Test Preparation Support Goes Beyond a Study Workshop
In early January 2016, scholars in the CSULB BUILD program had the opportunity to prepare for the GRE, a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for most graduate schools in the United States, with a week-long workshop. “The course definitely met my expectations,” one scholar said after taking the course. “I feel more confident on taking the GRE.”
The workshop was taught by David White of the test preparation company Testing for the Public. A graduate of Harvard Law School, White has been immersed in the study of standardized testing for 30 years. As early as 1979, he testified before the New York State legislature urging passage of "Truth in Testing" legislation that would require admission tests to be made public. He is a noted voice for greater equity in standardized testing, and has been a featured speaker at the national conventions of the Association of American Law Schools, the Society of American Law Teachers, and the National Conference of Black Lawyers.
“He’s extremely knowledgeable about the GRE course material and has a great ability to communicate the material effectively,” another scholar said of White.
The course was highly interactive and provided a variety of techniques for solving problems on the exam. Every scholar in the class had the opportunity to participate and was provided a safe learning environment where it was OK to not get an answer correct.
“The course challenged my thought process and I learned from the people around me through open group discussion,” a participant said.
Another mentioned, “He went over every problem and made sure we all understood, as well as explained why answers were wrong.”
But the CSULB BUILD program will not stop there in helping its scholars pass the GRE. To give them the best chance of passing this important exam, several resources and activities are available through the BUILD Student Center:
- Study materials, both preparation books and online resources
- Drop-in vocabulary tests given every week
- 30-minute prep tests, including verbal and quantitative reasoning questions, given every other week
Scholars are encouraged to form “study pods” of three to four members. To foster friendly competition, each pod will choose a name for their group and the group’s scores (not individual scores) on tests will be posted at the Student Center.
“GRE scores have been probably the single most significant barrier to getting into doctoral programs for underrepresented minority student participants in research training programs. We’re making every effort to give our scholars the best chance at successfully moving onto graduate school so that they can pursue their research careers,” said Chi-Ah Chun, Ph.D., Director of the Student Training Core for CSULB BUILD Program. “This GRE prep program is just one example of how we do that.”
