GRE Syllabus
Developed and conducted by ETS, the GRE or the Graduate Record Examination is a standardized test started in 1936. It is organized in both paper-based and computer mediums. GRE scores play a vital role in admission to graduate and graduate business programs around the world, especially those in the United States and Canada. GRE offers business schools and graduate schools a uniform platform for evaluating students’ qualifications and readiness for graduate-level studies. GRE exam syllabus aims to assess quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and critical thinking skills of aspirants looking to get admission to a graduate program.
Skills Tested in GRE
Analytical Writing Assessment
Quantitative Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning
GRE General Test syllabus is divided into 3 parts:
1. Analytical Writing
The analytical writing section evaluates students’ skills to present complex ideas in a clear and effective way. It also tests whether or not students can support those ideas with relevant reasons and examples, and can have a coherent and well-focused discussion. It is recommended that students find out from the college they are applying to how strong is the AWA section considered by their admission board. The scores for the Analytical Writing section are not part of the total GRE score and are graded on a separate scale out of 6.
2. Verbal Reasoning
The verbal reasoning section evaluates students’ skills to examine and derive conclusions, identifying information in it, scrutinize relationships among parts of sentences, and identify relationships among words and concepts. GRE Verbal Reasoning consists of three separate areas of skill-testing: Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension.
Topics covered under the Verbal section:
- Basic Sentence structure: Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives
- Verb Tense
- Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions
- Pronoun Agreement
- Subject-Verb Agreement
- Modifiers
- Parallelism
3. Quantitative Reasoning
GRE quantitative reasoning section, also known as GRE Quant, seeks to evaluate students’ skills to comprehend quantitative information and analyze and interpret quantitative information. It tests the taker’s competency in four areas i.e., Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Data Analysis.
Topics covered under the Quant section:
Arithmetic
- Divisibility, Prime Numbers, Factorization, Even & Odd Integers, Remainders
- Percent, Estimation, Ratio, Absolute Value, Decimal Representation, Number Line Sequences of Numbers
- Arithmetic Operations, Roots, and Exponents;
Algebra
- Quadratic and Linear Equations and Inequalities
- Simultaneous Inequalities and Equations
- Simplification & Factorization of Algebraic Expressions
- Functions, Equations, Relations, and Inequalities
- Forming Equations to Get Answers to Word Problems
- Coordinate Geometry, Graphs related to Functions and Equations
Geometry
- Quadrilaterals, Perpendicular & Parallel Lines, Circles and Triangles
- Polygons and Congruent Figures
- 3-D figures, Area, Volume, Perimeter
- Pythagorean Theorem
- Measurement of Angle in Degrees
Data Analysis
- Statistics
- Interpreting Data in Tables & Graphs
- Frequency Distributions & Scatterplots
- Elementary Probability
- Conditional Probability
- Probability Distributions and Random Variables and Counting Methods
- Combinations, Venn Diagrams, Permutations
GRE syllabus for Subject Test includes the following subjects:
1. Biology
Number of Questions: 190 five-choice questions.
Topics Included:
- Cellular and Molecular Biology
- Organismal Biology
- Ecology and Evolution
2. Chemistry
Number of Questions: 130 multiple-choice questions.
Topics Included:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry
3. Literature in English
Number of Questions: 230 questions on poetry, biography, drama, essay, short story, novel, literary theory, criticism, and the history of the English language.
Topics Included:
- Literary Analysis
- Identification
- Cultural and Historical Contexts
- History and Theory of Literary Criticism
4. Mathematics
Number of Questions: 66 multiple-choice questions.
Topics Included:
- Algebra
- Calculus
- Additional Topics
5. Physics
Number of Questions: 100 five-choice questions.
Topics Included:
- Classical Mechanics
- Electromagnetism
- Optics and Wave Phenomena
- Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
- Quantum Mechanics
- Atomic Physics
- Special Relativity
- Laboratory Methods
- Specialized Topics
6. Psychology
Number of Questions: 205 five-choice questions.
Topics Included:
- Biological
- Cognitive
- Developmental
- Social
- Clinical
- Measurement/Methodology/Other
Exam Pattern of GRE
1. GRE General Test Exam Pattern
- Conducting Time: Twice a year
Test Syllabus & Question Types
|
Sections |
No. of Sections |
No. of Questions |
Types of Questions |
Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quantitative Reasoning |
2 |
20+20=40 Questions |
|
Computer-Delivered: 70 min |
|
Verbal Reasoning |
2 |
20+20=40 questions |
|
Computer-Delivered: 60 min |
|
Analytical Writing |
2 |
1+1=2 questions |
|
Computer-Delivered: 60 min |
The total duration is 3 hours and 45 minutes in which, students get a break of 30-35 minutes. This break is permitted after the completion of the first 3 sections of the 6 sections.
GRE General Test Score Range
|
Sections |
Score Range |
|---|---|
|
GRE quantitative reasoning |
130-170 with 1-point increment |
|
GRE verbal reasoning |
130-170 with 1-point increment |
|
GRE analytical writing assessment |
0-6 with 0.5-point increment |
|
Grand Total |
260-340 |
GRE Subject Test Exam Pattern
- Conducting Time: Indian students are allowed to take GRE subject tests only in October.
- Test Duration: 2 hours and 50 minutes without break.
- GRE Subject Test Score Range: 200-990. Uses 10 points increment system and all the sub-areas of the GRE subject test has a score range of 20-99 with a 1-point increment. Also, it has a negative marking system in which 1 point is awarded for every correct answer and 0.25 point gets deducted for every wrong answer.
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