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How Hard is the GRE?

Linnea Newman

June 7, 2024

GRE FAQ

The general consensus is that the GRE is harder than the high school exams but easier than the other graduate exams. In other words, the GRE is harder than the SAT and ACT but less challenging than the GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

However, difficulty is subjective, so the most relevant answer depends highly on you! There are all kinds of factors to consider. For example:

How long has it been since you’ve studied math?
How much reading do you do?
What schools are you aiming for?
How well do you handle the pressure of standardized tests?

So, let’s look at some different comparisons so that you can better gauge how hard the GRE will be for you.

Comparing the GRE’s Structure to Other Exams
Comparing Test Content
How Competitive is the GRE Test?
A More Detailed Comparison of Exams with Sample Questions

GRE Sample Questions
GRE vs Paper SAT
GRE vs Digital SAT
GRE vs ACT
GRE vs GMAT
GRE vs LSAT
GRE vs MCAT

How Can I Improve My GRE Score?

Comparing the GRE’s Structure to Other Exams

Length

At just under 2 hours long, the GRE is the shortest of the main standardized tests. This makes the GRE easier in the sense that it’s less of an endurance battle. As with all standardized tests, you’ll still need to practice your pacing and build up your stamina. But at least you won’t have to endure the exam for 7 hours like the MCAT!

One important thing to keep in mind is that the GRE has no scheduled breaks. Many tests tend to either have optional (like the GMAT Focus) or forced breaks (like the SAT) between certain sections. The GRE, however, continues on from each section to the next until the very end.

Number of Questions

However, the GRE’s shorter test time means fewer questions, which creates challenges: missing just a few questions can have a larger impact on your final score.

The GRE has 54 total questions (27 math and 27 verbal), along with 1 essay to write.

That’s 10 fewer than the GMAT Focus (64 questions)
Almost 50 less than the Digital SAT (98 questions)
Almost 50 less than the LSAT (typically 100 questions)
And 100 less than the old Paper SAT, which had 154 questions

Time Per Question

The number of questions isn’t the whole picture. Rather, the average time allotted per question tells us more. In particular, it gives you an idea of how difficult the test makers think their own questions are.

Exam	Math	Verbal
Digital SAT	1.59 min / question	1.18 min / question
GRE	1.75 min / question	1.50 min / question
GMAT Focus	2.15 min / question	1.96 min / question

Notice how the Digital SAT provides much less time per question. This is because its questions are generally more straightforward. The SAT may give you a shorter reading passage to unpack or a math equation that’s already much closer to being solved.

Contrast this with the harder GMAT Focus, which gives you nearly 2 (or more!) minutes per question. The GMAT’s Critical Reasoning questions can be much more challenging to process, and its math problems can require much more analytical thinking.

Section Adaptivity

The GRE is section adaptive. This means that, for example, how well you perform on the first math section dictates how difficult the second math section will be. So, if you do well on the first section, you’re going to see tougher questions on the second. (But that’s a good thing! That means you have a chance at a higher score.)

However, that section adaptivity is a very different experience from the old Paper SAT which couldn’t adjust to your performance. All those Paper SAT questions were predetermined ahead of time from the start. (Note: The newer Digital SAT is also section adaptive, so it’s similar to the GRE now.)

The GMAT is different because it’s what is known as “question adaptive.” This means that within a single section, your earlier performance determines each next question that you’ll see. If you’re doing very well, the GMAT is going to keep giving you more and more difficult questions each time.

Comparing Test Content

Math: Topics You’ve Seen Before…

The GRE math section may make you nervous if you haven’t dealt with numbers in a while. However, the good news is that it doesn’t test very advanced math. In fact, the range of topics is less than what’s on the high school exams.

Most of the math—and certainly what most commonly appears—on the GRE was covered in high school up through an Algebra II class. This means you’ll be tested on things like algebraic equations, geometry, quadratic equations, and basic statistics. However, more complicated subjects that you may have encountered in high school like trigonometry or calculus are NOT tested.

Math: …But Unique Question Types

Around half of your math questions will be the tried-and-true Multiple Choice format you’ve seen your whole life. You will also see an occasional Numeric Entry (think fill-in-the-blank) question where you have to directly supply the answer. All of this is quite similar to the question formats seen on the SAT.

However, one third of the math portion is a unique question type called Quantitative Comparison. The basic idea is that you’re given two quantities (or more likely, expressions), and you’ll need to determine if one is bigger than the other, equivalent, or impossible to say due to sufficient information.

If you’ve never practiced this question type before, it can be perplexing. But once you familiarize yourself with the strategies needed to approach this question type, it becomes more doable.

Verbal: Standard Reading Comprehension…

Around 40% of the questions on the Verbal section will be in a format that you’re used to. There’s a passage you have to read, and then there’s a multiple choice question that generally involves identifying a detail, purpose, or inference from the passage. Pretty much all of the main standardized tests have various flavors of this question type.

GRE passages range from a couple to several paragraphs in length, so they’re longer than what you’ll encounter in the Digital SAT. However, they’re often much shorter than the long passages found on the LSAT, which often ask around 7 questions per passage.

With that said, GRE Reading Comprehension can definitely be tricky if you’re not used to reading graduate-level passages (such as those in The New York Times or Scientific American). These passages will often be more advanced than what you’ve seen on the SAT. Thus, it’s good to develop a steady diet of reading those kinds of passages now rather than later.

Verbal: …But Multitudinous Vocabulary Words

Multi-what-now? The most difficult aspect of the GRE is arguably that it tests you on advanced and unfamiliar vocabulary words. These sometimes show up in the Reading Comprehension passages, but they definitely show up in the Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence question types. Those question types involve filling in missing words in a sentence or paragraph to create a complete and coherent meaning.

If you’re not a native speaker of English, advanced vocabulary can be especially taxing. And even if you’re a native speaker, you’re probably not using these words in your everyday life. So, in addition to a steady diet of reading, familiarizing yourself with high-frequency vocabulary words is another important thing to start studying early.

Writing: Standard Essay and Separate from Total Score

The Issue Task is an essay that’s similar to the kind of writing you’ve done in high school. You’ll need to analyze a situation, form a thesis, and then provide support for your position. And you’ll want to write in a clear, organized manner.

It’s important to note that this essay is graded separately and doesn’t factor into your overall score. As a result, this essay tends not to be as crucial to your application (though, it depends on your field of study).

How Competitive is the GRE Test?

Knowing what score you need to achieve will greatly influence your perception of the test. Check out our article GRE Score Percentiles – What Does Your Score Mean for You? for all the details. Of course, it depends what schools you’re aiming for as well as your field of study. But suffice it to say that, at a minimum, you’ll want to target being above the 50th or, even better, the 60th percentile. That typically means you’re aiming for around a 155 in Verbal and in Math, yielding a total score between 306 and 310.

What does it take to score higher than 50% or 60% of GRE test takers? One of the best ways to find out is to take a free GRE practice test. Not only will that give you a feel for how difficult the GRE is, but it will also give you a good benchmark for where you currently stand. You’ll also get an idea of your strengths and weaknesses and how much you need to work on.

Now, we just talked about what a good score is in general. But if you’re aiming for a top university, the competition is more intense, and you’ll want an even higher score.

A More Detailed Comparison of Exams with Sample Questions

GRE Sample Questions

Before we dive into the other exams, here are the sample GRE questions that we’ll use to make comparisons:

Quantitative Comparison example question: this question type is unique, and this particular example requires some careful reasoning to think through all the possibilities.
Reading Comprehension example question: though the GRE does have standard multiple choice questions, this is another example of an unusual format. This is also an example of a Short Passage. Be aware that there are longer passages that are doubled or triple this length.
Text Completion example question: this is another unique question type. Also, this particular example has two blanks in the paragraph, but it can be anywhere from one to three blanks.

GRE vs Paper SAT

Category	GRE	Paper SAT
Difficulty Consensus	Harder	Easier
Total Time	2 hours	3 hours
Total Questions	54 (27 Math, 27 Verbal)	154 (58 Math, 96 Verbal)
Math: Subjects	Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics	Same plus Trigonometry
Math: Time Per Question	1.75 min	1.38 min
Verbal: Passage Length	Fill-in-Blank: 20 to 80 words Reading: 100 to 500 words	400 to 750 words
Verbal: Time Per Question	1.50 min	1.25 min
Writing Section	1 Essay (30 min)	1 Optional Essay (50 min)
Unique Question Types	Quantitative Comparison, Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence	None
Special Trait	Emphasis on vocabulary	Separate calculator-allowed and no-calculator math questions

If you took the SAT before it became the Digital SAT, then this is the section for you. If not, jump down to the next section.

Why was the Paper SAT considered an easier test? Though it was a longer test with more questions, those questions were typically not considered as difficult since they didn’t require as much critical reasoning.

Here’s a Paper SAT math question as an example. As long as you’re familiar with the algebraic concepts, this problem can be solved rather mechanically. Contrast that with the GRE QC example from earlier that requires a lot more reasoning. This isn’t to say that the SAT never requires you to apply critical thinking. It’s just that the GRE tests you a lot more on it.

As for verbal, here’s a Paper SAT Reading Comprehension question. A few key differences stand out. It’s a fiction passage, which you won’t see on the GRE. It’s also much longer in length than any passage you’ll see on the GRE. As for the question itself, it’s more of a check on what you read. In the GRE RC example from earlier, that’s testing how you read through complicated sentence structures and unpacked the author’s ideas. (Again, that’s not to say that the SAT never tests how you read; it’s just that the GRE is much more interested in that.)

GRE vs Digital SAT

Category	GRE	Digital SAT
Difficulty Consensus	Harder	Easier
Total Time	2 hours	2 hours and 15 minutes
Total Questions	54 (27 Math, 27 Verbal)	98 (44 Math, 54 Verbal)
Math: Subjects	Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics	Same plus Trigonometry
Math: Time Per Question	1.75 min	1.59 min
Verbal: Passage Length	Fill-in-Blank: 20 to 80 words Reading: 100 to 500 words	25 to 150 words
Verbal: Time Per Question	1.50 min	1.19 min
Writing Section	1 Essay (30 min)	SAT School Day only: 1 Essay (50 min)
Unique Question Types	Quantitative Comparison, Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence	Rhetorical Synthesis
Special Trait	Emphasis on vocabulary	Section adaptive

It’s a similar story here: the Digital SAT is less difficult than the GRE. The overhaul of the SAT includes new question types and features (including section adaptivity, just like the GRE). But these new questions are still more straightforward than what’s on the GRE.

This Digital SAT math question example is actually the same as the Paper SAT math example, so the earlier discussion still applies. In brief, the GRE QC example requires you to reason through a lot more possibilities vs. just solving rotely.

Verbal questions have changed a lot in the new format, so here’s a Digital SAT Reading Comprehension example. On the Digital SAT, there are many new verbal question types, and a lot of them are more concerned with how you read. But notice how this passage is much simpler in its structure than the GRE RC example from earlier. The GRE passage interjects a lot of different ideas into the discussion through more complicated sentence structures. Its vocabulary level is also higher. In short, the GRE passage requires more thought and analysis to arrive at the correct answer.

GRE vs ACT

Category	GRE	ACT
Difficulty Consensus	Harder	Easier
Total Time	2 hours	2 hours and 55 minutes
Total Questions	54 (27 Math, 27 Verbal)	215 (60 Math, 80 “Verbal”, 75 English)
Math: Subjects	Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics	Same plus Trigonometry
Math: Time Per Question	1.75 min	1.00 min
Verbal: Passage Length	Fill-in-Blank: 20 to 80 words Reading: 100 to 500 words	~850 words
Verbal: Time Per Question	1.50 min	1.14 min
Writing Section	1 Essay (30 min)	1 Optional Essay (40 min)
Unique Question Types	Quantitative Comparison, Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence	English (Grammar), Science (Scientific Reasoning)
Special Trait	Emphasis on vocabulary	Tests quick decision making

The typical opinion—though it’s of course subjective—is that, yes, the ACT is less challenging than the GRE. And it really boils down to the amount of critical thinking required. The GRE asks more complicated questions that are harder to parse whereas the ACT is more about testing quick decision making. (You barely get more than a minute per question on the ACT!)

In terms of math, the ACT—like the SAT—tests a wider variety of topics. However, the questions it asks are generally more straightforward. Here’s an example ACT math question where, if you know the algebra, you can jump right into simplifying the equation. Contrast this with the GRE QC example from earlier where the GRE is really testing your thought process as opposed to algebraic skills.

As far as Verbal, the Reading section of the ACT is the closest match. Here’s an example of an ACT Reading passage. As with the Paper SAT, this passage is much longer than what’s encountered on the GRE. The ACT also asks a lot of questions about each passage in a short amount of time. Because of this, its questions tend to be more to the point than what’s on the GRE. And though the ACT will test vocabulary, it doesn’t have specific question types devoted to it like the GRE does.

Though the GRE doesn’t directly test grammar like the ACT’s English section, having a solid grasp of grammar is still helpful. It can help you navigate tricky sentence structures on Text Completion questions. And though the GRE doesn’t directly test scientific reasoning like the ACT’s Science section, the ability to read graphs is very important for Data Interpretation questions.

GRE vs GMAT

Category	GRE	GMAT
Difficulty Consensus	Easier	Harder
Total Time	2 hours	2 hours and 15 minutes
Total Questions	54 (27 Math, 27 Verbal)	64 (20 Data Insights, 21 Math, 23 Verbal)
Math: Subjects	Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics	Same except no Geometry
Math: Time Per Question	1.75 min	2.15 min
Verbal: Passage Length	Fill-in-Blank: 20 to 80 words Reading: 100 to 500 words	100 to 500 words
Verbal: Time Per Question	1.50 min	1.96 min
Writing Section	1 Essay (30 min)	None
Unique Question Types	Quantitative Comparison, Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence	Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Two-Part Analysis
Special Trait	Emphasis on vocabulary	Question adaptive

It depends who you ask, but the majority will likely say that the GMAT is the tougher test. A large part of this is due to the fact that the GMAT is question adaptive (vs. the GRE’s section adaptivity). The more questions you answer right on the GMAT, the more formidable they become as you proceed through a section.

Additionally, and on par with the GRE, the GMAT has a lot of unique question types. These are concentrated in its Data Insights section, which includes a format known as Data Sufficiency. Here’s a sample GMAT Data Sufficiency question. It takes the critical thinking required in the earlier GRE QC example to a whole new level.

Math and Verbal

First of all, it’s important to highlight the difference in question distribution between the two exams. The GRE is half verbal and half math. However, the GMAT is one-third verbal and two-thirds math (given the focus on mathematical reasoning skills in the Data Insights section).

As far as traditional math questions, the GMAT is pretty similar. One important thing to note is that, unlike the GRE, the GMAT does not test geometry concepts. So, if you’re weak in geometry, that may make the GMAT’s math section more appealing to you.

Verbal is where the comparison gets trickier. The Reading Comprehension questions on both exams are comparable. However, GMAT will throw a lot more Critical Reasoning (also called Paragraph Arguments) questions at you. Here’s an example of a GMAT Critical Reasoning question. So, if you struggle with that question type, the GRE is more likely to be your friend than the GMAT.

With that said, the GRE places a heavy emphasis on vocabulary in its Text Completion (see earlier example) and Sentence Equivalence question types. The GMAT will occasionally test vocabulary in Reading Comprehension, but to a much lesser degree. So, if vocabulary is a weakness for you, then the GRE may cause you some trepidation.

For an even more in-depth look at the GRE vs the GMAT across all aspects, check out the article GMAT vs. GRE: How Are They Different?

GRE vs LSAT

Category	GRE	LSAT
Difficulty Consensus	Easier	Harder
Total Time	2 hours	2 hours and 20 minutes
Total Questions	54 (27 Math, 27 Verbal)	~100 (100 Verbal)
Math: Subjects	Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics	None
Math: Time Per Question	1.75 min	–
Verbal: Passage Length	Fill-in-Blank: 20 to 80 words Reading: 100 to 500 words	Logical Reasoning: ~50 to 100 words Reading: ~450 words
Verbal: Time Per Question	1.50 min	1.40 min
Writing Section	1 Essay (30 min)	1 Essay (50 min) but taken separately
Unique Question Types	Quantitative Comparison, Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence	None
Special Trait	Emphasis on vocabulary	Verbal only

There’s not a great answer here since the two exams are quite different. In terms of Verbal, the LSAT is more demanding. For math, the opposite is true, but that’s kind of cheating because the LSAT doesn’t have any math!

For Verbal, the LSAT is full of dense and complex reading passages, all of which ask you around 7 questions each. The volume of questions alone makes it more grueling. Additionally, the LSAT has at least two full sections of Logical Reasoning, which is what is called Critical Reasoning (or Paragraph Arguments) on the GRE. So, if you really don’t like that question type, you should consider taking the GRE instead. For examples of both RC and LR question types, see this article.

The GRE is probably sounding more appealing at this point! However, keep in mind that the LSAT doesn’t test vocabulary, whereas the GRE has multiple question types devoted to it.

For an even more in-depth discussion, see the article LSAT vs. GRE Difficulty: Which Test Presents a Greater Challenge?

GRE vs MCAT

Category	GRE	MCAT
Difficulty Consensus	Easier	Harder
Total Time	2 hours	6 hours and 15 minutes
Total Questions	54 (27 Math, 27 Verbal)	230
Math: Subjects	Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics	No math section but some questions may require math
Math: Time Per Question	1.75 min	–
Verbal: Passage Length	Fill-in-Blank: 20 to 80 words Reading: 100 to 500 words	500 to 600 words
Verbal: Time Per Question	1.50 min	1.6 to 1.7 min
Writing Section	1 Essay (30 min)	None
Unique Question Types	Quantitative Comparison, Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence	Science questions
Special Trait	Emphasis on vocabulary	It’s like running a marathon and then running some more

There’s a clear “winner” here in terms of difficulty. The MCAT is quite the ordeal, clocking in at over 7 hours with breaks included. You could take 3 GREs in a row, and yet someone else would still be taking the MCAT!

The MCAT, of course, tests all kinds of science knowledge, from biology to chemistry to psychology. So, if you’re taking the MCAT, be prepared to study a lot of different topics. And be prepared to study for a long time. If you’re curious about sample MCAT questions, you can find those here.

How Can I Improve My GRE Score?

Only you as an individual can truly answer the question “How hard is the GRE?” But whether the GRE seems daunting to you or not too bad, Magoosh is here to help! Consider a Magoosh GRE Premium Plan if you want to master the content of and the strategies for the exam. Magoosh has all the lessons and practice questions you need to achieve a high score and get into your ideal school.

Author

Linnea Newman

After graduating from CU Boulder with degrees in Literature and Women’s Studies, Linnea stumbled into the world of test prep and admissions consulting and never looked back. Over the years, she has worked with students in the U.S. and abroad, trained new teachers for the classroom, and written curricula for various test types. Her experience includes teaching the GRE, ACT, SAT, LSAT, and GMAT for The Princeton Review and working as the Director of Instruction Management for The Princeton Review Taipei. Looking for a way to help more students, especially those who were unable to afford access to expensive test prep programs, Linnea joined Magoosh in 2019. She is a content creator who connects with students as a blog contributor and through various lessons and practice on the Magoosh platform.

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43 responses to “How Hard is the GRE?”

Deblina Jha

April 12, 2018

Hello,
Thank you for sharing.My students are taking GRE Classes.I will tell them about this article and Keep on posting

Reply
Kalaimagal

February 24, 2017

Hi Chris

I had been through a few of your videos for GRE prep for beginners ,which where quiet usefull in garnering the required information.What article or book would you recommend me ,as I am not confident enough with my verbal & AWA as with the Quants. It would be of great help.

Thanks
Kalai

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  February 24, 2017
  
  For those with access to Magoosh Premium, I recommend going to our main verbal, AWA videos and math videos in sequential order, once you’ve finished the introductory videos. And of course, we also have full archives of helpful material for math, verbal, and AWA here on the blog.
  
  If you’re not sure where to start in those archives, try these three introductory posts:
  
  How to Study for GMAT Math
  
  Introduction to GMAT Verbal
  
  GMAT AWA Strategies
  
  Reply
Preethi

August 24, 2016

Hello Chris,
I want to start my GRE preparation ASAP and I came across Magoosh One Month Study Schedule. I would like to know whether enrolling for this course would be beneficial to me as I am new to this test and I have got to prepare from scratch.
PS: I guess I am weak in both quant and verbal.

Hoping for an early reply.
Thank you.

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  August 24, 2016
  
  Hi Preethi,
  
  If you sign up for Magoosh, you’ll get access to high quality test materials written by experts with decades of GRE experience, easy-to-access lesson videos and questions on your computer so you can practice and study anytime anyplace, and a wealth of resources that prepare you for everything you’ll see on test day.
  
  Magoosh is extremely comprehensive and provides a lot of information about everything from strategy, to approaches to learning and more, and in the way that a personal tutor would. Our lessons start from the beginning, and teach you everything you need to know about the GRE, so you’ll definitely benefit from the program! We also offer all our premium users email access to our student help team: they’re there to answer specific questions throughout the course of study and offer guidance if you get stuck. 🙂
  
  You don’t have to take my word for it, though! You can check out our testimonial page to hear from students who have benefited from Magoosh. And you can sign up for a seven day free trial to see if you think that Magoosh might work for you 🙂
  
  Reply
Anshul

August 23, 2016

How are the sections scored ? supposedly i scored 7/20 in one verbal section and 10/20 in other verbal section, would my final verbal score read 147/170 ?

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  August 24, 2016
  
  Hi Anshul,
  
  Within each section, all questions contribute equally to your raw score, which is the number of questions you answered correctly. Your raw score is then converted to a scaled score through equating. Here’s what ETS has to say about “equating”:
  
  “The equating process accounts for minor variations in difficulty among the different test editions as well as the differences in difficulty introduced by the section-level adaptation. Thus a given scaled score for a particular measure reflects the same level of performance regardless of which second section was selected and when the test was taken.”
  
  Many students assume the raw to equated score conversion will simply mean mapping the raw score onto this new scale, but the process is not so transparent. You indicated that you got a total of 17 correct , which is a raw score of 17/40. This does not mean that your scaled score should be 147, however. I have seem as much as +/-5 point difference between the approximation (adding raw score to the 130-170 scale) and the actual equated scale. This is because of the relative difficulty of the questions you got and how they scale according to average difficulty.
  
  I hope that helps! 🙂
  
  Reply
Nirajan

August 10, 2016

Hi,
I’m finding Manhattan verbal quite tough, actually very tough. I’ve read your strong recommendation for this book where you told that almost all others fall into the category of bad books. I would like you to recommend the most apt one after manhattan taking into consideration that I felt Manhattan was quite tough.
P. S. : Have I used the preposition – ‘for’ correctly?
Thank you

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  August 10, 2016
  
  Hi Nirajan,
  
  First, you used the word “for” correctly! 🙂
  
  Next, the best resource is the Official Guide. After that, we recommend Magoosh materials and Manhattan’s materials. Beyond that, many materials fail to capture the GRE’s style very well, and your best bet is to get good reading practice and learn vocabulary. You would be better off reading in The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, etc. to master complex structure and be comfortable with hard vocabulary rather than looking for a perfect GRE resource. Good luck! 🙂
  
  Reply
Fan Cao

July 14, 2016

Is Magoosh easier or harder than the real GRE(both in Q and V)? What is the possible distribution of very hard, hard, medium and easy questions in both tests?

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  July 20, 2016
  
  Hi Fan Cao,
  
  Excellent question! We work hard to make our content as similar to the actual test as possible. The more that students use Magoosh and take the test, the more information we receive on how accurate our material is. Many students who took the test told us that our questions and their difficulty level matched what they saw on the real test. So, you can expect Magoosh easy questions to be like easy questions on the actual exam, and Magoosh very difficult questions to be like very difficult questions on the actual exam.
  
  In terms of distribution of difficulty levels, it’s really hard to say. This is because of the test’s adaptivity: if you do well on the first section, you’ll see more hard questions in the second section than you would if you had done poorly on the first section. In the first section, however, you can expect to see a couple or a few hard questions. However, since ETS keeps their algorithms for determining the difficulty-level distribution secret, I can’t say for sure how many questions of each difficulty level you’ll see.
  
  I hope that helps at least a little!
  
  Reply
Srinivas

February 12, 2016

Hello !!

I have already taken GRE once and i feel it was tough for me since i hardly scored 291 .I’m planning to try another shot in the month of August this year. I’m planning to choose 6 Month study plan from GRE magoosh. I feel down on confidence , after getting the score. Kindly suggest will 6 month preparation will be good enough to give me the confidence i require to face the exam.

Regards,
Srinivas

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  February 13, 2016
  
  Hi Srinivas,
  
  6 months is definitely enough time to gain confidence and skills to dominate the GRE! It is frustrating to start at a score lower than what you want, but now you have a very accurate baseline and you know where your weaknesses are, meaning your further study will be very effective. Don’t feel down–many students get a lower-than-expected first score and go on to retake the GRE and do well. You can do this! 🙂
  
  Reply
Emmanuel

January 10, 2016

Please can someone who had a third class in Diploma Degree and a PASS in his first Degree be eligible to write GRE? THANKS

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  January 27, 2016
  
  Hi Emmanuel,
  
  Good question! Anyone who wishes to prepare for and take the GRE is eligible–there is no minimum requirement to take the exam. It is a time and financial commitment to take the GRE, but anyone looking to enter US universities will very likely have to do it! Whether or not your applicant profile will be accepted by universities is a different question, and you’ll have to do a lot more research to really get the answer to that. 🙂
  
  Reply
Hassan Abdin

October 27, 2015

How would you rate a 158/170 score

Reply
mkc

October 5, 2015

Chris,

I feel good about Manhattan’s 500 essential words. I just completed studying these flashcards and tested numerous times. I get above 95% correct answers. I do not have time to study other 500 advanced words as I have to prepare for math and also complete Magoosh video lessons. Is it good enough to get the verbal score of 145-150?

Reply
Achyut

September 5, 2015

Hey Chris,
A small doubt.
Do the words we study in our Magoosh e book and other books appear on the test day ?
What’s the probability of occurrence?

Reply
1. Chris Lele
  
  September 8, 2015
  
  That’s a great question, and I really wish I could answer accurately. But really, nobody can, even the test writers themselves. The words in the ebook–we hope–are the ones most likely to show up test day. Manhattan will claim the same; Kaplan will claim the same; indeed any with a word list will probably claim the same.
  
  What happens is that you end up getting lists that often have very similar words. My advice is to study those lists in which you think the definition is the clearest and in which the example sentences–and don’t use a word list without example sentences!–do a good job of making the word memorable.
  
  By learning about 1,000-1,500 words, you will likely recognize, out of the words you didn’t know before prepping, about 50% of those words. Again, much of that can change depending on whether you get the more difficult section and the specific questions that you happen to get test day.
  
  Hope that helps!
  
  Reply
Dniel

June 10, 2015

Hi
so i just finished my degree and i applied for a Masters program of which am to write the GRE test, i hear it’s pretty though. i checked some sample questions online and they are very tricky, i was shocked to have scored 2 out of 10 from the first 10 questions i tried solving… i tried a few times and i scored 4 out of 10. that has been my highest after the 2 attempts. i really want materials so i can pass one time… i plan to write in 3 months time.

Reply
DGrant

May 19, 2015

I graduated from college 10 years ago. I tried some of the math in a GRE study guide and did horribly. I have also been studying vocab flash cards. Does anyone have any suggestions on making a good score because I am scared out of my mind. Thanks

Reply
D Grant

May 19, 2015

I graduated from college 10 years ago. I tried studying the math in the GRE study guides and I am doing horribly. I also started using the vocab flash cards. Can anyone give me any pointers? Thanks

Reply
1. Sean
  
  June 18, 2015
  
  Mr. Grant,
  
  I am weeks away from taking the test and being a head-injured patient in 2001, I can tell you my speed of processing has diminished some. My advice to you is to read your math book slowly, don’t rush. This has greatly improved my math skills and I am now confident I’ll do well on test day. Good luck
  
  sean
  
  Reply
Naresh

May 2, 2015

i dont know any thing about GRE,i am a stater of this exam can u please tell me how to prepare for GRE , and if any coaching is needed

Reply
1. Rita Kreig
  
  May 4, 2015
  
  Hi Naresh,
  
  Welcome to the world of GRE prep! 🙂 I’d definitely recommend studying for the test (I certainly needed to)! There are a lot of different ways to do so, including online prep like Magoosh GRE, books, and in-person classes. To learn more about the test and what a typical study schedule would look like, I’d recommend starting with our eBooks and Study Schedules.
  
  Good luck with your prep!
  Rita
  
  Reply
banu

June 9, 2014

Hi,

Is it possible to prepare for GRE in 20days?..but I have to start from basics:(

Reply
1. Chris Lele
  
  June 11, 2014
  
  Hi Banu,
  
  It is possible in that brief time to improve quite a bit–given you use the right materials and study diligently and effectively. You may even surprise yourself 🙂
  
  And always remember–there is nothing wrong with retaking the GRE (except for the cost :)).
  
  Reply
Nisarg

April 30, 2014

Hi chris

Is there any ratio of easy to medium to difficult questions in gre??how many difficult questions can we expect in both the section?

Reply
1. Chris Lele
  
  April 30, 2014
  
  That is a great question–and one I don’t think there is a straightforward answer to. ETS most likely has a very complex algorithm, one that weighs the percent of students who answered any question. At that point, the distinction between “easy”, “medium”, “difficult” is blurred.
  
  That said, it seems that the medium section has some difficult questions, a few easy ones, but mostly medium ones. The most difficult section has a couple of very difficult questions–the likes of which don’t show up in any other section. The exact proportion of such questions probably differs per test.
  
  Hope that at least somewhat answers your question 🙂
  
  Reply
Adam

April 1, 2014

you should have said hyperbola and hyperbole 😛 😀 🙂

Reply
1. Chris Lele
  
  April 2, 2014
  
  yeah, good point. Lost a little bit of the humor :).
  
  I’ll change it; just don’t accuse me of plagiarism ;).
  
  Reply
yjasz

March 4, 2014

Hey Keith,

I will have to take the GRE’s but I am so petrified because I am a horrible test taker. I barely made it out of college and just overall don’t feel smart enough to place in the 60th or more percentile that most of the graduate programs require. Also, I looked into some form of GRE tutoring but it’s so expensive. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations?

Reply
1. Chris Lele
  
  March 5, 2014
  
  Hey Yjasz,
  
  No need to be petrified :). We’ve had students who have put in the hard work and gone up by nearly 30 points total on the test (that’s like 30 percentile to 75 percentile). Check out our testimonials page:
  
  http://gre.magoosh.com/testimonials
  
  And Magoosh only costs $99. I’m not usually so heavy-handed in hawking our product :), but it seems that it could really help you crush that 60-percentile.
  
  And feel free to pepper me with questions 🙂
  
  Chris
  
  Reply
Keith

January 17, 2014

I got an 1150 on my SAT math/verbal in high school (about 60th percentile) and graduated cum laude from college. The grad school I want to go to requires a 900 on the GRE math/verbal and they said under the revised test I just need to get above 40th percentile. Do I really need to study for it that much?

Reply
1. Chris Lele
  
  January 23, 2014
  
  Hi Keith,
  
  It sounds like you should be able to score above 40th percentile on the GRE. The easiest way to find out is to download the powerprep test from the gre.org website. Take the test to see how you score. If you are anywhere above the 50th percentile, I’d say you don’t really need to prep. If you are in the 40th percentile, you may want to prep a little, just to be safe.
  
  You could also take the online “paper-based” test to get a rough sense of how you would score:
  
  http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/practice_book_GRE_pb_revised_general_test.pdf
  
  Good luck!
  
  Reply
chip

June 25, 2013

Hi Chris,

What is the main difference between studying for 90 days and studying for 6 months? Which should be the basis for choosing between the two durations, aside from time constraints?

Thank you.

Reply
1. Chris Lele
  
  June 27, 2013
  
  Really, the main difference between those two plans is the amount of time. For some, the extra three months won’t make that much of a difference. But if your baseline vocab is poor or your math skills rusty from years of neglect, those extra three months allow your brain more time to process all the information.
  
  If you are already scoring very competitively (160+) than those three months may make very little difference, if any difference at all. Oftentimes, the issue isn’t so much knowledge base as pacing and carefulness. Learning not to misread questions or spend too much time on any one question, won’t require three extra months.
  
  Hope that helps!
  
  Reply
Ankur

March 12, 2013

Hi Chris,

I am about to write GRE within 2months. Can you please let me know the important topics to be covered in GRE prep for getting a good score of above 305? I am worried about verbal section. I could improve easily in maths. Would Good vocab and grammar be enough to serve my purpose of getting an AWE- wait for it – SOME score in verbal section? 🙂 Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Ankur

Reply
1. Chris Lele
  
  March 12, 2013
  
  Hi Ankur,
  
  I think a great place for you to start is our vocabulary ebook and our general ebook (verbal part). You should be able to go through these in an afternoon. At that point, you’ll ever a pretty good idea about a general path to help you get to 305, and above.
  
  Of course, I’m sure you’ll have more questions at that point, so ask away :).
  
  For now here are the links to the two ebooks:
  
  https://magoosh.resources.s3.amazonaws.com/Magoosh-GRE-Vocab-eBook.pdf
  https://magoosh.com/gre/gre-ebook/
  
  Reply
Shrunkala

February 23, 2013

Hi Chris,

I am planning to take my GRE exam next month. But my vocab is not at all improving. I have Manhattan 8 books. And recently purchased New Manhattan 5lb. I am working on your verbal practice and manhattan book. Daily i study manhattan word list, i finished 500 essential words, now studying advanced words. I feel somewhat blank… Can you please suggest me in what way i can improve vocab.

Shrunkala

Reply
1. Chris
  
  February 25, 2013
  
  Hi Shrunkala,
  
  I think a great question is: How are you studying those words?
  
  See, though the answer may seem obvious (e.g., I’m studying each word) there is actually many ways you can study a list, some far more effective than others. Below are some posts that can help get you started so that you don’t get that “blank” feeling.
  
  https://magoosh.com/gre/2011/how-to-study-vocabulary-for-the-revised-gre/
  https://magoosh.com/gre/2013/getting-bored-with-gre-vocabulary-and-verbal/
  
  Hope that helps!
  
  Reply
shakhawat

February 23, 2013

Hello chris,

Thanks for your great posts.can you please let me know how can I get the promotion code to give free manhattan & princeton tests.Is there any package in magoosh only for practice tests?

Reply
1. Chris
  
  February 25, 2013
  
  Hi Shakhawat,
  
  Actually, the only way to get access is to buy the books. With the MGRE, you need only buy one of their books (which is about $15), so you are getting a good deal considering all the practice content.
  
  Best of luck!
  
  Reply

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