GRE Exam-Everything you need to know about the test.

What is GRE Exam?

GRE Exam is a standardized test taken by potential Graduate, Business, and Law school applicants. GRE Exam is developed by Educational Testing Service or ETS. GRE Test is administered in many parts of the world by third party players such as Prometric® LLC and other ratified test centers.

What is the full form of GRE exam?

GRE stands for Graduate Record Examination.

Credit : The logo belongs to ETS and is Downloaded from Wikipedia

What is the purpose of GRE exam?

Admission councils and fellowship panels in Graduate, Business, and Law schools use GRE scores in conjunction with other qualification parameters to determine the eligibility of their applicants. GRE is an admission requirement for hundreds of colleges in the US and its territories. Several schools and colleges in many other countries across the planet consider GRE exam as a prerequisite to get into their graduate programs.

What is the eligibility criteria for the GRE exam?

ETS does not specify any parameters for taking the GRE exam. Applicants who wish to enter graduate schools, Business schools and law schools vey commonly take the exam for their higher studies. Sometimes career professionals take GRE Exam just to exhibit their skills so that they can secure growth in their careers. Though academic qualifications are not mandatory, you need to have your passport or other accepted national identification documents for taking the GRE exam.

GRE General Test versus GRE Subject Tests

There are two different versions for the GRE exam.

• The GRE General Test
• The GRE Subject Tests.

The major factor that sets apart the GRE General Test and the GRE Subject Test is that the GRE General Test does not measure the proficiency of a test–taker in any specific academic disciplines. However GRE Subject Tests appraise the test-taker’s knowledge in specific academic disciplines.

CBT versus PBT

The GRE General Test is a CBT (Computer Based Test) whereas the GRE Subject Test is a PBT (Paper Based Test). Since the test adapts itself to the students’ skill levels and knowledge and presents questions accordingly, experts call the the GRE Test section or level adaptive test . However the test does not adapt from question to question rather the adaptation is at the level of each section.  This makes it possible for students to make corrections within sections and come back to questions which they had marked up for answering later. The GRE Subject Tests however do not even have any separately timed sections at all.

GRE General Test versus GRE Subject Tests: Table

	GRE General Test	GRE Subject  Test
Subjects	Subjects of  General Interest	Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Psychology
Test type	Computer Based Test	Paper Based Test
Availability	Throughout the year	April, September and October
Sections	AWA, Verbal Reasoning Measure, and Quantitative Reasoning Measure	No Separately Timed Sections

GRE General Test – Components (Syllabus)

The GRE general test has three major components; namely the Analytical Writing Assessment section, the Verbal Reasoning section and the Quantitative Reasoning section. However it is not possible for us to say whether a Quantitative Reasoning section or a verbal reasoning section will appear immediately after the AWA as it varies from test to test.

Click here to know more about the GRE Syllabus

The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)

The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section is the first section of the GRE examination that the test takers will have to contend with. The section is comprised of two essays, namely Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument. In Analysis of an Issue Essay the test taker will have to write an essay on an issue that is in vogue. However in Analysis of an Argument, the test taker will have to identify the logical fallacies inherent in an argument and then come up with suggestions to improve the argument.

The word processor in the GRE exam

The test takers write the GRE essays on a computer using word a Processing software specifically designed by ETS. Unlike other word processing the programs, the ‘ETS GRE program’ does not have advanced capabilities such as spell check or grammar check. The test-taker will have 30 minutes each for the Issue Essay as well as the Argument essay.

Analysis of an Issue

The test taker should write an essay on a given topic. There is no word limit though there is time limit. The test taker should complete the task within 30 minutes. The topics are taken from a pool of topics published by ETS.

Analysis of an Argument

The test taker will have to develop a critique of an argument (a statement of questionable authenticity with supporting information).  The essay is not a presentation against the point of view expressed in the argument rather the way in which the argument is presented. The test taker is not expected to present his/her point of view. The test taker should come up with ways to improve the argument while presenting the logical inadequacies in the argument.

Verbal Reasoning Measure of the GRE Exam

Another important component of the GRE exam is the Verbal Reasoning Measure. This section assesses whether test taker is capable of analyzing and evaluating written material presented to them and combine that information into a coherent whole. The section also evaluates a test takers Reading comprehension and critical reasoning skills. Another important skill the section will test is the candidates’ command over vocabulary in certain given contexts

Subject areas for the GRE General Test

ETS vouches that the test-taker does not require any specialized knowledge of any specific academic disciplines to successfully take the GRE exam. However content used in the GRE exam questions has to come from some subject area.  ETS draws the content used in exam from a variety of subject areas such as natural sciences which include Physical sciences and Biological sciences. The test also include material drawn from social sciences such as Economics, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology and history .  A plethora of materials from music, dance, theatre, art, architecture, sculpture and literature also feature in the GRE exam.

Verbal Reasoning Measure: Question Types

The segment has three questions types and they are listed below

1. Sentence Equivalence
2. Text Completion
3. Reading Comprehension

In each individual sections of the verbal reasoning measure, the test taker will have to answer 20 questions within 30 minutes time. Sentence Equivalence and Text completion together will constitute 10 of the 20 questions. The remaining 10 questions come from reading comprehension alone. Normally the test taker will face 2 verbal reasoning sections taking the tally of verbal reasoning questions to 40 and the time 60 minutes.

click here to more about time management in verbal reasoning section of the GRE Exam

The additional section

However sometimes there will be a third verbal reasoning section added to the test. If there are three verbal reasoning sections, ETS considers two of them for scoring and the third one as an unscored experimental section. However the test taker will not have any inkling as to which one of the three sections will be used for the experimental purpose. And Because this test takers should treat all three sections with equal importance.

Sentence Equivalence

The sentence equivalence question provides the test taker with one sentence with a blank. There will be six answer choices below the sentence in question.  The test taker should choose two options which will eventually create two meaningful and identical sentences.  Mastery over English vocabulary will come handy though ETS maintains that contextual understanding of the vocabulary is good enough to do well in the section.

Click her to know the strategies to tackle the SE and TC in the GRE exam

Text Completion

Text Completion questions present the test taker with a block of text which will a have a few sentences. This could be either a single sentence, a couple of sentences or even a paragraph. The text may have one, two or three blanks. The test takers will have five choices at their disposal if it is a single blank question. however if there are more blanks then the test taker will have three choices for each blank. The test taker can work the blanks in any order which he or she may deem fit. The test taker should complete the blanks with appropriate choices thus creating a meaningful block of text.  

Reading Comprehension

The third question type the GRE test-takers will have to face within the verbal reasoning sections of the GRE General Test is Reading Comprehension. In fact half of GRE Verbal Reasoning questions are reading comprehension questions. The reading comprehension presents the test takers with the Short passages, Long passages and logic-based passages and a variety of question types. The test takers are expected to read and comprehend complex passages. They should also have a comprehensive understanding of the main idea and the supporting ideas of the passage. The candidates should also be able to evaluate the purpose and structure of passages. There are three question types in reading comprehension sets in the GRE exam.

1. Multiple choice Question (Select one answer)
2. Multiple Choice – Select One or More Answer Choices
3. Select in Passage

Multiple Choice Question Select One Answer

In these type of questions you will have a question and five answer choices and you are must choose one correct answer from those five choices. An oval marks each answer choice and the test-taker should click on the oval to choose the right answer.

Multiple Choice Question – Select One or More Answer Choices.

In these type of questions the test take will have a question and three answer choices. A square box marks each of these answer choices . The instruction above the question tell the the test-taker to select all that apply. This means there could be a single right answer or two right answers or even three right answers.

Select in Passage

This question type provides you with a description and you are expected to select a sentence that matches description given. There are no answer choices for these type of questions. In fact we can say that every sentence in the passage is an answer choice because we should to pick one sentence from the whole passage. To select the sentence you will have to click on the sentence to highlight it. To deselect a sentence that you have selected inadvertently, just click on it again.      

Quantitative Reasoning Measure of the GRE Exam

The quantitative reasoning section of the GRE® revised General Test consists of four types of questions: Quantitative Comparison Questions,  Multiple-choice Questions — Select One Answer Choice, Multiple-choice Questions — Select One or More Answer Choices, Numeric Entry Questions. The section measures test takers basic math skills, understanding of the basic mathematical concepts and ability to reason quantitatively and to model and solve problems with quantitative methods. The questions span across four content areas: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Data analysis. 

The number of questions and the available time in the section

The Section has overall 20 questions and the test taker will have 35 minutes to solve those 20 questions. Normally there will be only two quantitative Reasoning sections however sometimes a third quantitative reasoning section can also be included. However ETS will consider only two such sections for scoring.  Remaining one section is called the unscored experimental section. However which two section will be considered for scoring or which section is the unscored experimental section is anybody’s guess. So the test takers are advised to treat each section with due respect. The quantitative reasoning section measures the test-takers basic mathematical skills and knowledge of mathematical concepts.

Quantitative Reasoning Measure : Question Types

1. Multiple Choice Question with One Answer Choice
2. Multiple Choice Question with Multiple Answers ,
3. Quantitative Comparison  
4. Numeric Entry

Multiple Choice Question with One Answer

You will get a question and five answer choices and you will have to select only one answer.

Multiple Choice Question with Multiple Answers

In this question type the test taker should select multiple correct answers from multiple choices. But it does not mean that there will be more than one correct answers all the time.  The instruction given to the test take would be like one of these: indicate all such digits, indicate all such integers, indicate all such numbers or indicate all such amounts.

Quantitative Comparison

In this type of questions the test-taker is provided with two quantities namely quantity A and Quantity B. The answer choices for these type of question will always be the same. They are as follows.

1. Quantity A is greater.
2. Quantity B is greater.
3. The two quantities are equal.
4. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.

Numeric Entry Questions

In these type of questions instead of selecting the correct answer by clicking an oval, circle or square placed next to the answer choices, the test take will have to enter either a decimal or a fraction in the boxes provide for entering the answers.

GRE Exam Quantitative Reasoning Section – Subjects

All quantitative reasoning questions come from the following subject areas

1. Numbers
2. Percentages
3. Statistics
4. Probability, Permutations and Combinations
5. Geometry
6. Progressions
7. Functions
8. Data interpretation
9. Algebra
10. Word problems.

The Experimental Section

Apart from the regular sections the test may also have an unidentifiable unscored experimental section. The experimental section will look like the same as the   other regular sections but does not count towards the test takers score.  The experimental section can be either a verbal, quantitative, or analytical writing task. As it not possible to identify the experimental section from the mix, test takers should give their best in every section.

Research Section

An identifiable research section may also be part of the test. The section does not count toward the score. The research section typically appears at end of the test. It is not necessary that GRE Syllabus always include the research section in every test.

GRE Exam Duration

Duration of the GRE General test is approximately 3 hours 45 minutes. The first 1 hours is for AWA, another 1hour is for two verbal reasoning sections,  then the candidates will spend around 70 minutes on two quant sections. The candidates will then spend another 30 or 35 minutes on the unscored experimental section. If the candidates attempt the research section then the total test time will exceed 4 hours but the candidates can choose either to attend or skip the research  section. Most candidates actually skip the research section of the test.

GRE Exam: Test Structure – Table

Module	Questions/Tasks	Time	Score
Analytical Writing Assessment	Analysis of and issue Analysis of an argument	30 minutes per task	0-6
Verbal Reasoning (2 sections)	40 (20 questions per section)	30 min per section	130-170
Quantitative Reasoning (2 sections)	40 (20 questions per section)	35 min per section	130-170
Unscored Experimental Verbal/Quant	20	30/35 min per section	NA
Research	Varies	Varies	NA

GRE Exam: Subject Tests

GRE subject tests gauge the proficiency of a test–taker in specific academic disciplines. The GRE General Tests are available normally all the year around however subject tests are available only up to three times a year in the months of April, September and October. The test duration is 2 hours and 50 minutes. Unlike the general test the GRE subject tests are conducted only in paper-delivered versions. The GRE subject tests were originally available in 7 subject areas. ETS discontinued the GRE® biology test and the GRE® literature in English in 2021 and GRE® biochemistry, cell and molecular biology test had already been discontinued from December 2016. The GRE Subject Tests are available only in 4 subject areas now.

GRE Subject Tests: Academic Disciplines

• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Psychology

How GRE scores are calculated?

The final GRE is score is a sum of the scaled scores of both verbal reasoning measure and quantitative reasoning measure. There are two verbal reasoning sections and two quantitative reasoning sections that will be considered for scoring. Each section will have 20 questions and each of this questions carry one mark each. The raw score for each section is calculated first and these scores will then be converted into a scaled score. The process used for this conversion is called “equating” by ETS. The number of correct answers and difficulty level of each questions play a big role in determining your scores. 

The score range in the GRE exam

The GRE Exam score is calculated on a scale of 260-340. 260 being the minimum and 340 the maximum. The verbal scores are calculated on a scale of 130-170 and quantitative reasoning scores are also calculated on a range of 130 -170 that’s how we get the overall GRE score range of 260-340. GRE scores are valid for a period of 5 years since day of your GRE exam.

Acceptable GRE Scores

Most industry experts and institutions consider a GRE score of 300/340 a decent score.  However this score does not guarantee you an admission into a decent graduate school or university. A score of 305-310 is normally considered a safe score as score that falls under this range can almost certainly ensure you an admission into a good school. Likewise experts consider a score of 315-320 a very good score as it can catapult you into top ranking schools.  If you score a 325 plus then that will be an excellent score because with such a score you can get into any prestigious graduate school including ivy–league schools provided that you met the other requirements and parameters.

 AWA Score

The AWA score is calculated on a scale of 0-6 with half point increments. Two separate scorers will score the issue essay and two separate scorers will score the argument essay. The sum of these four scores will be calculated and the sum will then be divided by 4; essentially giving us the average of the scores. This will be considered your final AWA score. The AWA score is reported separately as the consolidated GRE score out of 340 includes just the Verbal Reasoning and the Quantitative Reasoning scores.

The GRE exam: Score Reporting

You can see your unofficial GRE score, except AWA score, immediately after the test. You cannot see your AWA score immediately after the test because it is not machine scored.    It is also possible for you to see and access your official GRE test scores in your ETS account normally after 10-15 days of your test. ETS will notify you electronically about the availability of your scores. ETS will also send your official score reports to the recipient institutions you selected beforehand.

File Credit- ETS

Examinee Score Report vs Institution Score Report

Examinee Score Report

The examinee score report is strictly for you and contains a lot more information than the score report intended for designated score recipients. The examinee score report will contain your personal information. Your GRE scores for the last 5 years. Names of the designated score recipients and name of the subject area that you are planning to pursue. The score report of course will have your official GRE score with percentile ranks.  The document will have your verbal reasoning measure, quantitative reasoning measure, and Analytical Writing Assessment scores reported separately.

Institution Score Report

The institution score report will have only the score report you have decided to report through the score select option. This report will also exclude the information about the other designated recipients selected by the candidate. The examinee can select four designated score recipients free of cost. You can also request for sending additional score reports to other institutions apart from the ones that you designated at the time of the testing; this however will invite additional charges.

Sample Score Report of the GRE exam- Credit -ETS official website Download

Who Accepts GRE?

Hundreds of Graduate Schools, B-Schools and Law Schools around the globe consider GRE a prerequisite for entry into their prestigious MS, MBA, Ph.D., JD and specialized Master’s Degree in Business

Graduate Schools Accept GRE

Almost every graduate school in the US and US territories accept GRE as a prerequisite for entry into their master’s and PhD programs. Apart from these institutions, graduates’ schools from more than 90 other countries accept GRE scores.

Click here to see a comprehensive list institutions and fellowship panels that accept GRE scores for Graduate programs

Business Schools Accept GRE

GRE was not a part of the admission pre requisites set by B-schools until 2011 and GMAT was the main contender. However the changes effected by ETS in GRE that year while revising the GREE syllabus resulted in the inclusion of logic based questions into the GRE fold making GRE a test similar to the GMAT. GRE is now accepted by B-Schools from more than 70 countries around the globe apart from the B-Schools across the US and US territories.  B schools accept GRE for their regular MBA programs as well as specialized master’s in business such as Masters in business analytics, Master of arts in international business, and master of business in business management etc.

Click here to see a comprehensive list of institutions that accept GRE scores for their Business Programs

Law Schools Accept GRE

Law schools consider GRE as a prerequisite for entry into their degree or diploma programs known as JD (doctor of law or doctor of jurisprudence) which is a graduate-entry professional degree in law. A JD degree is a professional doctorate as opposed to a research doctorate. A JD degree is necessary to practice law in the United States.

Click here to see a comprehensive list of Law Schools that accept GRE scores for their Programs

GRE Exam Dates: When is GRE test available and how many times can I take it?

GRE is conducted all the year around seven days of the week. There are normally two time slots on any given day which you can opt from the morning slot which starts at 10 am and the afternoon slot which starts at 3 pm.  You can take GRE General Test 5 times within a 12 month period however there should be at least a gap of 21 days between each of your attempts. The five times rule even include the tests that which you cancelled the scores of. 

When should you take GRE Test?

A lot of test takers take their GRE exam after the completion of their undergraduate programs however this may cause further delays in starting their respective masters or doctoral programs further. So the ideal time for taking GRE test is the penultimate year of their undergraduate studies because in the final year most students will be busy with their projects/dissertations and they will also be under pressure to study for their final year exams. The application process to the universities will also take a considerable amount of time. So If the GRE scores are not available before the application deadlines that will further complicate the whole process. So in India at least 3^rd year of B-tech is the Best time and ideally if you plan your GRE exams in a way that will enable you to apply for the “fall intake” that would be even better.  

Where can you take GRE Exam?

At GRE test centers

You can take the GRE general test from Prometric ® test centers and other designated test locations. The tests are available throughout the year at Prometric® centers whereas they are available in the additional test locations only on specific dates. Tests can also be taken at the comfort of your homes.

GRE General Test at home

The ravaging and unrelenting covid-19 pandemic left the students and the educational institutions in a quandary whether to be safe or to pursue their education and jeopardize their health and safety. The GRE General Test at home was created as an alternative measure to mitigate the pernicious impact of the pandemic. GRE test at home is available in all locations that the GRE general test is normally available. However GRE test at home is not available for test takers from Iran. If want to take the GRE general test at the convenience of your home you should fulfil the equipment and environment requirements.

Requirements for the GRE General Test at home

The handful of choices are available for the at home test takers in terms of the equipment as well as operating systems and browsers.  

A Computer

This can be either a laptop or desktop can be a either A PC or MAC. Tablets, Chromebooks or Mobile devices are not permitted for the GRE test at home

Operating system for the GRE test at home

For PCs only licensed versions of Windows® 10 or 8 are permitted whereas for MAC® Mac, OS X® 10.5 or Higher must be used.

Browser

The test –taker can either use Chrome™ or Firefox® browser. However you will not be able to take the test on these browsers; you will have to take the test using the ETS Secure Test Browser.  Before the test day you will have to download and install the ETS Browser on your computer.                   

A moveable camera

This can be an internal camera or an external webcam but the camera should be able to provide an all-round view of the test room when moved. The camera should be able to also provide a view of the table top on which your computer is placed.  Through the camera the examiner will be able to monitoring you during the entire test. Needless to say that this measure is to prevent any malpractices. 

A Microphone

The test-taker can use either an internal or an external mic to interact with the proctor however microphones in the headsets are not permitted for this purpose. Because an inbuilt headset could be used for malpractices during the test.      

Equipment check and verification

It is mandatory that you not only install all these equipment but also confirm that these equipment meet the requirements set by ETS. You can do this by running the proctorU equipment check available on your the ETS test browser. Of course the ETS test browser should be downloaded and installed to your computer beforehand in order for you to be able to use this facility. During the entire test only the test taker will be allowed in the test room. In order to register for the test at home you should meet the test at home equipment and environment requirements.

Advantages of home testing for the GRE exam.

The test at home is not just a safe option but it also brings home a lot of advantages.  Some of them are listed below

Convenience

With home testing you can steer clear of the inconveniences created by the grueling travel to the test center. It certainly saves you from the stress and boredom of the long and tiresome wait at the test centers. It will also save you the inconveniences of the processes and formalities of a test center. So you will be fresh on the test day, ready to take on the challenges you are going to get in the test not outside it.

Safety

The GRE exam center with a lot of people is certainly a health hazard for many people.  The interactions can result in the test-takers, test administers and the other support staff contacting Covid-19 from the test centers. These events even have the potential to be super spreader event because of the number of people involved. GRE General Test at home is therefore a safe alternative as you don’t have to interact with anybody in person or be in the presence of a large number of people.  

No Distractions

Since the test–takers are alone in their test rooms and there will not be any distractions whereas in the test center you can be distracted by the fellow test–takers, invigilators and other interruptions in the test center. So test-takers at home can concentrate more on their test and come up with better scores. 

Control

The GRE General Test at Home also offers more control to the test taker because the test takers are using their on equipment.  This provides them the control over what type of system they can use i.e. whether to use a PC or MAC. They also have the liberty to have the operating system and even the browser of their choice though the test will be taken on the ETS browser. Since the home tests are done at a place of the test-takers own choosing it is quite natural that they have at least feeling of control in a familiar environment. This will make them more confident and that will eventually translate into better scores.

Disadvantages of home testing for the GRE exam.

Malpractices

Though GRE General Test is monitored and proctored thoroughly there is still room for lot of malpractices as systems and environment is not fully under the control of ETS or its designated partners.

Responsibility of Equipment and Environment

Since responsibility of the equipment and applications used for the test are on the test takers, they don’t have much protection against system failures, power failures, network outages and other such unexpected eventualities.

Casual Approach 

Since a test at home does not appear to be that strict and formal, test takers can be approaching the test a bit casually which may impact their scores negatively. 

How to create an ETS account for writing the GRE test

An ETS account in the name of the test taker is mandatory for taking a GRE General test since the same account and the details provided for the account are going to be used for registering, rescheduling and even cancelling your GRE General Test. It is mandatory that you create a new ETS account for taking the GRE general test even if you already have an ETS account which you have created for other ETS exams like TOEFL.

Click here to Watch a video about ETS account creation

GRE Exam Registration

You can register for the GRE General test in two different ways

1. Online registration through the ETS website
2. Registration via Phone.

Registering through ETS website

First you should click on the register now link in the ETS website it will prompt you to login with your ETS account. Login and click on to find test dates and choose between the subject test and general tests from the drop down list. Then you will be asked to choose between Tests at home and test a test center. Once you are through with these steps you will be prompted to type in the name of the city/town and based on your input nearby test centers are identified. Click on continue you will be lead to a page where in you will see a calendar of available and occupied test dates. The available dates are shown in green color and occupied dates are shown in grey color. After you click on the date to choose it the color of that date will be turned in to orange. Then you should pick up your preferred time this could be either the morning slot or the midday slot (8 am or 12.30pm).

Personal and Background information for the registration

After that agree to the terms and conditions by checking the box below you will be lead to a personal information page and back ground information page. Fill in all the details as per your passport because you will have to present passport as your identification document later on.

Payment options for the GRE Test registration

Then you will be lead to pay now option page.  You can pay for the GRE exam through credit cards, PayPal or Bank. All major cards such as MasterCard, Visa, American Express, JCB, Union pay, Discover, Diners Club, and Rupay Global are accepted. If you have an American bank account then you can make a direct transfer.

GRE Exam : steps for the online test registration.

1. Click on register now link
2. Choose  between General test and  Subject test
3. Choose between Tests at home and test a test center.
4. Type in your city name
5. Choose a test date from the calendar
6. Pick a time slot for the test
7. Agree to the terms and conditions
8. Fill personal information
9. Fill in background information
10. Make the payment

GRE test registration through phone

You should call 1-443-751-4820/1-800-473-2255 at least two working days prior to intended test date if you are testing from North America (The US, its territories and Canada).  If you are testing in regions other than North America then you should call the Regional Registration centres of your area. 

How to reschedule the GRE general test?

Rescheduling GRE exam in Mainland china

if you are in Mainland china then rescheduling should be made at least 10 days before. If you are testing from mainland china, you should do it through your NEEA account however if you are testing in Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Korea you can you use your ETS account. 

Rescheduling GRE exam in the rest of the world

You are permitted to reschedule your GRE general test at least 4 days prior to your confirmed test date however If you reschedule later than the stipulated number of days your test fee will not be refunded. You will be charged $ 50 for rescheduling your test. Rescheduling your test beyond one year is not permitted You can also reschedule by phone but you need to contact Regional Registration Center (RRC)  you will be asked to provide your appointment confirmation number and the full name you used at the time of booking the appointment.

How to cancel the GRE general test?

GRE Exam cancellation in China

However there are separate refund policy for test-takers from mainland china and Korea.  If you are testing in mainland china then you should cancel your test registration 10 days prior to your test date. You can cancel your tests using your NEEA account if you are taking the test from a test center. However you can use your ETS account to cancel at home testing. This should be done at least 4 days prior to the test date. In both cases you are eligible to get a refund.

GRE Exam cancellation in Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong

If you are living in Hong Kong, Taiwan or Korea, you can cancel your GRE test registration by using your ETS account. You can also do it through GRE Services by contacting them by phone.

GRE Test cancellation for the rest of the world.

You can cancel your registration for the GRE test either online or by phone by calling Prometric Services. If you are cancelling online then you should use your ETS account. If you cancel no later than 4 days before the test date, half of the test fee will be refunded to you.

GRE exam fees in India

What is the fee for GRE exam?

The fees for standard administration of GRE general test is $213 (approximately Rs16,282.57 Indian Rupee) in India.

GRE exam fees for the rest of the world

In china the fees is $231.30. The fees for rest of the world is $205.00. The fee for rescheduling is $53.90 in china for rest the world it is $50.00. Changing the test center though will cost you $50.00 all around world.

What are the skills required for the GRE General test?

Math skills

You should have higher secondary level math skills to do well in the exam however math skills are not tested alone; they are tested in conjunction with your reasoning skills. So in order to solve a quantitative reasoning problem you need to combine your reasoning ability and mathematical ability.

English language skills

You need to have a decent understanding of English language in general as the test is conducted in English language. In the yesteryears test takers had to have a thorough understanding of the standalone meanings of many words however the modern version of the test requires you to have an understanding of the contextual meaning of the words. Moreover understanding of complex vocabulary can take only that much distance as you need to again combine reasoning with your understanding of vocabulary. Comprehension skills in the language is necessary as half of questions in the verbal reasoning measure are from reading comprehension.

Critical writing skills

The GRE general test in fact starts with two essays so these essays are not just intended for testing your writing skills they are intended for testing your critical reasoning skills as well.  You are also going to encounter logic–based reading comprehension questions. These questions combine both language skills and your critical reasoning skills.      

Study plan for scoring big in GRE general test?

There are three types of candidates among those take the GRE test. The first group includes people who are very good at math and not so good at verbal. The second group people are very good at verbal but not math. The third group comprises of people those who are not particularly good at neither of them. So the study plan has be according to the group they fall in.

A verbal centric study plan for the GRE test

This plan is intended for those who are not so good at GRE Verbal Reasoning. The first one month candidates should focus on fortifying their English vocabulary using variety of strategies. This could be using a word list or word groups, they can also use roots suffixes and prefixes method, they can also try word categories. Words sentences are another very good option. Word categories and word origin can also be used for the same. Technology such as vocabulary apps and website quizzes can also be used for strengthening the vocabulary.  Second month onwards they should focus on practicing verbal question types. Third month they can start taking practice tests and start solving module based or problems and then full length tests. They can start their quant prep by second month by practicing math questions types.

A quant centric study plan for the GRE exam   

This plan has to be adopted by students those who are struggling in the quantitative reasoning part of the general test. So what should we do about it?

See most test-takers from academic disciplines other than mathematics must have forgotten their math basics which they learn in school so it is important that they pick up the pieces from where they have left which means that they need to start from beginning. So refreshing the math concepts would be a very good beginning.

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What are the best materials for preparing for GRE?

Well researched and well organized materials are important for the preparation of GRE. For preparing for AWA the students should have access to the topics as well as sample answers. Assuming that the strategies tips and techniques are already known to them either through quality training or self-learning. The topics which you encounter in the AWA segment is available there in the ETS website itself; you can access it online or download it.

The official Materials for the GRE exam

The Official Guide to the GRE General Test, Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions, Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions are some other materials, and math conventions are some official materials published by ETS. These are materials that should be used for gaining an overall understanding of the exam.

GRE Materials published by third party players

There are plenty of other publishers such as Barron’s, Kaplan, and Magoosh who have come plenty materials which provide overall practice. They also have excellent materials for practicing verbal, quant and vocabulary separately.  Those who are lagging behind in math should use quant refresher materials to gain an understanding of basic mathematical concepts. Vocabulary is an important part of GRE arsenal you should have the best materials for GRE vocabulary is published by Barron’s, Kaplan, Magoosh and Brooklyn Review. 

The Official guide to the GRE General test

The official guide to the GRE general test should be the first material that any prospective test taker should lay their hand on. This book provides the learner a comprehensive picture of the test components and its structure. The book also provides detailed explanation of the question types and plenty of practice questions. The books provides not only question and answers but also keys and explanation for each such section. Since the official guide is developed by ETS the organization responsible for developing GRE General Test. You will not get clearer specimens anywhere else as you are learning from the horses’ mouth.

Availability

You can buy The Official Guide to The GRE(R) General Test (3^rd edition) from the stores or online. If you are purchasing it in India you will have to have to pay from Rs1100/ to Rs1200/ depending on the website or store. It is available in the US for $ 40. The book is available in both print and Electronic format.

Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions (Volume1, Second Edition)

Though the official guide is bulky and features quality practice questions, there are not many questions. A learner who wants to practice a lot will find Official Guide falling well short on quantity. However the issue is addressed easily by the official GRE QUANTITATIVE REASONING Practice Questions. The book has many practice questions for the quantitative reasoning section modelled after the real GRE examination.  The book is available in both print and Electronic formats. The Book will cost you $20 in the US. You will have to pay Rs780/ to purchase it in India. 

Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions.

It is clear that the official guide also does not have enough practice questions for a diligent learner who wants to practice a lot. To address the shortfall of verbal practice questions ETS has published the Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions. The book contains plenty of practice questions as well the Key for each set of those practice questions. The book also provides you with the explanations for the question and answers featured in the book.

Varying difficulty levels

The  question are divided as Easy, Medium and Hard which will  provide a clearer understanding of the level of difficulty involved in each questions. The book also provides mixed practice sets and a comprehensive overview of the analytical writing assessment section. There is an elaborate scoring guide for AWA along with model essays.

 

POWERPREP PLUS® Online: The best GRE exam practice test

Nothing matches the experience of GRE examination than taking a simulated computer based practice test from the makers of the original test. With POWERPREP Plus online you will have access to three official practice tests from ETS. The tests will have all three sections of the test and scores are reported immediately after the test. The tests will cost you $ 39.95 USD

ScoreItNow!™

It is always possible for a learner to practice writing essays of the GRE Analytical Writing section on their own however there are not many options available for them to evaluate their essays and rate them. ETS ScoreItNow!™ option however solve this  issue very easily. The Score it now option will cost you just $ 20 USD however it is very good a deal as ETS provides you with immediate feedback and suggestions for improving your analytical writing skills.

GRE® General Test Math Review

Objective of the material

There are quite a number of mathematical skills and concepts that a test taker should possess in order to solve the questions in the quantitative reasoning section of the GRE General Test. However for most students the concepts are long gone because they learned those concepts in High School and they did not have mathematics as a subject their undergraduate courses. The GRE® General Test Math Review from ETS is an effective way to bridge that knowledge gap.

Content of the material

The material provides definitions and concepts from areas such as Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Data Analysis. Set of exercises with answers are also provided so that the learners will have some practical understanding of the implications of these concepts and definition. The material is a FREE resource from ETS; needless to say that you should take full advantage of it especially if you are from non-math background.

GRE General Test Math Conventions.

The notations, terminology and assumptions about numbers and geometry figures that are common in the GRE test are presented at the beginning of the test however for practical reason, these are not elaborated. The GRE Math Conventions provides prospective test takers a detailed overview of these notations, terminology and assumptions. This resource is free of cost. You should definitely take advantage of this material even if you are a math student.

POWERPREP® Online- Free GRE exam practice tests

This is another free GRE resource available from ETS for the potential test takers to have the test experience practically. The POWERPREP® Online Practice Tests for GRE provides you with two simulated practice tests. The resource features design similar to the actual GRE test and comes with an onscreen calculator. You will have free access to these tests after registering for the GRE examination through your ETS account.  

Official GRE super Power Pack & Official GRE Value Combo.

If you purchase these resources one at a time you will have to shell out a lot more money than if you by them in combo packages. There are two such options available for you they are the official GRE super power pack and official GRE value combo. In the GRE super power pack you will get, The official guide to the GRE general test, Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions (Volume1, Second Edition) and Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions for $72 USD.

GMAT versus GRE

GMAT stands for Graduate Management Admission Test.  

It is developed by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). GMAT and GRE are often considered alternatives for each other. GMAT is a test developed predominantly as a pre-requisite for B-School entry whereas GRE is intended for entry into B-School, Graduate Schools, and law schools so we know that  GRE is Definitely much more versatile that GRE. However GRE has not always been a standardized test for B-school entry. It was only after the changes effected in 2011 GRE became a    barrier for B-school entry.

Test content comparison of GRE and GMAT

Just as GRE examination, GMAT starts with Analytical Writing Assessment, however unlike GRE the AWA section in GMAT has only one essay; the argument essay. GMAT has an integrated reasoning section which challenges the test-takers to combine their quantitative as well as verbal reasoning skills to find answers. Both The GMAT and GRE have their customary verbal reasoning section and quantitative reasoning sections.

A closer look at the sections in GRE and GMAT exams.

The GMAT verbal reasoning section has sentence correction, critical reasoning, and reading comprehension whereas GRE   sentence equivalence, text completion and reading comprehension. GRE sentence equivalence focusses on vocabulary whereas sentence correction in GMAT focusses on English grammar. Reading comprehension on GMAT focusses a lot on business, banking, and finance etc. however GRE Reading comprehension does not focus on any specific academic discipline in the passages the topics general in nature. Critical reasoning in GMAT takes the game a notch up. However GRE tried to catch up with GMAT by introducing logic based reading comprehension questions both of them.

LSAT compared to GRE

Law College Admission Test or LSAT is developed by LSAC or law school admission council it is set as a pre-requisite for getting into a law school for studying for programs like JD or Juris Doctor. It is a two part examination with multiple choice questions and an unscored written essay. In part one the test takers will have reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning questions where as in part two they will have to content with LSAT Writing.  The candidates can take the writing exam up to 8 days prior to the exam.

Acceptability of GRE and LSAT

Both GRE and LSAT are accepted as a pre-requisite for entering into a JD however unlike GRE, LSAT is not used for entry into graduate schools or B-schools. One major difference between GRE and LSAT is that GRE has a Math element however LSAT does not have that. LSAT has a 35 minute writing module which is unscored whereas GRE writing is scored and it comes at the beginning of the test. GRE is scored on a scale of 260-340 whereas LSAT is scored on a scale of 120-180. Both GRE and LSAT scores are valid for a period of 5years.

TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Versus GRE Exam

IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE are English language proficiency tests. All these tests measure English language proficiency of the candidates whereas a GRE is a standardized test which measures the verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills of the test-takers. IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE are taken non-native speakers of English or they are intended for Speakers of English as a foreign language. Both these language tests and GRE do not test your proficiency a specific academic discipline. Critical reasoning or quantitative reasoning skills are not essential for Language proficiency tests whereas GRE tests exactly these very same skills.   

GRE Coaching

A lot of GRE test takers don’t know what to expect in the tests even if they have some idea about the modules and question types. Taking training from a well-established GRE coaching center would be the answer.  But it is not always easy to pick the best coaching center. Here are some quick things you should lookout for while choosing the coaching center.

Best GRE coaching centers in Hyderabad

Best GRE Coaching centers in Kukatpally

Best GRE Coaching centers in Ameerpet

1. Experience of the faculty
2. Knowledge of the faculty
3. Certifications of the faculty
4. Materials
5. Strategies
6. Price

Brooklyn Review has an excellent GRE coaching program run by well-experienced trainers with multiple international certifications. If you are interested in our coaching programs call us on 9133850055 or Fill our contact form