Standardized examinations are often required for graduate and professional schools as well as some college programs.  Examinations range from general fields of study to specific fields such as medicine/health sciences, law, education and business.

Before beginning to prepare for an exam check the college, graduate or professional school requirements for details.  Some of the common examinations are:

CLEP (College Level Examination Program): Optional exam that allows the opportunity to receive college credit. A variety of subjects are available, test format is primarily multiple choice.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Required test for non-native English speakers for admittance to college, graduate and professional programs. Tests proficiency of the English language, content includes listening comprehension, structure and written expression, reading comprehension and writing.

GRE (Graduate Record Exam): Required for most graduate school programs, offers a general as well as subject specific tests. Tests reasoning and writing skills, content includes verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing.

***Test format for the GRE exam changed in August of 2011. For more information click here ***

GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test): Required for graduate business programs. Similar to the GRE testing for reasoning and writing skills, however, content includes critical reasoning under the verbal section and data sufficiency under quantitative section.

MAT (Millers Analogies Test): An alternative to the GRE, sometimes required for some graduate programs. Shorter in time length than the GRE and is completely comprised of analogies.

Praxis: Often required for teacher education certification programs, two versions are available part I is more general, while part II is subject specific. Content includes reading, writing and mathematics.

LSAT (Law School Admission Test): Required exam for law school programs. Tests skills considered critical to success of law school. Content includes reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and logical reasoning.

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test): Required exam for medical, osteopathic and other medical/health programs, tests skills in problem solving, critical thinking, writing and science knowledge. Content includes verbal reasoning, physical sciences, biological sciences and writing. 

DAT (Dental Aptitude Test): Required exam for dental and other medical/health professional programs, tests general academic ability, scientific information, perceptual ability. Content includes natural sciences, perceptual ability, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning.

For NDBE visit the Dentistry LibGuide