Given its versatility, the GRE can be a difficult exam to ace. It is one of the most competitive entrance exams for admission to prestigious graduate courses and PhD programs. It consists of three main sections and lasts for about three hours and forty-five minutes.
Practising as many GRE sample papers as possible and solving old question papers will help you feel more confident when you appear for the actual exam. Here are some of the old GRE papers with answers available online on the official ETS Website:
Full old GRE practice test
ETS GRE General test
Which Practice Tests are Best for GRE?
When it comes to selecting the right GRE practice exam, it’s easy for applicants to be confused due to the wide range of material available. There are two types of tests, the official GRE resources like ETS offer one, and unofficial GRE test prep resources offer the other. Here is a list of factors to consider before choosing a practice test:
Sufficient explanations
All of the answers on a practise test should have clear and in-depth explanations. It would be beneficial if the test explained different approaches to a question to choose the most convenient one for you. This will assist you in learning from your mistakes and avoiding them during the test.
Adaptive questions
Due to the fact that GRE is an adaptive test, the difficulty level of subsequent sections increases with respect to your score in the first section. It is recommended that you take an adaptive practice test to get a sense of what the GRE would be like.
Similar format
The mock test you take must follow the same format as the actual GRE. This implies that each segment must have the same number of questions and the same time limit. Taking a short test with fewer questions is pointless because it is not a good substitute for the actual test.
Based on the factors listed above, here are some of the best GRE practise exams:
ETS paper exam
The official ETS paper exam is suitable for students who plan on taking the GRE in the paper-based mode. However, students who want to take the computer-based test can also review the types of questions asked for extra practice.
PowerPrep II
PowerPrep II offers two official GRE practice tests created by the same people who create the actual GRE test. This practise test will give you a sense of the actual GRE; all you need to do is make sure that your laptop or computer meets all the software requirements and is good to go.
Manhattan Prep GRE Practice Test
Manhattan Prep offers GRE practise tests with in-depth explanations, even though it is an unofficial resource. Students can get started by creating a free account, which gives them unlimited access to various practice tests.
Kaplan GRE Practice Test
Kaplan is another unofficial resource that provides high-quality GRE questions that challenge the students. Although the questions are not as comprehensive as those offered by Manhattan prep, it does provide students with a thorough score report to facilitate improvement.
McGraw Hill Education
McGraw Hill GRE practice test is better suited for students who want to evaluate their performance in individual exam sections. Since the style of this practise test differs from that of the actual exam, students can focus on one segment at a time rather than taking it as a full-length practice test.
Free downloadable GRE Practice Papers PDFs
In addition to the above-mentioned GRE practice tests, there is a lot of free practice material available on the internet. Some of these practice tests have been provided by the ETS, and the others have been contributed by unofficial GRE resources based on the exam pattern.
GRE General Test
GRE General Test second edition
McGraw Hill’s GRE practice tests
GRE Prep Tips
Preparing for the GRE can be overwhelming if the student does not have a proper study plan in place. There are a few GRE preparation tactics to consider if you want to get a good score. Students may use the following tips and tricks to help them prepare for and take the GRE:
Identify your strengths and weaknesses
Before getting started with preparation, students must take an initial test to see where they currently stand and their weak areas. Once they have successfully identified their strengths and weaknesses, they can then develop a personalized study plan that focuses on specific areas.
Set a target score
It is essential to have a target score in mind which will eventually help you get into your dream school. Ideally, it should be at least 2-3 points more than what you need for your dream school. Once you have a rough idea about the score you are aiming for, you can then strategically devise an action plan to help you achieve the same.
Get comfortable with the format
The more familiar you are with the GRE format, the easier it will be to attain a good score. You need to be aware of the number of questions in each section, the scoring pattern and the order in which the sections occur. All this information, including specific directions for each section, will come in handy during the actual exam and will save you a lot of time as well.
Timed practice sessions
Once you have thoroughly worked on your weak areas, you are ready to take a full-length practice test. Make sure to time yourself during the test and approach it with the same seriousness to approach the actual exam. Taking multiple practise tests will make you more confident, increase your speed and give you the resilience to sit through the four-hour-long exam.
Attempt all the questions
Students must understand the benefit of answering all the questions in the exam. There is no negative marking, so you can only gain more marks by answering complicated questions and not deteriorate your overall score. You can leave the difficult questions or the end and then select the most appropriate answer using the elimination method.
Utilize your breaks efficiently
You need to make efficient use of the one-minute breaks between the sections. You can use them to ask for rough papers in advance for the next section; this will prevent you from taking unscheduled breaks in between. In addition to this, you can use the ten-minute break to take a breather, gather your thoughts, replenish yourself before you get back to the rest of the exam.
GRE Syllabus/Pattern
The students can take the computer-based GRE or the paper-based exam, depending on the availability in their regional centre. The GRE question paper is broadly divided into three sections- Analytical, Quantitative reasoning and Verbal reasoning. Although the format and time duration of the two modes is slightly different:
Computer-based GRE
The computer-based exam lasts for three hours and forty-five minutes. The duration and number of questions per section are as follows:
| Section | Duration | Number of Questions |
| Analytical Reasoning | 60 minutes | 1 section- two separately timed tasks |
| Verbal Reasoning | 60 minutes | Two sections- 40 questions in total |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 70 minutes | Two sections- 40 questions in total |
Paper-based GRE
The paper-based exam lasts for approximately three hours and thirty minutes. The duration of questions for each section is as follows:
| Section | Duration | Number of Questions |
| Analytical Reasoning | 60 minutes | 2 sections- two tasks |
| Verbal Reasoning | 70 minutes | Two sections- 25 questions per section |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 80 minutes | Two sections- 25 questions per section |
GRE Syllabus
Here is a breakdown of the section-wise syllabus of the GRE:
Analytical writing
This segment assesses the candidate’s ability to think critically and analyze arguments. This section might contain questions from a wide range of subjects, from arts to science. It tests your logical reasoning capacity and ability to put forth complex justifications.
Verbal reasoning
This section aims to determine the candidate’s ability to comprehend texts and sentences. Students are required to deconstruct challenging texts and interpret the literal and figurative meanings. It comprises questions pertaining to idioms, parallelism, modifiers etc.
Quantitative reasoning
This segment assesses the applicant’s quantitative aptitude and ability to solve complicated problems using core mathematical concepts. It consists of questions related to geometry, arithmetic, algebra, simple equations, data analysis etc.
FAQs
1. How long does the GRE score last?
The validity of your GRE score is five years; post that the ETS deletes your GRE account, and you won’t be able to access your score.
2. What is the registration fee for GRE?
The registration fee for the exam is $213 for Indian students.
3. Can we change the date of our GRE exam?
Candidates are allowed to change the dates of their GRE at an additional cost of $50.
4. How to take the GRE during Covid19?
Students can take the GRE test from home, and the ETS will monitor the same using artificial intelligence and live remote proctors.
5. How many times can a person take the GRE test?
Students can take the test every 21 days, up to five times in one particular year.
