GRE^® General test

The GRE General Test is available at more than 1,000 test centres in more than 160 countries.

• Computer-delivered Tests: View seat availability for your preferred date and location.
• Paper-delivered Tests: See test dates.

Important: The first and last name you use when you register for a GRE test must exactly match (excluding accents) your name on the identification (ID) documents that you will present on the day of your GRE test. If it does not, you may be prohibited from taking the test or your test scores may be cancelled after you take the test.

The GRE General Test measures your verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills — skills that have been developed over a long period of time and are not related to a specific field of study but are important for all. Here's a look at content covered in the three test sections — Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing:

• Verbal Reasoning — Measures the ability to analyse and draw conclusions from discourse and reason from incomplete data, understand multiple levels of meaning, such as literal, figurative and author’s intent, and summarize text and distinguish major from minor points, understand the meanings of words, sentences and entire texts, and understand relationships among words and among concepts. There is an emphasis on complex verbal reasoning skills.
• Quantitative Reasoning — Measures the ability to understand, interpret and analyse quantitative information, solve problems using mathematical models, and apply the basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis. There is an emphasis on quantitative reasoning skills.
• Analytical Writing — Measures critical thinking and analytical writing skills, including the ability to articulate and support complex ideas with relevant reasons and examples, and examine claims and accompanying evidence. There is an emphasis on analytical writing skills.

Plus, the GRE General Test is the only admissions test for graduate or business school that lets you skip questions within a section, go back and change answers, and have control to tackle the questions within a section you want to answer first.

Each part of the GRE General Test has its own score scale. If no questions are answered for a specific measure (e.g., Verbal Reasoning), then you will receive a No Score (NS) for that measure.

• Verbal Reasoning: 130-170
• Quantitative Reasoning: 130-170
• Analytical Writing: 0-6

You will receive an email notification from ETS when your official scores are available in your ETS Account and official score reports have been sent to your designated score recipients. Your official Test-taker Score Report includes the scores of all of the GRE tests in your reportable history and is intended only for your information and personal records.

In addition, ETS sends official Graduate Institution Score Reports directly to all authorised score recipients you designate. Score reports sent to institutions include your:

• Contact information (name, address, phone number, and email)
• Intended graduate major
• GRE test scores and the associated percentile ranks

Score reports sent to institutions will not include any information concerning the other score recipients you have chosen. Additionally, institution score reports include only the scores that you selected using the ScoreSelect^® option. There will be no special indication if you have taken additional GRE tests.

Computer-delivered Test

About 10–15 days after your test date, your official scores will be available in your ETS Account and sent to the score recipients you designated on test day.

Paper-delivered Test

About five weeks after your test date, your official scores will be available in your ETS Account and will be sent to the score recipients you designated during registration. See approximate score report mailing dates.

The ScoreSelect^® option lets you decide which test scores to send to the institutions you designate. On test day, as part of your four free score reports, you can send scores from your most recent test administration or from all administrations of the General Test taken in the last five years. After test day, you can send scores from your Most Recent, All or Any specific test administration(s) for a fee when ordering Additional Score Reports. Scores for a test administration must be reported in their entirety.

The ScoreSelect option helps you approach test day with more confidence, knowing you can send the scores you feel show your personal best.

Important Note: Some programmes require applicants who have taken a GRE test more than once to report the scores from all of their GRE test administrations. Therefore, it may be helpful to check with the programmes to which you are applying about their GRE score requirements.

Preparation for the test will depend on the amount of time you have available and your personal preferences for how to prepare. At a minimum, before you take the computer-delivered GRE General Test, you should know what to expect from the test, including the administrative procedures, types of questions and directions, approximate number of questions and amount of time for each section. We offer a variety of free and low-cost tools to help you prepare for the GRE General Test so you can feel more confident on test day.