All about GRE

All about GRE

Introduction

If you are one among those millions of students applying for a graduate program abroad, then you need to learn all about GRE (Graduate Record Exam). Writing a GRE test is the most important step in the application process. Here, we have explained all the things pertaining to GRE that helps you in executing this important step successfully. This Guide to the GRE gives all the information you need to know about this test.

What is GRE?

GRE stands for Graduate Record Examination. It is a universal test designed and administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service), an independent non-profit organization. Universities/colleges abroad use this test result along with other factors like academic details, GPA, Recommendation Letters (LoR), and Statement of Purposes (SOP) to evaluate candidate’s profiles while giving admission to a particular graduate program.

Who takes GRE and Why?

Students aspiring to do their masters and doctoral programs abroad take this test. Graduate, Law and Business schools all over the world consider this exam result as a part of their evaluation criteria for the admission process. There are a few colleges that don’t require you to take the GRE test. It is advisable to check on your preferred university website to understand their application requirements. Your desired college doesn’t require you to take the GRE Test; but, the GRE test can be of some help while applying for scholarships and fellowships.

Types of GRE

There are two types of GRE

Revised General test
Subject test

GRE: Revised General Test

This GRE revised general test is taken by the students who want to pursue their masters in the US and other various countries across the world. This test evaluates the candidate’s analytical, quantitative, verbal and reasoning skills. You can take this test throughout the year. If you are not satisfied with the result and have enough time before applying, then you can retake it. You can re-take it for a maximum of 5 times in a rolling 12-month period time with a gap of 21 days between the tests. In India, this test is conducted online only.

GRE Subject Test

GRE subject test is to evaluate a candidate’s ability in that particular subject. This test is conducted for subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Psychology, Literature in English and chemistry. This test will help you in getting admission to the specialized courses. And this test can be taken only in April, September, and October. This test can be given only in a paper delivery manner.

Eligibility Criteria for GRE (both General Test and Subject Test)

There is no particular eligibility criterion for writing this test. Anyone with any qualification and of any age can apply for this test, provided one must submit original passport as a proof of identity at the time of exam at the exam center. So, you need to ensure that you have a valid passport before registering for the exam.

Exam fee

General Test fee: $205 (approximately Rs.14,150/-)

Subject Test fee: $150 (approximately Rs.10,350/-)

Test Duration

GRE General Test Duration

The duration of the GRE General Test is of 3 hours 45 minutes. There are a total of six sections and after the third section, you will have a break for about 10 minutes.

GRE Subject Test Duration

The duration of the GRE Subject Test is of 2 hours 50 minutes. There are no timed sections and you can take the complete test sitting at your own provided place.

Exam Pattern

GRE General Test Exam pattern

Measure	Number of Questions	Allotted Time
Analytical Writing ( two tasks in one section)	Task 1: Analyze an Issue Task2: Analyze an Argument	30 minutes each task Total 60 minutes
Verbal Reasoning ( Two sections)	20 questions each section	30 Minutes each section Total 60 minutes
Quantitative Reasoning (Two sections)	20 questions each section	35 Minutes each section Total 70 minutes
Unscored Section	Varies	Varies
Research Section	Varies	Varies

For both ‘Unscored’ and ‘Research’ sections, the score doesn’t count. But you will not have the option to skip these sections as you will not be able to identify them.

‘Unscored’ and ‘Research’ sections can come anywhere after the ‘Analytical Writing’ section. So, you need to consider and answer them as if they count to your score.

GRE Subject Test Exam pattern

Subject	Number of Questions
Chemistry	130 Multiple-choice Questions
Biology	190 Multiple-choice Questions
Literature in English	230 Questions
Mathematics	66 Multiple-choice Questions
Physics	100 multiple-choice questions
Psychology	205 multiple-choice questions

Good and Cut-off GRE Scores

ETS does not define any predefined good score or cut off for the GRE Test. Based on the expectations set by the Universities, your score is considered to be good if it places you in an excellent university or college with your intended graduate program.

The GRE General Test score that is above 317 is considered to be a good score as it gets you placed in the top 25% Universities. However, getting a seat in one of the top colleges requires you to have a consistent profile.

A test score of 260 can be considered as a cut-off as you can still get admission with this score in some colleges but those colleges might not be on the top universities list.

The GRE Subject Test score ranges between 200 – 990 and a score that is above 790 is considered to be a good score that can get you admission in one of the top universities.

GRE Validity

GRE Test Scores are valid for five years from the day of your test administration. For example, if you have taken the test on 15^th July 2019, then your test score is valid till 14^th July 2024. This is applicable only for those who have taken the test after 01^st July 2016.

Test Scores

GRE General Test Score

On the test day, at the end of the test, you are given an option to either Report or Cancel the scores. If you choose to Report, then you will be able to view your unofficial Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning Scores at the Test Center itself soon after your test. But, you will not be able to view your analytical writing scores as it involves essay writing which needs time for evaluation.

However, you will receive your official test scores in about 10-15 days after the Test. You can view your scores from your official ETS account. If you have designated test recipients (Universities where you want your score reported directly by ETS) on the test day, then your scores will be automatically sent to them.

GRE General Test Score Scale

The scores of three segments in your GRE General test are reported on the following scale -

Verbal Score is reported on a scale of 130-170, with 1 point increment for every correct answer
Quantitative Reasoning is also reported on a scale of 130-170, with 1 point increment for every correct answer
Analytical Writing is reported on a scale of 0-6, with half-point increments

If you do not answer at least one question from any of the sections, then it is noted as NS (no score).

GRE Subject Test Score

You will receive your Subject Test scores within five weeks from your test date and can view your scores directly in your ETS Account. You can designate the recipients of your scores the day before your test.

GRE Subject Test Score Scale

Every subject score is reported on a scale of 200 -990, in 10 point increments for every correct answer. But, Biology and Psychology are reported on a scale of 22-99, in 1 point increment for every correct answer.

Score Report

GRE General and Subject Test Score Report

The official score report displayed in your ETS account will include

Name
Date of Birth
Gender
Intended Graduate Major
Test dates
Test Scores
Authorized Score recipients
Cumulative Test scores recorded from the past 5 years

On the test day, after completion of the test and viewing your unofficial scores you are given an option to designate the scores to any of the four universities of your choice for free.

After the test date, if you want to order any additional scorecards, you need to pay a fee of US$27 (approx. Rs. 1,865/-) per recipient.

Official Score Report that you want to send to Universities contains -

Contact Details (Name, Contact Number, Email Id, Address)
Intended Graduate Major
Test Scores

You will have the option to either send the most recent scores or all the scores of the past five years to the designated Institutions/Universities. The score report doesn’t include any information about the university you chose to send the report to and there won’t be any indication on the number of tests taken to date.

Exam Syllabus

General Test Exam Syllabus

There are three main segments

Analytical Writing

In the analytical writing section, you will be tested on your ability to effectively communicate complex ideas, support your ideas with proper reasons, observe the claims and collect evidence, sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion and control the elements of standard written English.

In this section, you will be given two tasks and you should provide focused responses for the given tasks. Remember that the tasks given are not to understand how well you know about that particular topic but to understand your power of expression.

Verbal Reasoning

It has two sections and these sections will have questions that will test your ability to read and understand the type of text and language used in academia. The questions under this section are divided into three different types;

1. Reading comprehension

2. Text completion

3. Sentence equivalence

In order to answer the questions in these sections, you should be able to understand the meaning of the words, relationship between the words and sentences and the concepts.

Topics that are covered under this segment are

Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, basic sentence structure
Verbs and tenses
Idioms and its expressions
Pronoun and subject-verb agreements
Modifiers
Parallelism

Quantitative Reasoning

This segment will have questions on the basic math concepts of high-school level like Algebra, Geometry, and Arithmetic. This is to assess your ability to grasp, data analyzing and problem-solving skills.

In these two sections, there are four types of questions:

Quantitative Comparison
Multiple-Choice with One Correct Answer
Multiple-Choice with One or More Correct Answers
Numeric Entry Questions

In the ’Quantitative Comparison’ section, you are required to write a short explanation. You will be asked to compare two quantities and choose one statement from the list of four answers that best fits and describes the comparison.

Topics that are covered under this segment

Maths Formulas List
Number properties
Order of operations
Percentage
Ratio and proportion
Profit and loss
Simple and compound interest
Speed, distance and time
Permutation & combination
Linear equations
Quadratic equations
Sets Theory
Statistics: Average, Median, Mode, Range, Standard deviation
Powers and roots
Probability
Pipes, cisterns, work, time
Lines and angles
Triangles
Polygon
Quadrilateral
Circles
Coordinate geometry
Volume and surface area

GRE Subject Test syllabus

GRE Subject Test is to assess your ability in a specific field of study. Below are the subjects and their syllabus for that particular Subject GRE Test -

Biology

Approximately 190 Multiple-choice questions are asked related to Biology in this test.

The topics covered are:

Cellular and Molecular Biology
Organismal Biology
Ecology and Evolution

Chemistry

Approximately 130 multiple-choice questions are asked related to chemistry in this test.

The topics covered are:

Analytical Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Physical Chemistry

Literature in English

Here approximately 230 questions are asked and these questions will be on various segments like poetry, drama, literary theory, criticism, short story and the history of the language.

Topics covered under this segment are:

Literary Analysis
Identification
Cultural and Historical Contexts
History and Theory of Literary Criticism

Mathematics

66 multiple-choice questions are asked from the courses commonly offered and topics covered at the High-School level.

Topics covered under this segment are:

Algebra
Calculus
Additional Topics

Physics

100 Multiple-choice questions are asked in this subject test.

Topics covered under this segment are:

Classical Mechanics
Electromagnetism
Optics and Wave Phenomena
Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Quantum Mechanics
Atomic Physics
Special Relativity
Laboratory Methods
Specialized Topics

Psychology

About 205 multiple-choice questions are asked here. Each question has five options and you need to select that one option you think is correct or best fit for the question.

Topics covered under this segment are:

Biological
Cognitive
Developmental
Social
Clinical
Measurement/Methodology/Other

How to Register for the GRE Test?

You can register for the GRE General Test in four different ways. But, GRE Subject Test registration can be done either Online or by Mail Registration. However, the process remains the same.

Online Registration

You can register for your GRE exam online. For that, you need to create an ETS account for the same. And fill in basic requirements like name, age, address, etc. This account is used to view your score report and send them to your preferred universities and colleges. Online registration allows you to pay through your credit and debit cards only.

Mail Registration

Download the application form and complete it. Mail that forms to the address mentioned in the form along with the payment. You can make the payment via credit/debit card, money order or certified bank check. When you are applying through the mail, make sure that you send the form at least three weeks prior to processing. You will receive a confirmation number, test date, and center via postal mail, email or fax. If you are applying from India, then the mailing address is

Prometric Testing Private Limited

2nd Floor, DLF Infinity Tower A

Sector-25, Phase-II, DLF City

Gurgaon 122002, Haryana

India

Phone Registration

To register via phone, you need to call Regional Registration Center (RRC) (Phone Number: 91-124-4147700) at least two working days prior to your preferred test date. You need to provide them with your details and preferred test date. They will provide you with a confirmation number, test date and exam center on the same call. You can make the payment via Debit/Credit cards

Fax Registration

If you opt to register via fax, then you need to download the form and complete the same and fax it to 91-124-4147773 along with the payment. Ensure that you send it at least 7 days prior to the preferred test date.

GRE Centers in India

Usually, the GRE General Test can be given in two formats –

Computer-Based and 2. Paper-Based.

In India, the GRE General Test can be given online only. GRE Subject Test is given in a paper-based manner only.

There are about 22 centers for GRE General Test (online) and 7 centers for GRE Subject Test (paper delivered) in India.

The list of GRE General Test Centers in India:

DELHI

1) Council for American Education

* A-260 (3rd Floor), Defence Colony, New Delhi, India

2) Merit

*A-9, Qutab Institutional Area, Near JNU, U.S.O Road, Shaheed Jit Singh Marg, New Delhi, India

3) CyberStation – CPS GLOBAL

*CPS Global, E-512. 3rd Floor Sector-7, Dwarka (Near -Ramphal Chowk), New Delhi, India

MUMBAI

1) Prometric Testing Private Ltd

*6th Floor, Techniplex1 (Gate No.2), Goregaon (W), Ratnakar Bank Building, Balwa Group, Off Veer Savarkar Flyover Goregaon (W), Mumbai, India

2)Everonn Systems India Limited

* Marwah House, Saki Vihar Road, Saki Naka, Andheri East, Mumbai, India

PUNE

1) Grad-Dreams Education Consulting Pvt Ltd

*205 – 206, 2nd Floor, Manish Plaza, Opposite Brahma Majestic, N.I.B.M Road, Kondhwa, Pune, India

CHENNAI

1) Prometric Testing Private Ltd

*Unit #8,3rd Floor, Centennial Square, No 6A, Dr. Ambedkar Road, Kodambakkam, Chennai, India

2)Everonn Systems India Limited

*15, Jagannathan Road, Nungambakkam, 2nd Floor, Romar House, Chennai, India

BANGALORE

1) Prometric Testing Pvt Ltd

* 3rd Floor Tower B Prestige Shanti Niketan, Whitefield, ITPL Road, South Taluk, Bangalore

2) IDomain Technologies

*No 65, First Floor, 2nd A–Cross, KHB Colony, Koramangala, 5th Block, Behind Infosys and Tavant Technologies Building, Opposite to Peas Park, Bangalore

HYDERABAD

1) Prometric Testing Pvt Ltd

*9th Floor, Unit -2, Kapil Towers IT Block, Survey No 115/1, IT Park, Opposite ICICI Bank Building, Nanakramguda, Serilingampaly, Mandal, Gachibowli, Hyderabad

KOLKATA

1) Prometric Testing Pvt Ltd

* Millennium City, 9th Floor, Block DN-62, Sector V, Salt Lake, KOLKATA, India

GURGAON

1) Prometric Testing Pvt Ltd

*Iris Tech Park, Tower A, 2nd Floor, Sector 48 Sohna Road, Gurgaon, India

CHANDIGARH

1) Saint Kabir Public School

*Sector 26 - Computer Lab, Chandigarh UT India 160019

ALLAHABAD

1. Prometric Testing Private Limited

*5th Floor, Unit 501, Parshwanath Esquare, Prahladnagar Corporate Road, Prahladnagar, Satellite, Ahmedabad

COIMBATORE

1. ANCONS International

*#15, Sethuram Bldg, Ground Floor, Sundaresa Layout, Lane adj IOB Race Course Br., Trichy Road, Coimbatore

AHMEDABAD

1. PROMETRIC TESTING PVT LTD,

*5th Floor, Unit 501, Parshwanath Esquare, Prahladnagar Corporate Road, AHMEDABAD, India 3800051

VADODARA

1. MeritTrac Pvt Ltd

*3rd floor, Pramukh bazar, Bill Rd, Jalaram Nagar, Atladara, Vadodara India 390012

TRIVANDRUM

1. Prometric Testing Pvt. Ltd

*7th Floor, K.E.K Towers, Opposite Trivandrum Club, Thiruvananthapuram India 695010

The list of paper delivered GRE Subject Test Centers in India:

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad International School, 10805.

Judges Bungalow Road, Opposite Rajpath Row Houses, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380054

Bangalore

Joseph's Commerce College, 10044.

163, Brigade Rd, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560025

Coimbatore

South India Textile Research Association, 10110.

13, 37, Avinashi Rd, TNHB Colony, Civil Aerodrome Post, Nehru Nagar West, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641014

Kolkata

Indian Institute Of Psychometry, 10097

Evergreen Plaza, 117, BT Rd, Dunlop, Saket Nagar, Bonhooghly Government Colony, Kolkata, West Bengal 700108

Mumbai

Mumbai Teacher's Training College, 10091

MB Marg, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001

New Delhi

Michael’s Senior School, 10172.