CONTENTS

What Is Graduate Record Examination (GRE)? ..................................................................................... 3

Types Of GRE Test ............................................................................................................................................ 3

How To Register for GRE? ............................................................................................................................. 3

GRE Test Fee....................................................................................................................................................... 3

GRE Results ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Retaking GRE ..................................................................................................................................................... 4

Scoreselectsm Option ....................................................................................................................................... 4

GRE Revised General Test ........................................................................................................................... 4

Analytical writing ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Verbal reasoning ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Quantitative reasoning ............................................................................................................................................................. 7

GRE Subject Test ............................................................................................................................................... 8

Scoring of GRE subject test ....................................................................................................................................................... 8

GRE test dates 2013-14 ............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Other Useful Resources.......................................................................................................................................... 9

Careers360

www.studyabroad.careers360.com

Page | 2

What is Graduate Record Examination (GRE)?

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is the standardized test to secure admissions in the graduate schools or
business schools in the United States and other major English speaking countries. GRE underwent major changes
since August 2011 and the GRE revised General Test is now one of the most widely used tests in the world.

FAST FACTS
GRE is taken by more than 6,75,000 candidates from around 630 countries across the world
GRE tests the same level of knowledge in Maths as the major graduate admission tests do
GRE test cost is comparatively less than the other admissions tests that measures the same skills
of the candidate
The test offers free test preparation materials to the candidates that closely resemble the actual
test questions
GRE test assesses all the major skills needed by a candidate in being successful in a B-School such
as verbal reasoning, critical thinking, analytical writing and quantitative reasoning

Types of GRE Test

Based on the institutional requirements and intentions, the GRE test is divided into two types:
GRE Revised General Test
GRE Subject Test

How to register for GRE?

He candidates can register online for the GRE test. Before registering online, the candidates must go through list of
test centres and dates. While registering, the candidate must give the exact name that is being provided in the
official documents.
Click here to register for GRE

GRE Test Fee

Below given is the GRE test fee as applicable from January 2013. The candidates can pay the fee using debit/credit
cards.
Standard administration of GRE Revised Test

$185

Late Registration Fee (paper based test online registration)

$25

Standby testing (paper based test only)

$50

Careers360

www.studyabroad.careers360.com

Page | 3

Rescheduling fee

$50

Changing the test centre

$50

GRE Results
The official scores will be sent to the candidates within six weeks of the administration of the test. The candidates
can also get the results on phone by providing the following details:
Registration number, confirmation number or social security number
Test date
Date of birth

Retaking GRE
ETS has decided to give the provision of retaking the GRE revised General Test in every 21 days. The new system
will be in effect from July 1, 2013. Further, the candidates can also take the test for five times in a rolling of 12
months.

ScoreSelectSM Option
This is a new option started by ETS. In this option the candidates send the score card to various institutions for free.

GRE Revised General Test

The GRE revised general test is the most common test taken by the candidates who seek admissions in various
graduate and business schools in the English speaking countries. The GRE revised general test was introduced with
many changes in August 2011. The test analyzes the skills of the candidates to be successful in a business school.
The GRE revised general test is available in two formats:
Computer based test
Paper based test
The paper based test will be available only in the places where the computer based tests are not there. Below given
table will give you a better idea about the question and time distribution in GRE revised general test:
Computer based test structure
Section
Analytical writing

Number of sections
Two sections

Verbal reasoning

Two sections

Careers360

Number of questions
Section 1: Analyze an issue
Section 2: Analyze an
argument
20 questions in each section

www.studyabroad.careers360.com

Duration
Score
30 minutes for Scored on a scale
each section
of 0-6 with a half
point increment
30 minutes for Score between
each section
130 and 170 with
one point
increment
Page | 4

Quantitative reasoning

Two sections

20 questions in each section

35 minutes for Score between

each section
130 and 170 with
one point
increment

Analytical writing
In the analytical writing section, the candidates ability to communicate an idea through the most effective words
and expressions is analyzed. In this section, the candidate needs to type the essay in a word processing program
prepared by ETS especially for the exam. The program will have only the basic functionalities of a word program.
The section consists of two tasks:
Analyze an issue
In this section, the examiner analyzes the capability of the candidate to analyze critically an issue that is of general
interest and expresses his/her view point effectively in words.
Analyze an argument
In this section, the examiner analyzes the capability of the candidate to analyze understand an argument, analyze it
and evaluate the same to write in clear language that communicates to the reader very effectively. In this section,
the candidate will be given a passage where an idea and argument is presented. The task of the candidate is to
critically examine the text and present the idea with the help of evidence.
Skills assessed
The ability to articulate complex ideas in a clear and effective manner
Examine the claims and evidences
Support the ideas with relevant examples and reasons
Maintain a well-focussed and coherent discussion
The ability to use standard English language to express the ideas

Tips for Analytical Writing

Your essay must have introductory and concluding paragraphs
Make sure that there is a flow of information
New ideas and thoughts must be incorporated in fresh paragraphs
Pay close attention to the grammar and spellings as the word processing program doesnt have a
spell checker
Dont use heavy vocabulary, your focus must be on conveying the message to the reader in a
simple and effective manner

Careers360

www.studyabroad.careers360.com

Page | 5

Verbal reasoning
The verbal reasoning section has three types of questions:
Reading comprehension
Text completion
Sentence equivalence
Reading comprehension
The reading comprehension covers three types of questions such as multiple choice questions- select one answer
(the candidate needs to select one answer from among the choices), multiple choice questions- select more than
one answer (here the candidate needs to select all correct answers, which could probably be more than one option)
and select-in-passage (where the candidate needs to select a particular passage as the answer to a question.
Clicking anywhere in the passage will help in selecting it).
Text completion
In this section the candidates need to complete the text in a passage. Usually, the passage will have five to six
sentences with three to four fields blank for the candidates to fill.
Sentence equivalence
This section consists of one sentence with a single bank space and six options. The candidate needs to choose two
correct answers to complete the sentence from among six.
Skills assessed
Ability to draw conclusions from discourse, fill the incomplete data, understand authors assumption and
understand multiple levels of meanings
Summarize the text and select important points
Understand the structure of the text
Understand the meaning of the words and complete the text with suitable words

Tips for Verbal Reasoning

Read the paragraph to get a basic idea about it
Identify a set of words and phrases that seems to be significant for you
If you dont find the answer for one blank space, move on to the next. You can any time come
back and complete the first one later
Once you fill all the blanks, read the passage and make sure that it makes sense
Try to distinguish between the major ideas and the supporting ideas

Careers360

www.studyabroad.careers360.com

Page | 6

Quantitative reasoning
The quantitative reasoning section contains four types of questions:
Quantitative Comparison Questions
In this section, the candidate is asked to compare two quantities such as A and B. The candidate needs to draw a
conclusion regarding the relation of the two quantities such as quantity A is greater, quantity B is greater, both
quantity A and B are equal or there is no relationship between quantity A and B.
Multiple choice questions- choose one answer
In this section, the candidate needs to choose one correct answer from the various choices given
Multiple choice questions- choose one or more answers
In this section, the candidate needs to select more than one option as the answer
Numeric entry questions
In this section, the candidate needs to enter his/her answer in a number or decimal in a single answer box. In some
questions, the candidate needs to enter the answer in two fractions in two different boxes.
Skills assessed

Analyze and interpret quantitative information

Understand quantitative information
Use basic mathematical skills and the major concepts of algebra, arithmetic, geometry and statistics
Solve various problems using mathematical models

Tips for Quantitative Reasoning

If you get an answer that is not there in the choices, assume that your answer is wrong. You need to
spend more time then to find out the answer
Read the questions and instructions carefully. Sometime, you need to select two choices as the
correct answers or at time, you will be asked to find out as many choices as possible to complete to
the correct answer
You will have to make sure that you are answering to the question asked
Crosscheck your answer once you are done
Check whether your answer is reasonable in accordance with the question asked

Careers360

www.studyabroad.careers360.com

Page | 7

GRE subject test

The GRE subject test analyzes the skills of the candidates in a specific subject area. The test is being taken by the
candidates as per the requirements of various educational institutions.
The subject tests in GRE are:
Biology

Chemistry

Biochemistry

Mathematics

Literature in English

Psychology

Physics
The GRE conducting body, ETS offers the GRE subject tests April, October and November.

Scoring of GRE subject test

The scoring of GRE subject test is done in a two-step process:
Step 1: Calculating the raw score by deducting one fourth of the wrong questions answered by the candidate from
the total number of correct answers given by the candidate
Step 2: The raw score is converted to scale score through a process called equating.
The total score of the paper will be on a 200990 score scale with a 10 point increment.

GRE test dates 2013-14

Test Dates

Registration Deadlines

Scores Available on

Normal
Deadline

Late
Deadline1

Supplementary Test Center

and Monday
Administration Deadline2

Online and
Scores by
Phone

Approx. Score Report

Mailing Date

28 Sept 2013

08/16/13

08/23/13

08/02/13

10/28/13

11/08/13

19 Oct 2013

09/06/13

09/13/13

08/23/13

11/18/13

11/29/13

04 May 2014

02/21/14

02/28/14

02/07/14

05/05/14

05/16/14

Late registration is available only for online registration with a fee of US$25

Monday test dates are: 30 September 2013, 21 October 2013 and 07 April 2014. The Monday tests are only for
those whose religious convictions dont let them take the test on Saturdays.

The students can download GRE practice papers for free! Click here to download now!
Careers360

www.studyabroad.careers360.com

Page | 8

Other Useful Resources

What is GRE?
GRE changes at a glance
GRE Preparation strategy
Tips to crack GRE!

Careers360

www.studyabroad.careers360.com

Page | 9