GRE General Test Overview

What Is It?
The GRE® General Test measures critical thinking, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study.

Analytical Writing — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to

• articulate complex ideas clearly
• examine claims and accompanying evidence
• support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
• sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
• effectively control the elements of standard written English

Verbal Reasoning — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to

• analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it
• analyze relationships among component parts of sentences
• recognize relationships between words and concepts.

Quantitative Reasoning — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis
reason quantitatively and solve problems in a quantitative setting.