GRE Test: Requirements, Benefits, and Costs

If you’re interested in pursuing graduate studies abroad, you need to meet specific requirements for acceptance. One of the conditions is to take an exam like the GRE. What is the purpose of the GRE? GRE is a standard test for admission to graduate schools and helps you achieve your career goals as well as gain entry to your preferred universities.

Whether you want to earn a Master’s, PhD, or MBA degree, the test for international students will enhance your application, evaluate your strengths, and facilitate your recognition. The test is accepted not only in the United States and Canada but also in other countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany. So, you can take the test at over 1,000 official test centers in various locations.

Read also: Wading Gates Cambridge Scholarships for Potential Scholars

What Is The GRE Test?

The GRE, which stands for the Graduate Records Examination, serves as a common exam for gaining entry into graduate and business schools. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CFAT), created this test in 1936, and the  Educational Testing Service (ETS) now oversees it.

This exam aims to assess candidates’ abilities in mathematical reasoning, verbal reasoning, analytical writing, and the obtained score remains valid for a period of five years. One advantage of the GRE General Test is its flexibility. You choose which test scores to send to universities and which ones to withhold. With the ScoreSelect® option, you can retake the test and choose the best scores you achieve.

More than 1,200 business education institutions worldwide accept GRE score results. Click on the country you’re interested in to find a complete list of institutions and scholarship programs that accept GRE scores. Additionally, there is a list of MBA programs that accept GRE General scores.

The test promotes diversity and inclusion as it’s open to applicants from various countries and educational backgrounds. It also supports exam takers with disabilities or specific health needs. Find more information about this here.

Read also: AAUW’s International Fellowships Scholarships

Where Can You Take The GRE Test?

If you’re interested in pursuing graduate studies abroad, you need to meet specific requirements for acceptance. One of the conditions is to take an exam like the GRE. What is the purpose of the GRE? GRE is a standard test for admission to graduate schools and helps you achieve your career goals as well as gain entry to your preferred universities.

Whether you want to earn a Master’s, PhD, or MBA degree, the test for international students will enhance your application, evaluate your strengths, and facilitate your recognition. The test is accepted not only in the United States and Canada but also in other countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany. So, you can take the test at over 1,000 official test centers in various locations.

Read also: Wading Gates Cambridge Scholarships for Potential Scholars

Can You Retake The GRE Test?

Yes, you can retake this test as needed. However, if you’re from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Korea, you can take this test a maximum of three times per month. Find details about test locations, seat availability, and test dates here.

If you can’t visit a physical test center or there’s no GRE test available at your preferred center, you might be able to take the GRE test at home. However, at-home testing is not available in mainland China and Iran. The GRE at-home test follows the same format as the center-based test, with a human proctor supervising through ProctorU®.

Regarding the cost of the GRE test, the total fee is $205 in most regions worldwide. However, there are variations in fees based on the test location. For example, it’s $213 in India, $231 in China and Australia, and $226 in Nigeria. The test fee in Turkey is slightly higher, reaching $255.

If you meet certain criteria, you can qualify for fee reductions. Find more information about fee reductions here. Keep in mind that there’s an additional fee of $50 if you want to change your test date or test location after registration.

Read also: How Long Can IELTS Results Be Used?

The GRE Test

The GRE test consists of several sections. The first section is Analytical Writing, where you’ll write two essays that measure your analytical thinking and clear expression of ideas. For the duration of this section is 60 minutes.

The second section is Verbal Reasoning, which tests your ability to understand and analyze written text. This segment contains a pair of subcategories, each comprising 20 questions. The total duration is 60 minutes.

The third section is Quantitative Reasoning, which assesses your understanding of quantitative information and mathematical abilities. This section has four subsections with various types of questions. The total duration is 70 minutes.

In addition to the GRE General Test, there’s also the GRE Subject Test, which measures your abilities in specific fields of study. They administer the paper-based test each year in September, October, and April.

After completing the GRE test, you’ll receive a GRE Score Report that includes your personal information, test date, your scores, and a list of institutions that accept your scores. You also have the ScoreSelect® option to choose which scores to send to your preferred universities. GRE scores range from 130 to 170 for Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning, and from 0 to 6 for Analytical Writing. ETS will report your scores about two weeks after the test.