How is the GRE Test Structured?

The Paper-Delivered Test:

• Time: The time given is 3 hours and 30 minutes for the entire test. The test contains a total of 6 sections with a 10-minute break provided after the completion of the second section.
  
• Time per section: Each test is provided with a particular time limit. The Analytical Writing Test is divided into 2 sections. Each section must be answered in 30 minutes. The first section involves the analysis of a problem while the second one involves the analysis of an argument. Similarly, the Verbal Reasoning Test is divided into two sections with a total of 25 questions per section. The time provided is 35 minutes for each section. As for the Quantitative Analysis Test, there are two sections again with 25 questions each. The time provided for each section is 40 minutes.
  
• Order of the tests: The Analytical Writing Test is always the first part of the GRE General Exam. However, the other two tests may arrive in any order.
  
• Candidates are allowed to skip and return to questions in the sections provided under Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning. The answers can also be changed if needed.

The Computer-Delivered Test:

• Time: The time provided for the Computer-Delivered GRE General Test is 3 hours and 45 minutes. There are 6 sections in the test with a 10-minute break being provided after the completion of the third section.
  
• Time per section: The Analytical Writing Tests contains a single section that is divided into 2 separate tasks. Each task must be completed in 30 minutes. The first task is to analyze a problem, and the other is to analyze an argument. Similarly, the Verbal Reasoning Test has 2 sections with 20 questions each. The time allotted per section is 30 minutes. The Quantitative Reasoning Test has 2 sections with 20 questions each and a 35-minute time limit per section.
  
• Extra sections: There will be an Unscored Section or a Research Section provided, too. The Research Section will usually turn up right at the end of the test. The Research Section is provided for ETS’s (Educational Testing Service) research purposes, while the Unscored Section helps ETS try out questions that may be incorporated into the GRE General Test in the future. The Unscored Section also helps ETS compare the scores between earlier and newer editions of the test.
  
• Order of the tests: The Analytical Writing Test is always the first, while the others may appear in any order. This is why even the Research Section or the Unscored Section must be treated as scored sections, in order to complete the test on time.
  
• Questions can be skipped and returned to later, for which you are provided with ‘Mark’ and ‘Review’ features for each question. Answers can also be edited and corrected, if required.