The Graduate Record Examinations also known as GRE are standardized exams that are required for admission to many graduate schools in the United States, Canada, and a few other countries. Educational Testing Service owns and administers the GRE (ETS). The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching devised the test in 1936.
As per ETS, the GRE is designed to assess verbal reasoning, numeric reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills that have been acquired over time. The GRE's content includes parts on data analysis or interpretation, reasons and reasoning, algebra, geometry, arithmetic, and language. The GRE General Test is available as a computer-based exam conducted at Prometric-owned or accredited testing centres and institutions. The importance of GRE scores in the graduate school admissions process varies greatly between schools and departments within institutions. A GRE score's significance might range from being a basic entrance formality to a significant selection determinant.
| Acronym | GRE |
| Type | Computer-based or paper-based standardized test |
| Developer / administrator | ETS |
| Knowledge / skills tested | Analytical writing, quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning. |
| Purpose | Admissions to master's and doctoral degree programs in various universities |
| Countries / regions | About 1,000 test centres in more than 160 countries |
| Restrictions on attempts | Every year, a computer-based test may be taken just once after 21 days from the date of the exam. A maximum of five times per year. (This applies even if the candidate cancels previous test scores.) Paper-based test: Can be taken as many times as it is available. |
| Score / grade validity | 5 years |
| Offered | Computer-based test: Several times per year (depends on availability of the test centre) Paper-based test: Once a year, in October, November, and February. |
As per ETS, there are no explicit GRE eligibility criteria. Anyone, regardless of age or qualifications, can register for the GRE exam. Candidates who applied for master's programmes, on the other hand, must take the GRE. The only other consideration for a candidate is that he or she will be asked to provide their original passport as proof of identity at the exam centre, thus candidates must have a valid passport before registering for the GRE exam.
| SECTION | NUMBER OF QUESTIONS | ALLOTED TIME |
| Analytical Writing (One section with two separately timed tasks) | One "Analyze an Issue" task and one "Analyze an Argument" task | 30 mins per task |
| Verbal Reasoning (Two sections) | 20 questions per section | 30 mins per section |
| Quantitative Reasoning (Two sections) | 20 questions per section | 30 mins per section |
| GRE Exam | GRE Exam Fees | GRE Exam Fee in INR |
| GRE General Test | $228 | INR 18,696 |
| GRE Subject Test | $150 | INR 12,417.59 |