GRE TestGRE Test Overview


The GRE Test is a standardized exam that is used by many U.S. graduate schools in their admissions process.  The GRE Test serves a similar function to the SAT and ACT Tests in that both are used by colleges and universities as a factor in admissions.  Different institutions place varying degrees of importance on standardized tests, such as the GRE, and use them along with other factors such as GPA, class rank, community service, recommendations and extracurricular activities.
The GRE Test is meant to measure a high school student’s readiness for college.  The GRE Test focuses on testing abstract thinking skills in the areas of: vocabulary (verbal reasoning), mathematics (quantitative reasoning), and analytical writing.  There are also GRE Subject Tests that attempt to gauge a student’s knowledge in eight different subject areas.

GRE Test scores range from 200 to 800 for the verbal and quantitative sections.  The GRE analytical writing section is scored on a 0 to 6 scale.

GRE Test FormatGRE Test Format


The GRE Test consists of two written essays and a total of 58 questions.  You are given a total of 150 minutes to complete the test.  The table below lists the sections of the test in more detail.


GRE Test SectionsGRE Test Sections

Section
Time Limit
Number of Questions
Summary
GRE Analytical Writing

45 minutes (issue task)
30 minutes (argument task)

 1 Issue Task
1 Argument Task		 Evaluates your ability to articulate and support complex ideas, examine claims and accompanying evidence, and appropriately utilize the elements of standard written English.
GRE Verbal 30 minutes 30 questions Evaluates your verbal reasoning and comprehension. You will be asked to analyze and evaluate written material, including synthesizing information, analyzing relationships among sentence components, and recognizing relationships between words and concepts.
GRE Quantitative 45 minutes 28 questions Covers basic mathematical concepts that are typical for a college graduate.  You will be tested on:arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis.  You will be assessed on quantitative reasoning.

To improve your scores, please try our Free GRE Practice Tests.  You can also try out some GRE prep courses.