The GRE General Test is an objective assessment of skills that are critical for success in thousands of graduate, business and law programs worldwide. It is accepted by thousands of schools and offers a range of flexibilities to fit into busy schedules. The test can be taken at home or at a test centre, and test takers can take the GRE General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). ETS provides free and low-cost GRE General Test prep materials, including the Official GRE Mentor course, videos, events, books and services and POWERPREP Practice. These resources help test takers prepare for the test, connect with recruiters, build a competitive application and more.

GRE Exam format

The GRE General Test is an objective assessment of skills that are critical for success in thousands of graduate, business and law programs worldwide. It is accepted by thousands of schools and offers a range of flexibilities to fit into busy schedules. The test can be taken at home or at a test centre, and test takers can take the GRE General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). ETS provides free and low-cost GRE General Test prep materials, including the Official GRE Mentor course, videos, events, books and services and POWERPREP Practice. These resources help test takers prepare for the test, connect with recruiters, build a competitive application and more.

The GRE General Test is offered in two formats: computer-based and paper-based. The computer-based test consists of three main divisions: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. The Analytical Writing section will always be first, followed by the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections in any order. Each section has two parts with 20 questions each and a time limit of 30 minutes per section.

GRE Registration process

The GRE registration process is relatively straightforward and can be done online, by phone, or by mail. To register online, applicants must create an account on the ETS website and pay the registration fee. Once the registration process is complete, applicants will receive a confirmation number and instructions for their test centre location. Applicants can take the GRE General Test up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). If applicants need to change their test date after registering, they can do so by logging into their ETS account and entering their confirmation number. Cancelling a GRE registration is also possible but may incur a fee depending on when it is done.

GRE Test scoring

The GRE is scored on a 130-170 scale in the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections, and on a 0-6 scale in half-point increments for the Analytical Writing section. Each score is accompanied by a percentile rank which rates your performance relative to that of a large sample population of other GRE takers. The average scores for the GRE are Quantitative Reasoning: 152.7, Verbal Reasoning: 150.8, and Analytical Writing: 3.7. A good GRE score depends on the universities you are targeting, but according to ETS and various institutions, scoring around 300 makes a good score. The process of scoring the GRE involves adaptive scoring to determine question difficulty and differentiate more between test takers with similar raw scores. The best way to get a high score is to answer as many questions correctly as possible.

GRE Preparation tips

The best way to prepare for success on the GRE is to study what's actually on the test. This includes developing consistent strategies to address the GRE, familiarising yourself with the format and directions, and taking practice tests. Additionally, it is important to create a realistic daily schedule that designates time for each GRE section and covers all of the territory. Charting your progress is also an essential part of effective GRE preparation as it will provide an overview of your score improvements and objectively measure your progress. Finally, reading a lot of analytical non-fiction can help you build up your vocabulary and problem-solving skills. Following these tips can help you maximize your GRE score and be fully prepared for the exam.

GRE Score validity period

The GRE General Test score is valid for five years from the date of the test. This means that scores are reportable for five years following the test date. Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) consider scores to be valid for five years, and schools also accept scores that were originally taken within this period. ETS will keep your score report on file for five years after you take the test. After 5 years, your GRE score validity will expire and you will need to retake the exam in order to submit a new score report.