What is on the GRE? Topics and Skills Tested (2025)

If you’re just beginning your prep journey, knowing what is on the GRE—and what each of its sections expects—is essential. This guide will break down the topics, question types, and strategies you’ll need to succeed on each part of the exam.

The GRE General Test is made up of three main sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Each section tests a unique set of skills, from understanding complex written material to solving math problems to constructing well-reasoned essays.

Let’s take a look at each in detail!

What is on the GRE at a Glance

This table summarizes each GRE section’s format and the key skills tested:

What is on the GRE Verbal Reasoning Section

The Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE tests how well you understand written material, analyze arguments, and recognize relationships between words and ideas. You’ll be asked to interpret the meaning of passages, fill in missing words, and choose sentences that best maintain meaning and tone.

Skills Tested

Here’s what the GRE is really looking for when it comes to verbal skills:

• Reading comprehension: Can you grasp the main idea, draw inferences, and identify the author’s perspective?
• Vocabulary in context: Can you figure out what a word means based on how it’s used?
• Logical reasoning: Can you evaluate an argument’s structure or spot assumptions?
• Textual analysis: Can you understand how parts of a sentence or paragraph relate to each other?

Question Types

The Verbal section is made up of three main types of questions:

1. Reading Comprehension (RC): Based on passages, these questions test your ability to understand and analyze text.
2. Text Completion (TC): These ask you to fill in the blanks in short passages with the most logical and meaningful words.
3. Sentence Equivalence (SE): You’ll select two choices that both complete a sentence with similar meaning.

Each of these types of questions types assess different aspects of your verbal reasoning abilities, and mastering them means building both strong reading habits and a solid vocabulary base.

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension (RC) questions make up about half of the Verbal Reasoning section. They’re designed to assess your ability to understand, analyze, and apply information from written passages—skills that are crucial for graduate-level work.

Types of Passages

The passages come from a variety of disciplines, including:

• Natural sciences
• Social sciences
• Humanities
• Business and economics
• Arts and literature

Don’t worry—you’re not expected to have background knowledge of these topics. The GRE is testing your reasoning skills, not your expertise.

Skills Assessed

Reading Comprehension questions cover a range of abilities, including:

• Identifying main ideas and supporting details
• Making inferences
• Understanding tone and author’s perspective
• Analyzing structure and organization
• Interpreting meaning in context
• Evaluating arguments and evidence

Question Formats

RC questions typically appear in three formats:

1. Single-answer multiple choice: Select one correct answer from five choices.
2. Multiple-answer multiple choice: Select one or more correct answers from three choices. No partial credit—only fully correct responses earn points.
3. Select-in-passage: Click on the sentence in the passage that answers a given question. These test your ability to locate precise information.

💡 Tip: While it’s tempting to skim passages quickly, effective GRE readers learn to read actively. That means looking for structure, argument flow, and signal words (like “however,” “for example,” or “in contrast”) that reveal how ideas are connected.

Text Completion

Text Completion (TC) questions test your ability to understand the logic and flow of short passages. Each question pertains to a short passage (generally 1 to a few sentences) with one to three blanks. Your task is to choose the word (or words) that best complete the passage in a way that makes sense as a whole.

These questions aren’t just about knowing advanced vocabulary words; they’re about making sense of how ideas fit together.

Structure of Text Completion Questions

• Single-blank questions: Choose 1 word (or phrase) from 5 choices.
• Two- or three-blank questions: Choose 1 word (or phrase) per blank from 3 choices per blank.

You must answer all the blanks correctly to receive points. There is no partial credit.

Key Skills Tested

• Vocabulary in context: Can you understand the meaning of a word based on the surrounding sentence?
• Structural awareness: Can you identify how transitions and modifiers guide the sentence’s meaning?
• Logical reasoning: Can you follow the overall flow of the passage and connect its ideas appropriately?

Strategies for Success

1. Read the entire sentence first before looking at the answer choices. Try to predict what kind of word would logically complete the blank.
2. Pay attention to signal words like however, because, although, and thus. These clues often tell you how ideas relate.
3. Eliminate choices that don’t fit the tone or logic of the sentence.
4. Plug in your choices to see how the sentence or passage reads as a whole.

💡 Tip: Thankfully, you don’t need to know every obscure word in the dictionary. But a strong working vocabulary—especially for words that frequently appear on the GRE—can give you a major edge.

Sentence Equivalence

Sentence Equivalence (SE) questions test your ability to recognize when two words (or phrases) complete a sentence with similar meanings and maintain its overall logic and tone. Each SE question presents a single sentence with one blank and six answer choices, and you must choose two correct answers.

What makes these tricky is that several individual answer choices might seem plausible at first. But only two will create sentences that are both logically equivalent in meaning.

In other words, this isn’t just a synonym test; it’s a context and coherence test, too.

Key Skills Tested

• Understanding sentence structure and logic
• Recognizing subtle differences in tone and connotation
• Applying vocabulary knowledge in context
• Identifying parallel meanings across different words

Strategies for Success

1. Read the sentence carefully and try to predict the type of word that belongs in the blank before reviewing the choices.
2. Focus on the sentence’s structure—look for contrast words (e.g., “although,” “yet”) or supporting clues that guide the meaning.
3. Choose two words that create sentences with the same overall meaning.
4. Watch out for trap choices: Words that are similar to each other but don’t fit the sentence or words that seem correct but don’t match each other’s meaning.

💡 Tip: SE questions are not just a test of synonyms. Often the correct answers will be synonyms, but that’s not always the case. Don’t just pick a pair of words with similar meanings as your answers; instead, make sure they fit the overall context of the sentence.

Grammar & Usage Topics to Know

While the GRE doesn’t test grammar directly with rules-based questions (like identifying subject-verb agreement errors), a strong grasp of grammar and sentence structure is essential—especially for Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions. Understanding how sentences are built helps you choose the right words and make sense of complex constructions.

Here are the grammar and usage concepts most helpful for success on the Verbal section:

1. Modifiers

What they are: Words or phrases that describe or qualify other parts of the sentence.

Why they matter: You need to correctly identify what’s being modified. Misunderstanding what is being modified can lead you to select a trap answer, especially in multi-blank TC questions.

2. Parentheticals

What they are: Phrases set off by commas, em dashes, or parentheses that add information or clarification.

Why they matter: Parentheticals can interrupt the main flow of a sentence, so it’s crucial to identify where the core sentence lies. This can help you understand the intended meaning more quickly.

3. Transitions

What they are: Words or phrases that signal relationships between ideas (e.g., contrast, cause, example, addition).

Why they matter: Transitions help you decode the logical structure of a sentence or passage, which is especially important when selecting between answer choices with different tones or meanings.

Common transitions to know:

• Contrast: however, although, nevertheless, yet
• Cause/Effect: because, thus, therefore
• Addition: moreover, in addition, also
• Example: for instance, such as, namely

Recognizing these can help you anticipate the direction of a sentence, making it easier to select the correct answer choice even when the vocabulary is tough.

What is on the GRE Quantitative Reasoning Section

The Quantitative Reasoning (QR) section of the GRE assesses your ability to reason with numbers, solve problems, and interpret data—all within real-world and abstract contexts. While the math content is roughly at the high school level, the GRE tests your critical thinking and problem-solving skills more than rote calculation.

You don’t need advanced math like calculus or trigonometry, but you do need to be comfortable with algebra, geometry, and basic statistics.

Skills Tested

The Quantitative Reasoning section evaluates:

• Mathematical reasoning
• Quantitative problem-solving
• Interpreting and modeling with data
• Applying math in context

Question Formats

You’ll encounter four types of questions:

1. Multiple Choice: Standard 5-option questions with one correct answer.
2. Multiple Answer: Choose all that apply (can be more than one correct answer).
3. Numeric Entry: You’ll type in a number—no choices provided.
4. Quantitative Comparison: You’ll compare two quantities and select one of four statements about their relationship.

Key Math Topics Covered

The GRE doesn’t test every math topic under the sun; it doesn’t even test everything you learned in high school. Instead, it focuses on a core set of high school-level topics that are applied in tricky and often layered ways.

Here’s a breakdown of the major content areas you’ll see on the Quant section:

1. Arithmetic

This is the foundation of GRE math. Expect questions involving:

• Integers and operations
• Fractions and decimals
• Factors and multiples (LCM, GCF)
• Percentages and percent change
• Ratios, rates, and proportions

💡 Tip: The GRE loves to test your knowledge of sequential percent changes—and the common trap that many fall for.

2. Algebra

Algebra questions test your ability to manipulate variables and solve equations. Topics include:

• Linear equations and inequalities
• Quadratic equations
• Exponents and roots
• Simplifying algebraic expressions
• Factoring
• Functions and their graphs
• Word problems involving algebra

💡 Tip: A key part of algebra—and success on the GRE—involves being able to correctly translate words into math equations.

3. Geometry

GRE geometry focuses more on conceptual understanding than just memorizing a set of formulas. Topics you’ll encounter include:

• Lines, angles, and triangles
• Circles and their properties
• Quadrilaterals (especially rectangles, squares, and parallelograms)
• Polygons
• Perimeter, area, and volume
• Coordinate geometry (points, slopes, equations of lines)

💡 Tip: Remember, diagrams on the GRE are not necessarily drawn to scale, unless specifically stated.

4. Data Analysis

This section blends math and logic with data interpretation. Expect to see:

• Statistics (mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation)
• Probability basics
• Counting methods (combinations and permutations)
• Venn diagrams and sets
• Interpreting tables, charts, and graphs

💡 Tip: GRE data interpretation questions often reward your ability to extract insights rather than just calculate. If you can estimate effectively, you can save time and avoid doing unnecessary calculations.

Data Interpretation Sets

Data Interpretation (DI) sets are grouped questions based on a shared visual—usually a table, graph, or chart. These test your ability to read, analyze, and draw conclusions from data presented in a structured format.

Types of Visuals You Might See

• Bar graphs
• Line graphs
• Pie charts
• Tables with multiple variables
• Scatterplots or mixed visualizations

Sometimes the visuals are straightforward, and sometimes you need to pay close attention to the labels and surrounding context to interpret them.

Skills Tested

• Extracting relevant information from a visual
• Performing calculations based on the data (e.g., averages, percent change, differences)
• Identifying patterns or trends
• Making inferences or predictions
• Avoiding assumptions (only use what the data shows)

💡 Tip: Always read the title and labels carefully. Spending time discerning the setup—what the axes represents, what the units are, etc.—will help you prevent careless mistakes.

What is on the GRE Analytical Writing Section

The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is always the first section you’ll encounter on the GRE. You’ll have 30 minutes to complete a single essay task called “Analyze an Issue.”

You’ll be presented with a statement—usually a general claim or recommendation—and asked to take a position and defend it with reasoning and examples.

This isn’t about agreeing or disagreeing in an absolute sense. Instead, the GRE wants to see how well you can evaluate a topic, choose a perspective, and argue your case in a clear, logical, and organized way.

This section doesn’t test how creative you are or how much you know about a particular subject. Instead, it evaluates your ability to:

• Think critically
• Organize and develop an argument
• Write clearly and effectively

💡 Tip: You can (and should!) view the full list of possible Issue Essay prompts ahead of time since ETS makes them public.

What the AWA Measures and What You Need to Focus On

The AWA is designed to assess your:

• Ability to take a position on an issue
• Skill in constructing a persuasive and well-reasoned argument
• Use of examples and evidence
• Command of standard written English

30 minutes is not a lot of time to craft and write an essay! Here’s where you’ll want to focus your efforts:

• Clarity and Focus of Argument: Your essay should have a clear, well-defined position on the issue. The argument should stay focused and not veer off into unrelated or vague commentary.
• Logical Development and Support: A strong essay supports its claims with reasons, examples, and logical connections. The best responses go beyond surface-level thinking and develop ideas with depth and nuance.
• Organization and Structure: Your essay should follow a coherent structure with paragraphs that each serve a clear purpose.
• Language Use and Style: The GRE isn’t looking for poetry, but it does expect effective use of language. That means you should write in a clear yet varied manner.
• Grammar and Mechanics: Minor errors won’t hurt your score—especially if your ideas are strong—but consistent issues with grammar, punctuation, or spelling can lower it.

💡 Tip: Don’t skip the prewriting phase! Spend the first 3–5 minutes brainstorming.

Closing Thoughts

The GRE covers a lot of ground! The math, verbal, and writing sections all test you on a wide variety of skills and topics, as evidenced by our comprehensive list of lessons.

The good news? All these topics can be learned, and all these skills can be improved with smart, focused preparation. With that in mind, check out a Magoosh GRE Premium plan. The GRE is a challenge, but with the right prep, it’s absolutely one you can conquer.