The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) assesses the readiness of students for graduate-level academic work. The GRE syllabus is divided into three sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Here is a brief overview of the syllabus:
Syllabus For GRE
The GRE General Test consists of three sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Here’s a breakdown of each section’s syllabus:
Verbal Reasoning
- Reading comprehension: passage-based questions
- Text completion: fill-in-the-blank questions
- Sentence equivalence: choose two words that complete a sentence with the same meaning
- Vocabulary: questions that test your understanding of vocabulary in context
Quantitative Reasoning
- Arithmetic: basic mathematical operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio and proportion, exponents, and roots
- Algebra: solving equations and inequalities, understanding functions, and working with graphs and coordinates
- Geometry: lines, angles, and triangles, circles and arcs, polygons and quadrilaterals, perimeter, area, and volume, coordinate geometry
- Data analysis: descriptive statistics, probability, graphical representation of data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, correlation and regression analysis
Analytical Writing
- Analyze an Issue: Identify and analyze the issue presented, develop and articulate your own perspective, support your position with reasons and examples, address counterarguments, and demonstrate clarity, coherence, and effective use of language.
- Analyze an Argument: Evaluate the argument presented, identify assumptions, evidence, and reasoning used in the argument, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the argument, and demonstrate clarity, coherence, and effective use of language.
In addition to the above topics, the GRE General Test may also include research and experimental sections that do not count towards your score. The test is computer-based and adaptive, meaning the difficulty level of the questions will adjust based on your performance.
It’s important to study and practice all of these topics to be well-prepared for the GRE General Test.
Important Topics & Weightage –Verbal Reasoning
Here are some important topics and their weightage for the Verbal Reasoning section in GRE:
| Section | Weightage | Important Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 50% | Main Idea Supporting Ideas Inference Function Style and Tone Vocabulary in Context |
| Text Completion | 25% | Vocabulary-based Logic-based Inference-based |
| Sentence Equivalence | 25% | Vocabulary-based Logic-based |
Important Topics & Weightage –Quantitative Reasoning
Here’s the important topics and weightage for the Quantitative Reasoning section of GRE in table format:
| Topic | Weightage (%) |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 28 |
| Algebra | 20 |
| Geometry | 16 |
| Data Analysis | 16 |
| Real-world quantitative problems | 20 |
Remember that the weightage may vary slightly depending on the specific GRE exam you take, but this table provides a general idea of the importance of each topic. It’s important to study and practice all of these topics to be well-prepared for the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GRE.
Important Topics & Weightage –Analytical Writing
Here’s the important topics and weightage for the Analytical Writing section of GRE in table format:
| Task | Important Topics | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze an Issue | Developing a clear and coherent argument, use of evidence to support the position taken, logical and analytical reasoning, use of examples and specific details to support the position taken, effective organization and use of language | 45% |
| Analyze an Argument | Identification of assumptions and flaws in reasoning, identification of the evidence and its relevance to the argument, development of a critique of the argument, use of clear and coherent reasoning and evidence to support the critique, effective organization and use of language | 55% |
Remember that the weightage may vary slightly depending on the specific GRE exam you take, but this table provides a general idea of the importance of each task and topic. It’s important to practice writing essays that demonstrate these skills to perform well on the Analytical Writing section of the GRE.
GRE Exam Pattern
Here’s a table summarizing the GRE exam pattern:
| Section | Number of Questions | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 40 | 60 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 40 | 70 minutes |
| Analytical Writing | 2 tasks | 60 minutes total |
The Analytical Writing section consists of two tasks – an “issue” task and an “argument” task – and you’ll have 30 minutes to complete each task. So the total time allotted for the Analytical Writing section is 60 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that there is an unscored research section that could appear after the Analytical Writing section. This section is used by ETS (the organization that administers the GRE) to test out new questions, and it doesn’t count towards your score. The research section could be either Verbal Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning, and it will be identified as such. It’s important to note that you won’t know which section is the research section, so it’s best to treat every section as if it counts towards your score.
