The GRE is a standardized test for graduate admissions. It measures general skills like verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. This allows graduate schools a standardized way to compare applicants. Let's explore what the GRE is, its structure, and how it's scored.
What Is the GRE?
The GRE or Graduate Record Examination is a standardized test. It's widely used for admission into graduate, business, and some law programs. It provides universities with a consistent way to compare applicants across diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, which is why it's used worldwide for graduate school applications.
Rather than testing subject-specific knowledge, the GRE focuses on measuring broader academic abilities. These include verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. For any graduate student, these skills are essential.
The test is developed and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a nonprofit organization. The test was first introduced in 1949 and over the decades, has evolved to reflect changes in education and testing technology. Today, the GRE is a computer-based test that's available in test centers and at home. A paper-based version is still available for regions without reliable internet access. Its long history of testing thousands of graduates means that many graduate programs around the world rely on it.
The GRE is both a challenge and an opportunity for students. The challenge is that they must prepare for the exam, which requires dedication and considerable effort. The opportunity is that a strong score will significantly boost their chances of admission and even open doors to scholarships and assistantships. The GRE is one of the most widely recognised tests for admission to master's programs, PhD programs, MBAs, and certain law schools. Looking for more information on the GRE? Here's an great video explanation.
GRE Test Structure and Content
The GRE is designed to measure essential skills for graduate-level work. There are three core sections:
Verbal Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning
Analytical Writing
Each section has its own format, timing, and scoring, allowing admissions committees to get a well-rounded view of a student's general academic abilities.
Verbal Reasoning Section
The Verbal Reasoning measure is there to test how well students understand written material, analyze arguments, and recognize relationships between words and ideas. Questions in this part include Reading Comprehension, Test Completion, and Sentence Equivalence. Students are asked to read passages, complete sentences with the correct vocabulary, and select words that give sentences consistent meaning.
This section measures whether you can understand complex texts, evaluate evidence, and draw logical conclusions. You won't be rewarded simply for memorizing vocabulary. For the Verbal Reasoning section, scores range from 130 to 170 in one-point increments.
Quantitative Reasoning Section
The Quantitative Reasoning measure assesses students' ability to interpret data, solve mathematical problems, and apply quantitative concepts logically. These questions here cover arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. You'll find multiple-choice, numeric entry, and quantitative comparison problems in this section.
Students have access to an on-screen calculator, but given the strict time limits for the test, most students find it more effective to use quick reasoning and estimation rather than input lengthy calculations into the calculator.
Much like the Verbal Reasoning section, the Quantitative Reasoning section is also scored from 130 to 170 in one-point increments. A strong performance is often a key factor in being favored by STEM graduate programs. Though all competitive programs will want to see strong performances across all sections.
Analytical Writing Section
The Analytical Writing measure tests your ability to express ideas clearly and support arguments effectively. In this section, you have to complete one essay task: Analyze an Issue. You have to evaluate a claim, take a position, and support it with reasoning and examples.
Unlike the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections, the Analytical Writing Section is scored on a scale of 0 to 6 in half-point increments. It's scored by trained readers and ETS's e-scoring system to ensure fairness. In the event of a significant discrepancy between the human scorer and the automated system, a second human scorer will be used.
While undergraduate grades provide admissions committees with a picture of past performance, the GRE offers a standardized benchmark that enables fair comparison between students from different universities, majors, and countries. Many programs also use GRE scores to assess specific strengths and weaknesses. For example, business schools may focus on Quantitative Reasoning while humanities programs weigh Verbal and Writing more heavily. Strong GRE results can also offset a lower GPA or limited work experience, helping applicants strengthen their overall profile.
GRE Test Formats and Dates
The GRE is available across multiple formats, which is why it's such a popular standardized test around the world. Most students choose the computer-based GRE General Test. This version is available year-round at test centers worldwide. The GRE at Home is also offered by ETS, where test-takers can take the exam on their own computer under remote proctoring. Regions without reliable internet access or testing centres typically offer the paper-based GRE. However, this is far less common than the online version.
You can take the GRE General Test at any time during the year. Appointments are available on a rolling basis. Students can schedule the at-home option by booking an exam up to 24 hours in advance. However, those taking the exam at test centers should reserve seats weeks or months in advance, especially during the peak graduate admissions season in the fall.
ETS also offers GRE Subject Tests. These are available in fields such as mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. These paper-based exams are only offered three times a year: September, October, and April. Unlike the General Test, the Subject Tests are a way for test takers to demonstrate their knowledge in specific disciplines, particularly useful for specialized graduate programs.
Registration Process and Test Fees
Registering for the GRE is a simple process, but that doesn't mean you can wait until the last minute to do it. We always recommend getting your test date scheduled so you can plan your study accordingly. This also helps avoid disappointment during the aforementioned busy period in the fall.
Firstly, create an ETS account. You can use this to select your test date, choose your format, pay the fees, and send scores. Once logged in, you can search for available test times at test centres and for the at-home test. You can search by date and browse free slots.
The GRE General Test fee is $220 for both the test center and at-home versions. The GRE Subject Tests cost $150 each. There's a Fee Reduction Program available from the ETS, so see if you're eligible, as this can reduce the fee to $100.
Don't forget that there are also additional costs. Common extra fees include sending scores to more than four schools ($40 per recipient) or changing test centers or dates ($55). Score reinstatement costs $50.
| Test Format | Availability | Fee (U.S.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRE General Test (Computer) | Year-round at test centers | $220 | Most common option |
| GRE General Test (At Home) | Year-round, 24/7 | $220 | Remote proctoring required |
| GRE General Test (Paper) | Limited locations only | $220 | Rare, only where online unavailable |
| GRE Subject Tests | Sept, Oct, Apr | $150 | Paper-based only |
Scoring System
You must understand the GRE scoring system. Since Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are scored between 130 and 170, your combined score will range between 260 and 340. The Analytical Writing is scored on a 0-6 scale. It's not a particularly intuitive system, but it's the one that graduate schools and programs will refer to on applications, so it's worthwhile to start thinking in these numbers.
There's also the section-level adaptive format to consider. The difficulty of your Verbal or Quantitative sections will adapt after measuring your performance in the first section. The better you do, the more difficult the questions in the subsequent section will be. However, this also unlocks the higher scores.
Scores also come with percentile ranks, showing how you compare to other test takers. A Verbal score of 160, for example, puts you in the 85th percentile. Graduate programs often use the percentiles rather than the raw scores, as ETS provides adjusted percentile scores across a rolling three-year period.
After your test, you’ll first see your unofficial Verbal and Quantitative scores immediately on screen. The official score report, available in your ETS account 8-10 days later, includes all three section scores, percentile ranks, and the option to send results to schools. You can also choose to use the ScoreSelect option, which allows you to send only your best scores from past test attempts; a helpful tool if you plan to retake the GRE.
Preparing for the GRE
Like any test, preparing for the GRE is essential. Since the test measures reasoning and writing rather than memorization, you'll have to adapt your study approaches accordingly. We recommend taking a diagnostic test to determine your starting point. From there, you can set your goals and plan your study, balancing time across Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.
ETS has plenty of free and paid resources you can use, including official practice questions, sample essays, and full-length practice tests mimicking the computer-based exam. These are really useful because you can get used to GRE-style questions. There are also third-party prep books, online platforms, and tutoring to help you.
You should also work towards building your test stamina. With the test lasting nearly two hours, you must learn to pace yourself and stay focused throughout. Regularly taking practice tests will give you a better sense of how taking the exam really feels.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
