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ETS (Educational Testing Service)

GRE® General Test

The graduate and business school admissions test — Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and one Analytical Writing essay in under two hours.

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QuestionsVerbal 27 · Quant 27 · Analytical Writing 1 essay (an unscored research section may appear at the end)
TimeAbout 1 hr 58 min — Writing 30 min · Verbal 18 + 23 min · Quant 21 + 26 min, no scheduled breaks
SectionsAnalytical Writing first, then two Verbal and two Quant sections in any order; second sections adapt to your first
WhereETS test centers in 160+ countries, or at home around the clock (equipment and room rules apply)
FeeUS$249 in most countries from August 1, 2026 — check ETS for your country and fee reductions
ScoringVerbal 130–170 · Quant 130–170 (1-point steps) · Analytical Writing 0–6 (half-point steps); no penalty for wrong answers
Score validityReportable for 5 years after your test date

About the exam

The GRE General Test is the admissions test accepted by thousands of graduate programs worldwide, and by many business and law schools too. Anyone can register — there's no degree or academic requirement — and you can take it at a test center or at home.

Since September 2023 the test runs about 1 hour 58 minutes with no scheduled breaks: one 30-minute Analyze an Issue essay first, then two Verbal Reasoning sections (12 and 15 questions) and two Quantitative Reasoning sections (12 and 15 questions). The second section of each measure gets easier or harder depending on how you did on the first. Verbal and Quant are each scored 130–170; the essay is scored 0–6.

Our practice covers every Verbal and Quant question type in the real formats — original reading passage sets, one-, two- and three-blank Text Completions, Sentence Equivalence pairs, Quantitative Comparisons, select-all-that-apply and numeric entry — plus flashcards for vocabulary and formulas, worked walkthrough case studies, illustrated guides, and timed practice tests that give an estimated Verbal + Quant score.

How we track your progress

Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:

  1. Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
  2. Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
  3. DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
  4. ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
  5. Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.

The exam blueprint

Shorter GRE General Test — current format since September 22, 2023 (about 1 hr 58 min, no scheduled breaks). No structural change for 2026; the standard fee rose to US$249 on August 1, 2026. — Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning (27 scored questions each), plus one Analytical Writing essay. Tap a domain to see its topics.

1 Reading Comprehension about 24% of the exam
Multiple choice: select one of fiveSelect one or more of three answer choicesSelect-in-passage: click the sentenceMain idea, author's purpose and passage structureInferences and conclusionsAuthor's assumptions and perspectiveMeaning of words and sentences in contextArgument passages: strengthen, weaken, assumptionShort one-paragraph and longer multi-paragraph passages

100 practice questions in this domain so far

2 Text Completion about 13% of the exam
One blank, five choicesTwo blanks, three choices eachThree blanks, three choices eachReading for clue words and sentence logicContrast, continuation and cause signalsVocabulary in contextNo partial credit — every blank must be right

60 practice questions in this domain so far

3 Sentence Equivalence about 13% of the exam
One blank, six choices — pick exactly twoBoth answers must give the sentence the same meaningSpotting synonym pairs that don't fit the contextVocabulary in contextRelationships among words and conceptsNo partial credit — both choices must be right

60 practice questions in this domain so far

4 Arithmetic about 15% of the exam
Integers, divisibility, factors and primesRemainders, odd and even numbersExponents and rootsPercent, ratio and rateFractions, decimals and the number lineAbsolute value and estimationSequencesQuantitative Comparison with numbers

60 practice questions in this domain so far

5 Algebra about 13% of the exam
Exponent rules and simplifying expressionsFactoring and algebraic expressionsLinear equations and systemsQuadratic equationsInequalitiesFunctionsCoordinate geometry: graphs, slopes and interceptsWord problems and applied modeling

55 practice questions in this domain so far

6 Geometry about 9% of the exam
Lines and anglesTriangles, including special right trianglesPythagorean theoremCircles, quadrilaterals and polygonsCongruence and similarityArea, perimeter and volumeThree-dimensional figuresFigures not necessarily drawn to scale

45 practice questions in this domain so far

7 Data Analysis about 13% of the exam
Mean, median, mode and rangeStandard deviation, quartiles and percentilesData Interpretation sets: tables and graphsProbability and conditional probabilityCounting methods: permutations and combinationsRandom variables and normal distributions

70 practice questions in this domain so far

What you get when you access this exam

Free with your QuizMe account.

Questions in the real GRE formats

Every question is tagged to a Verbal or Quant question type — passage sets, Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, Quantitative Comparison, select-all-that-apply and numeric entry.

Hints that teach

Reveal the clue word, rule or formula behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer comes with the full rationale.

Adaptive practice

Questions steer toward your weakest question types, weighted like the real test, and get harder as you get stronger.

Timed practice tests

54 Verbal and Quant questions in 88 minutes — the real scored pace — with a pacing indicator, full review and an estimated Verbal + Quant score.

Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides

Flashcards for vocabulary and formulas, worked walkthrough case studies that solve real-format problems step by step, and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.

Progress in every question type

Each area moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know exactly what to study next.

Test at home or at a center

Register with an ETS account at ets.org/gre. The GRE General Test is computer-delivered at test centers or at home; you can retake it once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12-month period.

At an ETS test center

  • Computer-delivered at 1,000+ centers in more than 160 countries.
  • Bring acceptable ID that matches your registration — rules vary by country.
  • A basic on-screen calculator is provided for Quant; personal calculators aren't allowed.
  • Unofficial Verbal and Quant scores appear on screen at the end of the test.

GRE General Test at home

  • Available around the clock, most days, with a live online proctor.
  • Check the equipment, room and ID requirements and run the system check well before test day.
  • Test alone in a quiet room with a clear desk — no notes, phone or second monitor.
  • Same content, format and scoring as the test center version.

Exam-day game plan

How to walk in ready — and how to pace 54 Verbal and Quant questions in 88 minutes.

Pacing checkpoints

Our timed test simulates the scored Verbal and Quant questions — 54 questions in 88 minutes, the same total time as the four real sections. The real test splits them into two Verbal and two Quant sections with their own clocks, and the second section of each adapts to your first. The 30-minute Analytical Writing essay is not simulated yet.

14questions0:22
27questions0:44
41questions1:06
54questions1:28

The week before

  • Take one full timed practice test 3–5 days out, then shorter sets and rest.
  • Practice the essay once under 30 minutes — it always comes first.
  • Review Quantitative Comparison logic and the formulas you keep missing.
  • Confirm your appointment and ID — or run the at-home equipment check.

During the test

  • There are no scheduled breaks — plan water and food before you start.
  • Text Completion: predict a word for each blank from the clue words before you look at choices.
  • Sentence Equivalence: you need two answers that give the same meaning — a lone perfect word is a trap.
  • Quantitative Comparison: try zero, negatives and fractions before choosing D.
  • Mark, skip and come back — answer every question; there's no penalty for guessing.

Keep your head

  • A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
  • A hard second section can be a good sign — it adapts to how you did on the first.
  • Change an answer only when you find a real reason in the question.

After you test

  • Official scores reach your ETS account about 8–10 days after the test and are reportable for 5 years.
  • Your fee includes four free score reports chosen on test day; ScoreSelect lets you send your most recent, all, or chosen test dates, and extra reports are $40 each.
  • You can retake once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12-month period.

Official sources and further reading

Ready to start?

450 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.

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GRE® is a registered trademark of ETS (Educational Testing Service). QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS. All questions are original. Details are summarized from ETS's official GRE pages; fees and policies change — always confirm at ets.org/gre. Estimated scores are rough guides, not official conversions.