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Advanced Vocabulary for the GRE
There are 26 lessons here for serious GRE contenders who want to boost their vocabulary for a better result.
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Essential Vocabulary for the GRE
There are 36 lessons here for serious GRE contenders who want to boost their vocabulary for a better result.
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What Is GRE?
GRE (The Graduate Record Examinations) is a standardized test that is used as an admissions requirement for many graduate schools for gaining advanced academic degrees (such as master's and Ph.D.) in various disciplines, from liberal arts subjects to technical fields.
Which Countries Accept GRE?
The GRE is one of the major examinations in English-speaking countries. These countries accept and require GRE scores:
- United States
- Canada
- UK
- Australia
- European countries
- Singapore
GRE: Modules
We have two types of GRE tests. The length of each exam is 170 minutes. The GRE Subject Tests assess knowledge in Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology.
- The General GRE Test: focuses on assessing critical thinking abilities related to multiple disciplines
- The GRE Subject Tests: has 6 subjects, Biology, Chemistry, Literature, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology
Some programs require that applicants take not only the general test but also a GRE Subject Test. GRE subject tests are based on content, rather than critical thinking and assess a person's mastery of a particular field of study.
The GRE general test is similar to the SAT in that it assesses competence in math, reading, and writing in various subjects and fields of study.
GRE: Structure
The GRE Test assesses skills that you have developed during your years of studying and they are not related to any specific topic of study:
- verbal reasoning
- quantitative reasoning
- analytical writing skills
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning questions appear in three types of questions:
- Reading Comprehension
- Text Completion
- Sentence Equivalence
Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension has about 10 passages. One or two are long ones, but most are one paragraph. Passages are based on academic and non-academic content such as:
- physics
- biology
- sociology
- business
- arts
- humanities
Each passage has one to six questions. Questions are about the meaning of a particular word or assessing the evidence that might support or weaken points made in the passage. Question types can be:
- a single answer selection
- multiple answers selection
- a sentence from a passage selection
Text Completion
In Text Completion, you need to interpret, evaluate and reason the texts you are reading. After that, you are presented with a short passage in which some crucial words are omitted. You need to use the information in the passage for selecting words to fill in the blanks. Passages have one to five sentences, each has one to three blanks per sentence.
Sentence Equivalence
Sentence Equivalence questions are similar to Text Completion questions. You need to complete a text based on partial information. Sentence Equivalence questions consist of a single sentence with just one blank, and you need to identify the two choices that are both meaningful and mean the same thing.
Quantitative Reasoning
The quantitative Reasoning part is either based on real-life settings or purely mathematical settings. Four skills are assessed in this section:
- Arithmetic topics
- Algebra topics
- Geometry topics
- Data analysis topics
Analytical Writing
The Analytical Writing consists of two separately timed essays (each taking 30 minutes):
- Issue Task: evaluating an issue, considering its complexities, developing an argument and supporting your views
- Argument Task: evaluating an argument, considering the logic of the argument rather than agreeing or disagreeing with it
GRE: Scoring
GRE general test takers receive three scores after successfully completing the test, including:
- scores in verbal reasoning
- quantitative reasoning
- analytical writing
Verbal and quantitative scores range from 130 to 170 (always whole numbers). Writing scores can be from 0 to 6, which can be assigned in half-point increments.
