GRE - Graduate Record Examinations

The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, is a standardized test administered by ETS that examines test-takers’ verbal, analytical, and mathematical skills. GRE results must be sent to the target universities by students who wish to enroll in graduate programs abroad for Master’s degrees. GRE results are accepted by more than 1000 universities in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia when selecting which candidates to admit.

What is the purpose of taking the GRE exam?

For entrance to graduate programs, colleges and universities abroad often accept the GRE. The GRE is necessary for students who want to pursue an MBA, Ph.D., or master’s degree. In addition, students must pass the GRE to be eligible for a graduate school scholarship based on merit. Thousands of graduate institutions throughout the world accept GRE scores. In addition, the GRE results are accepted by several business schools, law schools, and departments within these organizations.

Important aspects of GRE

Specific Explanation
Full Form
Graduate Record Examination
Official Website
https://www.ets.org/gre
Popular For
MS in the US
Conducted By
ETS (Educational Testing Service)
Mode of Exam
Computer and Paper – Delivered Test
GRE Fee
USD 213
Score Range
Verbal reasoning score range: 130–170 Quantitative reasoning score range: 130–170 Analytical writing score range: 0–6

Different types of GRE exams

The GRE consists of two varieties:

GRE General Test

Students take the GRE General Test in order to be considered for admission to MS programs in several disciplines offered abroad. This exam assesses a student’s proficiency in verbal thinking, analytical writing, and mathematics. Students can take the exam whenever it’s convenient for them, and it’s administered year-round. In places where computer-delivered testing is unavailable, the paper-based GRE General Test is administered up to twice each year.

GRE Subject Test

The purpose of the GRE Subject Test is to assess candidates’ knowledge of a specific subject. The following subjects are covered in these exams: English literature, mathematics, physics and psychology, biochemistry, biology, and chemistry. This exam is often necessary in order to get admitted to specialized courses.

What are the qualifications needed to apply for the GRE?

While GRE qualifying standards are significant, universities may have additional criteria in order to guarantee admission.

There is no minimum age requirement or educational background needed for candidates to take the GRE.

Examinees have to have finished their undergraduate degree with excellence.

What is the fee for the GRE?

The GRE general test application cost is INR 22,550. The subject test’s GRE price is INR 14,500. Furthermore, there is an additional cost that students must pay to modify the exam location or postpone it.

Which dates are important for the GRE?

Students have the flexibility to take the GRE at a time that works for them because the exam dates are spread out throughout the year. Prometric Test Centers in various places provide GRE examinations. Examinees may choose to take the exam online or on paper, although the option to take the exam online is limited to areas without internet access. As a result, it is exclusively offered online in India.

What is the GRE syllabus and exam pattern?

Two subcategories of the primary categories—verbal, analytical writing, and quantitative reasoning—are tested on paper. There are two parts and 50 questions in the verbal and quantitative reasoning test, and there is a 60- to 70-minute time limitation. There are two tasks in Analytical Writing, each lasting 60 minutes.

Every part is separated into two sub-sections, each containing 40 questions, for the computer-based pattern. The GRE test syllabus is designed to evaluate applicants’ quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and critical thinking abilities to determine their eligibility for graduate school admission.

What is the range of GRE scores?

There is a section-wise distribution scheme for the GRE score range.

  • Verbal Reasoning: 1 point increments on a 130–170 scoring range.
  • Quantitative Reasoning: 1-point increments on a 130–170 scoring scale
  • Analytical Writing: Half-point increments on a 0–6 scoring scale
  • Overall Score: Between 260 and 340

The subject test is calculated using a 200–990 scale with a 10-point increment scale variation. Students need to know that their GRE results are valid for five years after the test date.

GRE vs TOEFL

The GRE and TOEFL have distinct objectives. The TOEFL exam assesses a student’s proficiency in the English language, whereas the GRE assesses a test-takers preparation for graduate-level courses. 

To feel confident and do well on the two examinations, it is crucial to understand their format and content. A student can be required to take both tests. One must be sure that they understand the scoring criteria for each institution to which they are applying to ensure that they have all the necessary paperwork and test results.

GRE vs. GMAT

There is a significant distinction between the two: although the GMAT is approved by universities offering business courses, the GRE is accepted by most universities offering master’s programs worldwide. Students who wish to enroll in graduate school thus take the GRE, and those who want to attend business school take the GMAT. While the GMAT places more of a focus on grammar, the GRE assesses students’ vocabulary in the verbal portion of the test.

Popular Universities Accept GRE Scores

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • Stanford University
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • University of Virginia
  • University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
  • University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • University of California – San Diego
  • University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign
  • University of Wisconsin – Madison
  • University of Washington
  • Pennsylvania State University
  • University of Florida (UFL)
  • University of Texas, Austin
  • Ohio State University
  • California Institute of Technology
  • Duke University
  • University of Chicago
  • Northwestern University
  • Washington University in St. Louis
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Rice University
  • Emory University
  • University of Notre Dame
  • Vanderbilt University

Which countries accept GRE test scores?

GRE results are accepted by all renowned universities worldwide, including those in the US, UK, Singapore, Europe, and Australia. Globally, more than 600 business schools accept the GRE.

What are the locations of the GRE Test Centers in India?

You may schedule a GRE online. Applicants should use the internet to verify whether exam centers are open. To discover the nearest GRE test center, sign up on the official ETS website, enter the location, and verify the test center’s proper time and date.

GRE Test Eligibility Requirements

While the GRE qualifying requirements are crucial, there may be other requirements as well to ensure a student’s admission to a university. The following are a few things to keep in mind about the GRE qualifying requirements.

The Ivy League colleges and universities, for instance, have strict guidelines on GPAs (Grade Point Average). However, it varies, thus these shouldn’t be considered as requirements for taking the GRE.

Only undergraduate degrees are required to be eligible for the GRE exam.

A student’s age cannot be a barrier to taking the GREs. GRE qualification requirements may penalize certain students, but ETS does not impose them on its students.

GRE eligibility criteria do not impact the nature of the exam in any way.

Its goal of choose the best candidates from a wide pool of applicants without enforcing excessive or discriminating GRE qualifying requirements. 

GRE Test Terms and Conditions

Here are some guidelines that each student should be aware of before taking tests and then applying for admission.

Although it’s not a requirement for taking the GRE, students should be aware that the passport is the only legitimate form of identification that the ETS accepts.

The only GRE requirement that universities look for is a high score; nevertheless, selective colleges may have their own admissions requirements.

ETS offers concessions for students with disabilities; nevertheless, to get the GRE exam eligibility concessions, a candidate must submit all necessary information in advance.

Colleges that accept GRE scores

In the US, UK, and Canada, the number of universities accepting GRE results for MBA programs is gradually rising. In the past, admission to MS courses was mostly determined by GRE results; however, there is a great deal of overlap between GMAT and GRE exam patterns.

Universities can now evaluate applicants based only on their GRE results because of the flexibility of the GRE qualifying requirements. The GRE score itself is adequate to assess a student’s suitability for MBA programs. These patterns have grown as a result of the ETS’s changes to exam schedules.

GRE General Test Syllabus

There are three sections to the GRE general test syllabus:

Analytical writing

The analytical writing portion measures students’ ability to express complicated concepts clearly and effectively. It also assesses the student’s ability to hold a focused and comprehensive discussion and to defend those views with pertinent arguments and examples.

It is advised that applicants inquire about the admission board’s assessment of the AWA section strength directly from the college to which they are applying. The Analytical Writing component results are evaluated on a different scale of one to six and are not included in the total GRE score.

Verbal reasoning

The verbal thinking portion assesses students’ ability to analyze and draw conclusions, recognize information inside it, carefully consider the connections between sentence components, and recognize connections between concepts and words. Text Completion, Sentence Equivalency, and Reading Comprehension are the three distinct ability areas tested on the GRE Verbal Reasoning exam.

Topics discussed in the verbal section:

  • Verb tense
  • Basic sentence structure: nouns, pronouns, adjectives
  • Pronoun agreement
  • Idioms & idiomatic expressions
  • Modifiers
  • Subject-verb agreement
  • Parallelism

Quantitative reasoning

The purpose of the GRE Quantitative portion, commonly referred to as the quantitative reasoning section, is to assess students’ abilities to understand, analyze, and interpret quantitative information. It assesses the test-takers proficiency in four subjects: data analysis, geometry, algebra, and arithmetic.

Topics addressed in the Quant section:

Arithmetic

  • Number line sequences of numbers, percent, estimate, ratio, absolute value, and decimal representation
  • Exponents, roots, and arithmetic operations
  • Prime numbers, factorization, even and odd integers, remainders, and divisibility

 

Algebra

  • Using equations to obtain answers to problems
  • Simultaneous inequalities and equations
  • Quadratic and linear equations and inequalities
  • Simplification & factorization of algebraic expressions
  • Functions, equations, relations, and inequalities
  • Coordinate geometry, graphs related to functions and equations

 

Geometry

  • 3-D figures, area, volume, perimeter
  • Perpendicular and parallel lines, Quadrilaterals, circles and triangles
  • Measurement of angle in degrees
  • Polygons and congruent Figures
  • Pythagorean theorem

 

Data Analysis

  • Statistics
  • Frequency distributions & scatterplots
  • Interpreting data in tables & graphs
  • Elementary probability
  • Random variables and counting methods, Probability distributions and Conditional probability
  • Combinations, venn diagrams, permutations

Score range for the GRE general test

Section Score Range
GRE Quantitative Reasoning
130-170 with 1-point increment
GRE Verbal Reasoning
130-170 with 1-point increment
GRE Analytics Writing Assessment
0-6 with 0.5-point increment
Grand Total
260-340

GRE Subject Test Exam Pattern

Conducting time: GRE subject examinations may only be taken by Indian students in October.

Test duration, without breaks, is two hours and fifty minutes.

Score range for the GRE subject exam: 200–990. The GRE topic test uses a 10-point increment system, with all sub-areas scoring 20-99 with a 1-point increment. Additionally, it uses a negative marking system where each correct answer is worth one point, and each incorrect response is worth 0.25 points.

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