Welcome to the GRE® practice test page! The links below will take you to our sample GRE practice tests. These GRE practice questions will give you a better idea of what to study for your exam.
If you need additional practice questions, get our GRE study guide, online course, and flashcards. Good luck with your studying!
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Top 5 Most Challenging GRE Questions
Now that you know more about the test, try your hand at some targeted practice!
Over the last year, we’ve compiled the data from about 25,000 test-takers. According to the data, around 70% of people answered these five questions incorrectly.
Answer each question and read through the answer explanation, whether you got the answer right or wrong. This will help you ensure you’ve got the topic mastered.
Whether you struggled with these questions or aced them on your first try, be sure to take the full practice test to get a better idea of how prepared you really are!
1. Select one answer choice for each blank.
It may seem (i) _______________, but your average citizen can claim riches under the sea if they discover a shipwreck. (ii) ______________ law, or the law of admiralty, is what dictates who has the right to discovered treasures such as (iii) _____________.
Blank (i) describes an average person claiming undersea treasure. Incredible, which means too amazing to believe, is a good fit. Incontrovertible means undeniable or certain, which does not fit with the contrasting word "but.” Inconsequential means unimportant.
Blank (ii) is the term for laws that apply at sea, which is maritime. Seafaring makes sense logically, but this term is not usually applied to laws. Likewise, captain’s law is not a standard term.
Blank (iii) is a kind of treasure. Bullion, which refers to precious metals, is a good fit; but bouillon is a kind of broth, and Boolean is a technical term used in computer science for a binary variable.
2. Compare Quantity A and Quantity B.
The sum of the measure of interior angles.
The sum of the measure of the exterior angles.
Since the figure for Quantity A is a quadrilateral with four sides, we substitute \(n=4\) into the formula:
\((4-2)\times 180°=2\times 180°=360°\)
Quantity B is also equal to 360° because the sum of the exterior angles of any polygon is always 360°.3. Select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning.
Civil engineers argue that the city storm sewer system is ill-equipped to handle the storm surge, and residents will need to be prepared to ________________ the damage caused by rising water.
4. Select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning.
The candidate went to every town hall and even door-to-door in the community to ______________ support for her campaign.
5. According to the population data displayed below, which town or towns show a linear model of growth? Select all that apply.
Study Strategies
Start with a GRE Practice Test
Before creating your study schedule, take a GRE practice test to establish a starting point. You don’t need to wait until you have memorized hundreds of vocabulary words or reviewed every math topic. At this stage, the goal is to identify where your preparation time will have the greatest effect.
Review your results by section and content area:
- Verbal Reasoning: Can you identify an author’s main point, understand the structure of an argument, make supported inferences, and determine how words and ideas relate?
- Quantitative Reasoning: Do you need more work with arithmetic, algebra, geometry, or data analysis?
- Analytical Writing: Can you develop a clear position, follow the specific instructions in the prompt, consider the complexity of an issue, organize your reasoning, and support your position with relevant examples?
Identifying those specific weaknesses will show you where to devote more attention during your study time.
Review Difficult Questions
After each practice session, review every question you answered incorrectly AND every question you guessed on or answered with low confidence. Guessing correctly does not necessarily mean that you have mastered the skill.
For each difficult question, determine which of the following caused the problem:
- You did not understand the underlying word, concept, or mathematical rule.
- You misunderstood the question or overlooked an important condition.
- You selected an answer that was plausible but not fully supported by the passage.
- You interpreted a word using its familiar meaning rather than its meaning in context.
- You focused on individual vocabulary words without determining the logic of the sentence.
- You used an equation or strategy that did not fit the problem.
- You treated a geometric figure as though it were drawn to scale.
- You made an algebra, arithmetic, unit, or calculator-entry error.
- You spent too long trying to solve one difficult question.
- Your essay did not directly follow the task instructions.
- Your essay stated a position but did not develop it with sufficient reasoning or examples.
Then, outline a specific plan for improvement based on what you discovered. In other words, don’t just say, “I need to study vocabulary.” Note that you need to practice using sentence structure and contrast clues to predict what belongs in a blank before reviewing the answer choices.
Similarly, replace “practice math” with a precise goal such as translating rate problems into equations, comparing quantities under multiple possible conditions, or interpreting boxplots and scatterplots.
Utilize Answer Explanations
Answer explanations are an underutilized studying resource. To take full advantage of them, read the explanation for every question you found difficult, including questions you answered correctly.
For each one, make sure you can confidently explain:
- Why the correct answer is correct
- Why each incorrect option is wrong
- What rule, concept, or skill is being tested
- How the same skill might appear in a different question
For Reading Comprehension questions, return to the passage and identify the exact language supporting the answer. Separate what the author directly states from what can reasonably be inferred. An answer may sound intelligent or agree with your outside knowledge while still going beyond the information provided.
For Quantitative Reasoning questions, solve the problem again without copying the explanation. Then determine whether another strategy would have been faster or more reliable.
Study GRE Skills, Not Individual Questions
Memorizing the answer to one GRE practice question will not prepare you for a new question that uses different vocabulary, subject matter, numbers, or logical relationships. Your goal should be to recognize and apply the underlying reasoning process.
For Verbal Reasoning, avoid your entire prep being a pure vocabulary memorization project. Vocabulary is important, but knowing definitions will not help enough if you cannot determine what the sentence means or how its ideas relate.
The exact questions on your test will be different from the ones you encounter during practice. If you can explain a skill without looking at your notes and then apply it correctly to a new question, that is a good indication that you have mastered it.
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GRE Online Prep Course
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Here’s what you’ll find in the GRE course:
- 70+ Review Lessons Covering Every Topic
- Over 600 GRE Practice Questions
- 300+ Digital Flashcards
- 270+ Instructional Videos
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Everyone learns differently, so we’ve tailored the GRE online prep course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for the GRE exam.
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FAQs
Q
What is considered a good GRE score?
A
There is no single GRE score that is considered “good” for every test-taker. A competitive score depends on the programs you are applying to, so review the admissions requirements and typical scores for each of your target schools.
Q
Can you use a calculator on the GRE?
A
Yes, an on-screen calculator is available during the Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE. You can’t bring your own calculator.
Q
Should you answer every question on the GRE?
A
Yes. Incorrect answers do not reduce your score, so it is generally better to make your best guess than to leave a question unanswered.
Q
How many times can you take the GRE?
A
You can take the GRE General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period. This limit applies even if you canceled the scores from a previous attempt.
Q
When will you receive your GRE scores, and how long are they valid?
A
Official GRE scores are generally available in your ETS account 8–10 days after your test date, and they remain reportable for five years.
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