Introduction
GRE - GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION, currently known as GRE revised General Test, is owned and administered by ETS ( Educational Testing Service, a US-based organization). GRE revised General Test is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for most Graduate Schools and Business Schools across the globe. GRE was first created in 1949 by ETS. GRE primarily aims to measure the verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills of the aspirants of higher education and is not related to any particular academic discipline or field.. GRE is recognized as a standard agreed-upon test by several universities around the globe. GRE is offered as a computer-delivered test year-round at Prometric testing centers around the world and as a paper-delivered test up to three times a year in areas where computer-delivered testing is not available.
Eligibility
There is no particular eligibility criteria set by ETS for the aspirants of GRE. Any candidate with a valid and acceptable identification (which clearly shows name, photograph, and signature) is eligible to take the GRE test. The ID requirements depend on where a candidate plans to take the test and his/her country of citizenship. CLICK HERE - GRE TEST - ID REQUIREMENTS COUNTRY/LOCATION WISE. Below mentioned are the General ID Document Requirements.
- The ID document should be an original document; photocopied documents are not acceptable.
- The ID document should be a government-issued national/state/province identity card that is recognized by the country in which the candidate is a citizen or permanent resident.
- The ID document should be valid; expired documents (bearing expiration dates that have passed) are not acceptable.
- The ID document should bear full name exactly (excluding accents) as it was when registering for the test including a recent, recognizable photograph.
- The ID document should include the candidates signature. (the name and signature on the ID document must match)
Test Dates
GRE is offered as a computer-delivered test year-round at Prometric testing centers around the world and as a paper-delivered test up to three times a year in areas where computer-delivered testing is not available.
Candidates should note that during the peak application season (generally around August to December), it may be difficult to get an appointment on the preferred dates and the preferred exam centers. Candidates are thus advised to plan well in advance to be able to register for a preferred date and exam center. CLICK HERE - GRE REGISTRATION & TEST DATES.
Test Centers
GRE is available at more than 1,000 test centers in more than 160 countries. It is offered as a computer-delivered test year-round at Prometric testing centers around the world and as a paper-delivered test up to three times a year in areas where computer-delivered testing is not available. CLICK HERE - GRE TEST CENTERS & TEST DATES.
Test Fee
GRE test fee ranges between $ 205 - $ 230 USD based on the location. Additional fees are charged if a candidate submits a rescheduling request or request for changing the test center.
| GRE General Test Fee - Effective from July 1, 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Australia | $230 |
| China | $220.70 |
| Nigeria | $220 |
| All other areas of the world | $205 |
| Special Handling Requests | |
| Late Registration Fee (paper-delivered test online registration only) | $25 |
| Standby Testing (paper-delivered test only) | $50 |
| Rescheduling Fee - China | $53.90 |
| Rescheduling Fee - All other areas of the world | $50 |
| Changing Test Center | $50 |
Test Pattern
The GRE revised General Test, has been developed to evaluate the analytical, verbal, and mathematical skills of the candidates. While Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning are scored on a scale 130-170, analytical writing is scored on a scale of 0-6. Below is the exam pattern for GRE Computer delivered test and GRE Paper delivered test.
Exam Score Range:
The overall testing time for the computer-delivered GRE General Test is about 3 hours and 45 minutes. There are 6 sections with a 10-minute break following the third section.
The Analytical Writing section will always be first. The Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and unidentified/unscored sections may appear in any order; therefore, one should treat each section as if it counts toward their score. An identified research section that is not scored may be included in place of the unscored section. The research section will always appear at the end of the test.
| Sections | No. of questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing(One section with two separately timed tasks) | Task 1 - Analyze an issue | 30 minutes |
| Task 2 – Analyze an Argument task | 30 minutes | |
| Verbal Reasoning(Two sections) | 20 questions per section | 30 minutes per section |
| Quantitative Reasoning(Two sections) | 20 questions per section | 35 minutes per section |
| Unscored | Varies | Varies |
| Research | Varies | Varies |
Note:
✦ An unidentified unscored section that does not count toward test takers score may be included and may appear in any order after the Analytical Writing section. Questions in the unscored section are being tried out either for possible use in future tests or to ensure that scores on new editions of the test are comparable to scores from earlier editions.
✦ An identified research section that does not count toward test takers score may be included in place of the unscored section. The research section will always appear at the end of the test. Questions in this section are included for ETS research purposes.
Computer-Based Test Features
The advanced adaptive design of the GRE General Test allows test takers to freely move forward and backward throughout an entire section. Specific features include:
- Preview and review capabilities within a section
- "Mark" and "Review" features to tag questions, so one can skip them and return later if they have time remaining in the section
- The ability to change/edit answers within a section
- An on-screen calculator for the Quantitative Reasoning section
The overall testing time for the paper-delivered GRE General Test is about 3 hours and 30 minutes. There are 6 sections with a 10-minute break following the second section.
Unlike the previous paper-delivered GRE General Test, which used separate answer sheets, the paper-delivered GRE General Test is self-contained; test takers will enter all responses for the Analytical Writing tasks and the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections in the test book itself. Test takers will be provided with a basic handheld calculator for use during the Quantitative Reasoning section.
The Analytical Writing sections will always be first, while the other four sections may appear in any order.
Paper-delivered Test Features-
| Sections | No. of questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing(Two sections) | Task 1 - Analyze an issue | 30 minutes |
| Task 2 – Analyze an Argument task | 30 minutes | |
| Verbal Reasoning(Two sections) | 25 questions per section | 35 minutes per section |
| Quantitative Reasoning(Two sections) | 25 questions per section | 40 minutes per section |
- When taking a Verbal Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning section, test takers are free, within that section, to skip questions and come back to them later or change the answer to a question.
- There are paper-delivered equivalents for most of the question types, including text completions and numeric entry.
- Answers are entered into the test book, rather than a separate answer sheet.
- Test takers will be provided an ETS calculator to use during the Quantitative Reasoning section; and not allowed to use the own calculator.
| Analytical writing | 0.0 to 6.0 (in 0.5 point increments) |
| Verbal reasoning | 130 to 170 (in 1 point increments) |
| Quantitative reasoning | 130 to 170 (in 1 point increments) |
Test Scores
GRE score is a mandatory requirement for admission to various Masters (MS, MBA) and Doctoral/Research (Ph.D.) programs (does not include Law/Medicine programs), across the universities of the world. The GRE score is accepted by most universities of USA, UK, Singapore, Germany, and Australia and in most other countries.
The ScoreSelect option provided by GRE allows the aspirants of higher education programs to take a GRE test multiple times and only send the GRE test scores from whichever test date(s) the aspirants want schools to see. A candidate always has 5 years to decide i.e. while submitting the scores to the universities, a candidate has the following options to choose from:
1. Most Recent - To send score from current/most recent test administration. (On Test Day & After Test Day)
2. All - To send scores from aa General Test administrations in the last 5 years. (On Test Day & After Test Day)
3. Any - To send scores from one OR as many test administrations from the last five years. (After Test Day)
Note:
1. Candidates will select by specific test dates, so scores are all from the same testing session.
2. Only those schools designated by the candidate will see the scores selected by the candidate.
3. There will be no special indication if candidates have taken multiple GRE tests.
4.The Score Select option is available for both the GRE General Test and GRE Subject Tests and can be used by anyone with reportable scores from the last five years.
Subject Test
In addition to the GRE revised General Test, ETS also offers GRE Subject Tests. Though the subject tests, are not mandatory for the application process, the subject tests help to enhance a candidate’s application. The subject tests are an indicator of subject knowledge and skill-level of a candidate and hence they are an advantage in the application process. Subject Tests are intended for students who have an undergraduate major or extensive background in one of these six disciplines:
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- ✦Biology
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- ✦Chemistry
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- ✦Literature in English
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- ✦Mathematics
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- ✦Physics
-
- ✦Psychology
Quick Facts
Exam Name (Acronym): Graduate Record Examination (GRE) [ Started in 1949 by ETS]
Exam Currently Known as: GRE General Revised Test
Exam Annual Number of Test Takers: 584,677 [2016]
Exam Fee: $ 205 - $230 (USD)
Exam Developed/Administered By: ETS (Educational Testing Service)
Exam Level: International
Exam Language: English
Exam Purpose: Admissions to Masters (MS, MBA) and Doctoral degree (PhD) programs in various universities.
Exam Type: Computer-based or Paper-based
Exam Fee: Effective from July 1, 2017
Exam Number of Sections: 3 - Analytical Writing, Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning
Exam Duration: About 3 hours and 45 minutes (includes 1-minute breaks after each section and a 10-minute break after the third section).
Exam Score Validity: 5 Years
Exam Offered:Computer-based test: Multiple times a year (depends on the availability of the test center). Paper-based test: Up to 3 times a year.
Exam Number of Allowable Attempts: Computer-based test: Can be taken once every 21 days up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). This applies even if candidate cancels scores on a test taken previously.
Paper-based test: Can be taken as often as it is offered.
Exam Centers: About 1,000 test centers in more than 160 countries. (Paper-based test offered only in areas where computer-based testing is not available.)
Exam Eligibility Criteria: No pre-defined Criteria/No Prerequisite. Intended for aspirants of Master’s programs/ Doctoral Programs around the globe.
Exam Score Acceptance: GRE Score is accepted by most graduate schools in the USA, and some other countries.
Information Source: ETS
| Standard Test Administration (GRE General Test) | |
|---|---|
| Australia | $230 |
| China | $220.70 |
| All other areas of the world | $205 |