The GRE General test is an online, computer adaptive test that tests skills required by students to successfully complete programs at the postgraduate level. It tests quantitative, verbal, critical, analytical and abstract thinking skills. These are the kind of skills students need to succeed in graduate level programs. In 2023, more than 1 lakh Indian students took the GRE – a 60% increase from 2022. The GRE is accepted for both technical and management programs at over 1,300 universities across the world.
Benefits of Taking the GRE
Students planning to study in a STEM program at top universities in USA, Canada and Germany or students planning to study business programs at top universities in any country should strongly consider taking the GRE. For such students, taking the GRE offers the following benefits:
Compensates for profile weaknesses like low GPA, backlogs
320+ score helps students stand out from the crowd
Improves chances of admits for students wishing to switch fields
Improves chances of getting scholarships, TA, RA
Improves probability of getting unsecured loans
High scores help with placement after Masters
High Preparing for GRE helps prepare for undergraduate placementsscores help with placement after Masters
Is GRE optional?
You might see that some universities mention that submitting the GRE score is optional or not required when applying. However, this only means is that you can apply without a GRE score. For such universities, students with high GRE scores are still much more likely to get admits and to get scholarships i.e. students who submit a GRE score with their application have an advantage over students who apply without the GRE score. When applying to universities, students will come across universities with four different types of GRE requirements. The categories and the interpretation is given below:
GRE Requirement
Interpretation
GRE Mandatory / Required
You must take the GRE. Your application will not be accepted without it.
GRE Optional / Not Required
You can submit the GRE if you wish. Such universities give preference to students with a high GRE score
GRE Waived
GRE is not required right now – but the university could suddenly make it compulsory at any time in the future. So better to take the GRE.
GRE Not Accepted
No point in taking the GRE. The university will not use the score to evaluate your profile.
Note:
You should not take the GRE only if the universities you are applying have mentioned that “GRE is not accepted” on their website. Approximately 5% of universities fall in this category. For any other category, students are strongly encouraged to take the GRE to improve their chances of getting admits and scholarships.
Schedule a counselling session to know if taking the GRE is the right choice for you.
The GRE score students should target depends on the rank of the university students wish to apply to. An estimate of competitive scores is given as per the table below:
QS Rank
Sample Universities
Target GRE Score
1-50
Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Toronto, Technical University Munich
325
51-100
Carnegie Mellon University, Heidelberg University, University of Texas Austin, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
1-50
101-200
Arizona State University, University of Southern California, RWTH – Aachen, McMaster University
1-50
201 – 300
North Carolina State University, Rutgers, University of California – Irvine, Technical University Darmstadt
1-50
1-50
Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Toronto, Technical University Munich
1-50
1-50
University of Illinois Chicago, Northeastern University, State University of New York - Buffalo
1-50
1-50
Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University of Texas – Dallas, Technical University Dortmund
1-50
Note:
For technical programs, the quantitative reasoning score is more important than the verbal reasoning score. For all other programs, the quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning score are both important. Additionally, universities prefer students with a score of 3.5 / 6.0 or higher on the Analytical Writing Measure.
Take a diagnostic test to see what score you can get.
Ability to sustain a focused and coherent discussion
A 30 minute “Analyze an Issue” task. This task presents an opinion on an issue and provides instructions on how to respond. Students are required to evaluate the issue, consider its complexities and develop an argument with reasons and examples to support their view
Verbal Reasoning
Ability to analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained
Ability to analyze relationships among component parts of sentences
Ability recognize relationships among words and concepts
Reading Comprehension: Students read paragraphs from areas like physical sciences, biological sciences, social sciences, business, arts and humanities and everyday topics and then answer MCQ type questions.
Text Completion: Crucial words from paragraphs are deleted, and students are asked to use information from the remaining paragraph to fill in the missing words such that the sentence formed is meaningful and complete.
Sentence Equivalence: These questions consist of a single sentence with one blank. Students are then asked to identify two choices that produce completed and coherent sentences that mean the same thing.
Most students who score 320+ in the GRE prepare for at least 120 hours. This is over and above any coaching they might take. Depending on how much time you can dedicate weekly, preparing for the GRE can take anywhere from one to six months.It is recommended that students take the GRE in either the pre-final year or final year of their undergraduate program. Since scores are valid for five years, once they are done with taking the GRE, they can focus on other aspects of the application process – especially profile building.
Set a target score based on the university you want an admit from
Start by taking a diagnostic test to understand your current level
Identify 1 – 1.5 hours of free time daily for GRE preparation
Gather the appropriate materials for study
Go through the syllabus and make a detailed plan to cover the entire syllabus
Practice questions daily. Reading theory does not help improve scores
Maintain an error log to record which questions you’re getting incorrect
Take a test after completing each topic to get a realistic understanding of your preparation level
Take full length mock tests once you are done completing 70% of the syllabus
Take at least 5 mock tests. Analyze your performance after each test and work on weak areas before taking the next test.
