GRE
Admission test for master's and PhD programmes in the USA, Canada, Europe, Singapore and elsewhere; many business and law schools also accept it in place of the GMAT.
Eligibility
ETS sets no formal academic qualification or age limit; eligibility is decided by the universities you apply to, most of which expect a bachelor's degree by the time of enrolment. A valid passport is mandatory for Indian candidates. You may sit the test up to 5 times in 12 months, with a 21-day gap between attempts.
Age limit: No age limit
Exam pattern
Computer-based and section-level adaptive, about 1 hour 58 minutes, available at a test centre or at home. Analytical Writing has one 'Analyse an Issue' essay in 30 minutes. Verbal Reasoning has 2 sections with 27 questions in 41 minutes, and Quantitative Reasoning has 2 sections with 27 questions in 47 minutes; the difficulty of the second section depends on how you do in the first. Verbal and Quant are each scored 130-170 in 1-point steps, and Writing is scored 0-6 in half-point steps. There is no negative marking, and an on-screen calculator is provided for Quant.
Syllabus at a glance
Verbal covers reading comprehension, text completion and sentence equivalence, all of which depend heavily on advanced vocabulary and critical reading. Quant covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis (statistics, probability, graphs) up to about Class 10 level, using quantitative comparison, multiple-choice, multi-select and numeric-entry formats. Analytical Writing tests your ability to build a reasoned argument on a general issue.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Test slots (centre and at-home) | Year-round, almost daily through Nov 2026 to 2027 | confirmed |
| Rescheduling deadline (India) | At least 4 days before your booked test date | confirmed |
| Unofficial Verbal and Quant scores | On screen immediately after the test | confirmed |
| Official scores in ETS account | 8-10 days after the test date | confirmed |
| Fall 2027 US admission deadlines (target score report by) | Dec 2026 - Jan 2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- The Official Guide to the GRE General Test – ETS
- Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions – ETS
- Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions – ETS
- Manhattan Prep GRE 5 lb. Book of Practice Problems – Manhattan Prep
- Barron's Essential Words for the GRE – Philip Geer
- Word Power Made Easy – Norman Lewis
How toppers play it
- Section 2 adapts to section 1, so aim for near-perfect accuracy in the first Verbal and Quant sections to unlock the harder, higher-scoring second sections.
- There is no negative marking, so never leave a question blank; flag it, guess, and use the review screen to come back.
- For quantitative comparison questions, plug in edge cases (0, 1, negatives, fractions) before doing algebra; this often settles 'cannot be determined' in seconds.
- Learn vocabulary in context with GregMat's groups or Manhattan's 500 words, because text completion and sentence equivalence account for over half of Verbal.
- Write your Issue essay from a fixed template (position, two or three examples, counter-argument, conclusion), and practise only on prompts from the official pool.