Graduate record Examinations or the GRE is a mandatory test to be taken by students desirous of getting admission to any masters level program in the USA (other than a business related
program-MBA/Management). The GRE is also accepted / required by some universities in Canada.

The Graduate Record Examination is of two types- The General GRE and  The Subject GRE.

The general GRE is a Standardized test that measures Verbal, Mathematical and Analytical Writing skills. It is intended to help the graduate schools (of all fields other than business) assess the potential of applicants for advanced study. Nearly 300 universities in the US require GRE scores from each applicant. The GRE tests the fundamental skills - Reasoning and Comprehension included - and does not require any subject-specific theoretical study

The analytical writing section
Analysis of an issue ( choose one topic from two ) - 45 min
Analyze an Argument (no choice, only 1 topic will be presented) - 30 min
The analytical writing section tests the student's your critical thinking ability and analytical writing skills.

The verbal section ( 30 questions, Duration - 30 min )
The verbal section measures the student's ability to analyze the written material provided and evaluate it and synthesize information obtained from it.

The quantitative section ( 28 questions, Duration - 40 min )
The quantitative section measures the student's basic mathematical skills.

The experiment section ( Questions and duration - varies )

The GRE Subject Tests are designed to help graduate school admission committees and fellowship sponsors assess the qualifications of applicants in specific fields of study. The Subject Tests are offered in November, December and April. The test Fee is $150.

These Advanced Subject tests are offered as paper-based tests and are given in eight areas: biochemistry, cell and molecular biology; biology; chemistry; computer science; literature in English; mathematics; physics; and psychology.

A good score in GRE plays a key role in admission as well as in obtaining financial aid in the form of tuition waivers (partial/full). The higher the score, the brighter are one's chances with most US and Canadian universities. Maximizing the score thus becomes the key.

General information of GRE test

Website	:	www.gre.org
Type of test	:	Computer Based Test, for a maximum score of 1600
Number of sections	:	3 (Quantitative, Analytical and verbal) - 3 hours 30 minutes
Duration	:	3 hours 30 minutes
Fee	:	US $ 140 (General Test), $ 150 (Subject Test)
Taxes will be added where applicable. Fees are subject to change without notice.
DD favoring	:	GRE-ETS, payable at Princeton (NJ), USA

Score Reporting

To institutions	:	2-3 weeks
No. of tests	:	Throughout the year
Number of free score reports	:	4 to the universities and one to the applicant
Additional Score Report Fee	:	US $ 15 per report
Validity of Test Scores	:	5 Years
Decent Score Range	:	1100-1300

GRE Important Telephone No's:

Registration/General Enquiry Phone:
1-609-771-7670 Mon-Fri(8am-7.45 pm) EST. Except for US Holidays.
Fax: GRE-1-609-771-7906
Mail address:
GRE-ETS PO Box No 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000, USA
scores and/or Additional Score Reports by Phone:
1-609-771-7290 (6 am - 10 pm) EST 7 days a week.

Method of Registration

STEP-1: GETTING THE FORMS/BULLETINS
The first step in planning to register for any of the above tests is to obtain a Test Bulletin. The Test Bulletin, which is supplied FREE, can be obtained from the following sources:

Sylvan Testing Offices: - only in person you could visit the Sylvan testing office in your city and take a form from their office.

Alternatively, you may download the application form and bulletins From the website http://www.gre.org

STEP-II: REGISTRATION
The next step is Registration, which can be done in any one of the following ways:

1. By Mail: Fill-in the form (INTERNATIONAL TEST SCHEDULING FORM) and send the same, along with payment by DD (only in the form of U.S Dollars) directly to the Regional Registration Centers of Sylvan in Delhi.
The address is:
Sylvan Testing Services Pvt. Ltd.
Senior Plaza, 160-A, Gautam Nagar, Yusuf Sarai,
Behind Indian Oil Building, New Delhi-110049, India.
Ph: (011) 2651-1649 Fax: (011) 2652-9741

2. By Fax: Fill in the International Test Scheduling Form and fax the same to the Regional Registration Center - at least SEVEN DAYS prior to your first choice test date.

Note: You need to use your International Credit card, for payment in US $ only.

3. By Phone: This is usually the fastest way to register and you do not need a form to register by phone. Call the Regional registration centre in New Delhi (Phone No.: 011-26511649) at least 3 business days prior to your preferred test date. You will be given an appointment confirmation number, test date, reporting time and address of the test center.

Note: You will need an international credit card to register by phone and  you will need the following information to register by phone:

• First Name, Family name, Middle name of the applicant

• Complete mailing address of the applicant with pin code

• Date of Birth of the applicant

• A phone number where the applicant can be contacted

• An international credit card number and expiry date

• Full name of the credit card holder

Note:

• The lines are usually engaged because of the large number of calls that they get from all over the country. The only solution is to keep trying till you get through. There is just one number

• You do not need a passport to register for these tests. However, you will need a passport on the test day or you will not be allowed to take the test

• Please note that two forms of identification is mandatory on the test day, one of which must be your valid passport

• To ensure that you get a test date of your choice, register at least one to one and one half months before the required date and three months before for dates in January and March.