About the GRE
The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is a standardized test that tests on three key skills for graduate schools, namely analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning. The test is put out by the ETS and you register for the test on the ETS website. There are many locations and dates available to take the exam, and there is an option to take it at online. As of right now, the test is $205.00 to register and $50.00 to reschedule or change test site.
There are six sections, with a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes of testing time including a ten-minute break after section three. There are 2 quantitative reasoning sections at 35 minutes per section, two verbal reasoning sections at 30 minutes per section, and a one-hour analytical writing section split into a 30-minute analyze an issue prompt and a 30-minute analyze an argument section. The sixth section of the test is unscored and used for research. There is no way of knowing for sure which section is experimental.
Quantitative Reasoning
This section is not much more difficult than the SAT. It tests basic functions of math including geometry, algebra, arithmetic, and analysis of data. There are four types of questions in the quantitative reasoning section including quantitative comparison, multiple choice with a single answer, multiple choice with multiple answers, and numeric entry.
Verbal Reasoning
This section looks at understanding the written language. These questions get at various points such as the writer’s intent and perspective, the arguments the text makes, the structure of what is written, biases the writer may have, hidden meaning, and more. There are numerous question types and formats for this section. The three major types of questions include reading comprehension questions, text completion questions, and sentence equivalence questions.
Reading comprehension questions: There are three question types based on these passages including, multiple choice- select one, multiple choice- select multiple, and select-in-passage. The select-in-passage questions are questions that ask the student to find the correct sentence to answer the prompt within the text itself.
Text Completion questions: These questions have students select the correct word with the right context and meaning to fill in a blank in a passage. These passages vary in length from one to five sentences with one to three blanks. Typically, there are three answer choices per blank in the text. However, for passages with just one question, there are five answer choices. The tricky part about these questions is that to receive credit, the student must fill in all blanks correctly.
Sentence Equivalence questions: These questions are based off a single sentence with a blank to represent a word. There are six answer choices. The student must select the two words that make the sentence have the correct meaning based of clues found in the sentence itself. Like, the text completion questions, partially correct answers do not get awarded any points.
Analytical Writing
This is the section that involves answering essay questions. The prompts are written in two thirty-minute sections that are graded separately by professional graders. There is an analyze an issue prompt and an analyze an argument prompt. These questions determine whether a student can effectively get their thoughts across in writing clearly as well as evaluate and understand an argument. Students do not need any prior knowledge on the topics they are asked to evaluate.
Scoring
The quantitative and verbal reasoning sections are scored from 130 to 170 points with one-point increments. Each numeric score is assigned a percentile from 0 to 100th percentile. The percentiles change over time to reflect trends in preparedness on the GRE. The analytical writing section is scored from 0 to 6 in half-point increments.
Preparation and Tips
- The GRE can take as little as one month to prepare for or as long as one year. Are you someone who crams at the last second or wants more time to mull over the material? Think about your study techniques during college. Do you work best under pressure or if given ample time?
- Consider if you want to use a test prep company to prepare. These companies can cost some considerable money, but often come with a money back guarantee. This reader recommends Magoosh prep for the student on a budget. Kaplan and Princeton Review are also solid contenders, though substantially more expensive. Many students can purchase practice tests and prep books and get by on that, but if it is difficult for you to pace your studying or want someone to keep you accountable, live online or in-person classes make the most sense.
- Be sure to time yourself when preparing and be taking practice tests frequently. Stamina is one of the hardest things about this exam- It is a long test! With more experience, you can build more stamina and be able to stay focused for longer.
- Try to find a friend to study with or a study group at school if you like working with other students. However, this can be distracting for some students. Be sure to critically assess if your group work is actively preparing you.
- Book a time and date that makes sense for you sleeping habits. If you’re sharpest in the morning, book an early morning exam. If you work best in the afternoon, take an afternoon exam. The test is typically offered at a few different times during the day.
- Be sure to time yourself when preparing and be taking practice tests frequently. Stamina is one of the hardest things about this exam- It is a long test! With more experience, you can build more stamina and be able to stay focused for longer.
- Don’t be afraid to reschedule the exam if you need more time. That being said, be sure that you are taking it with enough time for your score to be ready for the application deadline. To accommodate any unforeseen mishaps, plan on scheduling your exam at least three months before your deadline.
Disability Accomodations
Disability accommodations are available but can take significant time to get approved.
To find more information about disability accommodations and to apply, visit this website:
https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/disabilities/
Do I need to take the GRE to apply to PA school?
As of June 2022, about 113 of the 284 PA schools in our database require the GRE. About 11 others require either the GRE or the MCAT, and 3 require either the GRE or the PA-CAT. A few recommend (but don’t require) the GRE or one of the other tests.
Be sure to use our PA school database search to determine if you need to take the GRE for PA school! You can filter by schools that do and do not require the GRE!
