GRE General Test Overview

GRE Test Information You Must Have!

Prospective candidates, who want to get admission into various graduate schools of the USA, have to take the Graduate Record Examination, or the GRE. The score you receive in this examination is an essential part of your admissions portfolio. Hence, a good GRE score will ensure that your admission applications receive their due importance. In order to do so, you will have to prepare well for the examination. The first step to preparing for the test is by gatheringuseful GRE test information.Understanding the GRE ExaminationThe GRE scores are accepted by nearly all colleges of the USA and some other English speaking nations. This examination, thus, opens a number of avenues, regarding college education, for you. It also helps you in understanding your strengths and weaknesses, depending on which you can decide, which subjects to select to ensure that you have a successful college career.

  • The GRE examination is primarily of two kinds. The ETS holds a general GRE examination, which all candidates seeking admission in the colleges of the USA have to appear for. The other type of GRE examination is called the subject GRE. This is taken by candidates who have completed their graduation and wish to specialize in certain areas. This test is essential if you are seeking admission in a particular department like English, biochemistry etc.
  • The GRE examination is designed to test your critical and analytical skills, along with your knowledge of English and mathematics. The questions asked in the GRE test will cover topics that you have studied in high school. However, this should not make you lax, because the questions are usually quite complicated and you will need to practice hard if you want to ace this examination.

An important part of GRE test information, would be the knowledge of the question paper and the method by which you will have to take the test. These points have been discussed in the following section of the article.Understanding the GRE FormatSome other features of the GRE, which will help you understand the examination in a better manner, are as follows:

  • GRE consists of three parts, viz, Verbal reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Analytical Writing.
    • Verbal Reasoning will test your knowledge of the English language, vocabulary, as well as, grammar.
    • The Quantitative Reasoning section, as the name suggests, will analyze your knowledge of high school mathematics.
    • In the Analytical Writing section, you will have to write two essays on the given topics.
  • The GRE is primarily a computer based examination. It is held nearly three times in a month across 700 test centers situated in nearly 160 countries. The paper based format is held only in those places where there is unavailability of Internet connection or any other problems that prevent set up of a computer based testing center. The PBT version is held in the months October, November and February.
  • The examination is an adaptive one. In other words, the difficulty level of questions will increase depending on the answers that you have given in a particular section. This means, if you have answered all the questions in a particular section of the test correctly, then the following section will contain questions having increased difficulty levels

Finally, you have to understand the scoring system for GRE so that you can interpret your GRE scores.Understanding the Scores You Receive for GREThe GRE score that you receive consists of an overall score and a percentile rank. The percentile rank indicates your performance level in comparison to other candidates taking the similar test. When analyzing your admission application, the admissions authorities of colleges, will take both the score and the rank into account.This test information for GRE will also make you aware of the type of preparatory level that you require, in order to succeed in the test. So gather all the information you need and start preparing for the test accordingly as early as possible!

SOP

When writing your SOP, you should aim to convey a clear and coherent narrative that explains why you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in your field of study and how your past experiences have prepared you for this next step in your academic journey. You should also demonstrate your knowledge of the program and the faculty you are applying to, and explain how your research interests align with their areas of expertise. Additionally, you should highlight any relevant skills, achievements, or extracurricular activities that showcase your potential as a graduate student. Finally, you should end your SOP with a strong and memorable conclusion that ties together your academic and personal motivations for pursuing a graduate degree. By starting to write your SOP early on in the application process, you can give yourself the time and space to craft a powerful essay that showcases your unique voice and strengths.