GRE Exam Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized assessment used to measure students' competency in quantitative aptitude, analytical writing, critical thinking, and verbal ability. It is created and administered by the Education Testing Service (ETS) and is essential for students interested in studying abroad, specifically in the United States and Canada. 

The GRE examination is typically used by most graduate and professional programs, including business and law, to measure a student's academic aptitude before granting admission.

Students interested in applying for the GRE Exam must follow the given steps:

• Visit the ETS website and click on "create an account."
• Fill out your personal details in the application form.
• Students will receive a confirmation email from ETS.
• Login with username and password and select register for the test
• Then, choose the GRE general test and pick from the test at home or find the test at the center.
• Pick out the two-month period during which you would like to give the test. 
• Next, select an available test date and time – and click register for the test. 
• Follow the given directions to pay for the test - the fee will vary as per the location. For Indian students, the fee is $228.

Once the registration is complete, students will receive a confirmation mail from the ETS – about the test choice, date, center, or link for the online test.

Students can access the ETS website for numerous free and paid resources to prepare for the GRE test. It includes practice tests, a content outline for each subject, math skill reviews with examples, and instructional videos – all free. 

The ETS paid materials include additional practice tests, section-specific questions, and an online writing assessment. These essay prompts come with scores and feedback. 

A comprehensive, self-paced GRE course is further available for students that is accessible through any device and includes 600+ authentic questions, which delivers feedback and scores as well. 

Moreover, students can also take help from the GRE test-prep course available online on various platforms for free.

The GRE is generally 3 hours and 45 minutes long. It's divided into six sections and provides a 10-minute break after the third section. The analytical writing and verbal reasoning sections are allotted 30 minutes per task, and quantitative reasoning is 35 minutes per section.

GRE subject tests are offered three times a year (Sept, Oct, April), and they can be taken as often as they take place, whereas students can take the GRE general test once following every 21 days, up to 5 times in a year. 

The GRE subject test is conducted in April, September, and October at paper-delivered centers worldwide. Students are allowed to take only one subject test per exam date. GRE General test, on the other hand, can be taken once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period.

There are no eligibility criteria for the GRE Exam stipulated by the ETS. Any person can register for the exam irrespective of age or qualifications. However, it is an assessment exam for admission into graduate programs. Therefore, a student needs to have an undergraduate degree.

Students can change the test location or reschedule the date of the GRE General Test or even the GRE Subject Exam. However, they are not permitted to switch from a subject test to a general test or vice-versa.

The GRE test can be postponed or rescheduled online through the ETS account. You can also re-register by phone. To do so, call Prometric® Services at 1-443-751-4820 or 1-800-473-2255. If opting for the second, be ready with your appointment confirmation number and the full name used to make the test appointment. 

The difficulty level is subjective. Undoubtedly, the GRE Exam is challenging but not exactly difficult to crack. The essay, vocabulary, and reading sections can make it challenging, but with dedicated hours and proper preparation, a good score is a definite possibility. 

The maximum number of attempts for the GRE Exam in a year is five. Even so, there must be a minimum of 21 days gap between two successive retakes. 

The GRE General Exam assesses your verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills. You can check out the detailed syllabus for each section here.

Some of the best practices students can adopt to score good marks in the GRE Exam are:

• Understand the testing policies and how the computer-based exam works
• Take lots of practice tests under timed conditions to acclimate to the pace of the exam
• Do not spend too much time on a single question
• Leave no question unanswered, as an incorrect answer doesn't have any minus points
• Do SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat) analysis. Note and learn from your past test mistakes – work on the areas that had poor scores