You might be wondering, “Why should I trust this guide? What makes you a GRE expert?”
When it comes to the GRE, I have three things going for me. First, I’ve taken the test twice. Second, I scored within the 99.9th percentile on the GRE Verbal section, which is the highest score possible. And third, I’ve been teaching the GRE for more than four years at Elite GMAT.
The purpose of this guide is to help you feel more confident about the GRE’s difficulty level. If you’re like most test-takers, you’re probably wondering whether the GRE is a cakewalk or a nightmare. And if you’re like most test-takers, you’re probably hoping to get to that cake as soon as possible.
With this guide, I’m going to tell you what you need to know about the GRE so that you can go into the test feeling confident about your score.
The rest of this guide is divided into three major sections:
The GRE Subject Tests are similar in format and difficulty to the GRE.
If you’re taking the GRE soon, you may be wondering how the test compares to other standardized tests you’ve taken. You may also be wondering how the GRE compares to the GMAT and the SAT.
Here’s a quick overview of how the GRE stacks up against other major standardized tests:
The GRE is not an easy test. ETS, the company that creates and administers the GRE, requires a minimum Verbal score of 151 and a minimum Quant score of 157.
The GRE is harder than most college admissions tests. The average LSAT score is a 154, and the average SAT score is a 1470. The GRE is also harder than the MCAT, which has an average score of a 521.
The GRE is more difficult than the GMAT. The average GMAT score is a 548, and the average GRE score is a 322.
The GRE is easier than the LSAT. The LSAT has a higher average score (159) and is an all-day, multi-day test.
The GRE is easier than the SAT. The SAT has a higher average score (1560) and is an all-day, multi-day test.
The GRE is similar in difficulty to the ACT. The ACT has a higher average score (25) and is an all-day, multi-day test.
The GRE is much easier than the LSAT, the SAT, and the GMAT.
The GRE is a half-day, computer-based test. The GRE is also a standardized test, unlike the ACT and the SAT.
Before we get into the details of why the GRE is so challenging, it’s important to note that the GRE is not an easy test. Even if you’re a math genius, you’re going to need to dedicate time to studying.
What’s the Difference Between an Easy Test and a Hard Test?
Are you wondering what makes a test easy or hard? What are the defining characteristics of an easy test versus a hard test?
If you’re taking the GRE soon, you may be wondering how to gauge the test’s difficulty level.
That’s a good question. Here are some factors to consider:
# of questions : Easy tests tend to have a smaller number of questions than hard tests. The GRE has 118 questions in two sections, while the GMAT has 52 questions in one section. The SAT, meanwhile, has 52 questions in one section.
# of questions : Hard tests tend to have longer questions than easy tests. The GRE has an average question length of 8.7 words, while the LSAT has an average question length of 17.3 words. The GMAT has an average question length of 9.3 words, while the SAT has an average question length of 14.2 words.
# of questions : Easy tests tend to have longer sections than hard tests. The GRE has two sections with 118 questions each, while the GMAT has one section with 52 questions. The SAT has three sections with 52 questions each.
# of questions : Hard tests tend to have more questions that are an average of 10 or more words long than easy tests. The GRE has 9.5 questions with an average of 10 or more words, while the LSAT has 8 questions with an average of 10 or more words. The GMAT has 2 questions with an average of 10 or more words, while the SAT has 10 questions with an average of 10 or more words.
