GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
The GRE General Test is one of the world’s largest assessment programs for graduate admissions and the exam is conducted by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Over half-a-million individuals from over 160 countries take the GRE General Test every year, across 1,000 test centers set up by ETS. GRE scores of candidates are accepted at thousands of graduate programs around the world, for masters and doctorate degrees.
Apart from being one of the most commonly accepted exams by universities for admission to graduate programs, students looking to pursue masters, MBA, or Ph.D. are also required to appear for the GRE General Test. Also, students appear for the GRE to secure a merit-based scholarship for grad school. The GRE Test is accepted by thousands of graduate schools across the world. Apart from this, various Business and Law schools and different departments within these schools accept the GRE test scores.
There are two types of GRE tests, GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test.
Students seeking admission to MS courses in different fields in the US and various other countries appear for GRE General Test. Through this test, a candidate is evaluated on his analytical writing, quantitative ability, and verbal reasoning skills. The GRE Exam is conducted around the year, and candidates can appear for the GRE General Test as per their convenience. It is the most popular and widely accepted test across the world for admissions.
The GRE Subject Test evaluates the candidates’ ability on a particular subject. The subject tests are conducted in the following areas: Mathematics, Literature (English), Physics and Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry (Cell and Molecular Biology). Generally, this test is required for getting admission to specialized courses. Apart from this, this test is conducted only thrice a year in April, September, and October and is available only in paper-delivered format.
The application fee for the GRE General Test is $205 worldwide, which would roughly translate to Rs. 14,322 approximately. GRE Subject Test costs $150 worldwide, which would cost Indian students Rs. 10,480 approximately. Also, if the applicants want to change the center or reschedule the test then they would be required to pay an extra fee for the same.
Candidates who must cancel or reschedule their GRE General Test registration are required to do so no later than 4 days before the test date or the GRE fee would be forfeited. Candidates would be required to pay $50 for rescheduling their GRE test. Apart from this, candidates are charged $50 if they want to change a subject in the GRE Subject Test.
GRE Subject Change Fee is $50.
GRE Slot Booking: There are multiple ways to register for GRE. Popular ways through which aspirants can register for GRE is online. For booking a slot for the GRE test candidates would require a debit or credit card to pay a registration fee of US$205 and a valid passport.
How to register for GRE online?
Candidates are required to follow the below-mentioned steps to register for GRE via the online method.
Like other international standardized exams, there are no fixed official GRE dates and you can choose any date according to your convenience and availability. The exam date that you choose should be at least two months before your first application deadline. So if the deadline for your application is November, you should choose a test date for September. If you feel the need to retake the GRE exam, you can take it in October again. So you need to make a judicious decision about when you need to start preparing for GRE.
In India, GRE is conducted in almost 22 cities. These are New Delhi; Gurgaon; Mumbai; Nashik; Pune; Allahabad; Patna; Ahmedabad; Gandhinagar; Indore; Kolkata; Cochin; Chennai; Bengaluru; Vijayawada; Vadodara; Trivandrum; Nizamabad; Hyderabad; Gwalior; Dehradun; and Coimbatore. Most of them offer computer-based and some of them offer a paper-based test.
GRE exam pattern is as follows- three sections, namely, Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. The Analytical Writing section will always be the first, whereas, the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and unscored sections may appear in any order. Along with the time duration difference, the pattern also differs for paper-based and online exams. Candidates looking to appear for the paper-based format of the GRE Exam can visit the official website for the same.
The GRE General Test consists of three sections
The GRE syllabus is different for both GRE tests, GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test. General Test is the standard exam that tests students’ verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills. Students who wish to pursue specialized subjects, need to take the Subject Test that might be required by the college/university they are seeking admission to, as Subject Test focuses on judging the candidate’s expertise in specific fields.
Your official test scores will be available in your account on the GRE website 10-15 days after your test date. They will be sent to the universities of your choice within three weeks of your test date. Once the results are out, you will receive an email from ETS that your official GRE result is available in your account.
GRE Subject Test is calculated on a scale of 200 to 990 with an increment scale variation of 10 points.
The GRE score range can be understood with a section-wise distribution system:
GRE Total Score: On a 260–340 score scale
Ideally, a score of above 320+ is considered good.
Candidates who have appeared for their GRE exam should be aware that their GRE score is valid for a period of five years from the day of the exam.
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