What is the GRE Test?
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test which measures college readiness for graduate level educational programs, and many graduate schools require this test as a part of their admissions process.
Format of the GRE Test
The GRE is separated into three sections: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning. Each section is timed. In the U.S. and Canada the test is administered on computer, and in many other parts of the world an alternative paper test is available.
Included within the test are unscored questions which are added to help with research on future test questions and format improvements; sometimes these questions are on the last part of the test, but in many GRE tests the questions are not identified or separated from other questions – so test takers have no way of knowing which questions are going to be used for research purposes only.
Changes to the Graduate Record Examination test format and/or types of questions are going to be introduced in August 2011, test takers should consult with the Educational Testing Service for additional info about changes to future tests.
GRE Analytical Writing Essays
The Analytical Writing portion of the test requires two types of essays: the Issue Task essay and the Argument Task essay. Students will have 45 minutes to complete the Issue Task essay and 30 minutes to complete the Argument Task essay. Evaluators are looking for essays that display a high level of critical thinking, a clear format, and essays which use excellent grammar and an extensive vocabulary.
On the Issue Task essay, students will be given two ‘prompts’ which discuss an issue, and then the test taker will need to choose a prompt and write an essay based on assessing points of view, providing opinions, and including personal knowledge or experiences.
On the Argument Task essay, test takers will be presented with an argument and are then asked to write an essay which discusses how the argument is presented – if the argument needs additional statements to support it, if any logic about the argument is flawed or what improvements could be made to the argument.
GRE Verbal Reasoning Questions
The Verbal Reasoning portion of the GRE test includes 30 multiple choice questions on the computerized version, and students have 30 minutes to answer the questions; on the paper version of the test, students will need to take two tests with 38 multiple choice questions each – each test must be answered in 30 minutes. Types of questions on this part of the test include concepts on verbal analogies, sentence completion, reading comprehension and antonyms.
GRE Quantitative Questions
The Quantitative Reasoning portion of the GRE test includes 28 multiple choice questions on the computerized version, and students have 45 minutes to answer the questions; on the paper version of the test, students will need to take two tests with 30 multiple choice questions each – each section must be answered in 30 minutes. Types of questions on this part of the test include concepts on algebra, geometry and arithmetic.