Graduates planning to pursue a Masters (M.S) or Doctoral program (Ph.D.) in American Universities are required to take the GRE, conducted by Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, New Jersey. GRE is required by students seeking admission to Graduate Schools, Professional colleges. It therefore follows that the student must be a graduate before he joins the Graduate school - GRE is an entrance test. GRE is a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT). GRE is used to evaluate your ability and eligibility for admission. GRE is scored on a maximum of 1600 points. Analytical writing scores are given separately on a scale ranging from 0-6.Remember, GRE score is a very important and vital factor in getting admission and financial assistantship or scholarships.
GRE General Test
The GRE General Test is designed to test fundamental verbal, mathematical, and logical skills that the average student is expected to assimilate in the course of his or her college education. The vast majority of graduate programs require that prospective students submit GRE scores in order to be considered for admission.
The VERBAL sections mainly test your vocabulary and reading comprehension.
The ANALYTICAL WRITING, tests a person's ability to express his thoughts clearly & logically on the paper.
The following chart shows how the scored versions of the GRE are
organized.
Paper-and-Pencil Test CAT
Quantitative Two Sections One Section
(Math) 30 minutes/section 45 minutes
30 questions/section 28 questions
Verbal Two Sections One Section
30 minutes/section 30 minutes
38 questions/section 30questions
Analytical Writing One Section
2 Topics 75 minutes
In addition to the scored sections shown in the chart, both versions of the GRE contain one unscored experimental section containing trial questions for future use. And the CAT also includes an optional, unscored research section.
The CAT (Computer Adaptive Test) Format
The computerized version of the GRE is very different structurally from the traditional paper-and-pencil test. On the CAT, the computer will select questions for you based on how well you are doing. If you keep getting questions right, the test will get harder and harder; if you make some mistakes, the computer will adjust and start giving you easier problems. If you answer the easier problems correctly, the computer will give you harder questions again.
GRE Subject Test
The GRE Subject Tests are more specialized exams that test knowledge
of specific subject areas (i.e. psychology, biology, etc). Unlike
the GRE General Test, which assesses skills that have been developed
over a long period of time and are not related to a particular
subject area, Subject Tests evaluate knowledge of a particular field
of study. They enable admissions officers to compare students from
different colleges with different standards and curriculae. The
Subject Tests are offered in the paper-and-pencil version only.
There are sixteen Subject Tests
Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Economics
Revised Education
Engineering
Geology
History
Literature in English
Mathematics
Revised Music
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology