GRE Exam Syllabus

Types of GRE Syllabus 2024

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) comprises two main types of syllabus: the GRE General Test Syllabus and the GRE Subject Test Syllabus.

GRE General Test Syllabus: This syllabus assesses a candidate's aptitude in verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills. It is designed to evaluate skills that are not necessarily related to any specific field of study but are crucial for success in graduate-level programs. The verbal reasoning section evaluates comprehension, critical thinking, and vocabulary usage. The quantitative reasoning section assesses problem-solving abilities and basic mathematical concepts. The analytical writing section gauges the candidate's ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively. The GRE General Test is commonly required for admission to various graduate programs worldwide.

GRE Subject Test Syllabus: This syllabus evaluates a candidate's proficiency in specific academic subjects. Unlike the General Test, which focuses on general skills, the Subject Tests assess knowledge in particular disciplines such as mathematics, physics, and psychology. These tests allow candidates to showcase their expertise in their chosen field and can be beneficial for admission to specialized graduate programs or for demonstrating subject proficiency. However, not all graduate programs require or consider Subject Test scores as part of their admission criteria.

The existence of these two types of syllabi caters to the diverse needs of graduate school applicants. While the General Test evaluates fundamental skills necessary for academic success across various disciplines, the Subject Tests allow candidates to demonstrate their expertise in specific subject areas, providing a more focused assessment for specialized programs.

GRE Syllabus for General Test in 2024

The GRE General Test mirrors the cognitive demands found in contemporary graduate programs, encompassing disciplines such as business and law. It assesses proficiency in verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing, attributes cultivated over an extended duration and applicable across various fields of study.

The total testing duration spans approximately 1 hour and 58 minutes, including five sections.

The Analytical Writing section will consistently precede the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections. The sequence of the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections may vary following the Analytical Writing section.

GRE Exam Syllabus 2024: Analytical Writing Section

The Analytical Writing section of the GRE General Test evaluates your capacity for critical thinking and analytical writing by gauging your ability to:

• Articulate and defend intricate ideas effectively.
• Construct logical and persuasive arguments.
• Maintain a coherent and focused discussion.
• This assessment does not test your knowledge of specific content areas.

In this section, you will encounter a 30-minute "Analyse an Issue" task. This task presents you with a viewpoint on a particular issue and provides instructions for your response. Your task is to assess the issue, explore its nuances, and craft a compelling argument supported by reasons and examples that uphold your perspective.

GRE Exam Syllabus 2024: Verbal Reasoning Section

The verbal reasoning segment aims to evaluate the test taker's capacity to analyze and draw conclusions from discourse, reason from incomplete data, identify the author's assumptions and/or perspective, select important points, differentiate major from minor or relevant points, summarise text, understand the structure of a text, comprehend the meanings of words, sentences, and entire texts, and grasp relationships among words and concepts.

The list of topics covered in the GRE verbal syllabus includes:

• Fundamental sentence structure: Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives
• Verb tense
• Idioms & Idiomatic expressions
• Pronoun agreement
• Subject-verb agreement
• Modifiers
• Parallelism

The GRE Verbal Syllabus is split into three sections:

Reading Comprehension: This section requires candidates to respond to passages from three distinct subject areas – humanities, natural science, and social science (Business). The exam comprises multiple passages. Candidates must carefully read and analyze the passage before answering any questions. Also, don't be disheartened if you encounter an unfamiliar passage. It's about how well you can comprehend and answer the questions. Remember: All questions can be answered based on the information provided in the passage. This section tests your ability to comprehend what you're reading.

Sentence Equivalence: Assesses your capacity to complete a paragraph based on incomplete information. Candidates must select two ways to complete the sentence that have the same meaning while also being grammatically correct.

Text Completion: Focuses on your ability to construct a complete picture from the text presented. Both Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion evaluate the candidate's understanding of vocabulary. However, merely knowing the words won't suffice to excel in this section. You need to be well-versed in their meanings as well.

GRE Exam Syllabus 2024: Quantitative Reasoning Section (GRE Math Syllabus)

The quantitative reasoning segment aims to assess the test taker's capacity to grasp quantitative data, interpret and analyze quantitative information, solve problems utilizing mathematical models, and apply fundamental mathematical abilities and elementary mathematical concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics.

The list of topics encompassed in the GRE Quantitative Syllabus is as follows:

Arithmetic

• Properties and types of integers
• Powers and roots
• Statistics
• Estimation
• Number properties
• Percentage
• Exponents and roots
• Ratios and proportions
• Simple and compound interest
• Arithmetic operations

Geometry

• Lines and angles
• Circles
• Triangles
• Quadrilaterals
• Polygons
• Three-dimensional figures
• Area, perimeter, volume
• Angle measurements

Data Analysis

• Descriptive statistics such as median, mean, range, mode, percentiles, etc.
• Interpretation of data based on graphs, pie charts, scatter plots, etc.
• Probability
• Permutation and combination
• Venn diagrams
• Sets Theory

Algebra

• Exponents
• Algebraic expressions – factoring and simplifying
• Equations and inequalities
• Linear and quadratic inequalities
• Linear equations
• Quadratic equations
• Word problems
• Speed, distance, and time
• Profit and loss
• Coordinate geometry

GRE Subject Test Syllabus 2024

The GRE Subject Tests are assessments of achievement designed to evaluate your knowledge and skill level in a specific field of study. They are aimed at students who have either pursued an undergraduate major or acquired significant expertise in one of the following disciplines:

• Mathematics

• Physics

• Psychology

Scores from GRE Subject Tests are utilized by admissions or fellowship panels to complement your undergraduate academic records, letters of recommendation, and other qualifications for postgraduate-level study.

The GRE Subject Tests are being conducted in a computer-delivered format from  September 2023. The total testing duration is 2 hours and 50 minutes for the Mathematics Test, and 2 hours for the Physics and Psychology Tests. There are no individually timed sections.

GRE General Test Pattern

GRE Exam Pattern for Computer-Delivered Test

The total testing duration spans approximately 1 hour and 58 minutes, including five sections from 22nd September 2023 onwards.

The Analytical Writing section will consistently precede the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections. The sequence of the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections may vary following the Analytical Writing section.