GRE General Test

Appearing for the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test is a smart decision if you want to get into the world’s best universities and business schools. It is more of a screening tool and a requirement for admission to graduate universities in the United States and Canada, as well as a few other nations. The GRE General Test evaluates the skills and mental processes required to thrive in today’s competitive graduate programs. Ergo, it is the ace-in-the-hole for you to attain your career objectives. 

GRE Exam Highlights

Exam Name	Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Programmes	Postgraduate-level
Conducting Body	ETS (Educational Testing Service)
Established by	Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Mode of Exam	Computer and Paper-based
Score Range	130–170 (Verbal Reasoning score range)130–170 (Quantitative Reasoning score range)0–6 (Analytical Writing score range)
Fee: India Rest of the world	$213.00 (INR 15,927.29)$205.00 (INR 15,329.08)
Validity	5 Years

What is GRE General Test?

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) or GRE General Test is a screening tool and a requirement for admission in graduate universities all around the globe. Educational Testing Service owns and administers the GRE General Test. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching designed the test in 1936. 

The GRE General Test curriculum includes portions that help universities and graduate schools evaluate candidates comprehensively. It includes questions that assess a candidate’s overall abilities in order to determine whether he or she is qualified for admission to top graduate programmes. As a result, the GRE General Exam will evaluate one based on their ability to think critically and how concentrated their solutions are within the time restriction.

Also Read: GRE: Exam Fee and Other Registration Cost

Who sits for the GRE General Test?

Candidates who intend to study abroad for a graduate degree, master’s degree, MBA, or PhD programme sit for the GRE General Test.  It enables schools and universities to assess candidates’ qualifications on a consistent basis, given that applicants come from all over the world and have varying educational backgrounds. 

Also Read: GRE Test Prep

GRE General Test Exam Pattern

The GRE® General Test takes approximately three hours and 45 minutes to complete. There are six sections in total, with a 10-minute break after the third. The computer-based exam Questions are patterned in the following manner : 

Measure	Number of Questions	Allotted Time in minutes
Analytical Writing(One section with two separately timed tasks)	One “Analyse an Issue” task and one “Analyse an Argument” task	30 per task
Verbal Reasoning(Two sections)	20  per section	30 per section
Quantitative Reasoning(Two sections)	20 per section	35 per section
Unscored¹	Varies	Varies
Research²	Varies	Varies

1. After the Analytical Writing test, there may be an unidentifiable unscored section that does not contribute toward your score. It can appear in any sequence. Questions in the unscored section are being tested for future use or to guarantee that results on new editions of the test are comparable to scores on previous editions.

2. In place of the unscored section, a specified research component that does not contribute toward your score may be inserted. The research component of the test will always appear towards the end. The questions in this section are included for the purpose of ETS study.

Different sections of GRE General Test

The GRE General Test assesses candidates’ verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing abilities — abilities that have evolved over time and are relevant to all fields of study.  Here’s a look at content covered in the three test sections: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning.

Analytical Writing

The Analytical Writing section requires candidates to provide focused responses based on the tasks presented, so they can accurately demonstrate their skill indirectly responding to a task.

The Analytical Writing section assesses a person’s ability to express complex ideas clearly and effectively, to support ideas with relevant reasons and examples, to examine claims and supporting evidence, to maintain a well-focused, coherent discussion, and to master the elements of standard written English.

Verbal Reasoning

The Verbal Reasoning component assesses one’s ability to analyse and derive conclusions from discourse, reason from incomplete data, and grasp the author’s assumptions and/or point of view. It evaluates candidates’ competence to choose significant points, separate major from minor or irrelevant points, summarises material, comprehends text structure, understands the meaning of individual words, phrases, and full texts, and comprehend relationships between words and concepts.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning portion analyses one’s intellect to understand, interpret, and evaluate quantitative data, solve problems using mathematical models, and apply basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis abilities and concepts.

Also Read: GRE Coaching

GRE General Test Syllabus

The entire updated syllabus for GRE has been structured in the following way.

Analytical Writing

This section of the GRE General Test consists of two separately timed analytical writing tasks:

• Analyse an Issue task : This task measures a candidate’s ability to think critically about a topic of general interest and to express himself clearly in writing about it. Each issue statement presents a claim that they can debate from a variety of angles and apply to a variety of scenarios and contexts. A collection of explicit instructions follows the issue statement.
• Analyse an Argument task : These tasks are presented with a brief passage in which the author makes a case for some course of action or interpretation of events by presenting claims backed by reasons and evidence. Candidate’s task is to discuss the logical soundness of the author’s case according to the specific instructions by critically examining the line of reasoning and the use of evidence.

Verbal Reasoning

This  section of the GRE General Test contains three types of questions:

• Reading Comprehension : These questions appear in sets; Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions are independent.
• Text Completion : These questions include a passage composed of one to five sentences with one to three blanks.
• Sentence Equivalence : These questions consist of a single sentence, one blank, and six answer choices. These questions require you to select two of the answer choices. You receive no credit for partially correct answers.

Quantitative Reasoning

This section of the GRE General Test contains four types of questions:

• Quantitative Comparison Questions
• Multiple-choice Questions — Select One Answer Choice
• Multiple-choice Questions — Select One or More Answer Choices
• Numeric Entry Questions

Each question appears as a stand-alone question or as part of a group of questions known as a Data Interpretation set. A Data Interpretation set’s questions are all based on the same data, which is given in tables, graphs, or other data presentations. 

Also Read: The Ultimate 2022 Guide for GRE

GRE General Test Dates

The GRE General Test provides a number of simple testing alternatives, allowing candidates to select the testing location and date that is most suitable for them. They can take the GRE General Test once every 21 days for a total of five times in any 12-month period (365 days). This applies even if they cancelled their scores on a test taken previously.

GRE General Test Eligibility Criteria

ETS does not have any precise eligibility requirements for the GRE General Test. This GRE exam is open to anyone, regardless of age or qualifications. However, candidates applying for masters courses are required to take their GRE test.

Also Read: How to Ace GRE Verbal Reasoning Section?

GRE General Test Registration and Fees

The online registration method is the most convenient way to register for the GRE General Test. The following is a step-by-step guide to registering for the GRE General Test:

• Log in to your ETS account or create an account.
• On your My GRE home page, select Register/Find Test Centres.
• Verify your email address, then continue.
• To select your test appointment, confirm your time zone, or select a new one.
• Choose the two-month period you would like to take the test, and select an available test date from the calendar.
• Select an available time for your test, and click “Register for this test.”
• Follow the directions to continue your registration and pay for your test.
• Once your registration has been processed, you will receive a confirmation email from ETS confirming your test choice, test date, test centre or link to launch your at home test, and score recipients.

The GRE General Test fee varies per country, whereas applicants from other parts of the world pay a standard sum. Here’s the list :

Location	Fee
China	$231.30 (INR 17,295.69)
India	$213.00 (INR 15,927.29)
All other areas of the world	$205.00 (INR 15,329.08)

GRE General Test Exam Centres in India

The GRE General Test is conducted in the major cities in India. A few of them are New Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Chennai, Vijaywada, Gandhinagar, Indore, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Allahabad, Mysore, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Trivandrum, Vadodara, Cochin, Gwalior and Nashik. It is also available at home around the clock, seven days a week, with appointments available as early as 24 hours after one registers.

GRE General Test Scores and Results

You must grasp the marking system and how the scores are reviewed in order to better comprehend how your GRE General Test results will be determined. The section-by-section distribution of the GRE General Exam score scale is listed below:

Section	Score Scale
Verbal Reasoning	130-170 score range, in 1-point increments
Quantitative Reasoning	130-170 score range, in 1-point increments
Analytical Writing (AWA)	0-6 score range, in half-point increments

Tips

A strong GRE General Test result gives you an advantage over other applicants during the admissions process. It examines an individual’s ability to apply knowledge and solve problems at the moment. Here are some basic tips which may help you while undertaking this exam.

• Study smarter, not harder.
• Use the right study tools.
• Read the questions carefully
• Use Process of Elimination
• Check for Mistakes
• Take the Break
• Don’t worry, be happy.

So get started, register, and start studying for the GRE exam. Before you begin the registration and slot booking process, make sure you confirm your GRE eligibility. We wish you the best of luck in your pursuit of an international education!

FAQs

GRE general tests are an excellent technique to gain admission to a university in another country. If you are interested in taking the best GRE prep classes available then check out Leverage Live. It is an online platform where you can get access to GRE prep classes by professionals who have years of experience in this sector. To know more about our Study Abroad services call us anytime at 1800 572 000 for a free consultancy session from our experts.