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GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Test Structure and Logistics Syllabus

The Test Structure and Logistics syllabus for GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) in full: 3 chapters, 11 topics and 18 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 50 Test Structure and Logistics flashcards with answers.

3Chapters
11Topics
18Sub-topics
50Flashcards

Test Structure and Logistics syllabus: all 3 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  1. GRE General Test Format

     4 topics
    • Section Breakdown and Order
      • One Analytical Writing section
      • Two Verbal and two Quantitative sections
    • Section-Level Adaptive Design
      • How second section difficulty adapts
    • Timing and Question Counts
      • Total testing time (shorter GRE)
      • Per-section time allotments
    • Navigation Tools
      • Mark and review feature
      • Editing answers within a section

  2. Scoring and Score Reporting

     4 topics
    • Score Scales
      • Verbal and Quant 130 to 170 scale
      • Analytical Writing 0 to 6 scale
    • Percentile Rankings
      • Interpreting percentiles by measure
    • ScoreSelect Option
      • Choosing which scores to send
    • Score Validity and Reporting
      • Five-year score validity
      • Sending scores to programs

  3. Registration and Test Delivery

     3 topics
    • Registration Through ETS
      • Creating an ETS account
      • Fees and fee reduction program
    • Test Center versus At-Home Testing
      • Equipment and environment requirements
      • Proctoring rules
    • Retake Policy
      • 21-day waiting period and yearly limit

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Test Structure and Logistics flashcards — 50 questions with answers

  1. How many measures (skill areas) does the GRE General Test contain, and what are they?

    Three measures: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning.

  2. Which section always appears first on the GRE General Test?

    The Analytical Writing measure (the 'Analyze an Issue' task) always comes first.

  3. How many essay tasks are on the current (shortened) GRE Analytical Writing section?

    One task: a single 'Analyze an Issue' essay (the 'Analyze an Argument' task was removed).

  4. How many scored Verbal Reasoning sections are on the GRE, and how many total questions?

    Two Verbal Reasoning sections with 27 questions total (a 12-question section and a 15-question section).

  5. How many scored Quantitative Reasoning sections are on the GRE, and how many total questions?

    Two Quantitative Reasoning sections with 27 questions total (a 12-question section and a 15-question section).

  6. What is the total number of scored multiple-choice/numeric questions on the GRE General Test?

    54 questions total (27 Verbal + 27 Quantitative), plus the one Analytical Writing essay.

  7. What is the approximate total testing time for the current shortened GRE General Test?

    About 1 hour 58 minutes (roughly under 2 hours).

  8. Does the current shortened GRE include an unscored experimental or research section?

    No. The shortened GRE removed the unidentified unscored section and the optional research section.

  9. Does the shortened GRE include a scheduled 10-minute break?

    No. The scheduled break was eliminated when the test was shortened.

  10. How much time is allotted for the GRE Analytical Writing 'Analyze an Issue' task?

    30 minutes.

  11. How much total time is allotted for the two GRE Verbal Reasoning sections?

    41 minutes total (18 minutes for the 12-question section and 23 minutes for the 15-question section).

  12. How much total time is allotted for the two GRE Quantitative Reasoning sections?

    47 minutes total (21 minutes for the 12-question section and 26 minutes for the 15-question section).

  13. How much time is given for the first (12-question) Verbal Reasoning section?

    18 minutes.

  14. How much time is given for the second (15-question) Verbal Reasoning section?

    23 minutes.

  15. How much time is given for the first (12-question) Quantitative Reasoning section?

    21 minutes.

  16. How much time is given for the second (15-question) Quantitative Reasoning section?

    26 minutes.

  17. At what level is the computer-based GRE General Test adaptive?

    It is section-level adaptive (section-adaptive), not question-by-question adaptive.

  18. On the section-adaptive GRE, what determines the difficulty of the second Verbal or Quantitative section?

    Your performance on the first section of that measure determines the difficulty level of the second section in the same measure.

  19. Within a single GRE section, can a test taker skip questions and return to them later?

    Yes. Within a section you can skip, return to, review, and change answers before time expires.

  20. Can a GRE test taker change answers to questions in a previous section after moving on?

    No. Once a section is completed and you move on, you cannot go back to it.

Show the other 30 Test Structure and Logistics flashcards

  1. What navigation feature lets GRE test takers tag questions to revisit within a section?

    The 'Mark and Review' feature, which flags questions and provides a review screen showing answered/unanswered/marked items.

  2. What calculator is available on the GRE, and for which section?

    An on-screen four-function calculator (with square root) is provided for the Quantitative Reasoning section only.

  3. What is the score scale for the GRE Verbal Reasoning measure?

    130 to 170, reported in 1-point increments.

  4. What is the score scale for the GRE Quantitative Reasoning measure?

    130 to 170, reported in 1-point increments.

  5. What is the score scale for the GRE Analytical Writing measure?

    0 to 6, reported in half-point (0.5) increments.

  6. What is the maximum possible combined Verbal + Quantitative GRE score?

    340 (170 Verbal + 170 Quantitative).

  7. What is the minimum possible combined Verbal + Quantitative GRE score?

    260 (130 Verbal + 130 Quantitative).

  8. If a GRE section has no answered questions, what score is reported (No Score)?

    A 'No Score' (NS) is reported for that measure if no questions were answered.

  9. How is the GRE Analytical Writing essay scored?

    It is scored by a trained human rater and an AI scoring engine (e-rater); if they differ significantly, a second human rater adjudicates, and the scores are averaged.

  10. What does a GRE percentile rank tell you?

    It indicates the percentage of test takers who scored lower than you; e.g., the 80th percentile means you scored higher than 80% of test takers.

  11. Why can the same scaled score yield different percentile ranks on Verbal vs. Quantitative?

    Because the test-taker populations differ; the score distributions are not identical, so an identical 130-170 score maps to different percentiles for each measure.

  12. Approximately what percentile does a perfect 170 on GRE Quantitative correspond to?

    Roughly the 96th percentile (a 170 Quant is more common than a 170 Verbal).

  13. Approximately what percentile does a perfect 170 on GRE Verbal correspond to?

    Roughly the 99th percentile.

  14. What is the ScoreSelect option on the GRE?

    A feature letting test takers choose which test scores (by administration date) to send to score recipients, so schools see only the scores you select.

  15. Under ScoreSelect, what score-sending choices are available on test day (free reports)?

    'Most Recent' (scores from the current test date) or 'All' (scores from all administrations in the reportable period).

  16. Under ScoreSelect, what additional choice is available after test day when ordering Additional Score Reports?

    The 'Any' option, allowing you to select scores from one or more specific test dates from the last five years (in addition to Most Recent and All).

  17. How long are GRE scores valid/reportable?

    5 years from the test date.

  18. How many free score reports can a test taker send on test day?

    Up to four (4) score recipients/institutions can be designated for free on test day.

  19. How long after the test are official GRE scores typically available?

    Official scores are generally available in your ETS account about 8 to 10 days after the test date.

  20. Can GRE test takers see any scores immediately at the end of the test?

    Yes. Unofficial Verbal and Quantitative scores are shown on screen at the end of the test (Analytical Writing comes later with official scores).

  21. Through what organization is the GRE administered and registered?

    ETS (Educational Testing Service).

  22. What are the main ways to register for the GRE General Test?

    Through your ETS account online, or by phone; registration requires creating an ETS account and selecting a test date/location.

  23. What identification is required to register and what must match on test day?

    The name in your ETS registration must exactly match the valid, government-issued photo ID you present at the test center or for at-home testing.

  24. What is the standard GRE General Test registration fee in most regions (as of recent ETS pricing)?

    US $220 in most areas of the world (fees vary by country/region).

  25. What two main delivery formats are available for the GRE General Test?

    At a Prometric/ETS test center, or the GRE General Test at home (remotely proctored online).

  26. How does the GRE at Home compare to the test-center version in content and structure?

    It is identical in content, format, length, scoring, and on-screen experience; only the setting and live remote proctoring differ.

  27. What are the key requirements to take the GRE General Test at home?

    A qualifying computer with webcam and microphone, a quiet private room, a stable internet connection, an approved web browser/ProctorU software, and a live human proctor monitoring you.

  28. How frequently can you retake the GRE General Test?

    Once every 21 days.

  29. How many times can the GRE General Test be taken within a 12-month period?

    Up to 5 times within any continuous rolling 12-month (365-day) period.

  30. Do the 21-day and 5-times-per-year GRE retake limits apply to all formats?

    Yes. The retake rules apply regardless of whether you tested at a center or at home, and even if a previous score was canceled.

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Test Structure and Logistics FAQ

What is in the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Test Structure and Logistics syllabus?

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Test Structure and Logistics is split into 3 chapters: GRE General Test Format, Scoring and Score Reporting and Registration and Test Delivery. Together they contain 11 topics and 18 sub-topics.

How many chapters are in GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Test Structure and Logistics?

3 chapters, containing 11 topics and 18 sub-topics. The largest chapter is GRE General Test Format, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Test Structure and Logistics?

Yes — a 50-card Test Structure and Logistics deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.