Graduate & Business School Admissions
GRE General Test
GRE General Test
Free GRE practice questions 90 questions with full answer explanations. No sign-up. Start practice →Overview
The GRE General Test, from ETS, is a standardised admissions test accepted by most graduate schools and many MBA programmes worldwide. It measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing rather than any subject knowledge, so it is meant to show how you think rather than what you have studied.
Since 22 September 2023 the GRE has run in a shorter form. It is now about 1 hour and 58 minutes long, with no unscored research section and no scheduled break, and the Analytical Writing measure has a single essay instead of two. The test is computer-delivered, can be taken at a test centre or at home, and is section-level adaptive: how you do on the first Verbal or Quantitative section influences the difficulty of the second.
The GRE's main appeal is breadth. One score is accepted across master's, PhD and many business programmes, which keeps your options open if you are choosing between an MBA and other graduate paths. Scores are reportable for five years, so you can test well before you apply.
✓ Who it is for
- Applicants who want a single test accepted across the widest range of graduate programmes
- People deciding between an MBA and a non-MBA master's or PhD, who want to keep both open
- Candidates whose strengths suit a vocabulary-heavy verbal section and a separate essay
✕ Who it is not for
- Applicants targeting only programmes that require or prefer the GMAT (confirm each school).
- People who need no admissions test at all - a growing number of programmes are test-optional.
- Executive MBA candidates whose schools accept the shorter Executive Assessment instead.
Exam structure
| Analytical Writing (one section) | A single 'Analyze an Issue' task in 30 minutes, scored 0-6 in half-point increments. It always comes first. |
|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning (two sections) | 27 questions total (sections of 12 and 15) in 18 and 23 minutes. Reading Comprehension, Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence. Scored 130-170. |
| Quantitative Reasoning (two sections) | 27 questions total (sections of 12 and 15) in 21 and 26 minutes. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis, with an on-screen calculator. Scored 130-170. |
| Section-level adaptation | Within Verbal and within Quant, your performance on the first section sets the difficulty of the second, which affects scoring. |
Realistic study time
- Light brush-up (strong starting point) ~40-60 hours over 4-6 weeks
- Typical preparation ~80-120 hours over 8-12 weeks
- Major score lift needed 150+ hours over 3-4 months
Bars show relative effort, not a guarantee. Your time depends on background and study method.
Turn this into a week-by-week schedule with the Study Plan Generator.
What it really costs
Fees change and vary by region. Confirm the current amount on the official site before you register.
Want your full out-of-pocket figure? Try the Cost Calculator.
Salary & career value
Indicative ranges for orientation only - not surveyed data, and not financial or career advice. Sources and date below.
Pass rate: There is no pass or fail. ETS reports each measure with a percentile rank showing how you did relative to other test takers, and the Verbal and Quantitative scales do not line up at the same percentile. As an indicative guide, a Verbal score around 159 sits near the 80th percentile, whereas the same percentile on Quantitative needs a higher scaled score because the Quantitative pool is stronger; the median (50th percentile) falls in the low-to-mid 150s on each measure. ETS updates these percentiles periodically, so confirm the current figures in ETS's interpretive data before setting a target.
Jobs that often ask for it:
- Graduate-school applicant
- MBA applicant
- PhD applicant
Is it worth it?
Worth it when your target programmes accept the GRE and you want to keep MBA and non-MBA options open with one test. If every school on your list requires the GMAT, or if all of them are test-optional and a strong score would not help you, the GRE may not be the right use of your time. Take a free official practice test first.
Not sure this is the right exam for you? Compare your options with the Exam Finder.
Compare GRE with other exams
Independent, like-for-like comparisons to help you choose the right one.
Career paths featuring GRE
What to do next
If you are deciding between tests for business school, weigh the GRE against the GMAT on format, scoring and which programmes accept each before you commit.
On exam day
Computer-delivered either at a Prometric test centre or at home with online proctoring (equipment and environment checks apply). Bring valid, government-issued photo ID; the on-screen calculator is provided for the Quantitative sections, and you may not bring your own. At the end you can send four free score reports.
Keeping your certification
Not a credential, so there is nothing to renew. Scores remain reportable for five years from the test date; after that you would need to retake the test if a programme requires a current score.
FAQ
- How long is the GRE now?
- The shorter GRE General Test, in force since September 2023, takes about 1 hour and 58 minutes. There is no longer an unscored research section or a scheduled break, and Analytical Writing has a single essay rather than two. Always confirm the current format on ETS's site before you book.
- What is a good GRE score?
- It depends entirely on your target programmes, since the GRE has no pass mark. Scores are reported with percentile ranks. Competitive programmes often look for scores around or above the 80th percentile in the measure that matters most for their field, but each school sets its own bar, so check the ranges your programmes publish.
- GMAT or GRE for an MBA?
- Most MBA programmes accept both and state no preference. The GMAT is purpose-built for business school and well recognised in finance and consulting; the GRE is accepted far more widely across all graduate fields, so it keeps non-MBA options open. Take a practice section of each and choose the test you score better on.
- How is the GRE scored?
- Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each scored from 130 to 170 in one-point increments. Analytical Writing is scored from 0 to 6 in half-point increments. Each score is reported with a percentile rank. The Verbal and Quantitative measures are section-level adaptive, so your first-section performance affects the second section and your final score.
- How much does the GRE cost?
- In most locations the GRE General Test costs US $220, though the fee varies by region. A fee-reduction voucher for those who qualify brings it to about $100, and rescheduling or changing your test centre costs $50. Confirm the current fee for your country on ETS's site.
- How long are GRE scores valid?
- GRE scores are reportable for five years from your test date, so you can take the test well before you apply. After five years, a programme that requires a current score would need you to retake the test.
- Can I use a calculator on the GRE?
- Yes, but only the on-screen calculator provided during the Quantitative Reasoning sections. You cannot bring your own. The calculator handles basic arithmetic; many questions are faster to solve by estimation or reasoning, so it is a backup, not a crutch.
- Is the GRE hard?
- It is challenging but coachable. The maths covers no topic beyond high-school level, so the difficulty is in reasoning quickly and avoiding traps rather than advanced content. The verbal section rewards a strong vocabulary and careful reading. Most of the gains come from learning the question types and practising under time.
Related exams
- GMAT Focus Edition - Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)