All you need to know about Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

GRE is a test which is required to get in most of the graduate schools in US for Masters Programs. It is administered by ETS (Educational Testing Services). The emphasis and importance of GRE scores varies from every institute or department in US.

If you are a graduate and business school applicant from anywhere in the world and are interested in pursuing Masters, MBA, Specialized Master’s in Business or Doctoral Degree then this test for you.

Eligibility

There is no specific eligibility criteria. You have to have a passport which will be your identity proof which clearly shows your full name, photograph and signature. ETS doesn’t have a age, qualification or any other criteria, just the university norms are to be followed in which you will be studying.

GRE Test Pattern

This test is not related to any specific field of study. It is designed such that it evaluates your abilities to test the knowledge you have incurred so far. It works as a benchmark for all the universities to let the students apply from various backgrounds. There are various sections in the test which are as follows:

1. Quantitative Section:

This requires a lot of mathematical and reasoning skills. One should be clear with the concepts of arithmetic, geometry and algebra. There will be 20 questions to be completed in 35 minutes. There is a new entry of numeric questions also multiple choice questions.

2. Verbal Section:

This section assess reading comprehension, reasoning and vocabulary usage. Section includes 20 questions to be done in 30 minutes. It has about 6 text completion, 4 sentence equivalence and 10 critical reading questions. A section of multiple questions also has been added. It measures your ability to evaluate written material and recognize relationship between words and concepts.

3. Analytical Section:

As the name suggests, it measures your analytical writing skills and checks your critical thinking skills. It expects you to put forth your views in the most structured and convincing manner. The test taker will be given an argument and have to critically present their views by writing an essay and mention some suggestions to improve the logic and point out the logical flaws. The time given is 30 minutes.

GRE Centers For Test

The test is available in more than 1000 test centers in more than 160 countries.

In India, The centers are in following cities;

Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Gandhinagar, Gurgaon, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nasik, New Delhi, Nizamabaad, Patna, Pune, Trivandrum, Vadodara and Vijawada.

They offer a computer based test, while some may have a paper tests.

GRE Exam Fee

The registration fee for the test is around INR 12000. It may change year to year. To change the center or to reschedule the test, extra charges are applied.

GRE Exam Dates

GRE has no specific exam dates in India, unlike other entrance tests. You can take the exam in any year by taking the appointment from your nearest GRE center. It is important to fix your dates and schedule the test well in advance.

How to prepare for the Test

There are many books and E-books available for the preparation of the test.

Few PDF available are:

Power Prep Software, Review of GRE Math, GRE Math Conventions, The official guide to GRE.

Few Books are:

GRE Big Book, Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions, Manhattan Prep GRE Set of 8 Strategy guides.

Before taking the test, go through your syllabi and take a practice test to determine your strong and weak points. Take your time and prepare according to where you need to focus the most. Also be familiar with the computer operations as it is going to be online.

Good luck!