GRE Exam Syllabus and Test Pattern Explained

How the General Test is put together

You sit the GRE in one session on a computer, either at an ETS test centre or, where it is offered, from home under remote supervision. The sections appear in a fixed order: the essay first, then two verbal and two quant sections. Verbal and quant are adaptive by section, which means the first section of each is of medium difficulty and your performance on it decides whether the second section is easier or harder. Only a harder second section lets you reach the highest scores.

ETS shortened the test a short while ago. The Argument essay and the unscored experimental section were removed, so every question you see now counts towards your score.

GRE exam pattern with section timings

A wrong answer and a blank answer both score zero, so never leave a question empty. Within a section you may flag questions and return to them; once a section ends you cannot go back.

Analytical Writing: the Issue task

You get a short statement on a general topic, such as education, technology, government policy or culture, along with an instruction on how to respond. In 30 minutes you write an essay that takes a position and supports it with reasons and examples. Raters look for:

• a clear position that answers the specific instruction, not just the topic
• relevant, well developed reasons and examples
• logical organisation from introduction to conclusion
• control of standard written English: grammar, word choice and sentence variety

ETS publishes the full pool of Issue topics, which lets you outline answers for dozens of them before test day.

Verbal Reasoning question types

• Reading comprehension: passages from one paragraph to several, drawn from sciences, humanities and everyday topics. You are asked about the central point, what can be inferred, the author's purpose and the meaning of words in context; some ask you to select a sentence in the passage.
• Text completion: one to five sentences with one, two or three blanks. You pick a word for each blank, and there is no partial credit.
• Sentence equivalence: one sentence, one blank, six options. You must choose the two words that complete it with the same meaning.

The vocabulary tested is advanced but always in context, so learning words through reading and example sentences works better than memorising bare lists.

Quantitative Reasoning topics

The maths stays at roughly secondary school level. Trigonometry and calculus are not tested, which surprises many engineering students in India who expect harder content.

• Arithmetic: integers, divisibility, primes, remainders, exponents and roots, percentages, ratio, rates
• Algebra: solving equations of the first and second degree, inequalities, functions and their graphs, coordinate geometry, word problems
• Geometry: angles formed by lines, properties of triangles, four sided figures, circles and polygons, area, perimeter and volume
• Data analysis: mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, quartiles, graphs and tables, counting, probability and the normal distribution

Questions come as quantitative comparison (compare two quantities), multiple choice with one answer, multiple choice with one or more answers, and numeric entry. During both quant sections a basic calculator appears on the screen.

How scores work and what is a good score

Verbal and quant are each reported from 130 to 170 in one point steps, and the writing score from 0 to 6 in half points. Your score report also shows percentile ranks, which universities often read more closely than the raw number. What counts as good depends entirely on the programmes you target, so look at the class profiles or stated minimums published by the universities on your list.

A retake is allowed every 21 days, with a ceiling of five attempts within a rolling 12-month window, and each score is reported for five years. The ScoreSelect option lets you choose which attempts universities see.

A study plan for the GRE exam syllabus

Most candidates need eight to twelve weeks. Start with a full timed diagnostic test so you know whether verbal or quant needs more time.

1. Weeks 1 to 3: revise school arithmetic and algebra, learn the four quant formats, and go through a long article daily, noting unfamiliar words.
2. Weeks 4 to 6: text completion and sentence equivalence drills, geometry and data analysis, and two Issue essays a week from the published pool.
3. Weeks 7 to 9: sectional tests under strict timing; review every wrong answer and write down why you chose it.
4. Final weeks: full length practice tests from ETS once a week, with the essay included, scheduled at the hour your real slot begins.

Material to prepare with

The official ETS guide and its free practice tests are the most accurate picture of the real questions, and the published Issue pool covers every essay prompt. For quant, your NCERT Class 9 and 10 maths books are a sound refresher on arithmetic, algebra and geometry. Wide reading of quality newspapers and long form magazines builds the reading speed the verbal passages demand. If you are also weighing management entrances, compare this test with the GMAT syllabus and the CAT syllabus, or browse all options on the entrance exams page.