ETS Test Preparation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the GRE Quantitative Reasoning section, what is the most efficient approach to Quantitative Comparison questions where both quantities contain variables?
- Always substitute x=1 to compare the quantities
- Substitute multiple values including negatives, fractions, and zero to test edge cases (Correct answer)
- Solve algebraically and assume the relationship holds for all values
- Choose 'The relationship cannot be determined' as a default safe answer
Correct answer: Substitute multiple values including negatives, fractions, and zero to test edge cases
Testing multiple types of values (negatives, fractions, zero) exposes cases where the relationship between quantities changes, preventing errors from single-value substitution.
Question 2: Which ETS exam do aspiring K-12 teachers in most U.S. states need to pass for initial licensure?
- GRE Subject Test
- Praxis Core and/or Praxis Subject Assessments (Correct answer)
- HiSET
- TOEFL iBT
Correct answer: Praxis Core and/or Praxis Subject Assessments
Most states require Praxis Core Academic Skills and/or Praxis Subject Assessments as part of teacher certification requirements.
Question 3: How long is the TOEFL iBT, and approximately how many total questions does it contain across all sections?
- About 2 hours, roughly 80 questions
- About 3 hours, roughly 120–150 questions (Correct answer)
- About 4.5 hours, roughly 200 questions
- About 1.5 hours, roughly 50 questions
Correct answer: About 3 hours, roughly 120–150 questions
The TOEFL iBT takes approximately 3 hours and includes around 120–150 questions across Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing sections.
Question 4: When managing test anxiety during a high-stakes ETS exam, which evidence-based technique is most immediately effective during the test itself?
- Review the hardest questions first to get them out of the way
- Practice slow diaphragmatic breathing for 30–60 seconds when anxiety spikes (Correct answer)
- Remind yourself of past failures to motivate higher effort
- Skip the entire section and return to it at the end
Correct answer: Practice slow diaphragmatic breathing for 30–60 seconds when anxiety spikes
Controlled diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing physiological anxiety symptoms quickly during a test.
Question 5: A student is 6 weeks away from taking the GRE and has 10 hours per week to study. What is the most effective weekly study structure?
- Spend all 10 hours reviewing vocabulary flashcards
- Split time between content review, targeted practice drills, and at least one timed section per week (Correct answer)
- Take two full-length practice tests each week and review answers briefly
- Focus entirely on Analytical Writing since it is graded by humans
Correct answer: Split time between content review, targeted practice drills, and at least one timed section per week
A balanced approach combining content review, skill drills, and timed practice maximizes improvement across all three GRE sections in limited time.
Question 6: What score scale does the GRE General Test use for Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections?
- 200–800 in 10-point increments
- 130–170 in 1-point increments (Correct answer)
- 0–100 in 1-point increments
- 1–36 in 1-point increments
Correct answer: 130–170 in 1-point increments
Both GRE Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections are scored on a 130–170 scale in 1-point increments.
Question 7: Which approach is recommended when you encounter an unknown vocabulary word in a GRE Reading Comprehension passage?
- Skip the question entirely since unknown words make it unanswerable
- Use context clues from surrounding sentences to infer the word's meaning (Correct answer)
- Choose the answer with the most familiar vocabulary
- Eliminate the answer choice that uses the unknown word
Correct answer: Use context clues from surrounding sentences to infer the word's meaning
Context clues—surrounding sentences, paragraph tone, and logical flow—allow test takers to infer meaning even without prior knowledge of a word.
ETS Test Preparation 3
On the GRE Quantitative Reasoning section, what is the most efficient approach to Quantitative Comparison questions where both quantities contain variables?