GRE Sample Papers

GRE Sample Papers for Practice

No Test prep is complete without solving some sample papers, GRE past papers and taking a few GRE full-length mock tests. After having understood the GRE test pattern and practiced sufficiently, it becomes extremely important to assess one’s progress by solving a few GRE sample papers. An online search will yield a number of sites offering GRE sample papers/tests. Some of these are full-length tests and others are based on the different types of questions found in GRE question paper 2024 . However, not all of these are authentic. Educational Testing Service (ETS), the organization that develops and administers GRE, provides two powerful tools for GRE Prep – POWERPREP™ Online and POWERPREP PLUS™ Online. Both these tools are best suited for self-evaluation and should be ideally used after preparing sufficiently well.

POWERPREP™ Online contains two free full-length timed practice tests that simulate the actual test. It includes all test features such as moving back and forth between questions, changing answers within a section, and the on-screen calculator. It provides scores for the Verbal and Quantitative reasoning sections it also provides the correct answers to the questions in the Quantitative and Verbal sections. The scored sample essays for the essay prompts help students to evaluate their performance. There is also one untimed full-length practice test 1 which provides correct answers to the GRE questions but does not provide scores to the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections.

POWER PREP PLUS™ Online provides two paid full-length tests with all the features that the free test provides. It generates scores for all three measures – Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing within minutes. Along with explanation to the correct answers, it also provides the difficulty level for each question and problem-solving strategies used to determine correct answers in Quantitative Reasoning measures.

The Princeton Review portal provides eight full-length tests that have all the test features that are available in the Power prep tests and they mimic the actual test quite accurately. Both GRE Quantitative and GRE Verbal Reasoning are section-level adaptive. The test also includes one experimental section which is an essential part of the actual GRE paper. The experimental section, which could be in either the Quantitative or Verbal Reasoning measure, is not included in the Power Prep tests. The addition of the experimental section in the Princeton Review tests helps in building the right mindset and stamina for the GRE. The comprehensive score report generated covers aspects such as –

• Time is taken for each question
• Weak and strong areas
• Solutions to the questions
• The usage of strategies
• Topic-wise and question type-wise analysis
• Analytical Writing score and tips.

These tests are best suited for self-evaluation at different stages of the test Prep and to work out strategies for score improvement.

Some of the strategies which a student should adopt while taking these sample papers/tests are as follows:

• The practice papers, including the GRE exam model paper, must be done in a timed manner only as the purpose is to gauge the preparedness at the various stages. The drills or the practice questions should be done without worrying about the clock ticking away. While learning concepts or practicing techniques it is better to slow down and focus on accuracy.

• As GRE is a section-level adaptive test the performance in the first section determines the difficulty level of the second section. In short, it is important to get as many questions correct as possible in the first sections of both the Quantitative as well as the Verbal Reasoning in order to get the second section of a relatively higher difficulty level than the first one. Within each section, all questions contribute equally to the final score.

• The scratch paperwork while taking the tests should be neat and organized. All important information must be jotted down on the scratch paper and mental calculations must be strictly avoided.

• It is important to maintain a diary to note down all the takeaway learning points and errors committed in the tests. An analysis of all the questions answered incorrectly is to be done immediately after taking the test. This will ensure that the mistakes are not repeated in the subsequent tests.

• Knowing the different types of questions and having a technique to handle them can ensure that the time is managed effectively throughout the test. Getting stuck in killer questions can cause havoc in managing time. So it is prudent to do all the easy questions first and ‘Mark’ and move the difficult ones to be done later.

Solving GRE sample papers/tests and solving GRE previous year papers will not only help the students gain confidence but also get rid of test anxieties. This help in building the right mindset for the actual GRE test.

GRE Test Structure and Content

GRE General Test is a computer delivered test. The test lasts 1 hour 58 minutes in total. Aside from practice materials, ETS, the exam’s governing body, also provides information and an overview of the Test, which candidates can access and learn about the exam’s format.

GRE Sample Paper Format 

Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing are the three components of the GRE paper. You will have 1 hour 58 minutes to complete the GRE exam question paper. 

1. Analytical Writing 

The GRE Analytical Writing section is the first section you’ll encounter on the exam. Through one 30-minute activity, this portion assesses your critical thinking and analytical writing abilities. The exercises are designed to assess your ability to explain and defend complicated ideas in writing. Analyze an Issue is the name of the task. The AWA is graded on a scale of 0 to 6, with half-point increments. The best way to prepare for this section is to go through some GRE AWA Samples. 

2. Quantitative Reasoning 

The Quantitative Reasoning component of the GRE exam paper assesses your ability to reason numerically and solve mathematical issues. Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, and Data Analysis are the subjects covered in this section. Multiple-choice Questions (Select One Answer), Quantitative Comparison Questions, Multiple-choice Questions (Select One or More Answers), and Numeric Entry Questions are the four types of questions asked in this section. This section’s scoring range is 130-170, with a one-point increase. Going through some GRE Quant Practice Test is the best way to prepare for this section. 

3. Verbal Reasoning 

The GRE Verbal Reasoning part assesses your ability to assess a written prompt and integrate the information gained. This portion tests your ability to discern relationships between sentence elements and between words and concepts. Text completion, reading comprehension, and sentence equivalence are the three sorts of questions. The Verbal Reasoning section is graded on a range of 130 to 170, with each point worth one point. GRE Verbal Practice Test helps students to get a gist about what is asked and what can be asked in this section.

What to Expect in a GRE Sample Paper?

A GRE sample paper should ideally reflect the types of questions you might encounter on the actual exam. It should also establish a similar setting so that students are mentally prepared for the exam and are aware of what to expect.

The Benefits of Solving GRE Sample Papers

If you’re intending on taking the GRE, working through multiple GRE exam sample papers.

• It can help you gain useful insight into time management, question styles, and other aspects of the exam, as well as help you improve your score.
• It acquaints you with the test pattern.
• It tracks your progress.
• It boosts up the confidence of GRE aspirants.

The GRE sample comes with many benefits.

The Best GRE Quant Practice Questions Must Fulfil the Following Criteria 

• They should be arranged in order of difficulty. 
• They should test you in the same way that a real GRE quant question would. 
• They should be formatted and styled similarly to real questions.

Quantitative Comparison Questions 

A variation of the following alternatives will be available for each quantitative question:

• The quantity A is larger. 
• The value of quantity B is higher. 
• Both quantities are the same. 
• The information provided is insufficient. 

The first three options clearly demand you to compare two quantities. Either one is greater than the other, or they are both equal. Examine the final option, ‘The information provided is insufficient.’ You should never make this decision hastily. 

Quantitative comparison questions make up over a third of the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GRE. As a result, a strong performance in this section is likely to boost your overall score. Each problem should take no more than a minute to solve.

Numeric Entry Questions 

These questions’ answers could be either an integer or a decimal. Fractions can be entered in two separate boxes, whereas integers and decimals can be placed in a single box. You won’t be able to make any decisions to help you. 

Be aware of the many measurement units that are in use (km or miles). If you have to round an answer to the nearest degree, do so.