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The GRE® Tests

Completing your view of applicant strengths

Select any step to learn more about how the GRE® tests can help your institution.

 

Admissions

Admissions is an art and a science. Quickly identifying who is ready to pursue an advanced degree and fairly comparing applicants is a significant challenge. The GRE tests are standardized and objective measures that give faculty committees a way to directly compare applicants with different backgrounds and experiences. Thousands of graduate and professional school programs around the world, including business and law, use GRE test scores as part of their admissions process.

 

Planning for the admissions process

Thoughtful engagement and reflection about graduate admissions practices is essential to meeting the goals of your program and ultimately supporting your institution's mission. To facilitate that, the GRE Program provides information and resources to faculty, administrators and others involved in graduate admissions decision making and policy setting as you work toward evaluation and enrichment of your programs' practices.

 

The benefits of using GRE scores

The GRE General Test and GRE Subject Tests were designed to achieve a specific intended purpose that adds value to the admissions decision-making process. GRE scores can:

  • support institutions’ efforts to identify which applicants are academically prepared for graduate-level study
  • provide a common, objective measure to help programs fairly compare applicants from different backgrounds

For more information, see the GRE® Guide to the Use of Scores (PDF) and Using Scores.

 

Holistic admissions

The GRE General Test measures skills that graduate and professional schools have identified as necessary for academic success. However, GRE test scores cannot offer insight into all of the qualities that are important to graduate programs; therefore, they should be considered in the context of an applicant's entire application package. For more information about how GRE scores can be used as part of holistic admissions, see our Holistic Admissions site.

Best Practices for Admissions with GRE Scores

When it comes to using GRE scores, there are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind to ensure your admissions process is fair and holistic.

Download PDF       File Size: 265kb

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Connecting Graduate Admissions Practices with Goals: Questions to Consider

This discussion guide was developed to support faculty and administrators who are interested in having thoughtful engagement about graduate admissions practices on their campuses.

Download PDF       File Size: 835.2kb

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Navigating Holistic Admissions

This robust digital guide shares promising practices and dozens of practical resources to help you develop and put into practice a holistic approach that works for your program.

Download Digital Guide

Navigating Holistic Admissions

Weighing the Benefits

This side-by-side infographic compares the benefits of holistic admissions inclusive of GRE scores versus the drawbacks of not using scores.

Download PDF       File Size: 355.3kb

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For further information

If you would like more information about using and interpreting scores, or to discuss training for your graduate admissions committee, contact us:

Email: gretests@ets.org
Phone: 1-609-683-2002

 

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