The GRE is a standardized assessment that measures an individual's aptitude in reading comprehension, verbal communication, mathematical reasoning, and analytical writing. Many programs require GRE results from every applicant, and thousands of graduate and business schools use it to determine who receives a fellowship and who does not. More details regarding the GRE, how it can benefit you, and how to raise your score are provided below.

The General GRE Exam 

Whenever the GRE is brought up, the GRE General Test is typically brought up. The test's questions are made to gauge the level of critical thinking and analysis required for graduate study. Colleges and universities all over the world use the GRE to evaluate applicants.

The test has three sections: verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing, and it lasts three hours and forty-five minutes. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and the capacity to analyze data are tested in the quantitative component, while the analytical writing section necessitates the writing of brief essays. The verbal section gauges vocabulary and verbal reasoning. The verbal and quantitative scores are always whole numbers and range from 130 to 170. Scores for analytical writing range from 0 to 6, with half-point increments.

The GRE has computer-adaptive verbal and quantitative parts. This implies that how well you perform on the first half of each segment determines the difficulty of the second part. The difficulty level will increase, and you will be able to get a higher score if you correctly answer several questions. You will receive easier questions if you perform poorly initially, but your final score will be lower. Two essays are required for the analytical writing component, which assesses your ability to formulate a convincing argument and back it up with solid evidence.

Students will have to register online and pay a fee before they can take the test. People can take the GRE in person or online, and both options typically involve a computerized examination. You can take the exam as many times as you'd like, up to a maximum of five times each year, and test results are valid for five years.

GRE subject tests
The GRE Subject Tests evaluate your expertise in a given topic and place more of an emphasis on testing your retention of college-level material than your analytical or deductive abilities. These exams are intended for students who have studied the subject thoroughly or majored in it. Depending on the subject, they use various scoring methods.

Below are the subjects in which the GRE is taken:

Chemistry

This test assesses your understanding of analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. Physical chemistry and organic chemistry are the subjects with the most queries. This test will be discontinued after April 2023.

Mathematics

Calculus makes up around half of this test in mathematics, with the other questions focusing on algebra, geometry, number theory, and other areas that are frequently covered in classrooms. Though more challenging, the problems are comparable to those in the quantitative section of the GRE general test.

Physics

Questions on this test typically pertain to optics, waves, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, classical mechanics, atomic physics, quantum mechanics, and laboratory procedures. People who have a solid grasp of a wide range of physics topics typically perform the best because the precise topics covered vary from exam to exam.

Psychology
Questions on sense perception, the brain's structure, social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology are all included in the psychology section of the test.

The benefits of taking the GRE
A high GRE score is necessary in many disciplines to get into the graduate program you want to go to. As a result, many applicants for master's, doctoral, and other programs take this test.

Taking a GRE general or subject test can help you stand out from other applicants, even if the institution does not require it. Additionally, a high score may help you win a scholarship or overcome a subpar or average GPA. It demonstrates to admissions officers that you put in a lot of effort while in college and obtained knowledge and analytical skills. If you don't obtain the grade you want on the test, you can repeat it after studying harder.

When it comes to the GRE, different schools and programs have different requirements. For instance, a journalism school can dismiss low quantitative scores in favor of excellent verbal and analytical writing scores. Strong grades across the board show that you are a well-rounded applicant with strong analytical and communication skills. Business colleges and law schools frequently accept the GRE in addition to graduate programs.

How to Improve Your Score
Even if you want to take the GRE more than once, you should take the test as soon as you can in order to fulfill the deadlines for admission to the universities you prefer. You can get test-taking tips from an admissions counselor, and they can also help you choose the suitable graduate schools for your scores.

The GRE General Test concentrates on various subjects and calls for different abilities than the Subject Tests; thus, you should prepare for them independently. You'll probably need a high score to be competitive at those schools because applicants to more prestigious universities tend to have higher average test scores. Additionally, several colleges provide scholarships to applicants with excellent GRE scores. You will be able to compare your score to those of other test takers when you receive your exam results. Someone who scored in the 90th percentile, for instance, outperformed 90% of their test-takers.

How to Register for the GRE
You can plan and register for the GRE exam at http://www.ets.org/gre. A credit card will be used to pay for the online exam. Other cards are not accepted.

Through USEFP: USEFP offers a second method for registering for the GRE exam for applicants who do not have a credit card and are unable to do so online. This includes creating a bank draft for the amount of US$205 in Pakistani Rupees in the name of "The United States Educational Foundation Pakistan". You can request the bank draft and registration form by email or in person by scheduling an appointment at one of our testing facilities in Islamabad, Lahore, or Karachi.