If you’re at the beginning of your GRE prep journey, understanding the exam’s structure and equipping yourself with the best strategies for each section is essential. This article overviews the GRE’s format, scoring system, and those strategies that are most effective in helping you maximize your potential on test day.
What Is the GRE?
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test that evaluates essential skills for graduate-level study, including analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning. Accepted by thousands of graduate programs worldwide, including business and law schools, the GRE provides a consistent measure of an applicant’s readiness, helping institutions compare applicants from diverse backgrounds across multiple fields of study.
Why Take the GRE?
The GRE is a critical component for most people considering non-professional degree graduate studies. Its also increasingly relevant for MBA and business based Master’s programs. It’s widely accepted by a multitude of schools, permitting applicants the flexibility to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees, MBA programs, and even some law schools. Here are a few reasons to take the GRE:
- Broad Academic Opportunities: Many graduate programs accept the GRE as an entrance requirement, increasing options for candidates, especially if you’re unsure of your direction. The scores are good for 5 years.
- Enhance Your Application: A high GRE score can strengthen your application by showcasing analytical and reasoning skills valued across fields. It can also counterbalance a poor undergraduate performance on your application.
- Flexible Pathway to Graduate Studies: For those considering multiple program types and geographies, the GRE offers a versatile option that’s accepted worldwide.
Structure of the GRE Exam
The GRE is composed of five sections. Each section is scored separately, and then superscored into three separate scores for writing, quantitative, and verbal. Here’s a breakdown of each section:
Quantitative Reasoning
The GRE Quantitative Reasoning tests your mathematical skills in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. There are two sections that contain a total of 27 questions to solve over 47 minutes. The first part is 21 minutes long, and the second part is 26 minutes long. The questions focus mainly on problem-solving and quantitative comparisons, requiring a practical approach to math.
Verbal Reasoning
The GRE Verbal Reasoning assesses reading comprehension, text completion, and sentence equivalence, all of which require an advanced understanding of vocabulary and context. The GRE Verbal Reasoning similarly consists of two sections, with a total of 27 questions to solve in 41 minutes.
Analytical Writing
The Analytical Writing contains a single essay prompt for which you’re given thirty minutes. The task asks you to “analyze and issue” by taking a position on a brief statement. For this task, you will have to construct your own argument in support of your position.
The GRE Analytical Writing section is scored on a range from 0 to 6 in half-point increments. The essay is scored by both a human grader as well as by a specialized computer program. If the scores given by the person and the program differ significantly, a second human will review the essay in place of the program, and the two human-generated scores will be averaged.
GRE Structure Table
| Section | Structure | Questions | Time |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 2 sections | 27 questions | 47 minutes |
| Verbal Reasoning | 2 sections | 27 questions | 41 minutes |
| Analytical Writing | 1 section | 1 essay task | 30 minutes |
| Total | 5 sections | 54 questions 1 essay task
| 1h 58m |
GRE Scoring
GRE scores range from 130 to 170 per section in one-point increments for Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning, and from 0 to 6 in half-point increments for Analytical Writing. The GRE scores each section independently, and then the scores can be combined for a total out of 340. High scores in each section can strengthen applications by demonstrating proficiency in specific skill areas. For top ranked programs typically a combined score of at least 325 (and sometimes as high as the 330s) is recommended for competitive applications.
GRE and GMAT Comparison
Like the GMAT, the GRE is adaptive, but on a much lower-resolution scale. While the GMAT adapts on a question-by-question basis, the GRE only adapts the difficulty of the second (scored) section of each type (Quant and Verbal). The adaptation is based on your performance during the first (scored) section of that type, which is always of moderate difficulty.
ETS has not released information on how many different degrees of difficulty exist for the second section, but the official practice tests on the ETS website have three possibilities for each second section: an easier one, a medium one, and a more challenging one.
For those considering both the GRE and GMAT, understanding the differences between the exams and how they’re perceived by admissions committees can help in selecting the right test. The GMAT is more targeted toward business school applicants, while the GRE has broader acceptance across fields.
What Kind of Math Is Tested on the GRE?
The GRE focuses on basic math concepts such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data interpretation. While staying squarely within high school level math, the GRE Quant section tests your ability to interpret quantitative data and solve problems in practical scenarios, skills highly relevant in many fields of graduate study. Our top-scoring tutors prepared a GRE Math Glossary to help you navigate this section, so check it out!
GRE Exam Tips from Expert Tutors
1. Use Section Navigation to Your Advantage
The GRE permits test takers to mark and revisit questions. This is a tool most test-takers don’t fully leverage. Use this feature strategically—focus on questions you can answer accurately and efficiently first, then circle back to more challenging and time consuming ones. This approach maximizes your responses and offsets time wasting questions, and ensures that you capitalize on scoring opportunities across the section.
2. Practice Adaptive Thinking for GRE’s Section-Adaptive Format
Unlike question-by-question adaptive tests, the GRE’s section-adaptive nature means that you’ll need to adjust your pacing only a few times through the exam. Since your performance in the first section influences the difficulty of the second, practice adjusting your pacing and approach on the second (adjusted) section based on how confident you feel in early questions. This helps maximize your potential on the more challenging, higher-value questions during the second half.
3. Focus on High-Impact Content Areas
Not all question types are created equal when it comes to influencing your GRE score. Identify “high-impact” areas within Quant and Verbal—such as data interpretation in Quant or sentence equivalence in Verbal—where even slight improvements can have an outsized effect on your overall performance. Prioritize these areas for a more efficient, score-focused study plan.
4. Refine Analytical Writing with Concise, Structured Argumentation
For Analytical Writing, emphasize structure and clarity over complex language or arguments. Crafting well-organized, concise responses that clearly support your position often score higher than convoluted responses. Practicing this structured clarity and working from an outline will ensure that you stay within the time limit while presenting a compelling, and complete, argument.
5. Cultivate Cognitive Endurance Through Realistic Practice
The GRE’s two-hour duration demands cognitive stamina. Training under full-length, timed conditions promotes focus and guards against fatigue, preventing burnout in later sections. Think of it like training for a marathon: practicing endurance over extended periods is essential and ultimately sharpens the mind, making it easier to maintain accuracy and resilience throughout the exam.
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GRE Frequently Asked Questions
What does the GRE exam do?
The GRE assesses skills relevant to graduate-level study, including analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning.
Is the GRE a hard exam?
The GRE can be challenging, especially for those new to standardized testing. However, consistent preparation and familiarization with the format can make it manageable.
How much does the GRE General Test cost?
The GRE General Test costs approximately $220, though fees may vary by country.