Introduction
If you’re considering applying to graduate school, you’re likely to have heard of the GRE. The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is a standardized test designed to assess your readiness for graduate-level academic work. In this blog post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the GRE, including its purpose, who conducts it, the different types of exams available, which countries it’s offered in, and more.
Conducted by
The GRE is conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a non-profit organization that specializes in designing, administering, and scoring standardized tests. ETS is responsible for creating the test questions, administering the exam, and delivering test scores to educational institutions.
Eligible exams
The GRE General Test is the most commonly taken exam and is designed to measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills. There are also several subject-specific GRE exams available, including Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. These exams are designed to measure knowledge and skills in specific academic fields and are often required for admission to graduate programs in those fields.
Eligible countries
The GRE is offered in over 160 countries, making it a globally recognized test. In many countries, the test is administered through Prometric Test Centers, which are available in most major cities. You can also take the test online, although this option is not available in all countries.
Top Universities
Many of the world’s top universities require the GRE as part of their graduate admissions process. These include Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, as well as other top-ranked institutions such as Stanford, MIT, and the University of California, Berkeley. The GRE is also accepted by many universities outside of the United States, including in Canada, Europe, and Asia.
Exam fee
The cost of the GRE General Test varies by country, but in the United States, the fee is $205. There are additional fees for services such as rescheduling your test or changing your test center. ETS also offers a fee reduction program for individuals who demonstrate financial need.
Exam duration
The GRE General Test is three hours and 45 minutes long, including breaks. The test is divided into six sections, including two verbal reasoning sections, two quantitative reasoning sections, one analytical writing section, and one unscored research section. The analytical writing section is always first, followed by the other sections. You can take a 10-minute break after the third section.
Exam pattern
The GRE General Test is a computer-adaptive test, meaning that the difficulty of the questions adapts to your performance. The test is designed to measure a range of skills, including reading comprehension, critical thinking, problem-solving, and written communication. The verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections each have two 20-question sections, for a total of 40 questions. The analytical writing section has two tasks, one in which you analyze an issue and one in which you analyze an argument.
Number of questions
The GRE General Test has a total of 80 questions, including the analytical writing tasks. The verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections each have 20 questions, while the analytical writing section has two tasks.
| Quantitative Reasoning | Verbal Reasoning | Analytical Writing Assessment | |
| Number of Sections | 2 (20 questions per section) | 2 (20 questions per section) | 2 tasks: Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument |
| Time per Section | 35 minutes | 30 minutes | 30 minutes per task |
Conclusion
The GRE is an important exam for anyone considering graduate school. It’s designed to measure a range of academic skills, including critical thinking, analytical writing, and verbal and quantitative reasoning. By understanding the structure and content of the exam, you can better prepare and improve your chances of success. We hope this guide has provided you with the information you need to get started on your GRE journey. Remember to take your time and practice as much as possible before your test
