The GRE® Tests
Completing your view of applicant strengths
The GRE General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills that have been developed over a long period of time and are required for success in today's demanding programs.
Learn more about the GRE General Test content.
The GRE Verbal Reasoning measure assesses the ability to:
The GRE Quantitative Reasoning measure assesses the ability to:
The Quantitative Reasoning section includes an on-screen calculator.
The GRE Analytical Writing measure assesses critical thinking and analytical writing skills, including the ability to:
In addition to the skills measured above, the GRE Analytical Writing measure also provides authentic samples of an applicant's writing.
Because the Analytical Writing measure is a performance test, test takers must articulate and support their own ideas as they:
The Verbal Reasoning measure of the GRE General Test assesses the ability to:
Whereas the Verbal section measures a test taker's ability to understand complex ideas expressed in written passages and to recognize relationships among words and among concepts, the Analytical Writing section measures the ability to articulate and support ideas and to analyze arguments.
The Writing section of the TOEFL iBT test and the GRE Analytical Writing measure are intended to measure different sets of skills. The TOEFL iBT test primarily measures the ability of non-native speakers to communicate in academic English. The TOEFL Writing section contains two writing tasks:
These writing tasks are not designed to measure higher levels of critical thinking and analytical writing, but center instead on candidates' composition skills and command of English vocabulary, grammar, spelling and syntax, with some analysis and synthesis of material. Therefore, scores on the two tests are not comparable.
Because the TOEFL test emphasizes fundamental writing and comprehension skills, the TOEFL score can supplement an Analytical Writing score by helping faculty determine whether a low score on the GRE Analytical Writing measure is due to lack of familiarity with English or lack of ability to produce and analyze logical arguments. See Using Scores.
| Section | Number of Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing (One section) | One "Analyze an Issue" task | 30 minutes |
| Verbal Reasoning (Two sections) | Section 1: 12 questions Section 2: 15 questions |
Section 1: 18 minutes Section 2: 23 minutes |
Quantitative Reasoning (Two sections) |
Section 1: 12 questions Section 2: 15 questions |
Section 1: 21 minutes Section 2: 26 minutes |
| Section | Number of Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing (One section with two separately timed tasks) | One "Analyze an Issue" task One "Analyze an Argument" task |
30 minutes per task |
| Verbal Reasoning (Two sections) | 20 questions per section | 30 minutes per section |
Quantitative Reasoning (Two sections) |
20 questions per section | 35 minutes per section |
| Unscored or Research Section | Varies | Varies |
