How long is the GRE?
The GRE General Test takes about 1 hour and 58 minutes. It has five sections: one 30-minute Analytical Writing task, two Verbal Reasoning sections (41 minutes in total) and two Quantitative Reasoning sections (47 minutes in total). That is 54 scored questions plus one essay, and the current format has no scheduled break. Before September 22, 2023, the test ran about 3 hours and 45 minutes.
Analytical Writing always comes first: one Analyze an Issue task in 30 minutes. Verbal and Quantitative then follow in any order. Verbal has 12 questions in 18 minutes, then 15 questions in 23 minutes. Quantitative has 12 questions in 21 minutes, then 15 questions in 26 minutes.
Verbal and Quant are adaptive by section. The first section of each measure is of average difficulty, and how you do on it decides how hard the second one is. Inside a section you can skip questions, mark them, come back and change answers. An on-screen calculator is there for Quantitative Reasoning.
Many prep books and older guides still describe the long test, with six sections and a 10-minute break after the third. If your book says the GRE takes close to four hours, it covers the old format. Its practice questions can still help, but take your timing and pacing from the current structure.
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing | 1 Issue task | 30 min |
| Verbal Reasoning 1 | 12 | 18 min |
| Verbal Reasoning 2 | 15 | 23 min |
| Quantitative Reasoning 1 | 12 | 21 min |
| Quantitative Reasoning 2 | 15 | 26 min |
| Total | 54 + 1 essay | about 1 h 58 min |
- 1Check that your prep material describes the shorter test: five sections, about 1 hour and 58 minutes.
- 2Learn the pace: about 1.5 minutes per Verbal question and about 1.75 minutes per Quant question.
- 3Practice the Issue essay in exactly 30 minutes, since it always comes first.
- 4Take full timed practice tests with no break, Analytical Writing first, as on test day.
- 5Review every miss and drill the question types and words that cost you points.
- 6In the last week, take one more full timed test to settle your pacing.