Introduction
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GRE or graduate record examination is a standard test that is required for admission into graduate courses in colleges in the United States of America and other countries where English is an official language. The GRE examination is conducted by the Educational Testing Service, which was instrumental in creation of the test in the first place. The importance of the examination varies from college to college. In some colleges it might be counted as an important criterion for admission and some other colleges take it as just one of the factors.
There are two different tests conducted. One is the GRE general test which does not aim at testing any specific technical skill rather the test is a culmination of all the other skills like language skills, reasoning skills, quantitative and qualitative aptitudes etc. and the other test is the GRE subject test which includes subjects like, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, literature (English), mathematics, physics and psychology.
Duration of the test:
GRE general test is a Computer Adaptive Test with different time allotted for different set of questions. There are 4 sections of GRE with varying time limits. Since it is a Computer Adaptive Test changing the answer or coming back to an answer after it has been skipped is not possible.
Section 1 and 2: analytical writing section: 75 minutes
Section 2: verbal questions: 30 minutes
Section 3: quantitative section: 45 minutes.
The total time for a GRE test is thus close to 150 minutes.
GRE subject tests are offered in the written format which also has duration of 120 minutes.
Eligibility criteria:
Anybody who has a valid passport and a high school pass certificate can apply for GRE.
Structure for the GRE
GRE general test
GRE general test generally have questions based on English reading, writing and Mathematics. Hence the study of the language’s grammar and a good vocabulary are very important, besides fundamental knowledge of mathematics.
Section 1 and 2: analytical writing section:
This section involves writing of two essays. One issue essay and another argument essay. Issue essays are generally used to test the communication skills of the student. Effective and organised writing gathers scores. Mastery over the English language is also another measuring yardstick. The argument essay is more scientific and the analytical and critical thinking skills here are measured. The topic is given in form of an argument the candidate is expected to understand the argument fully and then debate the argument.
Section 3: verbal section:
The verbal section includes questions on analogies, antonyms, sentence completion and reading comprehension. While analogies and antonyms test the vocabulary of the student, reading comprehension aims at testing the logical and reasoning skills of the candidate. One has to be sharp and look at the bigger picture and thus draw conclusion from the information provided. Rationality of thought and a good vocabulary holds one in good stead in this section. Candidates who have honed their reading skills along with their understanding of the grammar of the language can easily pass through the section.
Section 4: quantitative section:
This section of GRE measures the quantitative reasoning skills of the candidate. Quantitative comparisons, problem solving and data interpretation skills are measured in this section. Questions from arithmetic (basic fundamental mathematical properties), algebra (higher secondary algebra, basic equations and understanding), geometry (fundamental geometry), data analysis (probability, mean, median, graphs etc.) are generally asked. They measure the mathematical skills and the quantitative analysis skills of the candidate.
For GRE Subject Test
GRE subject tests test the advance knowledge of the candidates in the subjects in question.
When one registers for a subject test for GRE a free sample booklet containing the sample papers is shipped free of cost.
How to register for GRE?
The registration for the test can be done at the official GRE webpage . The registration can also be done via phone and FAX. One can apply for the general test which contains the verbal, quantitative, analytical. The cost of GRE general test is US $160 for United States and Puerto Rico, US $205 for China, Korea and Taiwan and US $190 for other locations.
Registration for GRE is also done via Mail. One can download the GRE registration form from the official GRE website which can then be filled and mailed. The payments can be done via credit card or via money order. The cost of GRE subject test is US $ 140 for United States and Puerto Rico and US $160 for individual testing.
