GRE Exam: Format, Syllabus, Registration, Fees, and Preparation Guide
The GRE exam full form is the Graduate Record Examination, a globally recognized test for students planning to pursue postgraduate studies abroad. If you’re wondering what is GRE exam, it is designed to assess analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning skills. The GRE exam pattern play a crucial role in shaping preparation strategies for aspirants.
Knowing the GRE exam dates and the GRE exam fee in India is essential before completing your GRE exam registration. The average exam fee in India is around USD 220 (approximately ₹18,000), making it an important factor for budget planning.
What is GRE?
The GRE Exam (Graduate Record Examination) is a standardized test conducted by ETS (Educational Testing Service). It is designed to evaluate skills essential for success in graduate and professional programs, particularly MS, MBA, and PhD admissions.
Key Features of the GRE Exam:
Test Type: Computer-based with an adaptive format that adjusts difficulty based on performance.
Sections Assessed: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.
Global Acceptance: Recognized in more than 90 countries.
Versions Offered: GRE General Test and GRE Subject Tests (for specific fields).
The GRE exam has become a benchmark for universities worldwide to compare applicants from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds.
Why Take the GRE Exam?
Global Recognition: Accepted by 1,000+ universities worldwide, including top institutions in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and India.
Versatility: Required for a wide range of programs in engineering, sciences, social sciences, business, and humanities.
Skill Evaluation: Measures reasoning, problem-solving, and writing skills that reflect academic readiness.
Admission Advantage: A high GRE score strengthens applications for admission, scholarships, and assistantships.
GRE Exam Eligibility Criteria
The GRE Exam Eligibility criteria are straightforward and flexible. In ETS, there are no rigid academic or age-based requirements to take the test, so it can be taken by a wide array of applicants. Certain requirements in the area of identification, education, and frequency of testing are necessary, however.
Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Age Limit | No minimum or maximum age limit. |
Minimum Qualification | No mandatory qualification set by ETS. |
Recommended Qualification | Bachelor’s degree (any discipline) for MS, MBA, or PhD admissions. |
Final-Year Students | Eligible to take the GRE exam before completing their degree. |
ID Requirement (India) | Valid passport required; name must match GRE registration details. |
Other Countries’ ID | Government-issued ID accepted as per ETS country-specific rules. |
Attempts per Year | Up to 5 times in a rolling 12-month period. |
Gap Between Attempts | Minimum 21 days required between two GRE exam attempts. |
GRE Exam Pattern & Format
To know about the GRE paper pattern it is essential that you know that there are two types of GRE exams conducted- the GRE General Test, and the GRE Subject Test. Further, the GRE General Test is offered as a Computer-based test and a Paper-based test. The GRE Subject test, on the other hand, is only offered as a Paper-based test.
GRE General Test Format
You might often hear or read that the GRE General test is formatted to assess applicants through a holistic approach. But, what exactly is that holistic approach? To put it in simple words- GRE will assess your English language skills, analytical skills as well as your mathematical aptitude.
The GRE General exam is offered in 3 major categories- 2 Verbal Reasoning sections, 2 Quantitative Reasoning sections, and 2 Analytical Writing Assessment sections. Apart from these sections, there are also 2 more sections- Unscored and Research.
All of these sections help admission departments know applicants in and out, lets see how:
GRE General Test Sections | Description |
|---|---|
GRE Verbal Reasoning | One of the most competitive sections, VR, deals with your understanding of complex English. |
GRE Quantitative Reasoning | Checks your mathematical aptitude, how you measure & analyse critical problems |
GRE Analytical Writing Assessment | This particular section carves out your personality traits in terms of your written and verbal communication. |
Unscored & Research Sections | Both of these sections are experimental sections and are not scored. These sections are mixed in between scored sections, and are put as an experiment designed to understand the test-taker’s ability. |
GRE-Computer Based Exam
Sections | Duration | No. of Sections | No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
Verbal Reasoning | 30 minutes | 2 | 20 |
Analytical Writing | 60 minutes | 1 | 2 |
Quantitative Reasoning | 35 minutes | 2 | 20 |
Research | Variable | 1 | Variable |
Unscored | Variable | 1 | Variable |
Total | 3 hours 45 minutes | 7 | 82 |
GRE-Paper Based Exam
Sections | Duration | No. of Sections | No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
Verbal Reasoning | 35 minutes | 2 | 25 |
Analytical Writing | 40 minutes | 2 | 2 |
Quantitative Reasoning | 30 minutes | 2 | 25 |
Total | 3 hours 30 minutes | 6 | 102 |
GRE Subject Test Syllabus
Offered primarily in 4 subjects, here is what the GRE Subject test syllabus looks like:
Subject | GRE Subject Test Syllabus | No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|
Chemistry | Analytical ChemistryInorganic Chemistry Organic Chemistry Physical Chemistry | 130 MCQs |
Physics | Classical Mechanics Electromagnetism Optics and Wave Phenomena Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics Quantum Mechanics Atomic Physics Special Relativity Laboratory Methods Specialised Topics | 100 Five choice questions |
Mathematics | Algebra CalculusAdditional Topics | 66 MCQs |
Psychology | Biological Cognitive Developmental Social Clinical Measurement/Methodology | 205 MCQs |
GRE Exam Fees
Upon finalising your GRE registration, you will be required to pay the GRE application fee. The GRE exam fee is 220 USD or the GRE fees in India is 22,000 INR. Apart from the GRE exam fee, there are also other GRE exam fees that you should know about:
GRE Services | GRE Exam Fees (in USD) |
|---|---|
GRE Exam Fees | 228 |
GRE Rescheduling Fee | 50 |
Changing GRE Exam Centre Fee | 50 |
GRE Cancellation Fee (at least 4 days before the test date & 10 days for applicants in Mainland China) | 50% of the Registration Fee is refunded |
Additional GRE Score Report | 27 |
GRE Score Reinstatement Fee | 50 |
Note that the ETS also offers a GRE fee waiver for applicants with financial hardships. Known as the GRE Fee Reduction Programme, it offers applicants with 50% GRE exam fees waiver.
GRE Exam Scoring
You might have often come across people saying that a perfect GRE score is a myth, and that GRE scores are a filtering mechanism. Well, we won’t debate on who is correct and who is not, we will simply put forward how the GRE average score varies with different sections. We will also give you the average accepted GRE scores at some top universities across the globe.
Starting with the GRE score averages for different sections:
GRE Scoring | Verbal Reasoning | Quantitative Reasoning | Analytical Writing |
|---|---|---|---|
Best GRE Score | 163-170 | 165-170 | 5.0-6.0 |
Competitive GRE Score | 158-162 | 159-164 | 4.5 |
Good GRE Score | 152-158 | 153-158 | 4.0 |
Now, with the minimum score being 130, and the maximum score being 170 in each section; the total GRE total score is entirely dependent on the Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning sections. And therefore, the GRE exam score ranges from 260 to 340.
Moving on, the table below will help you get a wise understanding of GRE score ranges for a few top universities in the world.
University | Verbal (Average Score) | Quant (Average Score) |
|---|---|---|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 157 | 162 |
Stanford University | 158 | 163 |
University of California Berkeley | 155 | 161 |
University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign | 155 | 163 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 159 | 161 |
Georgia Institute of Technology | 155 | 161 |
University of Toronto | 150 | 150 |
Northwestern University | 154 | 161 |
Arizona State University | 154 | 162 |
University of California- San Diego | 162 | 160 |
University of Wisconsin- Madison | 163 | 163 |
How to Send GRE Scores to Universities?
Upon receiving your GRE scorecard, you will have to send your scores to universities, duh. Now, how do you send your scores to your dream universities? Let us tell you.
If you’ve given the computer-based test, you’ll get your unofficial GRE verbal and quantitative scores just after taking the test. The overall GRE score, including your analytical writing score, will appear 10 to 15 days later on your ETS Account.
On the other hand, if you’ve given the paper-based GRE test, your official score report will appear on your ETS account 5 weeks after taking the test.
Upon receiving your scores, you can straightaway send them to 5 of your dream universities free of cost through your ETS account itself. In case you wish to send your scores to more universities, you’ll have to pay 30 USD or 2,500 INR per additional GRE score report.
GRE Exam Preparation Tips
Effective GRE prep isn’t just about covering the syllabus; it’s about building the right skills and practicing under exam-like conditions.
Here are some proven strategies to boost your performance:
1. Build a Strong Vocabulary (Verbal Reasoning)
Learn 10–15 new words daily.
Use flashcards or apps to reinforce word retention.
2. Revise Core Math Concepts (Quantitative Reasoning)
Strengthen basics in algebra, geometry, probability, and data interpretation.
Focus on speed as well as accuracy.
3. Take Mock Tests Regularly
Schedule full-length practice exams weekly.
Analyze results to identify weak sections and improve test stamina.
4. Practice Essay Writing (Analytical Writing)
Write timed responses for Issue and Argument tasks.
Review sample essays from ETS for scoring benchmarks.
5. Time Management
Practice answering questions under strict time limits.
Develop strategies to skip difficult questions and return later if time permits.
