GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS ® Physics Test Practice Book This practice book contains Ⅲ one actual full-length GRE Physics Test Ⅲ test-taking strategies Become familiar with Ⅲ test structure and content Ⅲ test instructions and answering procedures Compare your practice test results with the performance of those who took the test at a GRE administration Visit GRE Online at www.gre.org Listening Learning Leading This book is provided FREE with test registration by the Graduate Record Examinations Board Note to Test Takers: Keep this practice book until you receive your score report The book contains important information about content specifications and scoring Copyright ᮊ 2004 by Educational Testing Service All rights reserved EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, ETS, the ETS logos, GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service Table of Contents Purpose of the GRE Subject Tests Development of the Subject Tests Content of the Physics Test Preparing for a Subject Test Test-Taking Strategies What Your Scores Mean Practice Physics Test Scoring Your Subject Test 71 Evaluating Your Performance 74 Answer Sheet 75 Purpose of the GRE Subject Tests The GRE Subject Tests are designed to help graduate school admission committees and fellowship sponsors assess the qualifications of applicants in specific fields of study The tests also provide you with an assessment of your own qualifications Scores on the tests are intended to indicate knowledge of the subject matter emphasized in many undergraduate programs as preparation for graduate study Because past achievement is usually a good indicator of future performance, the scores are helpful in predicting success in graduate study Because the tests are standardized, the test scores permit comparison of students from different institutions with different undergraduate programs For some Subject Tests, subscores are provided in addition to the total score; these subscores indicate the strengths and weaknesses of your preparation, and they may help you plan future studies The GRE Board recommends that scores on the Subject Tests be considered in conjunction with other relevant information about applicants Because numerous factors influence success in graduate school, reliance on a single measure to predict success is not advisable Other indicators of competence typically include undergraduate transcripts showing courses taken and grades earned, letters of recommendation, the GRE Writing Assessment score, and GRE General Test scores For information about the appropriate use of GRE scores, write to GRE Program, Educational Testing Service, Mail Stop 57-L, Princeton, NJ 08541, or visit our Web site at www.gre.org/codelst.html Development of the Subject Tests Each new edition of a Subject Test is developed by a committee of examiners composed of professors in the subject who are on undergraduate and graduate faculties in different types of institutions and in different regions of the United States and Canada In selecting members for each committee, the GRE Program seeks the advice of the appropriate professional associations in the subject The content and scope of each test are specified and reviewed periodically by the committee of examiners Test questions are written by the committee and by other faculty who are also subject-matter specialists and by subject-matter specialists at ETS All questions proposed for the test are reviewed by the committee and revised as necessary The accepted questions are assembled into a test in accordance with the content specifications developed by the committee to ensure adequate coverage of the various aspects of the field and, at the same time, to prevent overemphasis on any single topic The entire test is then reviewed and approved by the committee Subject-matter and measurement specialists on the ETS staff assist the committee, providing information and advice about methods of test construction and helping to prepare the questions and assemble the test In addition, each test question is reviewed to eliminate language, symbols, or content considered potentially offensive, inappropriate for major subgroups of the testtaking population, or likely to perpetuate any negative attitude that may be conveyed to these subgroups The test as a whole is also reviewed to ensure that the test questions, where applicable, include an appropriate balance of people in different groups and different roles Because of the diversity of undergraduate curricula, it is not possible for a single test to cover all the material you may have studied The examiners, PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK therefore, select questions that test the basic knowledge and skills most important for successful graduate study in the particular field The committee keeps the test up-to-date by regularly developing new editions and revising existing editions In this way, the test content changes steadily but gradually, much like most curricula In addition, curriculum surveys are conducted periodically to ensure that the content of a test reflects what is currently being taught in the undergraduate curriculum After a new edition of a Subject Test is first administered, examinees’ responses to each test question are analyzed in a variety of ways to determine whether each question functioned as expected These analyses may reveal that a question is ambiguous, requires knowledge beyond the scope of the test, or is inappropriate for the total group or a particular subgroup of examinees taking the test Answers to such questions are not used in computing scores Following this analysis, the new test edition is equated to an existing test edition In the equating process, statistical methods are used to assess the difficulty of the new test Then scores are adjusted so that examinees who took a difficult edition of the test are not penalized, and examinees who took an easier edition of the test not have an advantage Variations in the number of questions in the different editions of the test are also taken into account in this process Scores on the Subject Tests are reported as three digit scaled scores with the third digit always zero The maximum possible range for all Subject Test total scores is from 200 to 990 The actual range of scores for a particular Subject Test, however, may be smaller The maximum possible range of Subject Test subscores is 20 to 99; however, the actual range of subscores for any test or test edition may be smaller Subject Test score interpretive information is provided in Interpreting Your GRE Scores, which you will receive with your GRE score report, and on the GRE Web site at www.gre.org/ codelst.html The aim of the test is to determine the extent of the examinees’ grasp of fundamental principles and their ability to apply these principles in the solution of problems Most test questions can be answered on the basis of a mastery of the first three years of undergraduate physics The test questions are constructed to simplify mathematical manipulations As a result, neither calculators nor tables of logarithms are needed If the solution to a problem requires the use of logarithms, the necessary values are included with the question The International System (SI) of units is used predominantly in the test A table of information (see page 10) representing various physical constants and a few conversion factors among SI units is presented in the test book Whenever necessary, additional values of physical constants are printed with the text of the question The approximate percentages of the test on the major content topics have been set by the committee of examiners, with input from a nationwide survey of undergraduate physics curricula The percentages reflect the committee’s determination of the relative emphasis placed on each topic in a typical undergraduate program These percentages are given below along with the major subtopics included in each content category Nearly all the questions in the test will relate to material in this listing; however, there may be occasional questions on other topics not explicitly listed here CLASSICAL MECHANICS (such as kinematics, Newton’s laws, work and energy, oscillatory motion, rotational motion about a fixed axis, dynamics of systems of particles, central forces and celestial mechanics, three-dimensional particle dynamics, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism, noninertial reference frames, elementary topics in fluid dynamics) Content of the Physics Test The test consists of about 100 five-choice questions, some of which may be grouped in sets and based on such materials as diagrams, graphs, experimental data, and descriptions of physical situations PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK 20% ELECTROMAGNETISM (such as electrostatics, currents and DC circuits, magnetic fields in free space, Lorentz force, induction, Maxwell’s equations and their applications, electromagnetic waves, AC circuits, magnetic and electric fields in matter) OPTICS AND WAVE PHENOMENA (such as wave properties, superposition, interference, diffraction, geometrical optics, polarization, Doppler effect) SPECIALIZED TOPICS: Nuclear 9% and Particle physics (e.g., nuclear properties, radioactive decay, fission and fusion, reactions, fundamental properties of elementary particles), Condensed Matter (e.g., crystal structure, x-ray diffraction, thermal properties, electron theory of metals, semiconductors, superconductors), Miscellaneous (e.g., astrophysics, mathematical methods, computer applications) 18% 9% THERMODYNAMICS AND STATISTICAL MECHANICS (such as the laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamic processes, equations of state, ideal gases, kinetic theory, ensembles, statistical concepts and calculation of thermodynamic quantities, thermal expansion and heat transfer) 10% QUANTUM MECHANICS (such as fundamental concepts, solutions of the Schrödinger equation (including square wells, harmonic oscillators, and hydrogenic atoms), spin, angular momentum, wave function symmetry, elementary perturbation theory) 12% ATOMIC PHYSICS (such as properties of electrons, Bohr model, energy quantization, atomic structure, atomic spectra, selection rules, black-body radiation, x-rays, atoms in electric and magnetic fields) 10% SPECIAL RELATIVITY (such as introductory concepts, time dilation, length contraction, simultaneity, energy and momentum, four-vectors and Lorentz transformation, velocity addition) 6% LABORATORY METHODS (such as data and error analysis, electronics, instrumentation, radiation detection, counting statistics, interaction of charged particles with matter, lasers and optical interferometers, dimensional analysis, fundamental applications of probability and statistics) 6% Those taking the test should be familiar with certain mathematical methods and their applications in physics Such mathematical methods include single and multivariate calculus, coordinate systems (rectangular, cylindrical, and spherical), vector algebra and vector differential operators, Fourier series, partial differential equations, boundary value problems, matrices and determinants, and functions of complex variables These methods may appear in the test in the context of various content categories as well as occasional questions concerning only mathematics in the specialized topics category above Preparing for a Subject Test GRE Subject Test questions are designed to measure skills and knowledge gained over a long period of time Although you might increase your scores to some extent through preparation a few weeks or months before you take the test, last-minute cramming is unlikely to be of further help The following information may be helpful Ⅵ A general review of your college courses is probably the best preparation for the test However, the test covers a broad range of subject matter, and no one is expected to be familiar with the content of every question Ⅵ Use this practice book to become familiar with the types of questions in the GRE Physics Test, paying special attention to the directions If you thoroughly understand the directions before you take the test, you will have more time during the test to focus on the questions themselves PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK Test-Taking Strategies What Your Scores Mean The questions in the practice test in this book illustrate the types of multiple-choice questions in the test When you take the test, you will mark your answers on a separate machine-scorable answer sheet Total testing time is two hours and fifty minutes; there are no separately timed sections Following are some general test-taking strategies you may want to consider Your raw score — that is, the number of questions you answered correctly minus one-fourth of the number you answered incorrectly — is converted to the scaled score that is reported This conversion ensures that a scaled score reported for any edition of a Subject Test is comparable to the same scaled score earned on any other edition of the same test Thus, equal scaled scores on a particular Subject Test indicate essentially equal levels of performance regardless of the test edition taken Test scores should be compared only with other scores on the same Subject Test (For example, a 680 on the Computer Science Test is not equivalent to a 680 on the Mathematics Test.) Before taking the test, you may find it useful to know approximately what raw scores would be required to obtain a certain scaled score Several factors influence the conversion of your raw score to your scaled score, such as the difficulty of the test edition and the number of test questions included in the computation of your raw score Based on recent editions of the Physics Test, the table on the next page gives the range of raw scores associated with selected scaled scores for three different test editions (Note that when the number of scored questions for a given test is greater than the number of possible scaled scores, it is likely that two or more raw scores will convert to the same scaled score.) The three test editions in the table that follows were selected to reflect varying degrees of difficulty Examinees should note that future test editions may be somewhat more or less difficult than the test editions illustrated in the table Ⅲ Read the test directions carefully, and work as rapidly as you can without being careless For each question, choose the best answer from the available options Ⅲ All questions are of equal value; not waste time pondering individual questions you find extremely difficult or unfamiliar Ⅲ You may want to work through the test quite rapidly, first answering only the questions about which you feel confident, then going back and answering questions that require more thought, and concluding with the most difficult questions if there is time Ⅲ If you decide to change an answer, make sure you completely erase it and fill in the oval corresponding to your desired answer Ⅲ Questions for which you mark no answer or more than one answer are not counted in scoring Ⅲ As a correction for haphazard guessing, onefourth of the number of questions you answer incorrectly is subtracted from the number of questions you answer correctly It is improbable that mere guessing will improve your score significantly; it may even lower your score If, however, you are not certain of the correct answer but have some knowledge of the question and are able to eliminate one or more of the answer choices, your chance of getting the right answer is improved, and it may be to your advantage to answer the question Ⅲ Record all answers on your answer sheet Answers recorded in your test book will not be counted Ⅲ Do not wait until the last five minutes of a testing session to record answers on your answer sheet PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK Range of Raw Scores* Needed to Earn Selected Scaled Scores on Three Physics Test Editions That Differ in Difficulty Scaled Score 900 800 700 600 Form A 73 58-59 44 30 Raw Scores Form B 68-69 54-55 41 27 Form C 64 50 38 27 Number of Questions Used to Compute Raw Score 100 98 100 *Raw Score = Number of correct answers minus one-fourth the number of incorrect answers, rounded to the nearest integer For a particular test edition, there are many ways to earn the same raw score For example, on the edition listed above as “Form A,” a raw score of 44 would earn a scaled score of 700 Below are a few of the possible ways in which a scaled score of 700 could be earned on that edition Examples of Ways to Earn a Scaled Score of 700 on the Edition Labeled As “Form A” Questions Answered Raw Score Correctly 44 44 44 49 44 55 Number of Questions Questions Questions Used Answered Not to Compute Incorrectly Answered Raw Score 56 100 20 31 100 44 100 PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK Practice Test To become familiar with how the administration will be conducted at the test center, first remove the answer sheet (pages 75 and 76) Then go to the back cover of the test book (page 70) and follow the instructions for completing the identification areas of the answer sheet When you are ready to begin the test, note the time and begin marking your answers on the answer sheet PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK FORM GR0177 77 GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS® PHYSICS TEST Do not break the seal until you are told to so The contents of this test are confidential Disclosure or reproduction of any portion of it is prohibited THIS TEST BOOK MUST NOT BE TAKEN FROM THE ROOM Copyright © 2001 by Educational Testing Service All rights reserved GRE, GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, ETS, EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE and the ETS logos are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service TABLE OF INFORMATION Rest mass of the electron Magnitude of the electron charge me = 9.11 × 10−31 kilogram = 9.11 × 10−28 gram e = 1.60 × 10−19 coulomb = 4.80 × 10−10 statcoulomb (esu) Avogadro’s number NA = 6.02 × 1023 per mole Universal gas constant R = 8.31 joules/(mole ∑ K) Boltzmann’s constant Speed of light Planck’s constant k = 1.38 × 10−23 joule/K = 1.38 × 10−16 erg/K c = 3.00 × 108 m/s = 3.00 × 1010 cm/s h = 6.63 × 10−34 joule ∑ second = 4.14 × 10−15 eV ∑ second j = h/2 p Vacuum permittivity Vacuum permeability Universal gravitational constant Acceleration due to gravity atmosphere pressure angstrom ⑀ = 8.85 × 10−12 coulomb 2/(newton ∑ meter 2) m = p × 10−7 weber/(ampere ∑ meter) G = 6.67 × 10−11 meter 3/(kilogram ∑ second 2) g = 9.80 m/s = 980 cm/s atm = 1.0 × 105 newtons/meter = 1.0 × 105 pascals (Pa) 1Å = × 10−10 meter weber/m2 = tesla = 10 gauss Moments of inertia about center of mass Rod Disc 10 MR 2 Sphere Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal M 12 MR GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE SCRATCHWORK Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 63 93 The solution to the Schrödinger equation for the ground state of hydrogen is w0 = e - r / a0 , pa0 where a0 is the Bohr radius and r is the distance from the origin Which of the following is the most probable value for r ? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) a0 /2 a0 2a0 ∞ 94 The raising and lowering operators for the quantum harmonic oscillator satisfy a† n = n +1 n +1, a n = n n -1 for energy eigenstates Ω n with energy En Which of the following gives the first-order shift in the n = energy level due to the perturbation DH = V(a + a†)2, where V is a constant? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) V 2V 2V 5V 95 An infinite slab of insulating material with dielectric constant K and permittivity e = Ke is placed in a uniform electric field of magnitude E0 The field is perpendicular to the surface of the material, as shown in the figure above The magnitude of the electric field inside the material is E0 K E0 (B) Ke (A) (C) E (D) Ke E (E) KE 96 A uniformly charged sphere of total charge Q expands and contracts between radii R1 and R2 at a frequency f The total power radiated by the sphere is (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal 64 proportional to proportional to proportional to proportional to zero Q f2 f4 ( R2 / R1 ) GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE SCRATCHWORK Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 65 98 Suppose that a system in quantum state i has energy Ei In thermal equilibrium, the expression  Ei e - E / kT i i Âe - Ei / kT i represents which of the following? (A) (B) (C) (D) 97 A beam of light has a small wavelength spread d l about a central wavelength l The beam travels in vacuum until it enters a glass plate at an angle q relative to the normal to the plate, as shown in the figure above The index of refraction of the glass is given by n ( l ) The angular spread dq ¢ of the refracted beam is given by (A) dq ¢ = dl n (B) dq ¢ = dn ( l ) dl dl (C) dq ¢ = dl dl l dn (D) dq ¢ = (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) mc2 2mc2 3mc2 4mc2 5mc2 tan q ¢ dn ( l ) dl n dl Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal 66 99 A photon strikes an electron of mass m that is initially at rest, creating an electron-positron pair The photon is destroyed and the positron and two electrons move off at equal speeds along the initial direction of the photon The energy of the photon was sin q d l sin q ¢ l (E) dq ¢ = The average energy of the system The partition function Unity The probability to find the system with energy Ei (E) The entropy of the system GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE SCRATCHWORK Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 67 100 A Michelson interferometer is configured as a wavemeter, as shown in the figure above, so that a ratio of fringe counts may be used to compare the wavelengths of two lasers with high precision When the mirror in the right arm of the interferometer is translated through a distance d, 100,000 interference fringes pass across the detector for green light and 85,865 fringes pass across the detector for red ( l = 632.82 nanometers) light The wavelength of the green laser light is (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 500.33 nm 543.37 nm 590.19 nm 736.99 nm 858.65 nm If you finish before time is called, you may check your work on this test Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal 68 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE NO TEST MATERIAL ON THIS PAGE Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE 69 NOTE: To ensure prompt processing of test results, it is important that you fill in the blanks exactly as directed I SUBJECT TEST A Print and sign your full name in this box: PRINT: _ (LAST) (FIRST) (MIDDLE) SIGN: TITLE CODE Copy this code in box on your answer sheet Then fill in the corresponding ovals exactly as shown Copy the Test Name and Form Code in box on your answer sheet 7 8 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 Physics TEST NAME _ GR0177 FORM CODE GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS SUBJECT TEST B The Subject Tests are intended to measure your achievement in a specialized field of study Most of the questions are concerned with subject matter that is probably familiar to you, but some of the questions may refer to areas that you have not studied Your score will be determined by subtracting one-fourth the number of incorrect answers from the number of correct answers Questions for which you mark no answer or more than one answer are not counted in scoring If you have some knowledge of a question and are able to rule out one or more of the answer choices as incorrect, your chances of selecting the correct answer are improved, and answering such questions will likely improve your score It is unlikely that pure guessing will raise your score; it may lower your score You are advised to use your time effectively and to work as rapidly as you can without losing accuracy Do not spend too much time on questions that are too difficult for you Go on to the other questions and come back to the difficult ones later if you can YOU MUST INDICATE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THE SEPARATE ANSWER SHEET No credit will be given for anything written in this examination book, but you may write in the book as much as you wish to work out your answers After you have decided on your response to a question, fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet BE SURE THAT EACH MARK IS DARK AND COMPLETELY FILLS THE OVAL Mark only one answer to each question No credit will be given for multiple answers Erase all stray marks If you change an answer, be sure that all previous marks are erased completely Incomplete erasures may be read as intended answers Do not be concerned that the answer sheet provides spaces for more answers than there are questions in the test Example: Sample Answer What city is the capital of France? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) A Rome Paris London Cairo Oslo B C D E A B C D E A B C D E A B C D E A B C D CORRECT ANSWER PROPERLY MARKED E IMPROPER MARKS DO NOT OPEN YOUR TEST BOOK UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO ® 70 Educational Testing Service Princeton, New Jersey 08541 Scoring Your Subject Test Physics Test scores typically range from 450 to 950 The range for different editions of a given test may vary because different editions are not of precisely the same difficulty The differences in ranges among different editions of a given test, however, usually are small This should be taken into account, especially when comparing two very high scores The score conversion table on page 73 shows the score range for this edition of the test only The worksheet on page 72 lists the correct answers to the questions Columns are provided for you to mark whether you chose the correct (C) answer or an incorrect (I) answer to each question Draw a line across any question you omitted, because it is not counted in the scoring At the bottom of the page, enter the total number correct and the total number incorrect Divide the total incorrect by and subtract the resulting number from the total correct This is the adjustment made for guessing Then round the result to the nearest whole number This will give you your raw total score Use the total score conversion table to find the scaled total score that corresponds to your raw total score Example: Suppose you chose the correct answers to 44 questions and incorrect answers to 30 Dividing 30 by yields 7.5 Subtracting 7.5 from 44 equals 36.5, which is rounded to 37 The raw score of 37 corresponds to a scaled score of 650 PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK 71 Worksheet for the Physics Test, Form GR0177 Answer Key and Percentage* of Examinees Answering Each Question Correctly QUESTION Number Answer P+ TOTAL C I QUESTION Number Answer P+ C D D C D 54 30 71 62 28 51 52 53 54 55 B C B C E 45 12 32 77 62 10 E B D A A 34 89 65 63 53 56 57 58 59 60 D A B B D 54 68 58 87 55 11 12 13 14 15 A E B C A 28 40 42 27 68 61 62 63 64 65 C A D A D 18 35 52 56 44 16 17 18 19 20 D B A B E 14 81 45 36 49 66 67 68 69 70 D E E B B 33 19 51 26 53 21 22 23 24 25 B A C C E 60 54 45 86 48 71 72 73 74 75 D E D D E 32 39 43 50 57 26 27 28 29 30 C A E C A 30 82 61 63 44 76 77 78 79 80 C E E D D 49 44 52 69 28 31 32 33 34 35 A D D C E 53 62 31 23 82 81 82 83 84 85 B D C D A 50 16 30 26 25 36 37 38 39 40 E D D D D 70 36 35 45 40 86 87 88 89 90 E A C E A 24 42 42 37 33 41 42 43 44 45 E C D D B 66 64 39 54 50 91 92 93 94 95 B E C E A 41 45 42 29 42 46 47 48 49 50 E B C E B 29 46 57 61 50 96 97 98 99 100 E E A D B TOTAL C I 13 20 72 20 72 Correct (C) Incorrect (I) Total Score: C – I/4 = Scaled Score (SS) = P+ column indicates the percent of Physics Test examinees who answered each question correctly; it is based on a sample of November 2001 examinees selected to represent all Physics Test examinees tested between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2003 * The 72 PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK Score Conversions and Percents Below* for GRE Physics Test, Form GR0177 TOTAL SCORE Raw Score Scaled Score % Raw Score Scaled Score % 85-100 84 82-83 81 80 78-79 77 75-76 74 73 990 980 970 960 950 940 930 920 910 900 98 97 97 96 95 95 94 92 91 90 43 41-42 40 38-39 37 35-36 34 33 31-32 30 690 680 670 660 650 640 630 620 610 600 57 54 53 50 48 45 44 41 39 37 71-72 70 68-69 67 65-66 64 63 61-62 60 58-59 890 880 870 860 850 840 830 820 810 800 89 88 87 86 84 83 82 81 79 78 28-29 27 26 24-25 23 21-22 20 18-19 17 16 590 580 570 560 550 540 530 520 510 500 34 32 29 27 25 22 20 18 16 13 57 55-56 54 53 51-52 50 48-49 47 45-46 44 790 780 770 760 750 740 730 720 710 700 76 74 72 71 69 67 65 63 61 59 14-15 13 11-12 10 8-9 4-5 1-2 490 480 470 460 450 440 430 420 410 400 11 10 1 390 *The percent scoring below the scaled score is based on the performance of 10,947 examinees who took the Physics Test between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2003 PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK 73 Evaluating Your Performance Now that you have scored your test, you may wish to compare your performance with the performance of others who took this test Both the worksheet on page 72 and the table on page 73 use performance data from GRE Physics Test examinees The data in the worksheet on page 72 are based on the performance of a sample of the examinees who took this test in November 2001 This sample was selected to represent the total population of GRE Physics Test examinees tested between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2003 The numbers in the column labeled "P+" on the worksheet indicate the percentages of examinees in this sample who answered the questions correctly You may use these numbers as a guide for evaluating your performance on each test question The table on page 73 contains, for each scaled score, the percentage of examinees tested between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2003 who received lower scores Interpretive data based on the scores earned by examinees tested in this three-year period will be used by admissions officers in the 2004-05 testing year These percentages appear in the score conversion table in a column to the right of the scaled scores For example, in the percentage column opposite the scaled score of 660 is the number 50 This means that 50 percent of the GRE Physics Test examinees tested between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2003 scored lower than 660 To compare yourself with this population, look at the percentage next to the scaled score you earned on 74 the practice test Note: due to changes in the test-taking population, the percentile rank data changes over time Percentile rank information is kept current on the GRE Web site and may be obtained by visiting the GRE Web site at www.gre.org/codelst.html, or by contacting the GRE Program It is important to realize that the conditions under which you tested yourself were not exactly the same as those you will encounter at a test center It is impossible to predict how different test-taking conditions will affect test performance, and this is only one factor that may account for differences between your practice test scores and your actual test scores By comparing your performance on this practice test with the performance of other GRE Physics Test examinees, however, you will be able to determine your strengths and weaknesses and can then plan a program of study to prepare yourself for taking the GRE Physics Test under standard conditions PHYSICS TEST PRACTICE BOOK đ 54721-007627 ã U54E14 ã Printed in U.S.A 724540 ... Subject Tests Content of the Physics Test Preparing for a Subject Test Test- Taking Strategies What Your Scores Mean Practice Physics Test Scoring Your Subject Test. .. of recommendation, the GRE Writing Assessment score, and GRE General Test scores For information about the appropriate use of GRE scores, write to GRE Program, Educational Testing Service, Mail... EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, ETS, the ETS logos, GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service Table of Contents Purpose of the GRE Subject Tests