Planning to write GRE? Here are 5 things you should know about the exam

One of the most widely accepted scores for admissions in universities is GRE. GRE stands for Graduate Record Examination and is under the administration of Educational Testing Service (ETS). The primary aim of the exam is to evaluate the knowledge and skills of the candidates in 3 areas, namely verbal reasoning, analytical writing, and quantitative reasoning. But, this is not everything GRE is. There is a world of things you should know about this examination.

If your aim is to study abroad and that too in a really good university, then you should pay attention to what has been mentioned in this article. I will highlight 5 things about this exam which every candidate should acquaint herself with before writing it. So, let us take a look at it, shall we?

1. Multiple Attempts Are Allowed.
   One of the best things about GRE is that it can be given multiple times a year. ETS announces the timetable way in advance, giving you ample opportunity to decide when to take up the exam. However, while this liberty is appreciated, it is not unqualified. A major condition is that there is a limit to how many attempts you can give a year. The ETS stipulates that a candidate cannot attempt the paper more than 5 times a year. Also, there should be a gap of at least 21 days between two successive attempts. Note that a GRE score is valid for 5 years, giving you a lot of time to determine where and when your next stop should be.
2. Who is Eligible?
   The eligibility is simple and straightforward: you should be interested in studying abroad and the area of study should be the graduate level. The examination is more popular among candidates for business schools than any other, but non-business schools very commonly accept GRE. There is no age bar on the candidate. While GRE scores have nearly ubiquitous acceptance among educational institutions across the globe, it is advised to double-check whether the institution you wish to join accepts GRE scores at all.

   

3. May be an expensive affair
   It is not surprising that GRE, like many examinations of a similar kind, is expensive. While the fee varies from one country to another, you will anyway end up paying a hefty amount. Most likely, the amount should fall between $200 and $250. There is a catch, however, which could be of great use. ETS maintains a policy to reduce the fee cost in case you can offer documentary evidence of financial inadequacies resulting in your inability to pay the registration fee.
4. Computer-based OR Paper-based
   The exam is administered in two forms: computer-based and paper-based. In the former, the student will begin with questions of moderate difficulty.  With every answer you give, the computer will evaluate and determine the difficulty of the next question and so on. If you make a wrong attempt, the next question will be slightly less difficult. In the latter, there will be two quantitative sections and two verbal sections. Time management will most likely vary. For example, in the computer test, you will get 45 minutes to answer math questions whereas in the paper-based, there will be 2 segments each of 30 minutes and containing 30 math questions each. In both formats, you may also find an un-scored section.
5. GRE is no piece of cake
   GRE is a difficult exam. GRE is not elementary in nature, and it focuses on testing the advanced knowledge and skills of the candidate. You will have to work really hard to score and grab a good university. You must have a conceptual understanding of all the topics you cover because that is the point of the exam. The questions might be very basic but they will be presented to you in such form that it will be a lot harder to crack them. Therefore, it is advised that you take your time with the exam. Do not hurry up with the dates and practice as much as you can. Make sure you have practiced previous years’ papers and mock papers so that you get a hang of the content and time management.

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