for each problem, keeping in mind that some problems are more relevant than others and some problems are not relevant at all, e.g. the Titanium Bits study guide was written when linear algebra was on the GRECS syllabus, which is no longer the case. Also, review again the advice mentioned here:

 

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gre-computer-science/91313-how-i-prepared-cs-gre.html

 

This study guide from 2004 can also be helpful but can give a very false sense of security, e.g. it only covers a subset of the possible topics (which is the same problem with Titanium Bits and the old exams in the ETS booklets), and doesn't provide any practice:

 

http://www.geocities.com/gre_computer_science/gre-notes.pdf (also in my signature)

 

After you solve all the problems in the ETS booklets and most of the problems in Titanium Bits, then it is more questionable what are the best sources of CS practice problems, and there is certainly an unlimited suppy of CS problems and solutions on the Internet, e.g. on course websites. But is clear that solving CS problems each day is the most important thing. And, as additional motivation, remember that studying for the GRECS will make your graduate school experience less stressful since you will know more going in.

UPDATE: added/corrected links above

[schrilax]

my dilemma was of course whether to go for the Oct or Nov date, an ambiguity created due to that response.

that ambiguity removed after verification, it brings another one.

what do i write to the univs when i apply to them in oct nov?

i want to report my CS subject GRE score to the univs if and only if i get a good one.

any help here.

could anyone answer this point?

what do write to the univs about the subject GRE?

 

 

 

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gre-compu...tml#post411230 (Advice needed for GRE CS prep - Test on April 14 , 2007)

[incidentally: I received my score mailing. I got 62 questions right and 8 wrong, for a raw score of 60. I am impressed that 4-5% of the test takers are doing better than that. Gives me hope for the future.]

excellent link. loved the points which he makes here. gave me an overall picture of how it really is and how the raw score translates to a percentile.

 

sir calmlogic can we take this conversion as appropriate?

 

again the links provided by calmlogic are really really good. very useful.

started going through them. :tup:

 

is the subject GRE known to throw surprises?

how can one be prepared for them?

need to clear this point.

apart from the section and material suggested in http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gre-computer-science/62746-advice-needed-gre-cs-prep-test-april-14-2007-a.html#post411230

 

do we need to do anything extra?

 

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gre-computer-science/78897-post-agre-3.html#post516968

I'm not very happy with the question selectors of Nov 3 CS AGRE. Here r d reasons:(1) There were 2 questions on Java. I feel ETS should avoid language specific questions. It could be based on OOP of course.(2) 1 question from Networking resembles that of yr 2003's question? It seems there are scarcity of questions!!!(3) 1 question (on Tree traversal) resembles that of yr 2003.(4) Too many questions on graph theory or basic graph algorithms, and on Discrete Mathematics. But so far I remember, there were no question on DP, Greedy, Sorting, Hashing, Balanced binary trees (AVL, Red-Black, B-Tree). (5) No question (except buddy system) from COMPILER or NP-completeness! Not many question on Digital Logic Design. That was not fair!!! So my view is, emphasis on AGRE should be lifted by admission authority. Rather GPA, publications, research/software projects should be emphasized for an admission!

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gre-computer-science/78897-post-agre-3.html#post516993

endlessdream ---> thats why AGRE is not required but recommended.......see the test is very unpredictable......its a tough 1 n few manage to score well....so its basically serves as an additional pt. for those who do not hav a reseach background(guys like me).......so if we manage to score well on it we surely can hope of getting in top 20 which otherwise(no GRE n NO research exp.) we cannot........so if u hav. coupla papers n internships..u dont really req. to give this exam......thats what i feel.....

unpredictability.

very critical point.

any particular trend noticed sire?

i know we are expected to be perfect know all's but any pointers/suggestions would be really helpful.

 

 

After you solve all the problems in the ETS booklets and most of the problems in Titanium Bits, then it is more questionable what are the best sources of CS practice problems.

what does one do after this? :hmm:

 

 

 

an honest estimate with respect to me would be:

Software Engg - dont like it, got the pressman ebook. will do the necessary or course.

Networking - not my strongest point. but did well in my bachelors.

Algorithms/Data Structures - my strong point. my line of interest in my MS pursuit in Fall 09.

OOPS - been programming close to 3 years in C/C++.

Theory of Computation - part of theoretical CS. my line of interest.

Compilers - fair.

OS - again not my strongest point. but good.

Discrete Maths - pretty good. love maths.

any suggestions?

 

 

are the number of applicants for the subject GRE reducing year by year. what might be the reason?

does it mean our scores will now carry less significance? chances of scores becoming more skewed?

 

 

i am aiming for the top. i really hope to make it.

 

warm regards,

schrilax

[CalmLogic]

could anyone answer this point?

what do write to the univs about the subject GRE?

 

My recommendation is to do one of the following:

 

1. Tell them you are planning on taking it in November but are not sure.

2. Don't mention anything until you get your score.

 

(The scores will be available by phone probably starting on the morning of Saturday, December 6th. Scores by phone require a $12 fee by credit card.)

 

unpredictability.

very critical point.

 

Exactly. You can't outsmart the GRECS. It will outsmart you :) The important thing is to build up a strong foundation, e.g. knowing everything covered in the old ETS exams, and then expand your study from there.

 

are the number of applicants for the subject GRE reducing year by year. what might be the reason?

does it mean our scores will now carry less significance? chances of scores becoming more skewed?

 

Even if less people are taking the exam than 3-4 years ago, that doesn't seem to be any problem at all. In fact, according to recent comments at Edulix about the Fall 2008 admissions, taking the GRECS can help anyone, even those with an already great profile:

 

A good score in subject GRE would add to your profile no matter how good it already is. If you plan to give subject GRE, time it properly, so that you get a chance to include it in your profile. (Varies as per the country it's taken in). Some univs like NCSU allow you to add it even after the deadline if you mention the reason, others like UT Austin and Iowa State don't.

 

Summarizing Admission Trends for Fall 2008

[monal s]

Thanks a lot Calmlogic...! :) urs is the best archive that there is on the internet for AGRE prep...

im also planning to take the test on Nov 8...

Howevever i simply cant find all the ETS papers anywhere..

that geocities mock gre link is not working....

[CalmLogic]

that geocities mock gre link is not working....

ETS had the author take it down :)

 

Howevever i simply cant find all the ETS papers anywhere..

The Yahoo GRECS group has solutions to most of the older, out-of-print practice tests from ETS, as discussed most recently here:

 

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gre-computer-science/96097-help-preparing.html

[monal s]

thanks a lot...

[SubjectGRE]

Anyone tried Subjectgre.com?

[schrilax]

got my AGRE admit card 2 days back :)

 

all set.