The GRE Exam

Posted on July 12, 2011 by GRE Tutor

The GRE exam (or Graduate Record Examination) is a standardized test that’s invariably required for admission into graduate schools within the U.S. The GRE exam is given at various testing locations across the globe throughout the year. Graduate school candidates can even take it online.

The GRE exam isn’t just required in the U.S. Graduate schools in many other countries also stipulate the exam as a requirement for admission, making the GRE exam the world’s most frequently administered standardized test for English-speaking graduate school candidates.

Types of GRE Exams
The GRE exam was first created in 1949 by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Today, ETS offers two GRE exam types, the GRE General Test and GRE Subject Tests. When most people think “GRE exam,” they think of the GRE General Test.

The most well-known type of GRE exam, the GRE General Test measures skills that ensure student success in graduate and/or business school. These skills include verbal and quantitative reasoning skills as well as critical thinking and analytical writing skills. The Analytical Writing section of the GRE Exam General Test consists of two prompts. For the first, candidates are allowed 45 minutes to present their views on a complex issue specified by the essay prompt. The second prompt allows candidates 30 minutes to analyze an argument. Graduate school candidates may take the GRE Exam General Test more than once; however, they are limited to once a month and five times a year.

The Lesser-Known GRE Exam
Those who want to stand out from other graduate school candidates should also consider taking a second GRE exam, a GRE Subject Test. Subject tests are offered in the following eight academic subjects: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, literature in English, mathematics, physics, and psychology.

Although GRE Subject Tests are not ordinarily required for admission into graduate school, they do help admissions and fellowship panels select the best candidates for their schools and programs. Unlike the GRE exam or GRE General Test, subject tests are only given three times per year–in October, November, and April worldwide. They are not available online.