The GRE® revised General Test

On August 1, 2011, the GRE® revised General Test replaced the GRE® General Test, making the most trusted assessment of graduate-level skills even better. In keeping with the GRE General Test tradition, the revised test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills that have been developed over a long period of time and are required for success in graduate and business school. With new questions, a new score scale and a new test-taker friendly design, the GRE revised General Test offers applicants a friendlier, more technically advanced test that provides you with even more useful results.

Testing Around the World

The GRE revised General Test is administered at about 700 ETS-authorized test centers in more than 160 countries. The computer-based GRE revised General Test is administered in a secure testing environment on a continuous basis in most regions of the world. In areas where the computer-based test is unavailable, paper-based tests are administered up to three times per year (October 22, 2011, November 19, 2011 and February 11, 2012).

In August 2011, we expanded our testing and access for Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea; for increased test-taking options, split-testing was discontinued and replaced with a computer-based test administration one to two times per month.

It is important for test takers to register as early as possible to secure their preferred test date and location.

Structure of the Computer-based GRE revised General Test

Test structure and length of the computer-based test

Section	Number of Questions	Time
Verbal Reasoning (Two sections)	Approximately 20 questions per section	30 minutes per section
Quantitative Reasoning (Two sections)	Approximately 20 questions per section	35 minutes per section
Analytical Writing (One section with two separately timed tasks)	One "Analyze an Issue" task and one "Analyze an Argument" task	30 minutes per task
Unscored or Research Section*	Varies	Varies

Structure of the Paper-based GRE revised General Test

Test structure and length of the paper-based test

Section	Number of Questions	Time
Verbal Reasoning (2 sections)	Approximately 25 questions per section	35 minutes per section
Quantitative Reasoning (2 sections)	Approximately 25 questions per section	40 minutes per section
Analytical Writing (2 sections)	Section 1: "Analyze an Issue" task	30 minutes per section
	Section 2: "Analyze an Argument" task	30 minutes per section

Content on the GRE revised General Test

The skills measured on the GRE revised General Test include the test-taker's ability to do the following:

Verbal Reasoning

• Analyze and draw conclusions from discourse; reason from incomplete data; identify author's assumptions and/or perspective; understand multiple levels of meaning such as literal, figurative and author's intent.
• Select important points; distinguish major from minor or relevant points; summarize text; understand the structure of a text.
• Understand the meanings of words, sentences and entire texts; understand relationships among words and among concepts.

See Verbal Reasoning Sample Questions.

Quantitative Reasoning

• Understand quantitative information.
• Interpret and analyze quantitative information.
• Solve problems using mathematical models.
• Apply basic mathematical skills and elementary mathematical concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

See Quantitative Reasoning Sample Questions.

Analytical Writing

• Articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively.
• Examine claims and accompanying evidence.
• Support ideas with relevant reasons and examples.
• Sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion.
• Control the elements of standard written English.

See Analytical Writing Sample Questions.

Additional Resources

To review a simulated version of the computer-based GRE revised General Test, download the FREE POWERPREP® II software that is available for test takers. For more information and resources to help you learn more about the GRE revised General Test, visit the GRE Information Center.

See also:

• Become a Score User
• GRE Guide to the Use of Scores
• Guidelines to the Use of GRE Scores
• GRE Subject Tests
• What Is the Value of the Graduate Record Examinations?