GRE Resources

Like other exams at the graduate level, the GRE presents plenty of unique challenges. While much of the test's difficulty is by design, several other factors can affect how well you do on the exam. Details like the test length and time limits, as well as your own study methods and test-taking style can all contribute to the GRE's difficulty.

All six sections of the GRE present general knowledge questions to evaluate each test-taker's academic potential. However, the complex language, terminology, and sentence structures on the exam can be difficult for some students to understand. Incorporating GRE vocabulary practice into your study schedule is essential for those who want to succeed.

One of six standardized GRE subject tests, the GRE Psychology exam is a requirement for certain graduate programs, and applicants must submit their results in addition to GRE General Test scores. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) offers the GRE Psychology Subject Test for psych majors and others pursuing a master's or doctorate in the field.

Once you've taken the GRE, your score puts you in a percentile rank among all other students who have taken the exam. Grad school admissions officials evaluate this ranking and make decisions based on how your score compares. Knowing your GRE percentile is key to understanding GRE scoring and what it means for your grad school application.

Deciding when to take the GRE depends on your preferred graduate program and other important factors. ETS offers the GRE year-round as a remote exam or at over 1,000 test centers worldwide. Before you register, create a study schedule for the GRE using effective test prep materials. Then, once you feel confident about all six GRE test sections, plan your...

Your official GRE test results include an overall score as well as three separate scores for the verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing sections of the exam. Combining the points for each portion of the test gives you your GRE total score, as well as determining your percentile ranking that shows how well you scored compared to other test...

While some students take the GRE after a few weekend cram sessions, this approach isn't the best way to earn good scores. To maximize your results, you'll need to create a weekly study schedule, choose your GRE test prep materials, set your study goals, and focus on success.

The GRE covers writing, mathematical, and reading comprehension skills in six sections, but only five count toward your final score. The test always begins with Analytical Writing followed by either Verbal or Quantitative Reasoning. The GRE's order of sections is different for every test-taker, and there's no way to predict the sequence you'll see on test day.

Which Is Best for Business School? Both the GRE and GMAT allow aspiring business school students to make a good impression on their chosen institutions. While these two admissions exams share some similarities, each test differs in its structure, format, and length. Depending on your academic strengths, test-taking preferences, and career goals, it may behoove you to take one of...

Taking the GRE is a pivotal step toward attending your graduate school of choice. As such, the Educational Testing Service, or ETS, places several restrictions on what test-takers can bring with them on test day. Knowing what to bring to the GRE beforehand minimizes distractions and helps you focus completely on doing your best. Documentation Proper documentation is the most...

The GRE General Test has a Quantitative Reasoning portion that assesses your mathematical skills. For this two-part section of the exam, students have to solve equations and answer 40 total math questions. The GRE Quantitative Reasoning time limit is 35 minutes per section, so you have 70 minutes to complete this part of the test.

GRE Analytical Writing questions consist of two tasks: Analyzing an Issue and Analyzing an Argument. Each prompt presents a different side of the persuasion process with one asking you to deliver an argument of your own while the other involves taking an in-depth look at someone else's. Students have a total of 30 minutes to complete each part of the...

Like Reading Comprehension and Sentence Equivalence questions, Text Completion questions are part of the GRE Verbal Reasoning section, which tests your ability to decipher, interpret and summarize information as you read. It also measures your understanding of complex vocabulary words and gauges your ability to make inferences based on incomplete information.

Sentence Equivalence GRE questions are part of the Verbal Reasoning exam. Each section of this test has four or so GRE Sentence Equivalence questions, so you'll see about eight of these prompts on test day.

Standardized tests often expect you to read a passage, usually a story or part of an essay, and then demonstrate your understanding of the material by answering questions about it. The reading comprehension questions on the GRE are similar to those on other exams, but the GRE's questions evaluate certain skills with a specific approach.

Essentially, the GRE Verbal Reasoning section measures your ability to review written material, understand the text, and offer a thorough yet concise summary of the information you read about.

GRE is an acronym for the Graduate Record Examination, a standardized test offered by the Educational Testing Service (usually known as the ETS). GRE testing is used to evaluate potential students for graduate-level academic programs at thousands of graduate schools, business schools, law schools, and other academic programs.