Getting an advanced degree can create many opportunities. The GRE® revised General Test — the most widely accepted graduate admissions test worldwide — can bring you one step closer to achieving your career goals. And there has never been a better time to take the one test that gives you more opportunities for your future.
In August 2011, the GRE revised General Test replaced the GRE® General Test. Featuring the new test-taker friendly design and new questions, the revised test more closely reflects the kind of thinking you'll do in graduate or business school and demonstrates that you are ready for graduate-level work.
Test Content and Structure
Introduced on August 1, 2011, the GRE revised General Test features new types of questions that more closely reflect the kind of thinking you’ll do — and the skills you need to succeed — in today's demanding graduate and business school programs. It is designed to provide a friendlier, more flexible test-taking experience. Get a look at the structure of the computer-based or paper-based GRE revised General Test.
Here's a look at content covered in the three test sections — Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing.
Verbal Reasoning
The Verbal Reasoning section measures your ability to:
analyze and draw conclusions from discourse; reason from incomplete data; identify author's assumptions and/or perspective; understand multiple levels of meaning, such as literal, figurative and author's intent
select important points; distinguish major from minor or relevant points; summarize text; understand the structure of a text
understand the meanings of words, sentences and entire texts; understand relationships among words and among concepts
Featuring new types of questions, the Verbal Reasoning section measures your ability to understand what you read and how you apply your reasoning skills.
Quantitative Reasoning
The Quantitative Reasoning section measures your ability to:
understand quantitative information
interpret and analyze quantitative information
solve problems using mathematical models
apply basic mathematical skills and elementary mathematical concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability and statistics
With increased emphasis on data interpretation and real-life scenarios, this section has new types of questions that require you to show your quantitative reasoning ability. To reduce the emphasis on computation, the computer-based test includes an on-screen calculator. And, if you are taking the paper-based test, a calculator will be provided at the test center.
Get a quick view of the Quantitative Reasoning Question Types.
Take a closer look at the Quantitative Reasoning section.
The Analytical Writing section measures your ability to:
articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
examine claims and accompanying evidence
sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
control the elements of standard written English
The Analytical Writing section requires you to provide focused responses based on the tasks presented, so you can accurately demonstrate your skill in directly responding to a task.
