Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
What is GRE?
Students planning to pursue Masters of Science, commonly known as MS, take the GRE - Graduate Record Examination.
Post July 2011, the GRE pattern has changed and the exam is no longer a computer adaptive test but the performance in the given section will determine the level of the next section.
New GRE has 2 sections for GRE Verbal and Quantitative. Each section is considered as one stage. First Section is Stage 1 (or called as Routing Stage). Depending on your performance, the test taker is routed to one of several alternative second-stage tests, each of which consists of a fixed set of questions and differs on average difficulty.
If you get high score in Section 1, your entire set of questions in Section 2 will be under Difficult (or very difficult) category. This makes the New GRE difficult to crack.
Examples:
1. You get Quant section first. You solve all the questions which will be a mixture of easy, moderate and difficult. Assuming you did really well, your next section, say Verbal, will be more difficult. If you perform badly, your next section will again be easy.
2. Moderately difficult level of questions will be given to you in Section 1. Based on your performance, you will get one of Easy, Moderate and Difficult in section 2.
You should solve the first few questions (the first 8-9 questions) taking as much time as required and get them right. This is not true. It depends on the level of questions. You should not blindly follow this logic and lose too much time so that you do not have enough time in the end to solve the remaining questions which may turn out to be easier. It's “suicide”.
Must do:
You SHOULD attempt all the questions even though you might have to mark an answer without spending enough time on it because an incomplete paper can cost you a loss of significant points.
How many types of GRE’s are there?
GRE are of two types:
1. General Test: The General Test takes into account verbal reasoning, quantitative ability, and analytical writing skills. Almost all the universities accept the General test score and usually everyone opts for this test. It takes place round the year and you can choose your date according to your convenience.
2. Subject Test: The Subject Test measures the achievement in a particular subject area or extensive background in that discipline. These tests are in the following areas: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Literature (English), Physics and Psychology. It is conducted on a fixed date for everyone, more on the terms of an entrance exam. Mostly none of the engineers go for this.
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FAQ's
Q. What is the cost/registration fee for GRE?
A. The registration fee for taking GRE is USD 190 which includes reporting your GRE scores to 4 universities of your choice.
Q. How do I register for the GRE?
A. You can register online or by phone or by mail. The detailed information about registering for the GRE can be found at www.gre.org
Q. How many times in a year is GRE exam held?
A. GRE is offered on all working days in India. The schedule can be obtained from Prometric in person, through phone, e-mail or online.
Q. How many times can I take GRE?
A. GRE can be taken unlimited number of times with a gap of a minimum of 31 calendar days between 2 tests. (It is highly advisable not to appear for GRE too many times as it may affect the applicant’s candidature). However, one can give the test only 5 times in a calendar year.
Q. If I take GRE more than once, which score will be considered by the universities?
A. The best score is taken into account by most of the universities. A few, though, consider the average.
Q. What is the validity of the GRE exam?
A. Your GRE score will be valid for 5 years after from the date the test was taken
Q. Does admission to universities depend only on GRE scores?
A. It is one of the various criteria that the admission council looks at. However, a good GRE score does improve chances of admission and financial aid.
Q. How do I pass on my score to the colleges where I want to apply to?
A. The universities only accept official scores sent directly by ETS. Scores to four colleges can be sent free of cost while taking the exam. Subsequently, for each score report sent to a college, you would have to pay USD 23.
Q. What is an ideal GRE score for engineering students?
A. Anything above 1250 (old pattern) or 310 (new pattern) is considered good but you should always aim higher. An engineering student should score above 750 (old pattern) or 160 (new pattern) in quant as this counts a lot.
Q. How important are extracurricular activities?
A. Extracurriculars are always an add-on to your profile. Any achievements at the state or national and international level are considered important. Working for social causes such as for an NGO or charity trusts on a regular basis (Please don’t start visiting NGOs when your application dates are nearing, it won’t help) helps a lot. Participating in college festivals or becoming a head of some committee does not count much.
Q. Do universities consider photocopies of the GRE scorecard? Do I have to send scores through ETS?
A. No, photocopies are not accepted. You have to send your scores only through ETS.
Q. Is GRE mandatory for applying to MS and PhD programs outside India?
A. No, not all the MS and PhD programs outside India require you to take GRE. These scores are required only by US universities and a few universities in Canada, Germany and UK.
Q. How important is the GRE score in helping secure scholarships for graduate studies?
A. The GRE score, your past academic record and your application materials play a vital part towards securing scholarships.
What is GRE?
Students planning to pursue Masters of Science, commonly known as MS, take the GRE - Graduate Record Examination.
Post July 2011, the GRE pattern has changed and the exam is no longer a computer adaptive test but the performance in the given section will determine the level of the next section.
New GRE has 2 sections for GRE Verbal and Quantitative. Each section is considered as one stage. First Section is Stage 1 (or called as Routing Stage). Depending on your performance, the test taker is routed to one of several alternative second-stage tests, each of which consists of a fixed set of questions and differs on average difficulty.
If you get high score in Section 1, your entire set of questions in Section 2 will be under Difficult (or very difficult) category. This makes the New GRE difficult to crack.
Examples:
1. You get Quant section first. You solve all the questions which will be a mixture of easy, moderate and difficult. Assuming you did really well, your next section, say Verbal, will be more difficult. If you perform badly, your next section will again be easy.
2. Moderately difficult level of questions will be given to you in Section 1. Based on your performance, you will get one of Easy, Moderate and Difficult in section 2.
- Score 165 in Section 1 then you will be routed to Difficult Level in Section 2.
- If you score 135 then you will be routed to Easy Stage 2.
- Stage 1: Moderately Difficult
- Stage 2: Very Easy, Easy, Moderate, Difficult and Very Difficult
You should solve the first few questions (the first 8-9 questions) taking as much time as required and get them right. This is not true. It depends on the level of questions. You should not blindly follow this logic and lose too much time so that you do not have enough time in the end to solve the remaining questions which may turn out to be easier. It's “suicide”.
Must do:
You SHOULD attempt all the questions even though you might have to mark an answer without spending enough time on it because an incomplete paper can cost you a loss of significant points.
How many types of GRE’s are there?
GRE are of two types:
1. General Test: The General Test takes into account verbal reasoning, quantitative ability, and analytical writing skills. Almost all the universities accept the General test score and usually everyone opts for this test. It takes place round the year and you can choose your date according to your convenience.
2. Subject Test: The Subject Test measures the achievement in a particular subject area or extensive background in that discipline. These tests are in the following areas: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Literature (English), Physics and Psychology. It is conducted on a fixed date for everyone, more on the terms of an entrance exam. Mostly none of the engineers go for this.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FAQ's
Q. What is the cost/registration fee for GRE?
A. The registration fee for taking GRE is USD 190 which includes reporting your GRE scores to 4 universities of your choice.
Q. How do I register for the GRE?
A. You can register online or by phone or by mail. The detailed information about registering for the GRE can be found at www.gre.org
Q. How many times in a year is GRE exam held?
A. GRE is offered on all working days in India. The schedule can be obtained from Prometric in person, through phone, e-mail or online.
Q. How many times can I take GRE?
A. GRE can be taken unlimited number of times with a gap of a minimum of 31 calendar days between 2 tests. (It is highly advisable not to appear for GRE too many times as it may affect the applicant’s candidature). However, one can give the test only 5 times in a calendar year.
Q. If I take GRE more than once, which score will be considered by the universities?
A. The best score is taken into account by most of the universities. A few, though, consider the average.
Q. What is the validity of the GRE exam?
A. Your GRE score will be valid for 5 years after from the date the test was taken
Q. Does admission to universities depend only on GRE scores?
A. It is one of the various criteria that the admission council looks at. However, a good GRE score does improve chances of admission and financial aid.
Q. How do I pass on my score to the colleges where I want to apply to?
A. The universities only accept official scores sent directly by ETS. Scores to four colleges can be sent free of cost while taking the exam. Subsequently, for each score report sent to a college, you would have to pay USD 23.
Q. What is an ideal GRE score for engineering students?
A. Anything above 1250 (old pattern) or 310 (new pattern) is considered good but you should always aim higher. An engineering student should score above 750 (old pattern) or 160 (new pattern) in quant as this counts a lot.
Q. How important are extracurricular activities?
A. Extracurriculars are always an add-on to your profile. Any achievements at the state or national and international level are considered important. Working for social causes such as for an NGO or charity trusts on a regular basis (Please don’t start visiting NGOs when your application dates are nearing, it won’t help) helps a lot. Participating in college festivals or becoming a head of some committee does not count much.
Q. Do universities consider photocopies of the GRE scorecard? Do I have to send scores through ETS?
A. No, photocopies are not accepted. You have to send your scores only through ETS.
Q. Is GRE mandatory for applying to MS and PhD programs outside India?
A. No, not all the MS and PhD programs outside India require you to take GRE. These scores are required only by US universities and a few universities in Canada, Germany and UK.
Q. How important is the GRE score in helping secure scholarships for graduate studies?
A. The GRE score, your past academic record and your application materials play a vital part towards securing scholarships.