Christine Fader
Career Counselor
Author and Editor
The GRE is a standardized test (along the same lines as an SAT) and stands for the Graduate Record Exam. Many master’s and doctoral programs require the GRE as part of their admission process. Some schools require both the general GRE (which contains verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing sections) and a relevant subject GRE (i.e., if you’re aiming for a graduate Psychology program, you might be asked to take both the General and Psychology GRE). Programs will often have a minimum GRE test score that they desire from their applicants, and this is sometimes used in conjunction with GPA to assess your candidacy. The GRE is a computer-based test (although it's available in some areas in a paper-based format), and there are many test centers around the country. A variety of test dates during the year allow you to plan to complete your GRE and receive your scores before you apply to the graduate programs that interest you. For more information, check out ets.org/gre.
Find more expert advice to prepare for grad school admission with our other Graduate School Ask the Experts posts!