The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is used by the most respected graduate schools in the world to admit students to their master's programs in engineering, humanities, liberal arts, law, and business management. The GRE score is one of three important components of every grad school application, and the exam itself lasts 3 hours and 45 minutes, features multiple choice questions and essays, and requires students to exhibit deep understanding of high school level mathematics and advanced English vocabulary, as they solve verbal and quantitative reasoning questions.
More than 300,000 candidates take the GRE every year, via over 1,000 test centers located in 80% of the world's countries. It is widely accepted, with Business and Law Schools admitting a sizable chunk of students with GRE rather than the conventionally more popular (e.g. GMAT) scores.
| Exam Name | GRE (Graduate Record Examination) |
| Governing Organization | Electronic Testing Service (ETS) |
| Official Website | https://www.ets.org/gre.html |
| Registration Date | (For an exam date of 1 December 2023) Ideally before 1 October 2023 |
| Registration Fee | $220 ($231 in China) |
| Mode of Exam | Offline Computer Based Test (multiple locations per country) Paper Based Test (only in locations where CBTs cannot be securely administered) OR Online (from home) |
| Accepted in | Graduate and Postgraduate Programs Worldwide |
| Exam Frequency | Computer Based Test: Throughout the year Paper Based Test: Three times per year |
| Exam Duration | 225 minutes (+ up to 15 minutes as breaks) |
| Total Questions | 82 (80 questions + 2 writing tasks) |
Students may register to take the GRE at a test center or at home. In the latter case, they must also demonstrate that they have the required computer infrastructure and equipment (e.g. webcam, microphone) to interact with the human proctor who will ensure that no unfair means are used during the examination.
Candidates may also apply for the GRE via postal services, after obtaining the application form either online or through the nearest ETS affiliate. The offline application must be sent well in advance, such that it reaches the closest office at least 21 days before the desired test date. A draft or cheque must be included with the application, and the GRE authorities (ETS) conduct further correspondence over email, fax, or post, depending on the candidate's preference.
The GRE test is used for admission to graduate degree programs, but there are no real eligibility criteria. Anyone can give the test without any restrictions. Minors who wish to attempt the GRE must submit a letter of authorization signed by their legal guardians.
There are three main types of sections in the GRE paper: the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections respectively test the candidates' comfort with English and Numerical aptitude, while the Analytical Writing segment is a test of the ability to coherently argue in favor of an overall idea.
| Sections | Time (Minutes) | Questions/Tasks |
| Analytical Writing | 60 (half an hour per task) | 2 Writing Tasks |
| Verbal Reasoning (two sections) | 60 (half an hour per section) | 20 + 20 |
| Quantitative Reasoning (two sections) | 70 (35 per section) | 20 + 20 |
| Unscored Section | Approximately half an hour | Variable |
| Total | 225 minutes (approximately) | 82 (approximately) |
The GRE test structure is one of the most advanced in the world, with candidates having several unique abilities within the exam interface. For example, any question can be tagged as "To Review" after being attempted. At the end of the section, test takers can come back and review all their doubtful answers, and make any number of changes before their time runs out. This user friendly design makes the interface almost as flexible as a pen and paper examination, with all the advantages of immediate evaluation that a computer platform provides.
Free practice tests are available on the ETS website, and coaching class experts provide a large number of paid GRE mock tests.
In addition to the main sections, the GRE may also include an unscored section, with question types that are being tried out for possible future inclusion in the test, and a research section, that is used by the authorities to improve the overall exam structure. Even though these do not impact the overall score in any way, there is no way of knowing which section is unscored. Therefore, test takers should attempt all questions as though they are of critical importance.
Each of the three main GRE test sections has a set of unique question types and syllabus preparation tips.
There are two tasks to be completed in the Analytical Writing section of the GRE. The first is called "Analyze an Argument", where test takers are asked to evaluate the logical basis of a detailed argument in favor of a given statement. In this task, both the candidate's understanding of logical propositions and his / her ability to present that understanding in clear and concise English are evaluated. The second task is called "Analyze an Issue", where candidates must present their own arguments in favor of an issue, and try to build a coherent case for its truth. Both tasks require no specialized domain knowledge.
The Verbal Reasoning segment of the GRE has three types of questions: Reading Comprehension, Sentence Equivalence, and Text Completion. While the first of these tests the candidate's ability to understand the overall meaning of a long and complex passage, the second and third question formats are tests of grammatical structures and advanced vocabulary, respectively. To successfully complete all three sections, candidates should master at least 80% of the extended GRE word list, in addition to important topics in English grammar like verb tenses, metaphors, similes, idioms, and common errors in spelling and grammar.
The Quantitative Reasoning syllabus for the GMAT is based on high school mathematics topics, but with a layer of logical reasoning applied. Therefore, the fundamental concepts in all questions are related to percentages, fractions, simple / compound interest, statistics, exponents, estimation, number theory, triangles, circles, polygons, angle measurements, probability, charts, and measures of central tendency. However, the questions are not always direct applications, and lateral thinking may be needed to solve some of them. Some questions involve laborious computation; to make this easier, the test interface provides a calculator app on screen.
Many graduate school programs require applicants to submit Subject GRE scores in addition to General GRE scores. The Subject GRE consists of a set of papers designed to test advanced knowledge in several disciplines, and candidates usually attempt one or two subject papers. The full list of subjects is as follows:
The computer based version of the GRE test, which is the most common one administered worldwide, is administered throughout the year, and candidates may sign up for it at any time. During the peak season (spring and summer) it may be hard to find slots in the nearest test center, so candidates should sign up a few weeks in advance of their ideal date. The paper based version is only administered three times a year, on fixed dates.
Students may retake the GRE up to five times a year, if they wish to improve their score. In such a case, candidates will have the option to send one set of scores or multiple sets, and usually choose to send the best recent performance. The minimum time gap between two successive attempts cannot be less than three weeks.
There are over 1,000 GRE Test Centers located in over 160 countries. Most large countries have exam venues in every major city. For example, India has 14 GRE authorized test centers in its largest urban areas.
In locations which are extremely far from any computer based test center, the GRE may be offered in pen and paper mode. The dates are limited in this case, and the exam is held only three times a year. In addition, physical calculators are provided for the numerical section.
All GRE test takers can access the Diagnostic Service through their online ETS account immediately after the exam. This allows them to go through the questions, suggested answers, and solutions for the two Verbal and Quantitative sections. Candidates who live in New York state may, on payment of an additional fee, access a detailed review service for their main sections. Finally, all candidates may receive personalized feedback on their Analytical Writing Assessment section, by paying the requisite fee of $60.
Most applicants only need to pay the one time registration fee for each GRE attempt. However, additional fees are applicable if the candidate wishes to reschedule the test or relocate to a different test center.
| Service | GRE Exam Fees |
| Registration Fee (General GRE) | $220 |
| Registration Fee (General GRE; China only) | $231 |
| Fee for Change in Test Center | $50 ($53.90 for China) |
| Fee to Reschedule Test | $50 |
| Additional Score Report (per School) | $30 |
| Verbal / Quantitative Score Review | $50 |
| Analytical Writing Score Review | $60 |
| Score Reinstatement | $50 |
The Verbal section of the GRE has always been particularly challenging for students from India, because of the very high level of vocabulary proficiency required. Even candidates who are fluent in English may struggle with the GRE format without adequate preparation. Therefore, it is recommended that applicants sign up to an in-person or remote coaching class, and complete weekly sectional tests diligently. With a year of part time preparation and careful attention to word lists, candidates can improve their projected GRE score substantially.
To ensure that their preparation is high impact, candidates must attempt at least 10 comprehensive GRE sample papers, taking care that their score constantly improves from test to test. This is also the only way to deal with potential time pressure issues.
Any student who wishes to apply for a Master's degree abroad should consider appearing for the GRE. In many cases, it is a compulsory examination; in others (for example, Business School applications), it is rapidly gaining acceptance among applicants. The GRE is the gateway to the world's best grad schools in Europe, the United States, Asia, Australia, and Africa.
The high probability word list for GRE aspirants contains several thousand words, at least 50% of which will be completely new to most candidates. Therefore, test takers must consistently learn a few new words every day, while simultaneously consolidating what they have learned in the past.
The best way to learn new words is through flash cards, either hard copy or via an app. Many successful candidates are choosing vocabulary games to ensure that they learn at least ten new entrants on the GRE word list on a daily basis. The best way to ensure that words learned earlier are not forgotten is to go through a large number of test questions very quickly, and mark the words which have recently come up during preparation.
The GRE score is one of three important components of an application to graduate school. Though the relative importance given to each varies according to the country and program, most schools allocate an approximately equal weightage to the GRE score and Letters of Recommendation, and both these factors are secondary to the undergraduate aggregate marks or Grade Point Average. Therefore, a very high GRE score will definitely help the overall application, but it will not be able to completely wipe out a deficit in the undergraduate GPA.
The GRE score is valid for five years, but most experts recommend that applicants submit scores that are no more than two years old, and ideally based on attempts within the previous six to twelve months. Therefore, most attempts are made in the final year of undergraduate study, or in the year preceding the application (if the candidate is already working somewhere and wants to join grad school).
Most highly ranked grad school programs look at the overall GRE score, and have a cutoff for each program that is reasonably consistent from year to year. However, some liberal arts programs may give higher weightage to the performance in the Verbal section. Similarly, some engineering courses may discount the Verbal performance and focus on the Quant score instead. Candidates should carefully read the criteria listed on the websites of their programs of interest, and contact the relevant schools if they have any doubt about their desired GRE score target.
GRE test takers can view their scores within two weeks of their exam date, within their ETS account. This will include a detailed breakdown of section-wise scores, and access to the diagnostic service to understand the performance at a granular level. These scores can be sent to an unlimited number of grad schools. However, only the first four score recipients are free. Subsequently, a fee of $30 per recipient is applicable to send to each institution from the fifth onwards.
