What is GRE?

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a world’s largest assessment program that is an admissions requirement for most graduate schools in the United States. The GRE is owned and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The test was established in 1936 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Over a half million individuals take the GRE General Test in over 1,000 test centers in 160 countries every year, and scores are accepted at thousands of graduate programs around the world, for masters and doctoral degrees. More than 1,200 business schools around the world accept the GRE, including top-ranked MBA programs according to The Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. And a handful (currently 19) law schools in the US accept GRE scores, including a few of the very best schools like Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown, and Northwestern.

According to ETS, GRE also has subject tests, apart from the basic GRE exam. The GRE aims to measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills that have been acquired over a long period of learning. The content of the GRE consists of certain specific algebra, geometry, arithmetic, and vocabulary. The subject tests being offered currently are Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Literature, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. The GRE General Test is offered as a computer-based exam administered at Prometric testing centers. These subject tests help to make the student’s application stand out from the rest by highlighting their subject knowledge and skill level of a particular subject. Each subject test is intended for those students who have a bachelor’s degree in the particular disciplines. In the graduate school admissions process, the level of emphasis that is placed upon GRE scores varies widely among schools and departments within schools. The importance of a GRE score can range from being a mere admission formality to an important selection factor.

• Verbal Reasoning section

The Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE is often seen as difficult as the mathematics portion due to a big amount of vocabulary included. The purpose of the Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE is to assess the student’s comprehension of the written material and their ability to evaluate it. The GRE Verbal Reasoning test also measures the students skill in analyzing sentence structure and their understanding of the relationships between words and concepts.

The verbal reasoning section of the GRE contains questions of three types:

1. Sentence Equivalence- The Sentence Equivalence questions include a single sentence, one blank, and six possible answer choices. The blanks in Sentence Equivalence questions have two correct answers. Do not look in the answer choices for two words that are alike. This can be deceiving for two reasons. Firstly, although the words might be alike in meaning, they may not fit logically into the sentence. Secondly, the correct words may not have the same meaning. All that matters is that the resulting sentences are identical in meaning.
2. Text Completion- Text Completion questions test this ability by omitting crucial words from short passages and asking the test taker to use the remaining information in the passage as a basis for selecting words or short phrases to fill the blanks and create a coherent, meaningful whole.
   
3. Reading Comprehension- Reading comprehension section tests the student’s ability to understand a context of a passage and answer questions on the basis of what is implied in the given passage. First, the student needs to read the passage and identify the theme and idea of the passage and understand the author’s tone and attitude as well as the structure of the passage.

Each verbal section will consist of twenty questions. Half of the section will consist of text completion and sentence equivalence questions and the other half will consist of reading comprehension questions. The test will always begin with six Text Completion, which increases according to difficulty.

• Quantitative section

The Quantitative Reasoning section of the GRE General Test examines the student’s basic mathematical skills, understanding of elementary mathematical concepts, and ability to reason with numbers and to solve problems with quantitative methods.

Quantitative Reasoning has two sections, each with 20 questions which should be completed within 35 minutes.

The students will get questions from three math topics.

1. Compare quantities – (6 to 8 questions)

These questions ask the students to compare two quantities (A and B) and then determine the relationship between them; whether A is greater, B is greater, the two are equal, or the relationship cannot be determined from the information given.

2. Data Interpretation or Graphs – (5 to 7 questions)

These questions require the students to compute information and chose a correct answer based on visual graphs and tables. The students need to interpret the data given in those forms and choose the correct answer accordingly.

3. Numeric Entry questions – (2 questions)

These questions require the students to enter their answer in an answer box rather than choose among alternatives.

The best part about the GRE quantitative section is that the math topics covered are taught in schools like algebra, introductory statistics courses etc. this section does not include higher-level mathematics lie inferential statistics, trigonometry, or calculus.

Syllabus

Arithmetic questions: These questions could be on types of integers, exponents and radicals, estimation, percent, ratio, absolute value, the number line, decimal representation and sequences of numbers.

Algebra questions: These include operations with exponents, factoring and simplifying algebra expressions, solving linear and quadratic equations, solving simultaneous equations and inequalities, and coordinate geometry.

Geometry questions: The topics included would be parallel and perpendicular lines, circles, triangles, quadrilaterals, three-dimensional figures, area, perimeter, volume, the Pythagorean Theorem, and angle measurement in degrees.

Data analysis questions:  these questions include basic statistics such as mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, interquartile range, quartiles, and percentiles. Interpretation of data in tables and graphs would include questions like line graphs, bar graphs, circle graphs, scatterplots and frequency distributions, and elementary probability.

• Analytical Writing

In GRE, the Analytical Writing section is designed to assess critical thinking and analytical writing skills, which is reflected by the student’s ability to express complex ideas clearly and effectively while maintaining a coherent and focused discussion. Many students lose sight of the fact that the test does not evaluate the students content knowledge. So what opinion they provide has no right or wrong answer.

Question Types

In the Writing section, there will be two separately timed essays. For each essay, the students will be given 30 minutes to address a specified topic.

• Analyze an Issue
• Analyze an Argument

Analyze an Issue: It is required to write an essay in which the students respond to a brief statement over an issue of general interest. This task assesses the student’s ability to think critically about a general interest topic and express their thoughts in writing.  The students will be given an issue statement that can be viewed from several different angles. They will be directed to adopt a position on the issue and to develop and support that position.

Analyze an Argument: The student’s task is to compose an essay in which they analyze a paragraph-length argument. However, the students don’t have to present their own views on the argument’s topic. This task assesses the student’s ability to understand, analyze, and evaluate arguments. The arguments will be presented in a brief paragraph that puts forth the author’s opinion or case. The students need to determine if it is logically sound and evaluate it.

Note: that the first essay requires the students to state their stance and provide supporting evidence, while the second essay requires them to evaluate someone else’s position. Remember that the students will be assessed on how they use critical thinking to address the given topic and how well they can express them self in writing.

Scoring: The score scale for this section is on a range of 0-6 with half-point increments. Though the students have to write two different essays, a single score will be given for both. When the student’s essays are being scored, the ‘ETS detection software’ and two to three different examiners check their essays for any content that has been copied or any similar content found in comparison to other examinees’ essays. Along with general scores, a percentile score is also provided to compare the students scores with other examinees who have taken the test in the past three years.

Sequence: Analytical Writing is the first timed exam section either writing task can come before the other.

Time limit: 60 minutes; 30 minutes for each task.

Skills tested:

• Ability to articulate, develop and support complex ideas
• Ability to formulate and evaluate arguments
• Ability to maintain a focused, cohesive, and coherent discussion
• Control over the word choice and usage, and
• Control over the conventions of grammar and sentence structure

GRE Pattern

GRE exam pattern is as following three sections, namely, Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning. The Analytical Writing section will always be the first, whereas, the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and unscored sections may appear in any order. Along with the time duration difference, the pattern also differs for paper-based and online exams.

Here is the GRE paper pattern

GRE Eligibility

GRE Syllabus

Register for GRE

There are multiple ways that candidates can register for their next GRE:

• Online Registration – Via this method GRE registration is done via online and candidates are required to make an account for the same.
• Mail Registration – Aspirants looking to appear for GRE are required to print and complete the Application Form, and send it to the correspondence address along with the appropriate fee.
• Phone Registration – Students are required to contact the Regional Registration Center (RRC), which is located in Gurgaon, Haryana.
• Fax Registration – Candidates are required to print and complete the GRE Application Form, and send it to the fax number with the appropriate fee.

How to send GRE Score

One important thing to know about GRE Fee is that it enables candidates to send their scores to up to four colleges or scholarship programs. Candidates who have opted for the computer-delivered GRE results will be asked to select the score receivers at the test center. In case candidates opt for the paper-delivered GRE format, they will be asked to select four score receiving colleges on their admission ticket during registration. If a college of choice is not listed, candidates can ask the administrator at the test center for the list of unlisted institutions. After the test, candidates can order Additional Score Reports for $27 per college.

ETS recently announced changes in GRE fees. Effective January 4, 2016, the GRE exam fee jumped from $195 to $205. GRE Subject Test continue to cost $150 worldwide.

Payment for the computer-based exam can be made through any American Express, MasterCard or Visa Credit/Debit Card. The students can also choose to make payment through money order/bank check if registering through the mail.

Average GRE scores across Top US universities

If the students want admission to top universities in the US for MS, they need to set their eyes to get the required GRE scores. After getting the scores, they need to figure which college fits their profile the best and then apply to it accordingly. Although the US colleges don’t have minimum ‘cutoff’ marks required for admission, they do provide with average class marks for every academic year. This class profile helps the students understand what the class looks like that year and the average scores of that set of students.

So technically this score can work like a standard, and guarantee admission to the students who need to score more than the average marks.

Here are the average GRE scores across top US universities.

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