What is the GRE?
The GRE, or Graduate Record Exam, is a test taken by undergraduates and college graduates
seeking admission to graduate schools. The GRE revised General Test features question types
that closely reflect the kind of thinking you'll do in graduate school. It breaks down into three
sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and an Analytical Writing portion. The
Analytical Writing section will always be first; the Verbal and Quantitative sections appear in
random order.
The Verbal Reasoning section measures your ability to understand what you read and how you
apply your reasoning skills.
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analyze and draw conclusions from discourse; reason from incomplete data; identify
author's assumptions and/or perspective; understand multiple levels of meaning, such as
literal, figurative and author's intent
select important points; distinguish major from minor or relevant points; summarize text;
understand the structure of a text
understand the meanings of words, sentences and entire texts; understand relationships
among words and among concepts
The Quantitative Reasoning section measures your ability to:
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understand quantitative information
interpret and analyze quantitative information
solve problems using mathematical models
apply basic mathematical skills and elementary mathematical concepts of arithmetic,
algebra, geometry and data interpretation
includes real-life scenarios
The Analytical Writing section requires you to provide focused responses based on the tasks
presented, so you can accurately demonstrate your skill in directly responding to a task, and
measures your ability to:
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articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
examine claims and accompanying evidence
sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
control the elements of standard written English
Note: There is also an unscored section that may be included and does not count towards your score, used
for ETS testing purposes.
Computer-based GRE® revised General Test Content and Structure:
The overall testing time for the computer-based GRE® revised General Test is about three hours
and 45 minutes. There are six sections with a 10-minute break following the third section. The
structure is as follows:
Measure
Number of Questions
Allotted Time
Analytical Writing
(One section with two separately
timed tasks)
One "Analyze an Issue" task and 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
The GRE Subject Test
The GRE Subject Test is more specific than the general test. Only certain grad school programs require a
subject test; others only require the GRE general test. The subject test gauges undergraduate achievement
within seven disciplines:
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Biology
Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology
Chemistry
Literature in English
Mathematics
Physics
Psychology
Note: The GRE Computer Science Test was discontinued following the April 2013 administration.
Scores will continue to be reportable for five years.
Where can I take the GRE? How do I sign up?
To register: You need to create or have an account through the official GRE website,
www.ets.org/gre, to register for a GRE test or to view your scores. You can register for the test
with a credit or debit card.
The GRE General Test may be taken at the Computer Based Testing Center located in the Test
Office at San Diego University. You can also search by your zip code on the ETS website to find
a center close to you. If you are planning to take the GRE General Test and/or a GRE Subject
Test, you can obtain a free copy of the GRE Bulletin and GRE General Test Descriptive Booklet
from the San Diego State University Test Office. The Test Office is located in the Student
Services Building, Room 2549. They are open 8:00 am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. The
test costs $185. You will be required to bring a valid form of ID, as described on the ETS site.
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GRE Fee Waiver application and directions are on-line at www.gre.org and must be followed
exactly. Getting the paper work from Financial Aid is only the first step. The processing time for
fee waivers by GRE is 3-4 weeks. Appointments cannot be made until a voucher for a fee waiver
has been issued by GRE.
Reporting GRE Scores:
GRE® test scores are valid for five years after the testing year in which you tested (July 1–June 30).
Currently, scores earned from July 1, 2008, to the present are available. There are three individual
scores reported:
GRE® revised General Test (tests taken on or after August 1, 2011)
Measure
Verbal Reasoning
Scores Reported
130–170, in 1 point increments
Quantitative Reasoning 130–170, in 1 point increments
Analytical Writing
0–6, in half point increments
GRE® General Test (tests taken prior to August 1, 2011)
Measure
Verbal Reasoning
Scores Reported*
200–800, in 10-point increments
Quantitative Reasoning 200–800, in 10-point increments
Analytical Writing
0–6, in half-point increments
You will view your unofficial Verbal and Quantitative scores at the test center; however, due to
the essay scoring process, you will not view your Analytical Writing score at this time. About
10–15 days after your test date, your official scores will be available in your My GRE account,
and your scores will be sent to the score recipients you designate.
Whether you're taking a GRE test for the first time or retaking it, the ScoreSelectSM option helps
you approach test day with confidence because it lets you decide which GRE scores to send to
the schools you designate. The ScoreSelect option is available for both the GRE® revised
General Test and GRE Subject Tests, and can be used by anyone with reportable scores from the
last five years. Here's how it works:
On test day, when viewing your scores at the test center, you can choose not to send your scores
at this time(up to 4 schools are included for free) OR you can select either option below for each
of your four free score reports:
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Most Recent option — Send your scores from your current test administration.
All option — Send your scores from all General Test administrations in the last five years.
After test day, you can send additional score reports for a fee and select from these options for
each report you'd like to send:
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Most Recent option — Send your scores from your most recent test administration.
All option — Send your scores from all test administrations in the last five years.
Any option — Send your scores from one OR as many test administrations as you like from the
last five years.
No matter which option you choose, you will select by specific test dates, so your scores are all
from the same testing session. The schools you designate will only see the scores that you
selected to send them. There will be no special indication if you have taken additional GRE tests.
How Can I Prepare for the GRE? Can I retake the test?
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To help you do your best on test day, you can start getting ready with free and low-cost
test preparation materials for the GRE from the ETS website, the makers of the GRE
tests. Prep resources can be found at
http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare?WT.ac=grehome_greprepare_b_130807
The SDSU College of Extended Studies offers a GRE prep course- information can be
found at
http://www.ces.sdsu.edu/Pages/FindCourse.aspx?subjectId=31&CourseInTermId=46283
Kaplan Test Prep offers free resources and paid prep courses, more information can be
found at http://www.kaptest.com/GRE/Home/index.html
Princeton Review also offers free and paid resources, more information can be found at
http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/gre-test-preparation.aspx
Additionally, Michael Flynn offers a GRE prep course at SDSU, which costs about $250
and includes a prep book. This is a much lower cost than prep courses offered through
competing agencies, such as Kaplan and Princeton, in which prep courses typically range
from $500+. For more information, contact gradpros@gmail.com
The Psychology Undergraduate Advising Office (located in LS-105) has many editions
of various GRE prep books available for use at no charge in the Resource Room
Just knowing you have the option to decide which GRE scores to send to institutions should give
you added confidence the first time you take the test. However, if you decide you want to take a
GRE test again, that's okay. You can do so once every 21 days, up to five times within any
continuous rolling 12-month period, depending on test center availability.
Still have Questions?
For more information regarding any and all aspects of the GRE, visit the official ETS website at
http://www.ets.org/gre/