What it means
The GRE General Test is taken on a computer at a test centre or at home, and it adapts to the candidate's answers as the test goes on. It has three parts: verbal reasoning, which tests reading and vocabulary skills; quantitative reasoning, which tests arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data interpretation; and analytical writing, which asks for written arguments.
The two reasoning parts are each scored on a scale from 130 to 170. Many graduate programmes in science, humanities, social sciences and business accept the GRE.
In business education, a large number of MBA (Master of Business Administration) programmes accept it as an alternative to the GMAT, which gives applicants the choice of whichever suits them better. Each school publishes the scores it expects, and some say that they treat both tests equally.
For people aiming for a career in finance, the quantitative section is particularly relevant. It rewards comfort with percentages, ratios and charts, which are the same skills needed for budgets, forecasts and financial reports.
Candidates from non-business backgrounds, such as engineering or the arts, often find the GRE a practical way to show they can handle numbers. Scores are usually valid for five years, and candidates can retake the test after a waiting period.
Some schools allow applicants to choose which scores to send, while others look at all attempts. As with any entrance test, the score is only one element of an application alongside experience, essays and references.
The GRE abbreviation also appears in other fields, where it can stand for different phrases such as government-related entity in credit analysis. For this reason it is wise to read the context.
In an admissions or education context, it nearly always means the Graduate Record Examination. Preparation costs are modest compared with the programmes themselves, but they are not trivial.
Candidates typically pay a test fee, may buy books or an online course, and often spend between six and twelve weeks studying. Free official practice material is available, and many people find that repeated timed practice is worth more than any single paid resource.
In practice
Real-world examples.
Example
A mechanical engineer wants to move into financial analysis. She takes the GRE, scores highly on the quantitative part and uses the result to support applications to master's programmes in finance and business analytics. Her strong score offsets the fact that her degree contained no accounting or economics courses.
Example
A marketing manager applying for a part-time MBA chooses the GRE over the GMAT because he finds the verbal section easier. The admissions team accepts either test, and he receives a $20,000 scholarship in the same round of offers. He later tells colleagues that choosing the test that matched his strengths mattered more than which test was supposedly more respected.
Example
A university admissions officer reviews applications from 400 candidates with degrees from many different countries. The GRE scores give her a common reference point, and she uses them alongside grades and work experience to build a shortlist.
Case study
Seen in the real world.
Marcus Okafor is an illustrative, fictional operations manager who wanted to change into corporate finance. He compared the GRE and the GMAT, found that both were accepted by his target schools and chose the GRE because it let him spend more time on maths he already enjoyed.
He set aside eight weeks and studied for six hours a week, working through full-length practice tests and reviewing each mistake. His first practice result was in the middle range for his target schools, and after targeted work on data interpretation he improved by about 8 points on the quantitative scale.
He applied to four programmes and was admitted to three, with a scholarship worth $25,000 at one of them. In this illustrative story his total spend on preparation and fees came to about $800, which was small compared with the value of the offer. He later said that the discipline of reviewing every wrong answer was the most useful habit he took into his finance course.
Watch out
Common mistakes.
- Assuming every business school treats the GRE and GMAT the same way, when policies differ and each school should be checked individually.
- Cramming at the last minute instead of building a study plan with timed practice tests.
- Believing the score decides admission by itself, when experience, essays and references usually carry weight too.
Questions
People also ask.
Is the GRE harder than the GMAT?
Neither is simply harder, as they test similar skills in different styles, and many candidates find one a better fit for how they think.
How long is a GRE score valid?
Scores are generally valid for five years from the test date.
Does the GRE have any use outside admissions?
Some scholarships and fellowships also ask for it, but its main use is in graduate school applications.
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