ETS · Educational Testing Service

GRE General Test

GRE

The GRE General Test by ETS is the most widely accepted graduate admissions exam, used by thousands of Master's, PhD, and even MBA programs worldwide. Your Verbal and Quant scores are often the single comparable number an admissions committee uses to screen applicants against fellowship and funding cutoffs — and with rolling deadlines, one weak test date can cost you an entire admissions cycle. This page breaks down exactly what the exam tests, how it's delivered, and how to get it done right the first time.

1h 58m
54 Q's + 1 Essay
Scored 260–340
Center or At Home

Pay Only After You Pass

No upfront fee — you settle only after your verified passing result. We advertise guaranteed results — 100% pass guaranteed or money back.

Exam Spec Sheet

Provider ETS
Format Section-adaptive · 5 sections
Duration 1 hour 58 minutes
Questions 54 scored + 1 essay
Scoring 130–170 V & Q (no fixed pass)
Fee ~$220 USD
Proctoring ProctorU (live human proctor)
Validity 5 years
Languages English
See GRE Help Options

EXAM FORMAT

How the GRE General Test is built — at a glance

1

Analytical Writing

One 30-minute "Analyze an Issue" essay. You build and support an argument in response to a prompt. Scored 0–6 in half-point increments, reported separately from your Verbal and Quant scores.

27

Verbal Reasoning

27 scored questions across two sections covering Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence. Scored 130–170.

27

Quantitative Reasoning

27 scored questions across two sections covering arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis — with an on-screen calculator. Scored 130–170.

Timing & section order

The shorter GRE runs about 1 hour 58 minutes with no scheduled break. The Analytical Writing essay comes first, followed by the two Verbal and two Quantitative sections. Within each section you can skip, flag, and return to questions, and edit answers before time runs out — but you cannot revisit a section once you submit it.

How adaptivity & scoring work

The GRE is section-level adaptive: how you perform on the first Verbal or Quant section determines the difficulty of the second one in that measure. Verbal and Quantitative are each scored 130–170 in 1-point steps and combine into a 260–340 total. Analytical Writing is scored 0–6 separately. There is no fixed passing mark — each program sets its own expectations and reads your percentile rank.

WHAT'S TESTED

Three measures — bars show each measure's share of the scored questions

1

Verbal Reasoning

50%

27 of the 54 scored questions. Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence test how you analyze dense passages, weigh arguments, and read precise vocabulary in context.

2

Quantitative Reasoning

50%

The other 27 scored questions. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis through Quantitative Comparison, multiple-choice, and numeric-entry items — tested with an on-screen calculator.

3

Analytical Writing

1 essay

A single "Analyze an Issue" task scored on a separate 0–6 scale. You construct a clear, well-supported position and sustain a coherent, focused argument under a 30-minute clock.

Programs weight these measures differently: STEM and quantitative fields lean on your Quant score, while humanities and social-science programs scrutinize Verbal and the Analytical Writing essay. A lopsided profile — for example, strong Quant but a low Verbal — can still fall short of a department's funding cutoff, so balanced performance against your target field matters.

DELIVERY & PROCTORING

Two ways to sit the exam — and what to expect on test day

At a Prometric test center

You sit the exam in a quiet, monitored room at a Prometric test center. Staff verify your government-issued ID, store your belongings, and watch the room. Scratch paper is provided. The fee is about $220 USD, the same as testing at home.

At home, proctored via ProctorU

You take the exam from a private room at home, monitored live by a human proctor through ProctorU and available almost around the clock. You'll do a webcam room scan, an ID check, and a system test beforehand, and use an erasable whiteboard instead of paper. The fee is the same ~$220 USD.

ID & identity check

A valid, unexpired government photo ID with your name matching your ETS account exactly. The proctor captures your photo before the test unlocks.

Environment scan

A clear desk, no second monitor, no phone within reach, and a 360° webcam scan of the room. No one else may enter while you test, and your screen and camera are recorded.

During the exam

Stay in frame and on-camera the whole time. There is no scheduled break, so leaving the seat, talking aloud, or losing connection can flag the session.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS

The GRE is built for graduate and professional school applicants

  • Master's program applicants across nearly every discipline
  • PhD and research-degree candidates chasing funded admission
  • MBA and business candidates at programs that accept the GRE
  • International students applying to US, UK, and Canadian programs
  • Career changers returning to school for an advanced degree

PREREQUISITES & DIFFICULTY

No formal requirements — but the bar is high

  • No formal prerequisites — open to any applicant
  • A completed or in-progress bachelor's degree is the usual context
  • Comfort with high-school math and a strong working vocabulary
  • Strong English reading proficiency for dense academic passages

Difficulty: The math content tops out at the high-school level, but precise GRE vocabulary, dense reading, the section-adaptive engine, and tight per-question timing make a high score genuinely hard. Most competitive applicants invest 60–120 hours of focused prep — exactly the pressure point our help is designed to remove.

HOW EXAM ASSIST HELPS YOU PASS THE GRE

The GRE is a high-stakes, time-boxed test sitting between you and a graduate application deadline. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted GRE specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model — so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.

1

Share your exam details

Tell us your target Verbal/Quant scores, delivery method (center or at home), test date, and which programs you're aiming for. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.

2

Get an honest feasibility answer

We review your timeline and target and tell you plainly whether it's realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.

3

The sitting is handled

Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with a GRE specialist who maps the work around the section-adaptive engine, the Verbal vocabulary load, and the ProctorU environment — discreetly and confidentially.

4

Settle after the verified result

You only pay once your passing result is confirmed on your official report. No verified result, nothing owed.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED

Straight answers about the GRE General Test

What is a good GRE score for graduate school? +
GRE Verbal and Quantitative are each scored 130 to 170 in 1-point increments, so a combined total runs from 260 to 340. A roughly 155+ per section (around 310 combined) is competitive for many programs, while top-ranked schools often expect 162+ in the section that matters most to your field. There is no universal pass mark — each program sets its own bar, and STEM programs weight Quant heavily while humanities programs weight Verbal.
How long is the GRE General Test and how is it structured? +
The current GRE General Test runs about 1 hour 58 minutes with no scheduled break. It has five sections: one Analytical Writing task (a 30-minute Analyze an Issue essay), two Verbal Reasoning sections, and two Quantitative Reasoning sections. There are 27 scored Verbal questions and 27 scored Quantitative questions plus the essay.
Can I take the GRE at home? +
Yes. ETS offers the GRE General Test both at Prometric test centers and as an at-home exam available almost around the clock. The at-home version is monitored live by a human proctor through ProctorU and requires a webcam, microphone, a clear workspace, and a government ID check before the test begins. The fee is the same whether you test at home or at a center.
How many times can I take the GRE? +
You can take the GRE General Test once every 21 days and up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period, counting at-home and test-center attempts together. With the ScoreSelect option you choose which valid scores to send to programs, so an earlier attempt does not have to be reported.
How long are GRE scores valid? +
Official GRE General Test scores are reportable for 5 years from your test date, which covers most graduate application cycles. You can send up to four score recipients for free when you register, and add more later through your ETS account.
Do I pay Exam Assist before or after I see my GRE score? +
You settle only after your verified passing result is confirmed. There is no upfront fee — you share your exam details, receive an honest feasibility answer, and decide before any money changes hands. We advertise a guaranteed pass with money back if you do not pass; we offer a transparent, results-first arrangement.
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