GRE Exam Syllabus & Pattern 2024: Section-wise GRE Format

GRE has made several changes to its test to improve the user experience and meet the demands of current business schools. 

The GRE Syllabus is split into three sections: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning. 
 

All the three modules are designed by keeping in mind what is most essential for a business and law programs.
 

GRE exam is now shortened, and can be completed in 1 hour and 58 minutes. Below is a breakdown of the same. 

GRE Syllabus and Pattern 2024

Sections	Test Duration
GRE Analytical Writing	30 minutes
GRE Quantitative Reasoning	Section 1: 18 minutes Section 2: 23 minutes
GRE Verbal Reasoning	Section 1: 21 minutes Section 2: 26 minutes

The verbal reasoning section is designed to understand your skills in:

 The verbal reasoning section consists of the following question types: Reading Comprehension, Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence.
 

Let’s understand them in depth. 

Reading Comprehension

This section aims to understand how well you’re able to analyse the given text and draw conclusions.  The passages here are derived from journals, and newspaper articles across many fields such as Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Social Sciences. 

The Reading Comprehension section of GRE syllabus consists of three question types: 

GRE Syllabus and Pattern 2024: Reading Comprehension Section

Question Type	Description
Multiple-choice — Select One Answer Choice	Choose the most relevant answer from the dropdown menu
Multiple-choice — Select One or More Answer Choices	Select one or more correct answers from the dropdown menu.
Select-in-Passage	Click on the most relevant word in the passage to answer the question.

Text Completion

Text completion type questions contains a passage with empty spaces. The fun part is you get to fill these blanks with the most appropriate words. These questions aim to assess your ability to select words or short phrases to fill in missing blanks in passages. 
 

You must use the information provided to you to choose the most suitable option, and create a meaningful passage.
 

Sentence Equivalence Questions

Sentence Equivalence questions, like Text Completion questions, test your ability to complete sentences based on partial information. However, in Sentence Equivalence questions, you have to choose two words that create a complete sentence with the same meaning. 
 

As the name implies, this section tests your skills in numbers. Math is an integral part of business and law courses.

Below is a breakdown of the topics covered in the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GRE syllabus. 

GRE Syllabus and Pattern 2024: Quantitative Reasoning Section

Math Topics	Description
Arithmetic	Properties of integers (divisibility, prime numbers), arithmetic operations, estimation, percent, ratio, decimal representation
Algebra	Exponents, factoring, equations, inequalities, coordinate geometry (graphing functions, equations)
Geometry	Lines, circles, triangles (isosceles, equilateral), quadrilaterals, polygons, 3D figures, measurements (area, perimeter, volume)
Data Analysis	Descriptive statistics, interpreting data in tables and graphs, probability, random variables, counting methods

Math scares most, but there’s nothing to worry about here because most of these concepts taught in high school. You just need to brush your knowledge! 
 

The Analytical Writing section is designed to understand whether you can weave complex ideas effectively. It evaluates your writing skills based on whether or not you can: 

This section does not, however, test your content knowledge. This means you don’t have to be a master of the topics given to you. You can simply write based on your understanding of topic.

This section contains only a single task called Analyse an Issue. 

You will be given all the instructions required to form your response. All you need to do is break the tasks down into digestible chunks, analyse it, and form your argument. Make sure to support your arguments with reason and evidence.