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An Overview of the GRE General Test
The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is required for entry to many graduate school programs. There is a general test and multiple subject-specific tests. You need to check with your specific school and graduate program to see whether they require the GRE general test and any subject-specific exams.
The GRE general test has three sections: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning.
The analytical writing section is always the first part of the test. It consists of two timed essays. For one, called the Issue task, you must explain and support your position for or against a given issue. You have 45 minutes to write this essay. For the second essay, called the Argument task, you must critique and evaluate a given argument; you have 30 minutes for this essay. For the Issue task, you can choose one of two topics. For the Argument task, only one topic is given.
This writing section evaluates the test-taker's ability to:
- Clearly articulate complex ideas.
- Provide supporting evidence for ideas and opinions.
- Follow rules of standard written English.
The verbal section has 30 questions, which you have 30 minutes to complete. It tests reading comprehension and vocabulary skills, measuring your ability to:
- Evaluate written material and synthesize information.
- Analyze individual sentences.
- Recognize relationships between words and concepts.
The quantitative section tests basic high school level math, algebra, and geometry skills. It has 28 questions, which you have 45 minutes to answer.
Both the verbal reasoning and the quantitative sections are similar to the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) that many students take for admission to undergraduate programs.
Occasionally, there may be an additional unscored test section with questions that are being tested for possible use in future tests.
