GRE Exam Guide and Preparation | Generated by AI
Question: How to take the GRE exam and how to prepare for it?
Answer:
The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is a standardized test mainly used for graduate school admissions (especially MS, PhD, MBA, some CS/AI programs). It is administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS).
1. GRE exam structure (current)
The GRE General Test has 3 sections:
| Section | Time | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing | 30 min | One essay: analyze an issue |
| Verbal Reasoning | ~41 min | Vocabulary, reading comprehension, logic |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ~47 min | Math (algebra, geometry, statistics, data analysis) |
Total time: about 1 hour 58 minutes.
Scoring:
- Verbal: 130–170
- Quantitative: 130–170
- Writing: 0–6
For CS/AI applicants:
- Quant: usually target 165–170
- Verbal: often 150–160 is acceptable
- Writing: 3.5–5.0 is common
2. How to register
-
Create an ETS account:
-
Choose:
- Test center (computer-based)
- Or GRE at Home (online proctored)
-
Pay exam fee:
- Usually around $220–230 USD (varies by country)
-
Choose score recipients:
- You can send scores to universities.
You can take GRE multiple times. ETS allows retakes roughly every 21 days.
Preparation strategy
Given your background (software engineer + AI/ML), the bottleneck is probably Verbal, not Quant.
A realistic timeline:
3 months preparation
Month 1: Foundation
Quant
You probably already know most math.
Review:
- Arithmetic
- Algebra
- Functions
- Geometry
- Probability
- Statistics
- Combinatorics
Resources:
- Official GRE Super Power Pack
- Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems
Goal:
- Finish all concepts
- Do untimed problems
Verbal
This is where most international engineers struggle.
GRE vocabulary is old-school academic English.
Example words:
- ubiquitous
- ephemeral
- pragmatic
- ambivalent
- corroborate
- exacerbate
- mitigate
Need roughly:
- 1000–1500 high-frequency GRE words
Tools:
- Anki
- Quizlet
- Magoosh GRE vocabulary
Daily:
30 min vocabulary
30 min reading
Read:
- Scientific American
- The Economist
- New York Times opinion
The skill is not just vocabulary; it is understanding dense arguments.
Month 2: Practice
Start timed practice.
Use official material:
Do:
Monday:
Quant practice
Tuesday:
Verbal practice
Wednesday:
Vocabulary review
Thursday:
Reading comprehension
Friday:
Essay
Weekend:
Full mock test
Track mistakes.
Example:
Question:
Why wrong?
Type:
Vocabulary
Mistake:
Didn't know "laconic"
Fix:
Add Anki card
Month 3: Exam mode
Take 4–6 full tests.
Target:
For AI/CS graduate programs
Competitive:
Quant:
168+
Verbal:
155+
Writing:
4.0+
Very strong:
Q170
V160+
AW4.5
Essay preparation
GRE essay is formulaic.
Structure:
Introduction
Paragraph 1:
Main argument
Paragraph 2:
Counterargument
Paragraph 3:
Example
Conclusion
You don’t need creative writing.
You need:
- clear thesis
- logical reasoning
- examples
A practical schedule for an engineer
Since you already code and work with AI, I would do:
Weekdays:
Morning:
30 min GRE vocabulary
Lunch:
20 min reading
Night:
45 min problems
Weekend:
3 hours:
mock exam + review
Total:
~8 hours/week
Over 12 weeks:
≈100 hours
Enough for a strong score.
For someone with your profile
Your likely score distribution:
- Quant: easy path → 165–170
- Verbal: main challenge → needs 3 months
- Writing: learn template → easy
The highest ROI:
- Vocabulary
- Reading comprehension
- Quant speed
Do not spend months relearning math.
References:
- ETS GRE official site: https://www.ets.org/gre
- ETS GRE practice materials: https://www.ets.org/gre/test-takers/general-test/prepare/practice-tests.html