Understanding GRE Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning Sections
It's great that you're showing interest in the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), a crucial test for many MS and PhD aspirants, especially those with a STEM background. In this article, we will explore the types of questions you can expect in the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE.
Overview of the GRE
The GRE test is designed to assess your analytical, verbal, and quantitative reasoning skills. It is scored on a scale of 260 to 340, with 260 being the minimum and 340 the highest possible score. In India, the GRE is only administered in a digital format.
GRE Sections Explained
The GRE test consists of three main sections: AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment), Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. Each section plays a vital role in determining your overall score.
AWA: Analytical Writing Assessment
The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section requires you to write two essays: an Issue essay and an Argument essay. Each essay is scored on a scale of 0 to 6, with the final score being the average of both essays. This section is designed to evaluate your ability to articulate and defend complex ideas effectively.
Verbal Reasoning
The Verbal Reasoning section is aimed at evaluating your ability to comprehend and analyze written material. This section is scored on a scale of 130 to 170 and typically consists of 2 or 3 scored sections, with a possible minimum score of 130 if you score 0 in this section. Here's a breakdown of the types of questions you can expect:
Critical Reasoning: These questions test your ability to understand the reasoning behind an argument and to draw logical conclusions based on the given information. Paradox: You will be presented with a statement that appears contradictory, and you need to address the paradox by choosing the most appropriate option. Strengthen and Weaken: In these questions, you are given a statement, and your task is to choose the answer that best strengthens or weakens the argument further. Boldface Sentence Completion: This type of question presents a passage with some words or phrases in bold and asks you to fill in the blanks with appropriate words or phrases from the options provided. 1/2/3 Blanks Sentence Equivalence: In these questions, you are given a sentence with one, two, or three blanks and are required to choose the correct word or phrase from the options to fill in the blanks, ensuring that the sentence remains logically coherent. Reading Comprehension: This section tests your ability to understand and analyze a given passage. Questions may ask you to identify the main idea, infer the author's intent, or draw conclusions based on the information provided.Quantitative Reasoning
The Quantitative Reasoning section evaluates your understanding of basic mathematical concepts and your ability to solve problems. This section is also scored on a scale of 130 to 170 and typically consists of 2 or 3 scored sections, with a possible minimum score of 130 if you score 0 in this section. Here's a breakdown of the types of questions you can expect:
Statistics: You may encounter questions involving mean, median, mode, and probability. Geometry: Questions related to shapes, angles, and spatial relationships. Coordinate Geometry: These questions involve points, lines, and curves in the coordinate plane. Speed and Distance Time: You may be asked to solve problems related to motion and velocity. Equations: Questions involving linear, quadratic, and other types of equations. Data Interpretation: This section tests your ability to read and interpret data presented in charts, graphs, and tables.Unscored Section
It's important to note that the GRE test includes an unscored section, which can be either a Verbal Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning section. This section is designed to help test administrators assess the quality of future test versions and does not count towards your final score.
Section Order
The GRE test consists of a total of 5 sections in the following order: V (Verbal), Q (Quantitative), V, Q, V or Q, V, Q. The extra Verbal or Quantitative section is the unscored one.
Conclusion
Preparing for the GRE requires diligence and strategic planning. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the types of questions and practice as much as possible to excel in the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections. By doing so, you will be better positioned to achieve your desired score and advance to the next step in your academic journey.