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New Testing Requirements for Teacher Education

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has implemented legislation (NYSED Transformation Act of 2015) that requires schools of education such as the Thelma P. Lally School of Education at The College of Saint Rose to adopt rigorous selection criteria in admission of its graduate students. These selection criteria must include scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or other Miller Analogies Test (MAT).

In compliance with this new regulation, The College of Saint Rose must require GRE scores or MAT scores from all applicants to graduate-level studies in teacher education and educational leadership programs beginning with the spring 2017 semester.

Programs Affected:

  • Adolescence Education (Grades 7 – 12)
  • Adolescence/Special Education (Grades 7 – 12)
  • Childhood Education (Grades 1 – 6)
  • Childhood/Special Education (Grades 1 – 6)
  • Curriculum & Instruction
  • Early Childhood Education (Birth – Grade 2)
  • Literacy
  • Special Education

Application Details:

Applicants seeking admission to graduate study in the programs listed above must submit GRE General Test scores or Miller Analogies Test scores with their application materials. Applicants to Curriculum & Instruction, Literacy or Special Education may submit edTPA scores in lieu of GRE or MAT scores.

The College of Saint Rose faculty will continue to review applications holistically and test scores will be only one factor to be considered. Test scores will not carry more weight that other elements of the application. There are no minimum score requirements at this time. Deciding which exam to take depends on your skills, your schedule, and your study habits. According to the Magoosh website, taking the “MAT or GRE sounds like a simple question, but there are many factors to consider.”

Magoosh.com recommends that you take a practice test of each, the MAT and the GRE, to see which test reveals your strongest skills. The MAT only takes an hour but it includes questions from a wide range of subject areas and tests your analogic reasoning. The GRE is a much longer exam and is narrower in scope and focuses on mathematics and vocabulary. For a small investment of time and cost you can find out which exam suits you better. Once you determine which exam is right for you, you can invest more time and money for test-prep classes so you preform your very best on the actual exam.

GRE Fee Reduction

ETS offers a limited number of GRE Fee Reduction Certificates on a first-come, first-served basis that are available for college seniors and unenrolled college graduates who meet eligibility requirements. A Fee Reduction Certificate may be used for one GRE test. Individuals meeting the eligibility requirements will be required to pay 50% of the full test fee. Learn more.

GRE and MAT in Comparison:

According to the Magoosh website, taking the “MAT or GRE sounds like a simple question, but there are many factors to consider.”

GRE

College Code: 2091

Administered by: Education Testing Service

Website: www.ets.org/gre

Information about: Assesses verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills

Test Length: 3 hours and 45 minutes

Test Fee: $205 (financial assistance from ETS available under certain circumstances: https://www.ets.org/gre.html

Fee includes: One official score report and up to four official transcripts

Location: Albany, Buffalo, Poughkeepsie, Plattsburgh, Purchase, Vestal, Watertown

Format: Computer-based

Methods of Study: 2 practice tests available; no cost Test prep courses offered by Kaplan & Princeton Review for free

# of Years Valid: 5 years

Millers Analogies Test

College Code: 1432

Administered by: Pearson Assessments

Website: www.pearsonassessments.com

Information about: Reflects the candidate’s analytical thinking

Test Length: 60 minutes

Test Fee: $75-$130 approximate. Fee varies depending on location

Fee includes: One official score report and up to three official transcripts

Location: Schenectady, New Paltz, Utica, Plattsburgh

Format: Computer-based

Methods of Study: 3 practice tests available; $30 each

# of Years Valid: 5 years

Scoring:

Currently, The College of Saint Rose does not have a minimum score requirement for both tests.