The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), known for its pervasive use in graduate and professional degree admissions, including business and law, has tweaked its exam format in a move that mirrors recent modifications in the GMAT exam. The four-hour GRE General Test (Online) will no longer be offered. Instead, it has been shortened to just under two hours, with results being made available more quickly to help students submit their applications on time.
Evolving the GRE: A New Format for Aspiring Students
The revised structure adheres to the GRE’s long-standing idea of testing a broad range of skills while decreasing the total time commitment by keeping the same themes, chapters, material, and question types.
Streamlined GRE Changes: What’s Different in the New Format
Reduced Exam Duration
The updated GRE exam has undergone a significant transformation, cutting down the test duration from a four-hour marathon to just under two hours. This change aims to alleviate the time burden on test-takers.
Fewer Questions
In this revamped format, the GRE Exam Online has shed 46 questions, reducing the total number from 100 to a leaner 54. This reduction simplifies the test structure while preserving its core elements.
Focused Problem Distribution
The questions are now evenly distributed, with 27 problems each in the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections. Gone are the days of 20 questions in the verbal section and a total of 40 in the quantitative and verbal areas combined.
Optimized Section Time
Time allocation for each section has been restructured. The two sections of verbal reasoning now receive 41 minutes each, while quantitative reasoning has a total of 47 minutes. This contrasts with the previous setup, where both verbal and quantitative sections consumed 60 and 70 minutes, respectively.
Analytical Writing Refinement
The “Analyse a Problem” exercise, which was part of the Analytical Writing section, has evolved into a single essay. This modification streamlines the writing component.
Accelerated Scoring
Test-takers can now expect their official GRE results within a shorter time frame, with scores arriving in 8–10 calendar days, compared to the former 10–15 days. This expedited scoring process facilitates quicker application submissions.
Increased Question Weight
With the reduction in the number of questions, each response now carries more weight in determining the final score. This change heightens the challenge of the exam, as each correct answer becomes even more significant.
Elimination of Experimental Section (a.k.a dummy section)
The experimental component, previously used for ETS research and unscored, has been removed entirely from the new GRE format. This alteration contributes significantly to the overall reduction in test duration, making the GRE a more efficient assessment.
GRE’s Core Continuity: What Remains Unchanged
Other than that, there have been no changes to the adaptivity, time allotted for each question, number of sections, content covered, vocabulary, question types, and topics, as well as the test price and accommodations. Section-adaptive testing will still be used for the new shorter GRE’s Quantitative and Verbal portions. The GRE results will still be used by graduate and professional schools. The cost of the GRE exam will stay at 22,550. Get admission to our GRE Prep Offline In Ahmedabad at The Renaissance and get detailed insight about the changes.
The updated GRE has the following format:
- Analytical Writing: One section, one essay assignment, 30 minutes.
- Two parts with a total of 27 questions for quantitative reasoning (with sectional time limit)
- Two portions, a total of 27 questions, and two sections of verbal reasoning (with sectional time limit).
- This results in a test that lasts an hour and 58 minutes in total.
Scoring Mechanics: What to Expect in the Redesigned GRE
The redesigned GRE will continue to be scored similarly to the current GRE. The scoring system for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections will remain a 130–170 range with 1-point increments. A scale of 0 to 6 with half-point increments will be used to grade the analytical writing component. The reporting of scores is one significant alteration. Now, as opposed to the previous 10–15 days, test takers can anticipate receiving their official GRE scores within 8-10 calendar days. Candidates that are looking for Online GRE Preparation India will be able to complete their applications more quickly because of the shorter turnaround time.
Content Changes: Key Aspects of the Redesigned GRE
Content Analysis: What’s Still on the GRE Syllabus
The same subjects and substance are examined on the new GRE, which is a characteristic that will probably appeal to potential test takers. In the verbal reasoning segment, this implies that candidates will still experience a wide variety of question types, such as Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence, and in the quantitative reasoning section, Problem-Solving and Quantitative Comparison questions. The GRE will continue to evaluate students’ understanding of geometry, algebra, arithmetic, data analysis, statistics, and word problems. The GRE is dedicated to offering a thorough and rigorous evaluation of the skills required for success in graduate and professional programmes, as seen by the consistency in content coverage.
Quantitative Mastery: Topics You’ll Encounter in the Math Section
The subject areas, which include the following topics: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Data Analysis, remain unchanged despite some format changes. That implies that you will continue to be questioned about:
- Mathematical topics that include exponents, roots, fractions, and whole numbers.
- Algebra: A set of ideas that includes equations, functions, and algebraic expressions.
- Geometry: Questions on the principles, figures, and shapes of geometry.
- Issues related to data analysis include statistics, interquartile range, standard deviation, tables, graphs, probability, permutations, and Venn diagrams.
The Quantitative Reasoning section of the new GRE consists of two parts and a total of 27 questions that must be answered in 47 minutes. Problem-solving and quantitative comparison are two of the inquiry types. Throughout this portion of the exam, an on-screen calculator will be accessible just like before.
Verbal Insights: Navigating the Verbal Reasoning Component
The fundamentals of the Verbal Reasoning component of the GRE have not altered, despite modifications to the test’s format. The following topics are covered in the section:
- Questions based on passages of one or more paragraphs that establish an argument or a collection of connected concepts are called reading comprehension passages.
- Text completion questions ask you to fill in one to five sentences from a passage that has one to three blanks. Each blank has three possible answers; you must pick one for each.
- Sentence Equivalence questions ask you to choose between two options that will result in a sentence with a similar meaning that is one sentence long and one blank.
Consider the deadline for your college application while selecting your GRE test date. In 8–10 days, the fresh GRE exam results will be made available. Thus, it is advised that you take the most recent GRE exam if your application deadlines are in the first week of October or earlier. Always keep in mind that the time to decide is right now!
Many test-takers are perplexed by the new GRE exam revisions, particularly those who are still studying for the exam. Nonetheless, we at The Renaissance are always open to any revisions, regardless of where you are in your GRE Exam Preparation. We are ready to assist you in acing the GRE exam thanks to our long track record of excellent GRE scores. Find out which GRE test is best for you by scheduling a free appointment with one of our counsellors.
