All About The GRE

By Emily Plummer on October 26, 2015

So you’re thinking about taking the GRE. Or maybe you just want to know what GRE stands for after hearing it spoken of by those students who you know are way too on top of their futures.

From lecture halls and classrooms to dorms and offices, those letters are uttered all around your college campuses. And what do they stand for?

Image via Flickr.com

That’s a good place to start. The GRE, or Graduate Readiness Exam, is just what it sounds like, a test you take when applying to graduate school. Think of it like an SAT or ACT that you take to get into graduate school instead of college. It is a way to supplement your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and statements of purpose with a test score.

Depending on what kind of test-taker you are, this may seem like a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, don’t stress. There are lots of factors going into your grad school application — this test is just one of them. And to put your best foot forward, you will want to do as well as you can on this exam. So here is everything you need to know about the GRE.

Test Structure

The GRE is made up of three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. The Quantitative part tests your problem solving, the Verbal tests your reading comprehension, and the Analytical tests your writing and analysis with two essay questions.

This exam has been adapted to be offered via computer. Now there are two versions of the test; you can take it on paper like a traditional standardized test, or using a computer. The computer version of the test is much more prevalent in the United States. Both require you to complete the exam at a testing facility.

The time you are given to take the exam depends on whether you take the exam on the computer or on paper. However, you can generally allot about three hours for the duration of the test.

Who Takes It

Prospective graduate school and business school applicants take this exam in preparation for their applications. If you find yourself headed down these paths toward graduate or business school, the GRE is probably in your future. If not, you may be looking at other exams (like the MCAT, for all you future medical school students) or none at all if you do not plan on further schooling after undergraduate.

When To Take It

The general rule is to plan on taking the GRE about a year before your expected entrance to graduate school, but at least six weeks before your first application deadline. This being a general rule however, there are several things to consider.

First of all, since the GRE is now offered via computer, you can take it at almost any time. Sometimes it may even be possible to book your test date a couple of days in advance. If you are taking it during busy months (late Fall – Winter) though, you will want to schedule your test one to two months in advance.

You will also want to consider the possibility of re-takes. You are allowed to re-take this exam up to five times, but never more than once per month. If you are taking the computer version of the test, unofficial scores for the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections will be available at the testing center the day of your exam. The Analytical section scores will be reported 10-15 days following the exam.

Finally, the cost of this exam is $195 each time you take it. This may play a role in the number of times you wish to take the exam or how often you are able to.

Image via Flickr.com

Scoring

Score for the GRE will be valid for five years after the year of your test. So if you took the exam this year, you’d have until 2020 to decide if you even want to go to graduate school. This is a good incentive for taking the exam during your last year of college or soon after so that all of that education is fresh in your brain for the exam.

In terms of the score you will receive after the exam, the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections are scored on scales from 130 to 170 in one point increments while the Analytical Writing section is scored on a scale from zero to six in ½ point increments.

You will have the option to report or cancel your score right after you take the exam at the testing center. This will be your only opportunity to cancel your score. But don’t worry, you can always choose which scores are sent to which schools when applying so that these numbers represent your best performance.

Don’t forget to give yourself time to study and prepare before each exam!
Image via Flickr.com

Subject Tests

Just like the SAT we all remember so fondly, the GRE too comes in a variety of subject tests. There are seven subjects offered: biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology; biology; chemistry; English literature; mathematics; physics; and psychology. Different graduate programs may require certain subject tests and others may not require anything beyond the GRE itself.

Subject tests are much less flexible than the standard GRE, so you will need to plan your test-taking timeline with much more care than you would the GRE. The subject tests are offered only three times per year in September, October, and April. This means you will need to schedule these tests about six weeks in advance. Further, these tests are only offered on paper, so score reports will also take about six weeks to be released.

But here is the good news you were waiting for, the subject tests are $45 cheaper than the GRE, at $150 each.


And there you have it folks, everything you wanted to know about planning for the GRE. Now go forth and ace those exams!

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format