About the GRE General Test (2024)

FAQs

What does the GRE General Test consist of? ›

There are six sections with a 10-minute break following the third section. The Analytical Writing section will always be first. The Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and unidentified/unscored sections may appear in any order; therefore, you should treat each section as if it counts toward your score.

For some, the test may be quite manageable, while others may find it challenging. However, it is generally considered a demanding exam that measures your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, which are important for success in graduate-level studies.

What skills are examined through GRE tests? GRE General Test will check your Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude skills. While the GRE Subject Test will assess your domain-specific knowledge.

A good GRE score for each section is generally considered 158+ for Verbal, 159+ for Quantitative, and 4.5+ for Writing, and an overall score of 318+ which places you into the 75th percentile or higher.

The registration fee for the GRE General Test is $220—regardless of whether you take the GRE at home or in a test center. To register for one GRE subject test, the test fee $150. There are some exceptions—namely in China and in India—which we discuss in more detail below.

You can take the GRE General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). This applies even if you canceled your scores on a test taken previously.

What is the highest GRE score? The highest total GRE score is 340. There are two sections — verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning — and each section score ranges from 130-170.

The GRE clocks in at 3 hours, 45 minutes. The GRE consists of six sections with a 10 minute break after the third section. Here's how you can expect to spend your time on test day.

Do you get a calculator on the GRE General Test? ›

Calculators and the GRE

The Quantitative Reasoning section of the GRE Revised General Test allows students to use a calculator while solving various computations. The computer-based version of the test requires you to use an on-screen calculator; no outside calculators are allowed.

The computer–based GRE consists of six sections: One Analytical Writing Section – 2 writing tasks; 30 minutes per task, 60 minutes total. Two Quantitative Multiple-Choice Sections – 35 minutes per section; approximately 20 questions per section.

You'll see questions covering basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. However, the question types are not distributed equally. On your GRE, you will see all the Quantitative Comparison questions first, then Problem Solving questions.

It doesn't include trigonometry, calculus or other higher-level mathematics.

Generally, the GRE is considered harder than the SAT due to its more complex questions and longer test time. To succeed on the GRE, it's crucial to practice your critical thinking skills and time management, since the test assesses your ability to solve real-world problems.