The Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test created and administered by the Educational Testing Service, commonly known as ETS, that is designed to measure overall academic readiness for graduate school. Some grad programs require that applicants take not only the general test, but also a GRE Subject Test that assesses technical knowledge in a specific discipline like physics, psychology or mathematics.
Subject tests are offered in chemistry, mathematics, physics and psychology, and ETS provides free digital practice books for each.
Topics covered on each test include:
● Chemistry: requires knowledge of all four major categories of chemistry and the ways various types of chemistry are related. The four focus areas are analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physical chemistry, with greater weight on the latter two.
● Mathematics: about half of this exam focuses on calculus while roughly a quarter concentrates on algebra and number theory. The remaining questions cover miscellaneous topics typically included in an undergraduate math curriculum.
● Physics: this exam typically includes questions on optics and wave phenomena; thermodynamics and statistical mechanics; classical mechanics; electromagnetism; quantum mechanics; atomic physics; special relativity and laboratory methods. It also includes questions on specialized physics topics such as nuclear and particle physics, but the specific topics covered depend on the individual exam.
● Psychology: this exam includes questions on six aspects of psychology, including biological, cognitive, social, developmental, clinical and measurement and methodology.
The GRE consists of three key sections designed to measure verbal and quantitative reasoning, and critical writing skills.
● The verbal reasoning section analyzes the test taker’s ability to draw conclusions, distinguish major and relevant points, and understand words and sentences, among other things. It’s structured to measure the test taker’s ability to analyze and evaluate written material. This section also gauges their capacity to process the information they gather from written material and see and analyze relationships between different parts of sentences.
● In the quantitative segment, the test taker’s ability to solve problems is measured using concepts of geometry, data analysis, and algebra. Test takers must solve problems using mathematical problems and interpret and analyze quantitative data.
● The final section, meanwhile, measures the test taker’s capacity for critical thinking and analytical writing—in particular, how well they can articulate complex ideas and provide effective support for those concepts.
The current score scale for the verbal and quantitative sections is 130-170, scored in one-point increments. The analytical writing section is scored 0-6 in half-point increments.
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