GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

The Graduate Record Examination is a test used to assess an applicant's skills in verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking, which are critical for success at the graduate level. GRE General Test is widely accepted worldwide in over 160 countries and by thousands of graduate and business schools/universities.

Numerous modifications have been made to the GRE general and subject tests as of September 22, 2023. The test scores will be available for five years after the test date and can be used by the student to send additional reports whenever necessary for a nominal fee.

About the GRE

• GRE General Test consists of three sections- Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.
• The Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning section has two subsections, while the section on analytical writing has just one.
• Some graduate programs may require a GRE subject score.
• There are GRE Subject Tests which measure the student's excellence in a particular subject. The subjects offered by the GRE are Biology, Literature in English, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology.
• After the exam, students can send their free score report to up to four universities. Additional reports can be sent for a cost by using the ScoreSelect option.

Why is the GRE Needed?

Candidates planning to pursue a graduate degree (Master's or Ph.D.) might need to take the GRE, especially if they plan to study abroad in an English-speaking country. Most colleges now accept the GRE for MBA programs instead of GMAT, and some Law programs also accept GRE scores instead of LSAT scores. For some colleges/programs, it's an optional test, but all the same, it is highly recommended for international students.

Achieving a decent GRE score is not mandatory for applying to colleges most of the time. However, having the score report increases the chances of getting admission since it shows the student's dedication and acts as an extra marker through which they can assess the abilities of the student in question.

Cost of Taking GRE

The following is the cost of taking the GRE and other services:

Services	Fee (in U.S.$)
Registration	Mainland China-$231.30 All other countries-$220
Rescheduling	Mainland China-$53.90 All other countries-$50
Test Date Changes	$50
Additional Score Report	$35 per recipient
Question-Answers Review-Verbal and Quantitative Section	$50 (New York State Residents only)
Score Review for Analytical Writing Section	$60
Score Reinstatement	$50

FORMS OF PAYMENT:
Modes of online payments include:

• Credit/Debit Card (American Express, Diners Club International, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, RuPay Global, UnionPay or VISA)
• PayPal
• Alipay Plus
• Authorization Vouchers

Candidates can call the following numbers to finish the process if they are unable to make payments online:

• U.S., Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Canadian Residents, call toll-free number-1866-473-4373 or 1-609-771-7670.
• Residents of all other countries, call appropriate Regional Customer Support.

GRE Structure

The GRE General Test testing time is 1 hour and 58 minutes. The directions at the beginning of each section specify the total number of questions and the time allowed for the section. The number of questions in each section and the time allocated to answer them are mentioned below. Remember, no optional breaks are available.

Section	Number of Questions	Time Allotted
Analytical Writing	One 'Analyze an Issue' task	30 minutes
Quantitative Reasoning	Section 1-12 questions Section 2-15 questions	Section 1-18 minutes Section 2- 23 minutes
Verbal Reasoning	Section 1-12 questions Section 2-15 questions	Section 1-21 minutes Section 2-26 minutes

Differences Between the Old and New Structures

As of September 22, 2023, the GRE general and subject tests have undergone numerous changes. The following are the variations between the old and new test structures:

Basis	Old Test Structure	New Test Structure
Number of Sections	3 Sections	3 Sections
Number of Sub-Sections	Analytical Writing-2 Quantitative Reasoning-2 Sections Verbal Reasoning-2 Sections	Analytical Writing-1 Section Quantitative Section-2 Sections Verbal Section-2 Sections
Total Number of Questions	80 Questions, 2 Tasks	54 Questions, 1 Task
Number of Questions per Section	Analytical Writing-2 Tasks Quantitative Reasoning-Section 1-20 Questions, Section 2- 20 Questions Verbal Reasoning-Section 1-20 Questions, Section 2- 20 Questions	Analytical Writing-1 Task Quantitative Reasoning-Section 1-12 Questions, Section 2-15 Questions Verbal Reasoning-Section 1- 12 Questions, Section 2-15 Questions
Total Time Allotted	3 Hours 45 minutes	1 Hour 58 minutes
Time Limit per Section	Analytical Writing- 30 minutes/task Quantitative Reasoning- 30 minutes/section Verbal Reasoning- 35 minutes/section	Analytical Writing- 30 minutes Quantitative Reasoning- Section 1-18 minutes, Section 2-23 minutes Verbal Reasoning- Section 1- 21 minutes, Section 2- 26 minutes
Optional Breaks	The test has 10 minutes off after the third section and 1 minute off after each remaining section	No such breaks

Official Score Reports

Eight to ten days following the test date, candidates' ETS accounts will have access to their official GRE General Test results. When the scores are available, they will receive an email from ETS. Additionally, on test day, the candidate will designate the recipients of their scores, and ETS will send an official Institution Score Report to them. The content of the score report is as follows:

• GRE scores
• Contact information including mailing address, email address, and phone number
• Date of birth and gender
• Intended graduate major

GRE Scoring - How is GRE Scored?

The score for the GRE General Test includes:

Section	Score Range	Scoring Technique
Verbal Reasoning	130 - 170	1 point increment
Quantitative Reasoning	130 - 170	1 point increment
Analytical Writing	0 - 6	0.5 point increment

• There is no negative marking, so the candidates should attempt all the questions.
• After the test, candidates can view their unofficial Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning section scores. Test centers cannot print unofficial test results.
• Official GRE General test score reports will be sent to the designated recipients within 8 to 10 days of the test's administration, and candidates can access them through their ETS account.
• Additionally, students have the option to Score Select, which allows them to choose which test results to submit to the colleges of their choice.
• GRE scores are valid for five years.

Which Programs Accept GRE Scores?

GRE is widely accepted for graduate programs (for many majors). For professional degree courses, it is popular in Engineering, Science, Stats, Mathematics etc. More than 500 business schools worldwide accept the GRE General Test, including top schools like Harvard, MIT, Wharton, and INSEAD, for their MBA programs. In the last few years, the number of business schools accepting the GRE General Test for MBA admissions has quadrupled. Law Schools also accept the GRE Score report.
To view the list of accredited colleges and fellowship providers across various nations that can receive the GRE score, click here.

Retaking GRE

Many candidates retake the GRE to obtain a better score. It is advisable to take the test well in advance so there is ample time to retake it if needed. Up to 5 test attempts in 12 consecutive months are allowed, with only one attempt in any 21 days. This policy encourages candidates to practice and prepare for GRE before they retake it.

Some Facts about the GRE

• Candidates who have taken the GRE multiple times can send their scores from any test date, either their current score or a score from the previous exam. There will be no mention of other scores in the score report.
• A basic calculator (non-scientific) is available for the GRE Quantitative section. This calculator will be available on the screen during the computer-based test.
• Maximum Score for the Verbal and Quantitative sections are 170 each.
• Analytical writing score will be reported on a 0-6 score scale in half-point increments.
• GRE is accepted by thousands of universities worldwide.
• Most Universities require a GRE General score for admission to M.S., MCA, M.Sc., and MTech. Many Business and Law schools now accept GRE scores for admission to the MBA program.
• For all Engineering Students, GRE Quantitative is most important for best results. GRE Quantitative must be well above 165, and the GRE Verbal must be above 155.
• For Law Schools, the average GRE score is 165 in the Quantitative Section and 167 in the Verbal Section.
• MBA aspirants should get an average score of 162 in the Verbal Section and 165 in the Quantitative Section to get admission to a good Business School.
• There is no penalty for wrong answers, although excessive grammatical, vocabulary, and punctuation errors in the writing section can negatively impact the score in this section.
• One can review, move forward, edit/change answers, etc., within a section.