GRE Syllabus 2023: Check Section-wise Syllabus, Important Topics, No. of Questions & Allotted Time

GRE Exam Syllabus 2023: The GRE 2023 syllabus for General Test has been curated to measure the test takers' verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills — skills that have been developed over a period of time and aren’t related to a specific field of study but are important for all. Here is the GRE Syllabus 2023 which is broadly divided into three sections – GRE Analytical Writing, GRE Quantitative Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning.

GRE Syllabus 2023

What are the Skills Tested in the GRE?

The skills tested in the GRE exam are as follows:

1. Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) skills
2. Quantitative Reasoning skills
3. Verbal Reasoning skills

GRE Exam Syllabus 2023: Analytical Writing (AWA) Section

The GRE analytical writing section aims to measure the test taker's ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively, support ideas with relevant reasons and examples, examine claims and accompanying evidence, sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion and control the elements of standard written English. The syllabus for GRE Analytical Writing includes two separately timed analytical writing tasks of thirty minutes each:

• Analyze an Issue: This requires you to present an option on the issue of general interest with specific instructions on how to respond to that issue.
• Analyze an Argument: This requires you to evaluate a given argument according to specific instructions

GRE Exam Syllabus 2023: Verbal Reasoning Section

The verbal reasoning section aims to measure the test taker's ability to analyze and draw conclusions from the discourse, reason from incomplete data, identify the author's assumptions and/or perspective, select important points, distinguish major from minor or relevant points, summarize text, understand the structure of a text, understand the meanings of words, sentences and entire texts and understand relationships among words and concepts.

List of topics covered under the GRE verbal syllabus includes

• Basic Sentence structure: Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives
• Verb Tense
• Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions
• Pronoun Agreement
• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Modifiers
• Parallelism 

The GRE Verbal Syllabus is divided into three parts:

1. Reading Comprehension: For the Reading Comprehension questions, candidates are required to answer passages based on three different subject areas – humanities, natural science, and social science (Business). The exam contains multiple passages. Candidates are required to read and analyze the passage carefully before answering any questions. Also, do not be discouraged if you encounter an unfamiliar passage. It is about how well you can understand and answer the questions. Remember: All the questions can be answered based on the information provided in the passage. The section tests your ability to understand what you are reading.
2. Sentence Equivalence is all about your ability to complete a paragraph based on incomplete information. Candidates are required to choose two ways to complete the sentence that have the same meaning while also being grammatically correct.
3. Text Completion is all about your ability to form a complete picture from the text presented. Both Sentence equivalence and text completion assess the candidate's grasp of vocabulary. However, just knowing the words will not help you ace this section. You need to be well aware of the meaning too. 

GRE Exam Syllabus 2023: Quantitative Reasoning Section (GRE Math Syllabus)

The quantitative reasoning section aims to measure the test taker's ability to understand quantitative information, interpret and analyze quantitative information, solve problems using mathematical models, and apply basic mathematical skills and elementary mathematical concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics.

List of topics covered in the GRE Quant Syllabus includes the following (GRE Math Syllabus)

Arithmetic

• Property and types of integer
• Powers and roots
• Statistics
• Estimation
• Number properties
• Percentage
• Exponents and Roots
• Ratio and proportions
• Simple and Compound Interest
• Arithmetic Operations

Geometry

• Lines and angles
• Circles
• Triangle
• Quadrilaterals
• Polygon
• Three-dimensional figures
• Area, Perimeter, Volume
• Angle Measurements

Data Analysis

• Descriptive statistics such as Median, Mean, Range, Mode, Percentiles, etc.
• Interpretation of data based on graphs, circle graphs, scatter plots, etc
• Probability
• Permutation and Combination
• Venn Diagrams
• Sets Theory

Algebra

• Exponents
• Algebraic Expressions – Factoring and Simplifying
• Equations and inequalities
• Linear and Quadratic inequalities
• Linear Equations
• Quadratic equations
• Word Problems
• Speed, Distance, and Time
• Profit and Loss
• Coordinate geometry

The GRE exam syllabus 2023 for Subject Test consists of the following subjects:

GRE exam 2023 syllabus: Biology (Discontinued since May 2021)

The test consists of approximately 190 five-choice questions related to Biology. The topics include:

• Cellular and Molecular Biology
• Organismal Biology
• Ecology and Evolution 

GRE 2023 syllabus for Chemistry

The test consists of approximately 130 multiple-choice questions related to the four fields into which chemistry has been traditionally divided

• Analytical Chemistry (15%)
• Inorganic Chemistry (25%)
• Organic Chemistry (30%)
• Physical Chemistry(30%) 

GRE exam 2023 syllabus: English Literature (Discontinued since May 2021)

Each edition of the test consists of approximately 230 questions on poetry, drama, biography, essay, short story, novel, criticism, literary theory, and the history of the language.

• Literary Analysis
• Identification
• Cultural and Historical Contexts
• History and Theory of Literary Criticism 

GRE 2023 syllabus for Math

The test consists of approximately 66 multiple-choice questions drawn from courses commonly offered at the undergraduate level.

• Algebra (25%)
• Calculus (50%)
• Additional Topics (25%)

GRE 2023 syllabus Physics

The test consists of approximately 100 five-choice questions, some of which are grouped in sets and based on such materials as diagrams, graphs, experimental data, and descriptions of physical situations.

• Classical Mechanics (20%)
• Electromagnetism (18%)
• Optics and Wave Phenomena (9%)
• Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (10%)
• Quantum Mechanics (12%)
• Atomic Physics (10%)
• Special Relativity (6%)
• Laboratory Methods (6%)
• Specialized Topics(9%)

GRE Psychology Syllabus

The test consists of approximately 205 multiple-choice questions. Each question in the test has five options from which the examinee is to select the one option that is the correct or best answer to the question.

• Biological (17-21%)
• Cognitive (17-24%)
• Developmental (12-14%)
• Social (12-14%)
• Clinical (15-19%)
• Measurement/Methodology/Other (15-19%)

The GRE exam has two test formats - GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test. The GRE syllabus is different for each.

• GRE General Test: General Test is the standard exam that tests students’ verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills.
• GRE Subject Test: For more specific courses a GRE Subject Test might be required by the college, as the GRE Subject Test focuses on judging the candidate’s expertise in specific fields.

GRE Exam Pattern: Even though one is aware of the GRE Syllabus and knows all the answers, failure to manage time can lead to an incomplete exam. This is where the importance of being familiar with the GRE Exam pattern is of utmost importance. The GRE exam syllabus is divided into three main sections, namely, Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. The total time given to complete the GRE computer-based test is three hours and 45 minutes. 

GRE Exam Pattern for Computer-Delivered Test

For the computer-based pattern, each of these sections is further divided into two sub-sections with forty questions in total (Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning). GRE Analytical Writing has only one section that contains two tasks with a time duration of one hour. Apart from these main sections, there are two other variable sections included in the computer-based pattern exam. This section is followed by a ten-minute break after the Quantitative Reasoning part is complete. However, these two variable sections- The Unscored and Research sections- are not included in the final GRE Scores.

GRE Exam Pattern for Paper-Delivered Test

The paper-based GRE exam syllabus includes two sub-sections of each of the main categories- Analytical Writing, Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning. The analytical writing part contains two tasks with a duration of one hour (60 mins). Verbal and Quantitative reasoning each contains two sections and 50 questions with a maximum time limit of 60 and 70 minutes, consequently. The variable sections of Unscored and Research are not included in the paper-based exam.

GRE exam 2023 syllabus: Candidates looking to prepare for their GRE syllabus can check out our detailed preparation guide on the various sections of GRE. Candidates can also benefit from downloadable sample GRE questions for the benefit of the test taker.

In order to do well in your GRE General Test, it is important to be updated with the latest GRE Syllabus. The costs of studying and preparing for the GRE exam plus the application costs add up to a lot of expenses. The GRE Exam Fee for Indian students alone stands at US$228.  If you are taking coaching classes, even then you will need to purchase an official GRE guide and practice tests. So it doesn’t make a difference whether you will be taking coaching classes or you believe in self-studying; you will need to purchase a few resources to practice GRE sections. So here are the best resources to boost your studies that cover the latest syllabus of the GRE. Read: GRE One Month Preparation Plan

GRE POWERPREP II Software - Preparation for the Computer-based GRE revised General Test – Along with the sample questions, strategies, and tips, this free software includes two full-length practice tests. They have timed tests, which simulate the test-taking experience including user-friendly design features like changing answers within a section, as well as an on-screen calculator.

The Official Guide to the GRE revised General Test, Second Edition – The second edition of the official test prep book includes a copy of the POWERPREP II, Software CD along with four complete practice tests, hundreds of test questions, explanations for answers, sample essay responses with user commentary, test-taking strategies and more. This guide is available in print and eBook versions. 

GRE Sample Test Paper: For the benefit of our readers, we have also collated a set of GRE question papers with answer keys that are based on past year GRE exam papers for the benefit of our readers. The following GRE exam question paper has been sourced from various authentic websites and ETS - the conducting body of the GRE 2023. 

Still got doubts, check out our most frequently asked questions to clear all your queries on GRE Exam. Candidates having doubts can get in touch with us in the comments section below or download the GRE Syllabus PDF attached with the article, which covers the syllabus of GRE along with the latest information on the GRE test offline for you to view at any time. 

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