For the first time since the test was introduced in 1936, more Indians took the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) than American students in 2022-23, according to a report released on Friday. China followed the two countries on the list.
In a report by The Economic Times (ET), Amit Sevak, chief executive of Education Testing Service (ETS) was quoted as saying that this shows the demand for the test is growing among Indians.
GRE is a standardised test which tests critical thinking, analytical writing, verbal reasoning skills and quantitative aptitude of students who wish to take admission to colleges US or other countries.
According to the data in the report, 113,304 Indians took the test in June-July in 2022-23, followed by 97,676 Americans and 57,769 Chinese.
It also highlighted that the number of US citizens who took this test has fallen 61 per cent from 250,274 in 2019-20. At the same time, the number of Indians appearing for GRE has jumped 62 per cent from 69,835.
One of the main reasons for the rise in number of Indians taking this test is the acceptance of GRE score in over 100 Business schools here.
Sevak said these institutes are aiming to bring in more international students and “internationalise” the higher education in the country. ETS is a non-profit education testing and assessment organisation which conducts GRE.
Another reason is the rising interest of Indians in STEM discipline. Among the GRE-takers, the most in-demand subject was physical sciences followed by undecided and engineering.
Moreover, GRE also provides more flexibility as its scores are valid for five years. During these years, a student can decide if they want to study in India or abroad, using the score.
The ET report also highlighted that highest number of Indians prefer to study in southern region of US followed by western region. After USA, Canada and Western Europe are more sought after destinations.
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Published: 16 Feb 2024, 10:18 AM IST