Plain-English definitions of the terms you meet while preparing for the GRE. Simplified for learning; ETS’s materials are authoritative.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| GRE | Graduate Record Examinations General Test, an admissions test from ETS. |
| ETS | Educational Testing Service, the non-profit that owns and runs the GRE. |
| Shorter GRE | The current format (since September 2023): about 1 hour 58 minutes, one essay, no break. |
| Verbal Reasoning | The measure testing reading, inference and vocabulary in context; scored 130-170. |
| Quantitative Reasoning | The measure testing high-school-level maths and reasoning; scored 130-170. |
| Analytical Writing | The single essay (Analyze an Issue); scored 0-6 in half-points. |
| Analyze an Issue | The essay task: take a position on a claim and defend it with reasons and examples. |
| Reading Comprehension | Verbal questions on passages; answers must be supported by the text. |
| Text Completion | Verbal questions that fill one to three blanks in a short passage. |
| Sentence Equivalence | Verbal questions that pick two words giving one sentence the same meaning. |
| Quantitative Comparison | A Quant type comparing Quantity A and B, with the same four answer choices each time. |
| Numeric Entry | A Quant type where you type the answer rather than choosing an option. |
| Data analysis | The Quant area covering statistics, probability and reading graphs. |
| Section-level adaptation | Your first Verbal/Quant section sets the difficulty of the second, affecting your score. |
| Scaled score | The reported 130-170 score, converted from your number of correct answers. |
| Percentile rank | The percentage of test takers you scored above; differs by measure at the same score. |
| Score choice | The option to send only the test dates you choose to programmes. |
| POWERPREP | ETS’s free official practice tests that mirror the real interface and timing. |
| e-rater | ETS’s automated scoring engine used alongside a human rater for the essay. |
| Test centre | A Prometric site where you can sit the computer-delivered GRE. |
| At-home testing | Taking the GRE online with remote proctoring and environment checks. |
| Score reportability | GRE scores can be sent to programmes for five years from the test date. |