The GRE General Test is the most widely used admissions test for graduate school, taken by applicants to master's, PhD, and many business and law programmes around the world. Since a major overhaul in late 2023, it is also much shorter than it used to be — under two hours, down from nearly four — which changes how you should prepare. But before you invest weeks of study and a substantial fee, there is one question to answer first: does your target programme actually require the GRE? A growing number of graduate programmes have made the GRE optional or dropped it entirely, and requirements vary enormously by field, country, and even by department within the same university. Confirm each programme's current policy before you assume you need to sit it at all.
This guide explains what the GRE is, who needs it, how the current shorter format and scoring work, and how to build a study plan that fits the exam as it exists in 2026. Treat every fee and score figure as a planning range, and confirm the current details on the official ETS site at ets.org/gre before you register.
Key Takeaways
- The current GRE General Test is a computer-delivered exam of about 1 hour 58 minutes, with five sections and 55 questions across Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning.
- Verbal and Quantitative are each scored 130–170 (1-point increments) and are section-level adaptive; Analytical Writing is scored 0–6 in half-point steps.
- Many graduate programmes are now GRE-optional or GRE-free, so confirm whether your specific programmes require, recommend, or ignore the GRE before you register.
- There is no single "pass" score — a competitive score depends entirely on your field and programmes, so set your target from the score ranges your programmes publish and "confirm current expectations with each university."
- The fee is around US$220 in many regions (it varies by country), scores are valid for five years, and the test can only be taken on a computer, at a test centre or at home.
What the GRE Is and Who Needs It
The GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) General Test is a standardised admissions test that measures skills built up over years of education rather than any specific subject knowledge: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. Graduate schools use it as one common yardstick to compare applicants from very different academic and national backgrounds, alongside your transcript, statement of purpose, references, and — for some fields — research or work experience. ETS, the test's maker, positions it as "one test for graduate, business and law school," and it is indeed accepted by thousands of master's and doctoral programmes, many MBA and business master's programmes, and a growing number of law schools.
The important nuance for 2026 is that requiring the GRE is no longer the default it once was. Across many fields — especially in the sciences and humanities — programmes have moved to GRE-optional or test-free admissions, and where the GRE is still used, its weight varies. Some programmes treat a strong score as a genuine differentiator; others use it only as a soft data point or to satisfy funding and fellowship requirements. Because there is no way to generalise, the first task in your GRE journey is research, not study: build your shortlist of programmes — TheUniFinder's programmes and universities catalogues are a good starting point for comparing options — and read each one's admissions page to see whether the GRE is required, recommended, optional, or not accepted.
Note also that the GRE is a graduate admissions test and has nothing to do with proving English proficiency. International students whose first language is not English usually also need an English test such as IELTS or TOEFL for admission and, often, for a visa — see our IELTS preparation guide, TOEFL preparation guide, and the IELTS vs TOEFL vs PTE comparison. The GRE and your English test are separate requirements that you may need to satisfy in parallel; country application guides such as how to apply to universities in Germany show how admissions tests and language tests fit together. Because graduate study is expensive, it is also worth lining up funding early — TheUniFinder's scholarship finder helps you find awards that match your field and destination.
GRE General Test Format
Since the September 2023 redesign, the GRE is markedly shorter. It consists of five sections and 55 questions, completed in about 1 hour 58 minutes, with no scheduled breaks between sections. The Analytical Writing section always comes first; the Verbal and Quantitative sections then appear in a random order after it. The exam is delivered only on a computer — either at a test centre or at home under remote proctoring — and there is no longer any paper version.
| Section | Content | Number of questions | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing | One "Analyze an Issue" essay | 1 task | 30 minutes |
| Verbal Reasoning (Section 1) | Reading comprehension, text completion, sentence equivalence | 12 questions | 18 minutes |
| Verbal Reasoning (Section 2) | As above, difficulty set by Section 1 performance | 15 questions | 23 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning (Section 1) | Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data analysis | 12 questions | 21 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning (Section 2) | As above, difficulty set by Section 1 performance | 15 questions | 26 minutes |
| Total | 55 questions | ~1 hour 58 minutes |
The Verbal and Quantitative measures are section-level adaptive: your performance on the first section of each measure determines the difficulty of the second section. Within a section you can move freely between questions, skip and return, and change answers — but once you leave a section you cannot go back. Verbal question types are Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence; Quantitative question types include Quantitative Comparison, standard and multiple-answer multiple choice, and Numeric Entry, with some questions grouped around shared data-interpretation sets. An on-screen calculator is available for the Quantitative section.
Scoring and What Score You Need
The GRE produces three separate scores:
- Verbal Reasoning: 130–170, in 1-point increments.
- Quantitative Reasoning: 130–170, in 1-point increments.
- Analytical Writing: 0–6, in half-point increments.
Verbal and Quant raw scores (the number of questions answered correctly) are converted to the 130–170 scale through a process called equating, which accounts for differences in difficulty between test editions and between the easier and harder second sections. The Analytical Writing essay is scored on a 6-point holistic scale by a combination of a trained human reader and ETS's automated scoring engine. Your score report shows all three scores plus percentile ranks, which tell you how you performed relative to other test-takers — often more meaningful to admissions committees than the raw number.
There is no universal passing score. What counts as competitive depends heavily on your field: quantitatively demanding programmes (engineering, economics, hard sciences) tend to weigh the Quant score heavily, while humanities and social-science programmes often care more about Verbal and the essay. Rather than chasing an abstract "good" score, look up the average or typical GRE scores your target programmes publish (many list class-profile ranges), and set your personal target from those. Because expectations differ so widely and change over time, the honest guidance is to confirm current expectations with each university and treat any general benchmark as a rough planning figure only.
How to Prepare for the GRE
A structured plan matters more for the GRE than raw study hours, because the test rewards familiarity with its specific question types and pacing as much as underlying knowledge. The steps below assume a typical runway of two to three months, which suits most working or studying applicants; compress or extend as your baseline and deadlines require.
Register and choose a test date
Create an account on the ETS website and book your test — at a test centre or at home — roughly two to three months before you want your scores ready. Count backwards from your earliest application deadline, leaving a buffer for score delivery and, if needed, a retake. Because the GRE is offered year-round (at home) and on frequent test-centre dates, you have flexibility, but popular slots near application season fill up, so book early.
Take a diagnostic test
Before you study anything, sit one full-length official practice test cold to establish an honest baseline. A diagnostic tells you three things: your current Verbal and Quant scores relative to your target, which section needs the most work, and how the pacing feels. Do not be discouraged by a low first score — its job is to calibrate your plan, not to predict your final result.
Build a study plan
Using the gap between your diagnostic and your target, map out six to twelve weeks of focused study. For Verbal, that means systematic vocabulary building and daily reading of dense, argument-driven texts, plus drilling the three question types. For Quantitative, review the underlying maths (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data analysis) and then drill question types under time pressure — the maths itself is not advanced, but the reasoning and pacing are. For Analytical Writing, learn the structure of a strong "Analyze an Issue" response and practise writing focused, well-supported essays in 30 minutes. Weight your weekly hours toward your weakest measure.
Practise with official materials
Prioritise official ETS preparation resources: the official guides, the free POWERPREP practice tests, and the published question pools. Official questions reflect the real test's wording, logic, and difficulty far more faithfully than third-party imitations, and the POWERPREP tests use the real interface and section-level adaptivity. Third-party courses can be useful for extra volume and explanation, but anchor your practice in official material so you are training on the genuine article.
Sit full timed mock tests
In the final few weeks, complete at least two full-length, timed mocks under realistic conditions — no phone, no notes, and crucially no breaks between sections, since the real GRE runs straight through. Full mocks build the stamina to concentrate for nearly two hours, let you rehearse how section-level adaptivity feels, and expose pacing problems while there is still time to fix them. Review every mock thoroughly: understanding why you missed a question is where most of the score gain comes from.
Test day and sending scores
On test day, bring a valid, unexpired photo ID that matches your registration exactly, and arrive early (or set up your at-home environment well ahead of time). At the end of the test you can typically choose which programmes receive your scores using your free score recipients, and you can send additional reports later for a fee. Remember that GRE scores are valid for five years, so a strong score can serve multiple application cycles — useful if you are applying over more than one year.
Cost and Registration
The GRE General Test fee is around US$220 in many regions, but it genuinely varies by country and can be higher in some locations, so check the fee for your country on the ETS site rather than assuming a single global price. Additional services — sending scores to extra programmes beyond your free recipients, rescheduling, or changing your test centre — carry their own fees. Fee-reduction programmes exist for eligible applicants who demonstrate financial need. Because prices and policies change, confirm the current fee on the official ETS site before you budget.
Registration is done through your ETS account, where you choose between a test-centre appointment and an at-home test (subject to your equipment and environment meeting the technical requirements). Book early during peak application season, and give yourself enough runway that a retake is still possible before your deadlines if your first score falls short.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Studying before checking whether you need the GRE. With so many programmes now GRE-optional or test-free, confirm each programme's policy first — you may not need the test, or may need it only for funding.
- Ignoring official practice material. Third-party questions vary in quality; the ETS official guides and POWERPREP tests reflect the real exam most accurately. Make them the backbone of your prep.
- Neglecting pacing. The current GRE has tight per-section timing and no breaks. Many well-prepared test-takers lose points to time pressure, not difficulty — practise under the clock.
- Treating Analytical Writing as an afterthought. Some programmes read the essay closely; a rushed, unstructured response can undercut strong Verbal and Quant scores. Practise timed essays.
- Forgetting the GRE is not an English test. International students still need IELTS, TOEFL, or another accepted English test for admission and visas — plan for both, in parallel.
- Leaving no room to retake. Book early enough that a second attempt is feasible before your earliest deadline; scores are valid for five years, so an early attempt is rarely wasted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need to take the GRE for graduate school?
Not always. A growing number of graduate programmes have made the GRE optional or dropped it entirely, and requirements vary by field, country, and department. Some programmes require it, some recommend it, some use it only for funding or fellowships, and some do not accept it at all. Check each target programme's admissions page for its current policy before you register, rather than assuming the GRE is required.
How is the GRE scored?
The GRE produces three scores: Verbal Reasoning (130–170), Quantitative Reasoning (130–170), and Analytical Writing (0–6 in half-point steps). Verbal and Quant are section-level adaptive, so your first-section performance sets the difficulty of the second, and raw scores are converted to the scaled range through equating. Your report also shows percentile ranks, which show how you performed relative to other test-takers.
What is a good GRE score?
There is no universal good score — it depends entirely on your field and target programmes. Quantitatively demanding programmes weigh the Quant score heavily, while humanities programmes often emphasise Verbal and the essay. The best approach is to look up the average or typical scores your programmes publish and set your target from those, confirming current expectations with each university rather than relying on a general benchmark.
How much does the GRE cost and how long are scores valid?
The fee is around US$220 in many regions but varies by country and can be higher in some locations, with extra fees for additional score reports and rescheduling. Fee-reduction programmes exist for eligible applicants. GRE scores remain valid for five years, so a strong score can be used across multiple application cycles. Confirm the current fee for your country on the official ETS site.
How long should I prepare for the GRE?
Most applicants prepare over about two to three months, though the right length depends on your diagnostic baseline and target score. Start with a full-length official practice test to set a baseline, then build a plan of six to twelve weeks covering Verbal vocabulary and reading, Quantitative review and drilling, and Analytical Writing structure, finishing with at least two full timed mocks under realistic conditions.