GRE stands for the Graduate Records Examination; it is a multiple-choice and standardized test given by the Educational Testing Service. Colleges and Universities use the results of the GRE to help them decide which students to accept to their graduate programs. Therefore it is similar to the well-known SAT test except that the GRE is used for acceptance to graduate instead of undergraduate. The GRE is a computerized test that can be taken at authorized testing centers at virtually any time during the year.
The GRE is intended to test general abilities as opposed to specific knowledge about a topic, although a thorough grasp of less-common vocabulary is beneficial. Many people fault the GRE for failing to test for skills and knowledge that would provide better assurance of success in graduate school; despite the controversy, schools still rely on the GRE because it is one of the few widely-available standardized tests that allows them to compare all applicants on a single metric.
There are several sections of the test as shown below:
Mathematics
Problem Solving; traditional mathematical questions with multiple-choice answers
Quantitative Comparison; two mathematical formulas are given and the test-taker is asked to choose which one is greater, if they are equal, or if more information is required to make a determination.
Verbal
Sentence Completion; an incomplete sentence is provided and the test-taker is asked to choose which word or phrase completes the sentence best.
Analogies; the relationship between two sets of words is given and the test-taker is asked to choose another set that has a similar relationship.
Antonyms; a word is given and the test-taker is asked to choose the word that means the opposite.
Reading Comprehension; a reading selection is given, and questions are asked related directly to the passages.
Writing
Analysis of an Argument; an argument is presented, and the GRE-test-taker is asked to critique the argumentation.
Write an Argument; two issues are provided, and the GRE-test-taker is asked to provide a response supported by argumentation.