GRE 2025: Exam Cost, Registration, Mock Tests, and Prep Tips

The GRE is designed to evaluate international students for admission to postgraduate programs in top universities worldwide. A GRE score is required for pursuing postgraduate degrees in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and other countries. You can take the GRE from the comfort of your home as an alternative to taking the exam at a test center.

The GRE syllabus consists of 5 sections:

• Verbal Reasoning (2 sections)
• Quantitative Reasoning (2 sections)
• Analytical Writing (1 section)

These 5 sections comprise a total of 55 questions, which need to be completed in 1 hour and 58 minutes. Top universities require a GRE score of 150 to 160 in the verbal and quantitative sections.

GRE fees for 2025 in India are ₹22,000 for the General Test and ₹14,500 for Subject Tests. The GRE online test fee is also ₹22,000. Top business schools worldwide now accept GRE scores for MBA programs in addition to GMAT scores. General GRE test dates are available throughout the year.

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How to Register for the GRE?

To register for the GRE online, candidates need to create a GRE Account on the official ETS website. GRE registration can be done in 3 ways, which include:

• Online registration
• Registration via phone
• Registration via mail

The steps for GRE Registration 2025 are given below:

• Create a GRE Account on the official ETS GRE website.
• Complete your profile by filling in all the required data, like name, date of birth, address, phone number, and communication preferences, correctly.
• Log in to the ETS portal with the newly created username and password.
• Choose the test type:
  • GRE General Test, or
  • GRE Subject Test
• Choose your preferred test date and center. While choosing the date, make sure it does not clash with other important dates.
• Make the payment of ₹22,000 for the General Test and ₹14,500 for the Subject Test, as applicable. Payment can be made via credit or debit card.

Note: You can also complete your GRE registration via phone by calling 1-800-473-2255. All necessary information will be given over the call.

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GRE Exam Cost in India 2025

The GRE General Test registration fee in Indian rupees in 2025 is ₹22,000. Apart from registration, ETS also provides various GRE exam services like rescheduling, reviewing scores, etc. which have additional fees. The table below shows the GRE fees for different exam services:

Also Read

How to Reschedule a GRE Test?

GRE Exam Fee Waiver

A GRE fee waiver of $100 (₹8,800) for the General Test and a 50% discount of ₹7,500 on Subject Tests is offered by ETS. The reduction in the total registration fee is for the candidates facing financial hardship. The form for this fee waiver is available on the ETS website, and it is known as the GRE Fee Reduction Program.

Check the GRE Fee Reduction Request Form Here – PDF

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GRE Test Dates 2025

You can take the GRE 5 times a year, with a gap of 21 days between 2 consecutive exams. Both GRE at-home and test-center facilities are available. For GRE at-home registration, candidates can get appointments only after 24 hours of registration. GRE test dates 2025 for the coming months are listed below.

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GRE Analytical Writing

GRE Analytical Writing is always the first section of the test, which comprises 2 types of questions, namely:

• GRE Analyze an Issue and
• GRE Analyze an Argument

Candidates get 30 minutes to attempt the GRE Analytical Writing section, in which they are required to analyze the logical soundness of the argument. You can go through the GRE AWA practice papers for further practice. GRE vocabulary practice is very important for this section.

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GRE Verbal Reasoning

The GRE Verbal Reasoning section evaluates a candidate's ability to analyze and interpret written material, as well as apply the acquired data effectively. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Question Types

• Reading Comprehension: Focuses on understanding and analyzing passages.

• Text Completion: Tests the ability to select the most appropriate words to complete sentences meaningfully.

• Sentence Equivalence: Assesses the ability to conclude how a sentence should be completed with limited information.

Key Topics in the Syllabus

• Verb Tense
• Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
• Pronoun Agreement
• Subject-Verb Agreement

Exam Details

• Number of Questions: 27
• Time Allotted: 41 minutes

Candidates often find this section challenging due to its tricky question types and nuanced language usage.

Specific Features of the Section

• GRE Text Completion: Requires the selection of words that maintain coherence and logic in passages.

• GRE Sentence Equivalence: Tests the ability to deduce how a sentence can have two similar but distinct completions based on limited information.

• GRE Reading Comprehension: Involves analyzing long passages and answering related questions to test critical reading skills.

Preparation Recommendations

• Practice Papers: Regularly attempt GRE Verbal Reasoning practice tests to strengthen understanding.

• Mindful Strategies: Utilize tricks and techniques to approach complex sentence equivalence and text completion questions.

• Focus Areas: Concentrate on weak areas like idiomatic expressions or agreement rules through targeted practice.

• Sample Papers: Solve sample questions to improve analytical thinking and comprehension skills.

Also Read

GRE Verbal Syllabus

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GRE Quantitative Reasoning

With a little practice, GRE Quantitative Reasoning can significantly impact a candidate's score. Here's a breakdown of its components:

Topics Covered

• Quantitative Comparison: Focuses on evaluating relationships between two quantities.

• Problem-Solving: Involves numerical reasoning and mathematical problem-solving.

• Data Interpretation

Key Exam Details

• Number of Questions: 27
• Time Allotted: 47 minutes

GRE Quantitative Reasoning contains questions modeled on real-life scenarios or pure mathematical contexts. These questions often require candidates to interpret and analyze data displays.

Excluded Topics

• Geometry: No longer assessed in the quant section.
• GRE Data analysis: Now considered a separate section.

Comparison with PowerPrep Practice Tests

• The first part of the GRE quantitative section is tougher than PowerPrep's initial section.
• The final part of PowerPrep's quantitative section is more challenging than the corresponding part in the actual test.
• Test-takers report that the experimental quantitative section is the most difficult.

Key Arithmetic Concepts

• Divisibility, factorization, and prime numbers
• Remainders, odd/even integers
• Arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
• Exponents and radicals

Practice Recommendations

To excel in this section, candidates are encouraged to practice extensively using GRE Quantitative Reasoning practice papers to familiarize themselves with the question patterns and improve time management.

Read More

GRE Quant Syllabus

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GRE Subject Test Pattern 2025

Apart from the General test, GRE has another test, the GRE Subject Test. This test is designed to check the knowledge of the candidates in any of the 3 subjects included in the GRE Subject Test:

• Physics
• Mathematics
• Psychology

Also Read

GRE Math Practice Papers

Aspirants take the GRE subject tests to make their applications outstanding by showing deep knowledge about a specific subject. ETS provides GRE practice books for each subject as study material. GRE subject tests are available only in paper-based format of the GRE, and these tests are available 3 times a year:

• September
• October
• April

Scores are measured on a scale of 200-990 with 10-point increments. GRE Subject Test timing is 2 hours and 50 minutes for the Mathematics Test and 2 hours for the Physics and Psychology Tests. Most candidates who aim to pursue higher studies at the postgraduate level take the GRE Subject Test.

Percentage of Candidates Pursuing GRE at Post-Graduate Level

In the table shown below, it is observed that students from life sciences backgrounds appear for this subject test comparatively higher. Students prefer to study science subjects abroad due to the huge scholarships available for specific subjects.

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GRE Score

GRE Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning are scored in the GRE score range of 130-170 with a 1-point increment. The average GRE score for Analytical Reasoning is measured on a scale of 0-6 with a half-point increment.

If any question remains unattempted, no Score (NS) will be stated. As per the data collected from ETS in the past year, the average scores for the GRE General Test are as follows:

In the GRE Subject Test, all 3 subject tests are scored on a scale of 200-990 with 10-point increments. The subscore range for any particular subject is 20-99 with a 1-point increment. As per the data collected from ETS in the past year, GRE mean scores for the Subject Test are as follows:

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GRE Scaled Score Percentiles for General Test

The table below explains the score v/s percentile scale for GRE Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning as follows:

Similarly, for GRE Analytical Writing, the score percentile is measured in the following tables:

GRE Analytical Writing Score in Percentile (High to Mid Scores)

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GRE Analytical Writing Score in Percentile (Low Scores)

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GRE Score Report

The official GRE General test results will be available 8-10 days following your exam date in your ETS account. Unofficial GRE scores can be visible right after completing the test, but they are not a part of the score report.

Candidates can check their GRE Score Report, which contains the following information:

• Contact details like phone number, name, and email ID
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Preferred graduate major (Master’s program)
• GRE Exam dates
• GRE test score and the percentile score
• Authorized score recipients
• A record of all test scores that have been officially reported in the last 5 years

Check a GRE Sample Score Report Here – PDF

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GRE Score Sending

After receiving the score, applicants will get the Score Select option to send GRE test scores to the graduate schools where they want to pursue a course. This Score Select option is available in both GRE General and GRE Subject Tests.

Candidates can send up to 4 GRE test scores for free to the universities of their choice if they want to send the GRE score on the test day. After the test day, a fee needs to be paid to send GRE scores, and candidates can choose from the following options:

• Most Recent: Send your scores from your most recent test.
• All: Send your scores of all tests in the last 5 years.
• Any: Send your scores of one or as many tests as you like from the last 5 years.

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GRE Preparation Tips

Candidates pursue different kinds of classroom or in-person courses for GRE preparation. Usually, the candidates take a preparation time of 2-4 months before the scheduled date. To perform their best, candidates must target the score first.

Here are a few GRE preparation tips to help you during your GRE preparations:

• Always keep calm and come back to the questions you couldn't solve in the end.
• Use GRE Prep Books and free practice papers.
• Get your hands on authentic study materials and practice papers.
• Taking GRE crash courses online will help to acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses.
• Hire a personal tutor to get regular feedback on the status of your GRE preparation.
• Know the details about the syllabus and pattern of the exam.
• Mix and match your preparation materials like GRE Prep Books, CDs, videos, sample questions, and webinars.
• Taking mock tests regularly will help in effective preparation. It will evaluate the readiness of your preparation.
• Understand the contextual meaning of GRE words.
• A GRE study plan will help you to prepare for the exam in a structured way.
• Reading different types of analytical non-fiction works will help candidates
• While solving sentence equivalence and text completion questions, read the passage thoroughly.
• Enroll yourself in top GRE coaching centers like Manya, Jamboree, and IMS.

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GRE Sample Papers

GRE sample papers are helpful as candidates get to practice from the previous years’ papers. Here are the PDFs of of GRE sample papers, all three sections for candidates to practice from:

GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Papers

To improve your verbal skills, you should solve the GRE verbal sample papers.

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GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Papers

You must solve GRE quant practice papers to improve your critical and logical reasoning skills.

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GRE AWA Practice Papers

To enhance your argumentative skills, practicing GRE AWA papers can be the best hack.

The total period for the GRE General Test is 1 hour and 58 minutes. There are no specific GRE eligibility criteria provided by ETS. Anyone can register for the exam. GRE is designed to evaluate candidates for master's programs, so candidates must have a bachelor's degree.