GRE General Test
The GRE General Test is ETS's admission test for graduate, business and law school: about 1 hour 58 minutes on a computer, at a test center or at home. Verbal and Quantitative are scored 130–170 and Analytical Writing 0–6. The fee is $249 in most of the world.
Length1 h 58 minFive sections
Score130–170Verbal and Quant; Writing 0–6
Fee$249Most of the world, from Aug 1, 2026
Scores valid5 years
Made by ETS. Who: College seniors and graduates applying to graduate, business or law school. Checked on the owner's own pages, 21 Oct 2026.
Who takes it
- Taken for admission to graduate, business and other professional programs such as law; schools also use GRE scores for scholarships and fellowships.
ETS
What You Need to Know About the GRE General Test (PDF)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Offered all year at test centers in 160 countries, or at home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; a home appointment can often be booked for the next day.
ETS
What You Need to Know About the GRE General Test (PDF)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- You can take it once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12-month period, even if you canceled earlier scores.
ETS
GRE General Test Registration (retake policy)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Format and sections
Five sections since 22 September 2023. Analytical Writing always comes first; the Verbal and Quantitative sections follow in any order. ETS
GRE General Test Structure (sections and timing since 22 Sept 2023)ETS
View source
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing | One "Analyze an Issue" task | 30 min |
| Verbal Reasoning, section 1 | 12 | 18 min |
| Verbal Reasoning, section 2 | 15 | 23 min |
| Quantitative Reasoning, section 1 | 12 | 21 min |
| Quantitative Reasoning, section 2 | 15 | 26 min |
| Total | About 1 h 58 min |
- Verbal and Quantitative are section-level adaptive: the first section is of average difficulty and the second gets harder or easier depending on how you did.
ETS
GRE General Test Structure (sections and timing since 22 Sept 2023)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Within a section you can skip questions, mark them, go back and change answers; Quantitative has an on-screen calculator.
ETS
GRE General Test Structure (sections and timing since 22 Sept 2023)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Scoring
| Measure | Score scale |
|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 130–170, in 1-point steps |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 130–170, in 1-point steps |
| Analytical Writing | 0–6, in half-point steps |
Source: ETS
Getting Your GRE General Test Scores (score scales, 8–10 days)ETS
View source
- Verbal and Quantitative scores start from the number of questions you got right, then are equated so a score means the same whichever second section you got.
ETS
Understanding Your GRE General Test Scores (how each measure is scored)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Analytical Writing is scored on a 6-point holistic scale, including a score from ETS's e-rater engine.
ETS
Understanding Your GRE General Test Scores (how each measure is scored)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Official scores reach your ETS account 8–10 days after the test.
ETS
Getting Your GRE General Test Scores (score scales, 8–10 days)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Fees and fee waivers
U.S. dollars, effective 1 August 2026. In the United States, sales tax is added to the order. ETS
Fees for GRE Tests and Related Services (effective 1 Aug 2026) and the Fee Reduction ProgramETS
View source
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| GRE General Test (all areas except China) | $249 |
| GRE General Test in China | $237.86 |
| Rescheduling | $55 |
| Changing your test center | $55 |
| Additional score report, per school | $40 |
| Score Review, Analytical Writing | $60 |
- Fee Reduction Program: a voucher cuts the General Test fee to $100 and adds two POWERPREP PLUS practice tests and ScoreItNow!. It is for people who show financial need, are unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation, are serving in the Peace Corps, or are in national programs for underrepresented groups.
ETS
Fees for GRE Tests and Related Services (effective 1 Aug 2026) and the Fee Reduction ProgramETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- The test fee includes score reports to four schools named on test day; with ScoreSelect you choose which test dates they see.
ETS
Sending Your GRE General Test Scores (4 free reports, ScoreSelect, 5-year validity)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Test dates
- No national test dates: the GRE runs continuously at test centers and at home. When you register you pick a two-month window, then a date and time.
ETS
What You Need to Know About the GRE General Test (PDF)ETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Where it is accepted
- Accepted by thousands of graduate, business and law schools worldwide; ETS publishes the full lists of approved score recipients, business schools and law schools.
ETS
The GRE General TestETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- For law school, LSAC notes that only the LSAT is accepted by every ABA-approved school; check each law school's list.
LSAC
The LSAT Advantage (accepted by all ABA-approved law schools)Law School Admission Council (LSAC)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Official practice
- Free POWERPREP Online: Practice Test 1 (untimed, no Verbal or Quantitative scores) and Practice Test 2 (timed), both with scored sample essays.
ETS
Official GRE Practice Tests: POWERPREP Online (free) and POWERPREP PLUSETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- POWERPREP PLUS Online costs $44.95 per practice test and adds instant scores and answer explanations.
ETS
Official GRE Practice Tests: POWERPREP Online (free) and POWERPREP PLUSETS- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Used by these careers and colleges
Careers on this site whose step-by-step roadmap includes this exam.
Careers that need it
- Top Executive & Operations ManagerRoadmap: every step to the job, with this exam in place
- Management AnalystRoadmap: every step to the job, with this exam in place
- Human Resources ManagerRoadmap: every step to the job, with this exam in place
- Training & Development ManagerRoadmap: every step to the job, with this exam in place
- Market Research AnalystRoadmap: every step to the job, with this exam in place
- Marketing & Advertising ManagerRoadmap: every step to the job, with this exam in place
Next on this site
Sources
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- What You Need to Know About the GRE General Test (PDF) · ETS checked 2026-10-21
- GRE General Test Registration (retake policy) · ETS checked 2026-10-21
- GRE General Test Structure (sections and timing since 22 Sept 2023) · ETS checked 2026-10-21
- Getting Your GRE General Test Scores (score scales, 8–10 days) · ETS checked 2026-10-21
- Understanding Your GRE General Test Scores (how each measure is scored) · ETS checked 2026-10-21
- Fees for GRE Tests and Related Services (effective 1 Aug 2026) and the Fee Reduction Program · ETS checked 2026-10-21
- Sending Your GRE General Test Scores (4 free reports, ScoreSelect, 5-year validity) · ETS checked 2026-10-21
- The GRE General Test · ETS checked 2026-10-21
- The LSAT Advantage (accepted by all ABA-approved law schools) · Law School Admission Council (LSAC) checked 2026-10-21
- Official GRE Practice Tests: POWERPREP Online (free) and POWERPREP PLUS · ETS checked 2026-10-21