GRE Exam Syllabus 2025: General and Subject Test Syllabus

More than 1,300 business schools worldwide, including Harvard, Stanford, MIT Sloan, and Yale, now accept GRE scores for MBA admissions. A high GRE score can strengthen your application.

The GRE exam holds three parts: Analytical Writing (one essay), Verbal Reasoning (reading tasks with vocabulary), and Quantitative Reasoning (math problems plus data tasks). Adjust your study plan to use your strong points and boost your results.

But what's the GRE syllabus? Should you focus on the GRE quant syllabus or verbal? Which one takes more time?

We'll answer all these questions! This blog by Yocket will tell you exactly what and how you need to prepare for the GRE test.

Key Highlights:

• The syllabus for the GRE General Test includes Analytical Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning.
• The duration of the GRE General Test is 1 hour 58 minutes.
• The topics covered in the GRE syllabus 2025 include mathematics, physics, and psychology.

GRE Exam Syllabus for General Test

The revised GRE syllabus now has three sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing, with a total of 55 questions completed in approximately 1 hour and 58 minutes.

In 2023, ETS introduced these major changes to improve efficiency, making the test less tiring while still effectively assessing preparedness for graduate study. Before 2023, the GRE layout remained largely unchanged from 2021 and 2022.

Here is an overall breakdown of the GRE general test syllabus and pattern:

GRE Verbal Reasoning Syllabus

This GRE verbal section assesses your ability to analyze written English, focusing on your understanding of complex sentences, vocabulary, and paragraph structure. While some may find it a breeze, others may require additional preparation.

The GRE syllabus for verbal reasoning includes vocabulary, sentence formation, grammar, and paragraph structures. The total score range for the GRE verbal reasoning section is 130-170 with a 1-point increment.

List of topics covered in the GRE verbal syllabus:

• Basic Sentence Structure: Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs
• Verb Tenses and Forms
• Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions
• Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Modifiers (Misplaced & Dangling Modifiers)
• Parallelism (including lists and comparisons)
• Sentence Clarity & Conciseness
• Prepositions & Prepositional Phrases

Here is an overview of the verbal reasoning section for the GRE test:

GRE Analytical Writing Syllabus

The AWA plays a significant role in determining your overall GRE score and is just as important as the other sections.

The GRE syllabus for analytical writing includes essay writing skills. This section has only 1 question, and you get 30 minutes to “analyse the issue.” You need to present a clear and detailed argument, explaining your topic. Here is a list of the skills for the GRE AWA section:

This section assesses your ability to think critically and analyze situations effectively. It evaluates your capacity to:

• Articulate and support complex ideas: Can you clearly express your thoughts and provide strong evidence to back them up?
• Construct and evaluate arguments: Can you build a logical argument and identify potential weaknesses in others' arguments?
• Sustain a focused and coherent discussion: Can you write in a well-organized and clear manner, staying on topic throughout the essay?

GRE Quantitative Reasoning Syllabus

The Quantitative Reasoning (Quant) section of the GRE assesses your proficiency in two key areas:

• Quantitative Ability: This includes your basic mathematical skills, such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. You will be tested on your ability to solve problems using these skills, including word problems.
• Quantitative Reasoning: This section goes beyond basic skills and assesses your ability to understand and interpret quantitative information. You may be presented with data in various formats, such as graphs, tables, and charts, and will need to analyze and draw conclusions from it.

The GRE syllabus for quantitative reasoning consists of two different sections, both of which are intended to assess your math and problem-solving abilities rigorously. Here's the factual outline based on the guidelines in effect at present:

• Section 1: 12 questions to be answered in 21 minutes.
• Section 2: 15 questions with a time limit of 26 minutes.

The GRE quant syllabus consists of the following topics:

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GRE Syllabus for Subject Test

GRE subject tests will be administered solely in a computer-delivered format. This change applies to all three tests: Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology.

Besides the GRE general test, which checks your verbal, quantitative, and analytical skills, you may select the GRE Subject Tests. These tests let you display your knowledge in one field such as Physics, Mathematics, or Psychology without separate parts.

GRE Test Formats

GRE format includes two versions: the general test and the subject tests.

The computer-based general test, sometimes available on paper, assesses your readiness for graduate school. It includes analytical writing tasks, verbal reasoning questions, and quantitative reasoning challenges, all completed in about 1 hour and 58 minutes.

In contrast, the paper-based subject tests evaluate knowledge in specific subjects like mathematics, chemistry, physics, or psychology. Each test follows a fixed format with set time limits.

Here is an overview of the test formats to give you a better idea:

Preparation Tips for the GRE Exam Syllabus

Specialists claim you need 4-6 months to learn the GRE materials completely. Leaders such as Yocket and Magoosh state this period lets candidates work on each section, take full-length tests repeatedly, or target weak points.

Well, here are some preparation tips to help you for your GRE exam syllabus:

• Split-up the syllabus: Divide your syllabus between difficult and easy topics so that you can give them time accordingly.
• Regular short quizzes: Take small GRE test quizzes regularly to check your accuracy.
• Be regular: Do not leave your preparation for even one day, study some part of it regularly.
• Daily revision: Even after you have completed all of the syllabus, make sure you revise all the topics properly.
• Mock test analysis: Analyze your mock test results to pinpoint your weak points and work on them.

Suggested: GRE Exam Books & Resources

From the Desk of Yocket

Preparing for your GRE can be very challenging and confusing if done without proper guidance. Did you know that more than 1 lakh students in India appear for the GRE test? But you don't have to worry about anything, with Yocket Prep you can rest assured.

With our professional team, you can not only complete your syllabus on time but also score more than 320 on your GRE test. So, what are you waiting for? Start your GRE prep today!