The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test is a standardized test that graduate schools use to evaluate candidates. Over one thousand graduate programs around the world require their applicants to submit GRE scores in order to be considered for admission. Admissions officers rely on the test as a predictor of students' first year performance in a graduate program. Additionally, the test is often used in the awarding of graduate fellowships and graduate research or teaching positions. Statistics show that a combination of GRE score and undergraduate grade point average is generally a better predictor of first year graduate school grades than is undergraduate grade point average alone.
The GRE consists of three sections:
- Analytical Writing (AW)—2 writing tasks; 75 minutes total
- Quantitative Multiple Choice—28 questions, 45 minutes total
- Verbal Multiple Choice—30 questions, 30 minutes total
There may be an additional, unscored verbal or quantitative section comprised of “experimental” questions that are indistinguishable from the scored questions. This section does not count toward the test-taker's score, but must be completed just like any other section. Since students can never be certain whether or not a section is experimental, they should treat each one as if it counted toward the score. There may also be a “research” section which would be identified as such, were it to appear. This research section would not count toward the test-taker’s score.
The Analytical Writing section measures a person's ability to effectively communicate ideas through writing and the ability to critically assess an argument. The section consists of two essays that can be either typed into the computer or handwritten. The essays are an Issue task (“Present Your Perspective on an Issue”) and an Argument task (“Analyze an Argument”). A student has 45 minutes to complete the Issue task and 30 minutes to complete the Argument task. The essay topics are presented one at a time, and a test-taker cannot apply any extra time at the end of one essay to the time allotted for the remaining essay. In other words, if you finish the Issue essay in 40 minutes, you will still have only 30 minutes to write the Argument essay. Thus, students should use the entire allotted time for each essay, proofreading and making editorial adjustments if they finish writing before time expires.
The Quantitative section measures a person's ability to reason quantitatively, solve mathematical problems, and interpret data presented in graphical form. The section contains two distinct question categories:
- Problem Solving
- Quantitative Comparison
A Problem Solving question presents a mathematical problem and five answer choices from which to select the solution to the problem. Arithmetic, algebra, and geometry are the branches of mathematics that are tested. There is no trigonometry or calculus, nor are there any questions requiring mathematical knowledge beyond what most American students learn in the first two years of high school. Some problem solving questions require students to refer to and interpret charts or graphs. These problems are often presented in clusters of three or four questions each, all of which pertain to the same graphical data.
A Quantitative Comparison question presents two numerical values: one in Column A, the other in Column B. The test-taker must determine whether there is enough information to discern which of the two values is greater, and if there is, which column contains the greater value. This section not only tests the same general mathematical concepts as the Problem Solving section, but also your ability to analyze data for its content and comparative value.
The Verbal section of the GRE measures the ability to understand and analyze written material, and the ability to recognize and conform to the conventions of standard written English. The section contains four distinct question categories:
- Analogies
- Antonyms
- Sentence Completion
- Reading Comprehension
An Analogy question presents a pair of words that relate to one another in some way, followed by five answer choices, each containing a different word pair. Students must determine the nature of the relationship between the two words in the question stem and then choose the answer choice pair that best replicates that relationship. This question category measures the range of a person's vocabulary and his or her ability to draw relationships between words and to recognize when those relationships recur.
An Antonym question presents a single word, followed by five answer choices containing single words or short phrases. Students must choose which answer choice has a meaning most nearly opposite that of the word in the question stem. Although this question category predominantly tests a person’s vocabulary, it also tests one’s ability to recognize the logical opposite of a given word or idea.
A Sentence Completion question presents a sentence that contains one or two blanks, each blank representing a missing word or short phrase. Students must use context clues within the sentence to determine which of the five answer choices contains the word or words that most logically complete the sentence. This question category measures a student’s ability to recognize from the syntax of written material the overall meaning or tone conveyed by the author. It also tests, to a large extent, a student’s knowledge of sophisticated vocabulary and the subtle shades of meaning that differentiate seemingly similar words.
Reading Comprehension questions are always presented in clusters of at least two questions, all of which are based on the content of a reading passage that is up to 350 words long. Students should expect to see approximately three different passages—and thus approximately three different clusters of questions—within the section. A Reading Comprehension question may ask you to summarize the author's main point, strengthen or weaken an argument made in the passage, or identify what must be true based on the facts presented. This question category tests a person's ability to read, absorb, and analyze written information.