About the GRE
The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, is an important step in the graduate school or business school application process. The GRE is a multiple-choice, computer-based, standardized exam that is often required for admission to graduate programs and graduate business programs (MBA) globally. Additionally, many law schools in the United States will accept a GRE score for admission.
The GRE is developed and administered by testmaker, ETS to provide graduate, business, and law schools with common measures for comparing applicants’ qualifications and preparedness for graduate-level academic work. Admissions committees look at your GRE score, along with your academic record and supporting materials, to assess your readiness for the rigors of graduate academic study.
What’s the takeaway? A high score on the GRE will have a direct, positive impact on your graduate, business, or law school application.
What is on the GRE?
The GRE exam measures your command of basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis as well as college-level vocabulary. More importantly, it measures your ability to analyze and evaluate written material, think critically, and solve problems. Learn more about what's tested on the GRE.
What are the GRE Sections?
You will receive three scores on the GRE:
These scores are generated by the following sections:
- 1 Analytical Writing Assessment section
- 2 Verbal Reasoning sections
- 2 Quantitative Reasoning sections
In addition, you will see one of the following sections:
- Unscored (may be either Verbal Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning)
- Research (used for ETS research purposes)
The Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning sections are each scored on a scale of 130 to 170. The mean score for Verbal Reasoning is 152, and the mean score for Quantitative Reasoning is 156. The Analytical Writing Assessment is scored from 0 to 6 in half-point increments, and the mean score is 4.0.
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