What Is the GRE? A Complete Guide to the Revised Exam

发布时间：Date: 2024-05-09 返回新鲜资讯Back to News

For students and parents preparing for graduate applications abroad, the GRE is a critical measure of academic logical reasoning. CheersYou（清柚教育） provides a comprehensive overview of the revised GRE, pointing out that unlike regular language tests, it focuses more on assessing academic logic and quantitative reasoning. The exam consists of three main sections – Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing – thoroughly evaluating an applicant’s overall ability, making it a key basis for admission and scholarships at top universities. Furthermore, the article details the revised GRE’s adaptive mechanism: the accuracy of the first section directly determines the difficulty of the next. CheersYou（清柚教育） reminds test-takers to not only solidify foundations but also emphasize test-taking strategies and accuracy to trigger the high-difficulty mode and achieve a top score. In addition, mastering practical exam information such as registration, rescheduling, cancellation, and score reporting helps plan scientifically, face challenges calmly, and successfully realize study-abroad dreams.

Preparing for the GRE but still not sure what it really is? Today, we’ll take you through six different angles to fully understand the GRE exam!

▪ GRE Overview ▪ GRE Structure

▪ GRE Adaptive Mechanism ▪ GRE Registration Info

▪ GRE Rescheduling & Cancellation ▪ GRE Score Check & Sending

GRE Overview

The GRE, full name Graduate Record Examination, is the most widely accepted graduate school admission test worldwide, applicable for the vast majority of graduate program applications.

Administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), the GRE is an entrance exam score required by many graduate schools and doctoral programs around the world, and is also an important factor for admission committees when awarding scholarships.

Unlike language tests such as TOEFL and IELTS, the GRE assumes your English proficiency is at the native speaker level and further evaluates academic logical reasoning ability.

GRE Structure

The GRE consists of three main sections:

▪ Verbal Reasoning: 2 sections, score scale 130–170

▪ Quantitative Reasoning: 2 sections, score scale 130–170

▪ Analytical Writing (AW): one Issue essay, score scale 0–6

The specific question types for each section are as follows:

The order of Verbal and Quantitative sections varies; two possible sequences:

① Issue → Q → V → Q → V

② Issue → V → Q → V → Q

Content Tested in Each Section

▪ Verbal Reasoning: Includes reading comprehension and text completion/sentence equivalence. Requires candidates to integrate and evaluate written material, analyze logical relationships among sentences and components, and recognize relationships among words and concepts.

▪ Quantitative Reasoning: Requires understanding of basic mathematical concepts and skills, and the use of quantitative reasoning, modeling, and quantitative methods to solve problems.

▪ Analytical Writing: Candidates write an essay expressing their viewpoint on a given issue, supporting that viewpoint with reasoning and examples.

GRE Adaptive Mechanism

Both the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the GRE use a section-level difficulty adaptation, meaning accuracy on the first section directly affects the difficulty of the second section, falling into three tiers: easy, medium, hard.

In the actual exam, the difficulty mode of the second section depends on the accuracy of the first section. We first need to determine the specific correlation between the two.

Based on score data analysis from many students, we estimate the adapted mechanism after the GRE revision is roughly as follows:

Verbal Adaptive Mechanism
Section 1 Correct Answers	Section 2 Adaptive Difficulty
9~12 questions	Adaptive Hard
5~8 questions	Adaptive Medium
0~4 questions	Adaptive Easy

Quantitative Adaptive Mechanism
Section 1 Correct Answers	Section 2 Adaptive Difficulty
8~12 questions	Adaptive Hard
4~7 questions	Adaptive Medium
0~3 questions	Adaptive Easy

*Table data is for reference only; specific situation also depends on the difficulty level of correctly answered questions.

The higher the difficulty mode entered in the second section, the more advantageous for your score! So be sure to perform well on the first section!!

GRE Registration Information

Registration Process

1️⃣ To take the GRE at a test center in mainland China, log in to the NEEA website (National Education Examinations Authority) to register.

URL: https://gre.neea.edu.cn

Detailed registration guide:

▪ GRE Mainland China In-Person Registration Detailed Process & FAQ!

2️⃣ To take the GRE at a test center outside mainland China or the GRE General Test at Home, register directly on the ETS GRE website.

URL: https://www.ets.org/gre/

Detailed registration guide:

▪ In-Person Test Outside Mainland China | Step-by-Step Registration Guide!

▪ At-Home Test in Mainland China | Ultra-Detailed Registration Process!

Important!!

1. You may take the GRE General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days).

2. The interval between two test dates must be at least 20 days; you can retake the GRE on the 21st day after your previous test.

Test Fees

▪ GRE In-Person Test in Mainland China: CNY 1,665

▪ GRE Test at Home in Mainland China: HKD 1,720

▪ GRE In-Person Test / Test at Home outside Mainland China: USD 220

GRE Rescheduling & Cancellation

If you have registered for the GRE, you must change or cancel your test registration no later than four days before the test date (for test-takers in mainland China, at least 10 days prior), otherwise your test fee will not be refunded.

1. Outside mainland China

Rescheduling fee is USD 50; reschedule online through your ETS account. If canceling the test, you will receive a refund of 50% of the original test fee.

2. Mainland China

▪ In-Person Test: Rescheduling fee is ¥388; if canceling the test, you will receive a refund of 50% of the original test fee. Changes/cancellations must be made through the NEEA account at least 10 days before the test date.

▪ At-Home Test: Changes/cancellations must be made through your ETS account at least 4 days before the test date.

More on GRE rescheduling & cancellation:

ETS! Hand Over That! GRE Payment & Refund Complete Guide!

GRE Score Check & Sending

Checking Your GRE Score

You can see your unofficial Verbal and Quantitative scores immediately after the test. Official scores are available 8–10 calendar days after the test date.

Test-takers outside mainland China can check scores directly on the ETS website.

For test-takers in mainland China who registered through NEEA, you still need to link your NEEA account with an ETS account and check scores on the ETS GRE website.

Sending GRE Scores

1. Score Select at the test center (free)

On test day, after viewing your scores, you can choose up to four score recipients to send your scores for free.

If you choose to send scores that day, you can send only that day's scores or all scores (past 5 years) to the selected institutions.

Of course, you can also choose not to send any scores on test day. Most students wait until official scores are released and carefully decide which scores to send.

2. Additional Score Reports (after test day)

Once official scores are available, you can order Additional Score Reports through the ETS website. You can choose to send your best scores or all scores (past 5 years). The fee is USD 30 per recipient.