GRE Exam Syllabus 2025: Comprehensive Section-Wise Guide for Your Preparation

Did you know that over 1,000 institutions worldwide recognize the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) as a vital component of their graduate admissions process? As one of the most widely accepted standardized tests, the GRE evaluates a candidate’s analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills. As prospective students prepare for this exam, familiarity with the GRE syllabus becomes important for success. In this blog, we will explore the GRE exam syllabus, including the specific topics covered in each section and effective preparation strategies to help candidates excel.

What is the GRE Exam?

The GRE is a universal standardized test that examines a candidate’s readiness for studies at graduate schools. It applies across various disciplines, including arts, sciences, and business. Over a thousand institutions worldwide recognize the GRE as an important requirement for admission to postgraduate and doctoral programs. 

The GRE exam evaluates three key skill areas: analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills. These assessments help admissions committees determine a student’s likelihood of achieving academic success. 

GRE Exam Pattern 2025

The GRE Exam Pattern for 2025 is designed to effectively assess candidate’s academic capabilities. The exam is available in two formats including paper-based and computer-based. The total duration of the GRE examination is 1 hour and 58 minutes excluding internal breaks and section transitions. 

Below is a detailed overview of the GRE Exam Pattern, including the number of questions, time allotted, and scoring range of each section:

Section	Number of Questions	Duration	Score range
Analytical writing	1 task	30 minutes	0- 6 (0.5 increments)
Verbal reasoning	27 questions	41 minutes	130- 170 (1- point increments)
Quantitative reasoning	27 questions	47 minutes	130- 170 (1- point increments)

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1. GRE Verbal Reasoning Syllabus 

The GRE verbal reasoning section evaluates candidates’ abilities in critical thinking, comprehension, and use of vocabulary. It consists of three main sections with a total of around 27 questions that must be completed within 41 minutes. This includes: 

• Reading Comprehension: This component tests your ability to read complex texts and understand their meaning. You will encounter passages from various subjects such as literature, social sciences, and natural sciences. Questions may require you to infer meaning, identify main ideas, or analyze the author’s intent.
• Text Completion: In this part of the exam, you will fill in the blanks in short passages with appropriate words or phrases. This tests your vocabulary knowledge and understanding of context. You may need to select one or more answers from the multiple choices provided.
• Sentence Equivalence: Candidates are presented with a sentence that has a blank space and must select two answer choices that produce similar meanings when inserted into the sentence. This tests both your vocabulary and understanding of sentence structure.

2. GRE Quantitative Reasoning Syllabus 

The quantitative reasoning section evaluates your mathematical skills and understanding of basic concepts from arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. The syllabus comprises four broad areas of content:

a) GRE Arithmetic Syllabus:

Some of the key topics which will be covered in this are: 

• Characteristics and categories of integers (divisibility, factorization, remainders, prime numbers, odd and even integers).
• Basic operations, exponents, and square roots.
• Basic concepts such as estimation, percentage, ratios, rates, absolute values, the number line, decimal place, and sequences.

b) GRE Algebra Syllabus:

Key topics included in this section are:

• Exponent rules.
• Multiplying and reducing expressions with variables.
• Finding both the solution and graph of linear and quadratic inequalities.
• Recognizing and translating real-life scenarios into systems of equations.
• The study of lines and functions such as intercepts, slopes of lines, equations, inequalities, and coordinate plane graphs.

c) GRE Geometry Syllabus:

The candidates must be familiar with:

• Definitions of straight lines concerning positioning as parallel or perpendicular.
• Two-dimensional figures such as circles, triangles (isosceles, equilateral, 30-60-90, etc), quadrilateral and other shapes.
• Figures that have the same or different shapes but proportions of one of the dimensions are similar.
• Three-dimensional shapes.
• Square units, cubic units, and linear measurements.
• Fundamental theorem relating to areas of right-angled triangles.
• The measure of an angle is given in degrees.

d) GRE Data Analysis Syllabus:

This section includes topics such as:

• Elementary measures of data (mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, inter-quartile range, quartiles, and percentiles).
• Ability to read information presented in tabular and graphic forms of line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, box plots, scatter plots, and frequency distribution analysis).
• Introduction to probability theory (probabilities relating to the occurrence of multiple events, independent events, and even conditional probabilities).
• Understanding random variables and their distributions (including the normal curve).
• Basic counting techniques (combination, permutation, Venn diagrams, etc.).

3. GRE Analytical Writing Syllabus 

The GRE syllabus evaluates the candidate’s ability to articulate complex ideas effectively and clearly. This ensures that the candidate is ready for graduate-level studies. This section consists of one primary task:

• Analyze an Issue: In this task, candidates are provided with an issue within a broad topic and are supposed to construct an argument on that issue. The task demands that you write on a particular problem that interests the general public in a way that displays your ability to articulate your thoughts in writing.

Tips to Prepare for the  GRE Exam 

Preparing for the GRE requires a strategic approach that includes understanding the syllabus, practicing effectively, and developing a solid study plan. Here are some valuable tips to help you prepare and increase your chances of success:

1. Familiarize Yourself with the Exam Structure: Understand the three primary sections of the GRE: analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning. Knowing the type of questions, how they are scored and the time limits will help you organize an efficient study strategy for the exam.
2. Understand Basic Concepts: Focus on understanding the basics in all the topics like arithmetic, algebra, geometry, reading comprehension, analytical writing, etc. This will boost your confidence and enhance your ability to face tougher questions.
3. Organize your Study Schedule: Prepare a study calendar for each part of the GRE syllabus. Setting reasonable timelines for each topic will help you stay on track and achieve your preparation goals.
4. Use Study Guides for Practice: Familiarize yourself with resources such as the ETS official guide and practice tests to help you in your preparations for the GRE. Such resources are useful as they show the specific format of the examination and help one know how ready they are. Also, after thorough preparation, take practice tests that simulate actual exam conditions. 
5. Target Weak Areas: Use diagnostic exams to determine what you’re doing wrong and spend time and effort attempting to correct it; be it voice drills, problem-solving exercises, or essay writing. Addressing these issues can significantly enhance your overall score.

Conclusion 

The GRE exam syllabus is meant to analyze the analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning composing skills based on which the students can apply for graduate studies. Thus, knowing the full syllabus of each section; the analytical tasks, verbal comprehension, and mathematics are of importance. 

If you are also looking to prepare for the MCAT exams, then check out our detailed blog on the MCAT exam syllabus.

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