GRE Basics – All about the GRE

What is the GRE?

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a computer-based test used to evaluate the academic readiness of applicants to graduate school programs. The exam is administered by the Electronic Testing Service (ETS) at over 1,000 test centers in 160 countries worldwide. The GRE can be taken at an approved testing center or remotely using your personal computer and costs $220 regardless of where you take the exam.

The GRE is a computer-based test that is administered year-round. During the summer, the test is available almost daily at testing centers in large cities, but other months of the year it may only be available on certain days of the week. The remote version of the GRE taken at home is available 24/7, as long as there are registration slots available. 

To register for the GRE, you will need to create an ETS account at www.ets.org. You will need to ensure that the name you use when registering exactly matches the name on the form of identification (ID) you plan to use on the day of your exam. Your ID must be an original document (not a photocopy), have physical form (digital versions are not acceptable), be government-issued, contain both your first and last name, include a recognizable photograph, include your signature, and be valid (expired IDs are not acceptable). Some countries have more specific ID requirements, and these can be found on the ETS website. 

The GRE presumes a fluency in the English language and contains five sections: one section in Analytical Writing, two sections in Verbal Reasoning, and two sections in Quantitative Reasoning. The Analytical Writing section of the test is always the first test section to be administered; after Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections may be presented in any order. This means there are six possible permutations when it comes to the order of sections:

  1. Analytical Writing—Verbal Reasoning—Quantitative Reasoning—Verbal Reasoning—Quantitative Reasoning
  2. Analytical Writing—Verbal Reasoning—Verbal Reasoning—Quantitative Reasoning—Quantitative Reasoning
  3. Analytical Writing—Verbal Reasoning—Quantitative Reasoning—Quantitative Reasoning—Verbal Reasoning
  4. Analytical Writing—Quantitative Reasoning—Verbal Reasoning—Quantitative Reasoning—Verbal Reasoning
  5. Analytical Writing—Quantitative Reasoning—Quantitative Reasoning—Verbal Reasoning—Verbal Reasoning
  6. Analytical Writing—Quantitative Reasoning—Verbal Reasoning—Verbal Reasoning—Quantitative Reasoning

No specific order of sections is more challenging than another, and test-takers complete all five sections whether the exam is taken in a test center or at home. An on-screen calculator is provided for the Quantitative Reasoning sections. Within each section you can skip questions or go back to review your answers. There is no penalty for incorrect answers, so it is best to choose an answer for every question even if you must guess.

The GRE lasts approximately 1 hour and 58 minutes. There is no break during the exam, and there are no unscored or experimental sections. The exam is scored on a scale of 130-170 in one-point increments, and you receive one score ranging from 130-170 for Verbal Reasoning sections and one score ranging from 130-170 for Quantitative Reasoning sections, meaning the highest total GRE score one can achieve is 340. The Analytical Writing section is scored from 0-6 in half-point increments.

The 80th percentile is approximately a 159 for Verbal Reasoning, 161 for Quantitative Reasoning, and a 4.5 for Analytical Writing. A “good” score is generally considered to fall around or above the 75th percentile, which means test-takers should aim for at least a 157 Verbal Reasoning Score and a 165 Quantitative Reasoning score.

Following a 2011 revision, the GRE became adaptive between sections. This means that the first Verbal and Quantitative sections will be of average difficulty, with a mixture of easy and difficult questions. After you complete the first Verbal Reasoning and the first Quantitative Reasoning sections, a computer uses your results to assemble your second Verbal Reasoning section and your second Quantitative Reasoning section. If you perform well on your first section, your second section in that category will be composed of more difficult questions, and you will have the chance to earn a higher score. In other words, test-takers who perform well on the first Verbal or Quantitative section will “level up” and face a more difficult second section. By utilizing a section-adaptive system, test administrators are better able to achieve a more even distribution of test results. 

The GRE can be taken once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period of 365 days. This timeline applies even if you have canceled your scores on a previous test. 

The GRE and Graduate School Acceptance

The GRE is accepted at thousands of graduate, business, and law schools. The importance of a GRE score can vary from being a formaility to being one of the most important factors in graduate school admissions. The importance placed upon GRE scores varies widely among schools and even among departments within schools. According to ETS, the administrator of the GRE, graduate departments consider GRE scores as less important than undergraduate grades, about equally important as letters of recommendation, and more important than other evaluation criteria. High GRE scores are most important when applicants have weaknesses in their other credentials.

The GRE vs. the GMAT

While the GRE is used to evaluate applicants to a broad variety of graduate schools, including business and law schools, the GMAT is a test exclusively for business schools. Approximately 200,000 students take the GMAT every year, compared to 300,000 for the GRE. Vocabulary and writing are more rigorously evaluated on the GRE, but the GMAT assesses more advanced mathematical concepts. While the GRE only adapts the test between sections, the GMAT adapts after every question.

Although GMAT and GRE scores cannot be compared given that both tests are unique, ETS (administrator of the GRE) and GMAC (administrator of the GMAT) have devised comparison metrics to allow schools and students to understand one test score in terms of the other. This tool was primarily designed to allow business schools to compare students who had taken the GRE with students who had taken the GMAT, which ultimately made it easier for business schools to evaluate prospective candidates who had completed the GRE rather than the GMAT.

Whether to take the GRE or the GMAT is a decision best made by you and depends on your strengths, weaknesses, and the graduate programs where you plan to apply. If you are applying to business school and are unsure which exam to take, try taking a practice exam for each to evaluate which is a better fit for you. Manhattan Review offers free, full-length, computer-adaptive diagnostic tests for both GRE and GMAT.

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