The emphasis on GRE scores varies from school to school. Schools may even vary in GRE score preferences with respect to the programs applied for. For instance, some programs may explicitly demand a high sectional (Quantitative or Verbal) score whereas other programs may set a minimum (cut-off) overall GRE score to be eligible for pursuing their programs. Schools do place a considerable degree of importance to GRE scores when assessing a candidate for scholarships. It is always advised to check out the average GRE scores for a particular course available on the university's website.
Most colleges have their application deadlines starting November and extending till January. You need to allocate sufficient time for your GRE preparation, provide some additional time for a re-take (should it be required), save some time for working on your SOPs and LORs, and gather your research work. It is advised that you start preparing 6 months to a year in advance of your application deadlines.You can also refer to our timeline advisory to attain a greater understanding: /gre/timeline-advisory.html
The GRE is offered as a computer-based test year around at certain registered (ETS approved) centers. You can register online on the ETS website and register for a particular date and time from the list of available dates and time slots. Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Register early to get your preferred test date and time slot.
You are allowed to take the test up to five times within a rolling 12-month period with the restriction that you can take the test only once every 21 days.
Nearly all business and graduate schools accept GRE scores as an admissions requirement and most colleges are open to accepting either GRE or GMAT scores for business related programs. The ETS provides colleges with a concordance table to translate a GRE score into a predicted GMAT score.
You can register online on https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/computer
A valid passport is the only ID accepted by the testing centers to allow you to take the GRE.
The fee for taking the GRE® revised General Test is $205 effective January 4, 2016.
You can cancel or change your GRE registration no later than four days before your test date or your test fee will be forfeited.You are entitled to receive half of your test fee if you cancel your GRE registration within the specified time period. You will be charged a fee of US$50 if you change your registration date.
You can view your unofficial GRE scores after the completion of your test on the test day itself (will not include your Analytical writing scores). Your designated institutions will receive your official scores within 10-15 days after the day of your test and you can view them in your My GRE account.
After completing your GRE revised general test, the Score Select option allows you to choose which scores you want the universities to see. On the day of the test, you can choose not to send your scores, send the most recent GRE score, or send all the test scores in the last five years. After the day of the test, you can choose to send the most recent score, all the test scores in the last five years, or any particular score from your previous attempts.
After completing your GRE revised general test, you will get an option to report or cancel your scores before the unofficial scores appear on the screen. Cancellation of the scores will not be reported to the universities and will not be a part of your official score report.
Your test registration fee includes the service of sending your official GRE score card to four universities/institutions. You can choose the four score recipients on the day of your test at the test center itself.After test day, you can send additional score reports for a fee of US$27 per recipient.
GRE scores are valid for 5 years.
The GRE tests you on verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Verbal reasoning broadly tests you on reading comprehension, vocabulary, and argument construction & evaluation. Quantitative reasoning tests you on high school math and its applications specifically on basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra,geometry,and data analysis. The analytical writing section tests you on your ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively, support ideas with relevant reasons and examples, and examine claims and accompanying evidence
The test on the whole takes 3 hours and 45 minutes plus some short breaks.
The GRE provides you with an online calculator for the Quantitative reasoning sections. However, it is important to note that the calculator performs the four basic functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and a square root. You are not allowed to bring any calculator of your own.
|
Section |
Tasks/Number of Questions |
Time Allotted |
|
Analytical Writing Section |
2 essays (Issue and argument) |
30 minutes each |
|
Verbal Reasoning |
20 questions per section |
30 minutes each |
|
Quantitative Reasoning |
20 questions per section |
35 minutes each |
The GRE provides three separate scores as follows: