American Mathematical Society
Policy Statement on Standardized Testing and Graduate Admission in the Mathematical Sciences
In recent years, many graduate programs in the mathematical sciences have stopped requiring applicants to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test and/or the GRE Mathematics Subject Test. The AMS welcomes this change and encourages departments that choose to use standardized tests in graduate admissions to ensure that such tests are only one, relatively minor component among many factors in rubrics and decision-making. Graduate programs should be mindful that
a) the GREs (general[1] and subject[2] are given only at certain times and in certain locations, making access difficult for many students
b) travel, registration, and sending scores to potential schools is costly[3]and there are very few resources for financial support
c) GRE content (general[4] and subject[5] may not always align with i) curriculum in undergraduate programs and ii) desired skills needed to complete work in graduate programs.
More generally, while recognizing the heterogeneity of graduate programs and the need for more research on best practices for graduate admissions in the mathematical sciences community, the AMS encourages graduate program directors to evaluate their admission processes. Graduate directors are encouraged to consider
1) assigning appropriate weight to standardized test scores and former school(s) attended in admissions criteria2) assessing applicants’ personal achievements, along with academic performance
3) providing detailed information to potential applicants on how they would be evaluated.
Bearing in mind the harm from past practices, faculty working on graduate admissions are encouraged to work together, both within and across institutions, to redesign the admissions process.
Adopted by the Council on January 2, 2024.