Niche College Scholarship
Updated: April 1, 2016

GRE

Graduate Record Examination

The GRE is a college entrance exam required by most graduate schools. Although it is a computer based test, you may, under certain circumstances, use the written format. It lasts up to 3 ¾ hours, is offered almost daily, and may be taken up to 5 times per year (but no more than once per month). The test is composed of 4 sections and created to measure the verbal reasoning, quantitative, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills acquired over a long period of time. The sections include:

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The role that the GRE plays in the admission’s process varies greatly from school to school and major to major. Some colleges place great weight on GRE scores due to their strong correlation with graduate school success– although plenty of people adamantly argue this statement. Other schools do not require GRE score submission, believing that ones undergraduate performance takes precedence over a test result. Regardless of its weight, if you plan to apply to a school with GRE requirements, preparing is well worth the effort. Certain schools may use a student’s score to determine both the admission and the eligibility for merit-based financial aid. Thankfully, there is plenty you can do to prepare. The questions on each test resemble each other, and familiarizing yourself with commonly tested material is likely to speed up your problem-solving skills. (This will leave you with spare time for answering difficult problems.)

Sample Questions

To print a PDF version of the GRE overview and practice test questions, click here.