GRE for What? A Complete Guide to the Graduate Record Exam

What Is the GRE and What Is It For?

The GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) is a standardized test used primarily for graduate school admissions. Administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), the GRE measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills in a format designed to assess whether candidates are academically prepared for graduate-level study. Graduate programs at universities across the United States and internationally use GRE scores as one component of their admissions evaluation alongside transcripts, letters of recommendation, statements of purpose, and other application materials.

The GRE is used for admission to master's programs, doctoral programs, and some specialized graduate programs including public policy, public health, and social work. Many business schools also accept the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT for MBA admissions, and some law schools have begun accepting GRE scores alongside or instead of the LSAT. The GRE General Test is the most widely administered version; GRE Subject Tests in specific disciplines (biology, chemistry, literature, mathematics, physics, and psychology) are also available for applicants to programs that require subject-specific assessments.

The decision of whether to require the GRE has shifted significantly at many universities over recent years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many programs suspended GRE requirements and then evaluated whether reinstating them served their admissions goals.

Research showing that GRE scores do not strongly predict graduate school success — and concerns about GRE requirements creating barriers for economically disadvantaged applicants and underrepresented groups — led many programs to make the GRE optional or drop it permanently. Applicants to graduate programs should check the specific requirements for each program they are applying to, as GRE policies now vary widely even among programs at the same institution.

When the GRE is required or considered, it gives admissions committees a standardized benchmark for comparing applicants whose transcripts come from different institutions with different grading standards.

A student with a 3.8 GPA from a community college and a student with a 3.4 GPA from a highly selective research university are difficult to compare on GPA alone — a strong GRE score from the community college student provides evidence of academic ability that the transcript alone might not convey. This is one reason why some programs continue to require the GRE for applicants whose undergraduate institutions are less well-known to the admissions committee.

GRE Fee Waivers, International Applicants, and Retaking

The GRE is also used for non-graduate-school purposes in some contexts. Several graduate fellowship programs and scholarships use GRE scores as part of their selection criteria. Some employers in consulting, finance, and other competitive fields have been known to ask for GRE scores as part of their hiring process, though this practice is less common than GRE-required graduate admissions. Medical school applicants typically take the MCAT rather than the GRE for MD programs, though some MD-PhD programs and some osteopathic medical programs have experimented with GRE acceptance.

International applicants to US graduate programs constitute a significant portion of GRE test-takers globally. For international students whose undergraduate degrees come from institutions outside the United States, the GRE provides US admissions committees with a standardized data point that complements transcripts from educational systems they may be less familiar with.

Many international applicants find the GRE Verbal section particularly challenging because it tests vocabulary and reading comprehension in English at a sophisticated academic level. International applicants who want to submit competitive GRE Verbal scores often spend significantly more preparation time on vocabulary development and English reading comprehension than domestic applicants with equivalent native language skills.

The GRE fee waiver program provides reduced or no-cost testing for financially qualified candidates who cannot afford the $220 registration fee. ETS offers fee waivers through undergraduate institutions for graduating seniors and through some graduate preparation programs. Candidates who believe they may qualify should contact their undergraduate institution's financial aid office, career center, or graduate school advising office to ask about GRE fee waiver availability. Several states and graduate preparation organizations also offer GRE fee assistance through their own programs for candidates who do not qualify through institutional channels.

Retaking the GRE is a common practice among applicants whose initial scores fall short of their target programs' competitive ranges. ETS allows candidates to retake the GRE General Test once every 21 days, with a maximum of five attempts in any 12-month rolling period.

Most applicants who retake find that scores improve when they invest in targeted preparation between attempts — focusing specifically on the section or question types where their initial performance was weakest. Score improvements of 5 to 10 points per section are common with effective preparation; improvements larger than 10 points per section typically require substantial additional study and may take multiple retake attempts.

GRE Test Format and Score Sections

The GRE General Test consists of three scored sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. The exam is administered by computer at Pearson VUE testing centers worldwide and is also available as a home edition for candidates who cannot access a testing center. The total testing time is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes, including brief breaks between sections.

Verbal Reasoning tests language skills including reading comprehension, vocabulary in context, and the ability to evaluate written arguments. The GRE Verbal section uses three question types: Reading Comprehension (reading passages followed by questions testing understanding and inference), Text Completion (choosing words to fill blanks in sentences and short passages), and Sentence Equivalence (choosing two words that complete a sentence with the same meaning). The Verbal Reasoning score ranges from 130 to 170 in one-point increments. A score around 150 represents approximately the 47th percentile, and a score of 160 represents approximately the 86th percentile.

Quantitative Reasoning tests mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and data interpretation using arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. GRE Quantitative questions come in four formats: Quantitative Comparison (comparing two quantities), Multiple-Choice (single answer), Multiple-Choice (one or more answers), and Numeric Entry (entering a calculated answer). The Quantitative Reasoning score also ranges from 130 to 170. Because quantitative GRE scores are heavily concentrated at the high end for STEM applicants, a score of 163 (which represents the 77th percentile) is actually quite typical for applicants to competitive STEM PhD programs, and many programs expect scores of 165 or above.

Analytical Writing requires two essays written in response to standardized prompts. The Analyze an Issue task asks the test-taker to develop and support a position on an issue of general interest. The Analyze an Argument task asks the test-taker to evaluate the logical soundness of a given argument — not whether they agree with the conclusion, but whether the evidence and reasoning support it.

The Analytical Writing score is the average of ratings from two trained ETS raters for each essay, reported on a 0 to 6 scale in half-point increments. An AW score of 4.0 represents approximately the 54th percentile and is often considered the minimum competitive score for humanities and social science programs.

The GRE also includes one unscored section (either Verbal or Quantitative) that ETS uses for pretesting questions. This section appears in the exam and looks identical to scored sections — test-takers do not know which section is unscored during the exam. The inclusion of the research section means test-takers may see one additional full verbal or quantitative section beyond what will count toward their score. Budgeting mental and physical energy for the full exam length is important because test-takers must maintain performance through sections that may not count toward their final score.

GRE Score Select, Home Edition, and 2023 Format Changes

Score Select is an ETS option that allows GRE test-takers to choose which scores to send to graduate programs when they have taken the GRE multiple times. Under Score Select, you can send scores from any one test date or from all test dates — you are not required to send all scores. This is different from the GMAT's earlier score-sending policies and is a significant advantage of the GRE.

Most graduate programs state their score use policy: some review all scores sent, some use only the highest section scores (superscoring), and some use only scores from the most recent test date. Understanding each program's policy before deciding which score date(s) to send helps you present your strongest performance.

The GRE at Home edition offers the same content, structure, and scoring as the test center version. Test-takers use their own computer with ETS's ProctorU proctoring service and are monitored by a live human proctor through webcam. The testing environment requirements include a quiet private room, a working webcam and microphone, and a stable internet connection.

Scratch paper is provided digitally through a built-in whiteboard tool rather than physical scratch paper. The home edition has expanded access to GRE testing globally, particularly for candidates in countries where testing centers are limited or distant. Score reporting timelines are the same as for test center administrations.

The GRE General Test was revised in September 2023 — a major change reduced the total test length by approximately 45 minutes while maintaining the three scored sections. The shorter format eliminated one of the Verbal sections and one of the Quantitative sections from the prior test design.

The revised GRE still covers the same content and maintains the same 130–170 scoring scale, but test-takers benefit from a significantly shorter testing experience. Applicants who have heard about the GRE from people who took it before 2023 should note that the current format is meaningfully shorter than the version those individuals experienced.

GRE Score Interpretation and Graduate School Requirements

GRE score interpretation requires context — what constitutes a competitive score depends entirely on the programs you are applying to and the applicant pool those programs typically see. Programs in different fields have very different score distributions among their applicants. Engineering and computer science PhD programs typically see applicants with GRE Quantitative scores of 165 to 170; humanities PhD programs may see average Verbal scores of 160 to 165 with lower Quantitative scores. Looking at published average GRE scores for admitted students at your target programs gives you realistic targets to aim for rather than relying on general benchmarks.

ETS publishes data on how GRE scores compare to scores of test-takers in specific intended graduate major fields. These comparative data tables allow you to see how your score compares to others applying to similar programs, not just to all test-takers. An applicant to a physics PhD program who wants to know whether their GRE Quantitative score is competitive should compare to physics applicants, not to the overall GRE test-taking population, which includes applicants to humanities and social science programs where quantitative scores are often lower.

GRE score validity is five years from the test date. Candidates who took the GRE in earlier years may find that their scores are still valid for current applications — but should verify that their scores fall within the validity window for each program they apply to. Some programs specify that they will only consider scores from the past three years even though ETS scores are valid for five years.

Sending multiple valid GRE scores from different test dates is permitted — programs typically review all submitted scores and may use the highest score, the most recent score, or the most favorable score for each section depending on their stated score use policy.

The GRE SuperScore option, which allows reporting only the highest score from each section across multiple test dates, is accepted by many graduate programs. If you took the GRE twice and scored higher on Verbal in the first attempt and higher on Quantitative in the second, you can report both scores and the program will construct your best composite from the highest section scores.

Not all programs use superscoring in the same way — some average scores across attempts, some take the most recent score, and some use the highest single sitting score. Understanding each program's score use policy helps you decide whether retaking the GRE is strategically beneficial.

The GRE is scored and available within 10 to 15 days after the test date for the Verbal and Quantitative sections; Analytical Writing scores take up to 15 days. Official score reports are sent directly to the graduate programs you designated at registration or requested after the exam. You select up to four programs for free score delivery at registration; additional score reports cost $30 each per recipient. Planning your test date to ensure scores arrive before application deadlines requires factoring in both the score delivery timeline and the application deadline for each program.

GRE Strategy: How Much Weight It Carries

The strategic question of how much weight to give the GRE relative to other application components is worth considering. Admissions research consistently shows that for most programs, the academic transcript, letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose carry more weight than the GRE in overall admissions decisions.

A very high GRE score rarely overcomes a weak academic record or poor letters of recommendation; a strong application with an average GRE score frequently advances to admission in programs that use multiple criteria holistically. Understanding where the GRE fits in the broader admissions evaluation helps applicants invest preparation time proportionally rather than overinvesting in the GRE at the expense of other application components.

For applicants applying to competitive programs where GRE scores are genuinely considered carefully — top STEM PhD programs, highly selective master's programs, and programs with high applicant-to-seat ratios — the GRE deserves serious preparation effort. These programs receive many applications from qualified candidates, and strong GRE scores help admissions committees make difficult distinctions among applicants with similar academic credentials.

In these contexts, GRE preparation is an investment with meaningful expected return. For programs where the GRE is optional and explicitly de-emphasized, submitting average scores may not help — some advisors recommend that applicants with average GRE scores simply not submit them when a program has made GRE submission optional.

Practice test fatigue is real, and managing it is part of an effective GRE preparation strategy. Working through too many full-length practice tests close together reduces the quality of practice and diminishes the diagnostic value of each test.

A structured preparation plan that includes content review, targeted practice by question type, and two to four full-length timed tests spread across the preparation period typically produces better results than grinding through as many practice tests as possible in the final weeks before the exam. Official ETS POWERPREP practice tests are the most accurate simulation of actual GRE difficulty and should be saved for realistic full-length practice sessions near the end of your preparation period.