How the GRE is Constructed – What You Need to Know
If you’re planning on taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), you should understand how it is constructed and why that matters. Knowing this information can give you a better idea of what to expect on the exam, as well as provide insight into the most efficient way to study for it. Here’s an overview of how the GRE works.
Test Structure and Content
The GRE consists of three sections: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. The Analytical Writing section comprises two separately timed essays that assess your ability to express your ideas clearly in written form. The Verbal Reasoning section consists of three separately timed sections that measure your ability to read and comprehend material, analyze relationships among parts of sentences, and use context clues to select correct words or phrases. Finally, the Quantitative Reasoning section also has three separately timed sections that measure your ability to solve mathematical problems using basic arithmetic operations; interpret data presented in tables, graphs, and other forms; understand basic concepts in algebra; geometry; arithmetic; probability; statistics; etc.
Scoring System
The GRE scoring system is designed so that scores are comparable across all test administrations. For example, if you take the computer-based version of the test one day and then retake it again a few months later in paper-and-pencil form, your scores should be relatively consistent with each other. There are three types of scores reported for each section – raw score (the number of questions answered correctly), scaled score (a number from 130 to 170), and percentile rank (the percentage of students who performed lower than you). With this information, universities can compare applicants from different backgrounds fairly easily.
What Does This Mean?
Knowing how the GRE works can help you prepare for it more effectively because you will have a better understanding of what skills are necessary for success on each part of the exam. In particular, knowing what skills are tested on each part can help guide your studies by allowing you to focus on areas where you may be weak or need more practice. Moreover, since some parts require more time than others do—especially on paper-and-pencil versions—it’s important to plan out how much time should be allotted for each section in advance so that there’s enough time left over at the end for review or double checking answers before submitting them.
Understanding how the GRE is structured—including its content areas as well as its scoring system—can give test takers a major advantage when studying for their exams. Knowing which skills are tested in each section allows students to prepare more effectively by focusing their efforts appropriately and creating a study schedule that gives them enough time to review material before submitting their answers at the end. With this knowledge under their belt, students will have all they need to succeed on this important exam! Additionally, if you’re currently studying for the GRE, be sure to check out Achievable’s website. Achievable offers comprehensive GRE test prep to prepare you for the GRE. Good luck on your studies!
