GRE

The GRE is designed for students who want to pursue a master’s, MBA, or even some doctoral programs. It’s accepted by thousands of graduate and business schools globally. The exam is administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service) and helps admissions committees compare applicants from different backgrounds on a common scale.

Format and sections:
The GRE is primarily a computer-based test (though paper tests are available in places without computer testing centers). The test takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes, split into six sections with short breaks in between.

The main sections include:

• Analytical Writing:
  This section measures your ability to think critically and communicate complex ideas clearly. You’ll write two essays: one analyzing an issue and another analyzing an argument. You get 30 minutes for each.

• Verbal Reasoning:
  There are two sections, each with about 20 questions to complete in 30 minutes. This part tests your ability to understand written material, analyze relationships among words, and draw conclusions.

• Quantitative Reasoning:
  Also split into two sections of about 20 questions each, with 35 minutes per section. This measures your basic math skills and your ability to interpret and analyze quantitative data. It includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis.

Scoring:

• Verbal Reasoning: 130–170

• Quantitative Reasoning: 130–170

• Analytical Writing: 0–6 (scored in half-point increments)

Most competitive programs look for balanced scores across all sections, though some emphasize one area over another depending on your field (for example, engineering programs often pay more attention to your Quant score).