GRE Subject Tests

GRE General vs. Subject Tests

The GRE General test (most commonly referred to simply as “the GRE”) is a standardized test that evaluates verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing abilities in graduate school applicants. It is accepted by thousands of graduate, business, and law programs around the world. In addition to the GRE General test, some programs also require specific GRE Subject Tests. There are currently three Subject Tests intended for students with an undergraduate major or extensive background in the following disciplines: Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology.

GRE Subject Tests provide a common measure for comparing student qualifications, and are intended to supplement undergraduate records, letters of recommendation, and other benchmarks of accomplishment demonstrating a study is ready for graduate-level study. Subscores indicate strengths and weaknesses in an individual student’s preparation and may also be useful for guidance and placement purposes. While the GRE General Test is used primarily as a criterion for admission to gradute programs, the GRE Subject Tests enable graduate programs to better understand an applicant’s knowledge and skill level in a specialized field of study, which later allows for the customization of student curricula to improve academic weaknesses and build upon strengths.

The GRE General Test and the GRE Subject Tests are administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), the largest nonprofit educational measurement organization in the world. This organization is continually revising its testing material to better reflect the needs of graduate programs as well as the modern economy. Thousands of researchers collaborate with universities around the United States and with top scientists around the world to ensure that the content of each Subject Test will be useful both to the individuals who take it and to the institutions that accept it.

Because the frontiers of education in graduate school are constantly changing, it is important to ensure that the tests used in the graduate school admission process are also making consistent and thoughtful adjustments to help students prepare to make meaningful creative contributions in their chosen field of study.

The three GRE Subject Tests are offered two weeks per month in September, October, and April. They may be taken at approved testing centers or remotely at home on certain days during the aforementioned months. You will need an ETS account to register for a Subject Test, and each Subject Test costs $175 regardless of where you choose to take the test.

Below we examine each of the Subject Tests in greater detail.

Mathematics

This test consists of 66 multiple-choice questions drawn from courses typically offered at the undergraduate level. According to ETS, the content of the test is as follows:

  • Calculus: 50%
  • Algebra: 25%
  • Additional Topics: 25%

The questions involving calculus and its applications contain subject matter common to nearly all mathematics majors. Questions involving algebra focus on elementary algebra, linear algebra, abstract algebra, and number theory. Questions focusing on additional topics address other areas of mathematics that should be familiar to anyone who obtained an undergraduate degree in the field.

Physics

This test consists of approximately 70 multiple-choice questions based on diagrams, graphs, experimental data, and descriptions of physical situations. According to ETS, the content of the test is as follows:

  • Classical Mechanics: 20%
  • Electromagnetism: 18%
  • Quantum Mechanics: 13%
  • Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics: 10%
  • Atomic Physics: 10%
  • Specialized Topics: 9%
  • Optics and Wave Phenomena: 8%
  • Special Relativity: 6%
  • Laboratory Methods: 6%

Most test questions can be answered based on the mastery of the first three years of undergraduate physics courses. The International System of Units is predominantly used on the test. The Physics test yields three “percent correct” subscores in addition to the total score:

  1. Classical Mechanics
  2. Electromagnetism
  3. Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Physics

It is recommended that test-takers be familiar with the following: single and multivariate calculus, coordinate systems (rectangular, cylindrical, and spherical), vector algebra, vector differential operators, Fourier series, partial differential equations, boundary value problems, matrices and determinants, as well as the functions of complex variables.

Psychology

This test consists of approximately 144 multiple-choice questions. According to ETS, the content of the test is as follows:

  • Biological Psychology: 30 questions
  • Cognitive Psychology: 29 questions
  • Measurement/Methodology/Other: 25 questions
  • Clinical Psychology: 23 questions
  • Social Psychology: 19 questions
  • Developmental Psychology: 18 questions

Questions may require test-takers to recall factual information, analyze relationships, apply principles, draw conclusions from given data, and/or evaluate a research design. This Subject Test adheres strictly to the terminology, criteria, and classifications found in the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In addition to the total score, the test also provides six “percent correct” subscores in the areas of Biological Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Measurement/Methodology/Other.

Although scores may not be required for a particular program, admissions committees are likely to consider the scores if they are submitted.

ETS Major Field Tests

While GRE Subject Tests allow for the assessment of a single student’s knowledge of a particular discipline, ETS Major Field tests allow for the assessment for an entire university program. By evaluating student performance, educators and institutions can improve both curricula and opportunities for student learning. Both the GRE General Test and GRE Subject tests are intended to benefit students by helping them gain access to graduate education and networking, whereas the ETS Major Field Tests are more useful to undergraduate institutions and business schools who are looking to assess their own students, compensate for any weaknesses in their instruction, and increase their international competitiveness in the education market.

According to ETS, Major Field tests are useful for the following:

  • Meeting requirements for accreditation
  • Providing accountability to stakeholders
  • Measuring the critical knowledge students acquire as part of their major field of study
  • Evaluating and informing teaching and learning to identify strengths, as well as areas for improvement

ETS Major Field tests are designed to measure undergradate accomplishment in a major field of study, and ETS has developed tests to evaluate student performance in the following disciplines:

  • Business
    • Associate Degree in Business
    • Bachelor’s Degree in Business
    • Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  • Humanities
    • Literature in English
    • Music
  • Social Sciences
    • Criminal Justice
    • Economics
    • Political Science
    • Psychology
    • Sociology
  • STEM
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Computer Science
    • Mathematics
    • Physics

Students typically take their Major Field Tests in their final year of study after completing the majority of their required coursework.

In addition to measuring factual knowledge in a subject area, Major Field Tests also evaluate students’ abilities to analyze and solve problems, understand relationships, and interpret material from their major field of study. ETS offers comprehensive national data for their tests, enabling institutions to evaluate student performance and compare the effectiveness of their programs to other similar institutions worldwide.

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