Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about GRE

What is GRE?

The GRE or GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION is a testing system that most international universities (including USA & Canada) adopt to assess a student's potential for higher academic pursuits, advanced studies and research. This standardized test compares the performance of a student with millions of others who have written this exam.
The GRE measures a student's verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills - and is an important admission requirement for MS & Ph.D programs in engineering, science and arts in the USA or other English speaking countries.
The GRE is conducted by Educational Testing Services (ETS), a New Jersey-based American organization of long standing reputation and quality.

What is the GRE General Test and the GRE Subject Test?

The GRE is conducted in 2 basic streams:
1)The GRE General Test measures Verbal reasoning, Quantitative reasoning, Critical thinking and Analytical skills acquired over a long period of time. In August 2011, the test was revised and the score pattern was changed from 1600 to 340 in total. Go to GRE new pattern to learn more.
2)The GRE Subject Test gages undergraduate achievement in 8 specific fields of study.

Who is eligible to write the GRE General Test?

Anyone can write the GRE. Usually, graduates in Humanities, Sciences, Engineering, and Technology who want to pursue their higher studies at international universities write the GRE.
The GRE Score is widely accepted in the universities and institutions of United States of America, Europe, Canada, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America for admission into departments of higher studies and research.
The GRE test score is highly valuable as many Universities and Institutes take that into consideration for the award of scholarship and fellowships.
Though the GRE subject test is not available in the study areas of law and medicine - it is not unusual to find law and medical students writing the GRE Test.

How many sections are there, and how many question are there on each section?

There are two verbal sections, with roughly 20 questions each. There are two math sections, with roughly 20 questions each.

What is the Experimental Section in GRE?

This section can be any section mentioned above i.e. Verbal, Quantitative or Analytical Writing. This section is not evaluated to affect your final score. (The experimental section does not appear in a paper based test). But you wouldn't know that you are answering an experimental section or a real one. Thats the catch. So altogether you will have 5 sections, either 3 Quants and 2 verbal sections or 2 Quants and 3 verbal sections.

How long is GRE exam?

The GRE is a 3 hours 45 minutes examination.You get one minute breaks between each section.After the 3rd section, you get a 10 minute break.

Is the GRE adaptive?

GRE is a CAT test - a computer adaptive test. It starts at a medium difficulty and increases question difficulty as long as you answer the questions correctly. But in the new pattern the adaption occurs in the next section. You will face 2 sections in verbal and 2 sections in quants. If you ace the first section of either Verbal or Quant the 20 questions in the next section will have a higher difficulty. But within a section there is no adaption. Thats a difference with the old GRE. For more details go to this link.

How do I book a Test Appointment for GRE?

You must go to the the official ETS website and register. Go to the following link for a step by step guide of how to book your GRE date.

Can you skip questions, and if so how do you come back to them?

You can skip questions on the new GRE, in both the math and verbal sections. The new GRE has a scroll function, which allows you to flag a question so you can easily come back to it at a later point in time. Indeed, there is a separate screen in which you can click on any of the 20 questions on the section. That way you don’t have to go back and forth sequentially between questions, which would take a long time.

How long are the GRE Scores valid for?

GRE Scores are valid for 5 years. Some applicants take the test right after the undergrad (while the memory of math is still very fresh) and then apply after several years of work experience.

What is the fee for GRE exam?

The cost of writing the GRE varies from US $130 to $210 depending on your country. For fee details go to this link.

Which graduate and business school institutions accept GRE scores?

See the full listing here.

What is the maximum score in GRE?

The score range in GRE is 260-340. Math and verbal sections both carry 170 each. For details of scoring in new GRE go to this link.

After I take the GRE, how soon will I know my score?

Your unofficial (preliminary that is) GRE score will be made available to you immediately after you finish the test. You can also cancel your test score immediately after taking it, but in that case, your score will not be displayed. This option is not recommended unless you feel that you bombed the test and did not finish a number of questions. Your official test scores will be sent to you either by mail or via email. That's when you will find out your Analytical Writing Assessment score.

How do I send my scores to an Institution?

Your test fee entitles you to request that scores be sent to as many as four graduate institutions or fellowship sponsors at no additional cost.
For the computer-delivered GRE revised General Test, you will be asked to designate your score recipients at the test center or you can choose not to report your scores at that time.

How often can I retake the test?

You can take the computer-delivered test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). This applies even if you canceled your scores on a test taken previously. You may take the paper-delivered test as often as it is offered.