GRE Online Guide

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1. What Is the GRE & What Does It Test?

The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) General Exam is a required test for most American graduate schools (except business schools, which require the GMAT, and law schools, which require the LSAT). The GRE consists of three multiple-choice sections, Quantitative, Analytical and Verbal, and a newessay section called the Writing Assessment, which is taken separately.

Quantitative Section (Math Questions)
28 questions
45 minutes

Verbal Section (Sentence Completion, Antonym, Reading Comprehension)
30 questions
30 minutes

Essay Questions (Writing Assessment):
The GRE Writing Assessment was made a mandatory part of the GRE in October 2002. The Writing Assessment is optional and taken on a separate day from the main GRE test.

In the Writing Assessment section, you have to answer two essay questions. One essay asks you to present your opinion on an issue in 45 minutes, and the second asks you to analyze the reasoning of an argument in 30 minutes.

Note: THE GAMES ARE OVER. The notorious "logic games" questions and logical reasoning
section is no longer included in the GRE as of October, 2002. The logic/analytical section
has been replaced with the essay section.

What Skills Does the GRE Test?

The GRE primarily tests 4 skill sets:

1. Endurance and ability to focus
2. Basic knowledge of word usage, math, inductive and deductive reasoning
3. Test-taking skills: ability to guess, work at an appropriate pace, and make
decisions under pressure
4. Problem-solving abilities

As for endurance, the first skill, you'll have to stare at a screen intensely and focus for over three hours. Keep this in mind when taking practice tests. Get used to working for hours on end. The physical and mental exhaustion is part of the test's challenge.

The second skill set, a basic knowledge of reading comprehension, math, inductive and
deductive reasoning, is covered in the later chapters of this online prep guide. No calculators
are allowed on test day, so you need to practice doing basic math calculations by hand.

General test-taking skills are covered in this chapter and throughout the online guide. Timing is a major part of test-taking, particularly for the GRE CAT.

How to improve your problem-solving abilities, the fourth skill set?Practice ! When you get a question wrong, make sure to review the conceptual error you made by reviewing our explanations for the question. You do not want to repeat the error again.

How to Prepare

The GRE is a difficult and unusual test. Budget at least 50 hours to prepare for the GRE.

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