GRE Preparation That Starts With One Honest Question: Do You Even Need It?
Before we sell you a single coaching hour, our counsellors will tell you plainly whether the GRE is required, optional, or skippable for the programs you're actually targeting.
Reviewed by Unify Abroad's Test-Prep & Admissions Counselling Team · Last updated August 2026
What the GRE Actually Tests
The GRE tests Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing for US graduate programs, and a growing number in Canada and Germany. Since September 2023 it's been under two hours — noticeably shorter than the roughly four-hour test some seniors describe, so if someone tells you how long "the GRE" takes based on their own experience, it's worth asking when they took it.
What most test-prep pages won't say clearly: a large and growing number of US master's and PhD programs have made the GRE optional or dropped it entirely since around 2020. But "optional" doesn't always mean irrelevant — some departments and scholarships still expect a strong score to stay competitive, even when it isn't formally required.
The honest first step is checking, program by program, whether the GRE actually helps your specific application. We'll say "don't bother" when that's true — even though it means less coaching revenue for us — rather than push a test you don't need.
GRE Test Format, Section by Section
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing (1 essay: Analyze an Issue) | 1 | 30 min |
| Verbal Reasoning (2 sub-sections) | 27 | 41 min |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 sub-sections) | 27 | 47 min |
| Total | 55 | ~1h58m |
No unscored experimental section and no scheduled break — both were removed in the September 2023 redesign. The test is section-level adaptive, not question-by-question: your performance on the first Verbal or Quant section affects the difficulty of the second.
Understanding GRE Scores
Verbal and Quant are each scored 130–170 in 1-point steps; the Analytical Writing essay is scored separately, 0–6 in half-point steps. There's no single combined score. The same number can mean very different things per section — a 170 in Verbal is roughly the 99th percentile, while a 170 in Quant is roughly the 91st, because the applicant pool skews stronger in Quant.
| Score | Verbal percentile (approx.) | Quant percentile (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 170 | ~99th | ~91st |
| 165 | ~96th | ~80th |
| 160 | ~84th | ~50th |
| 155 | ~65th | ~30th |
| 150 | ~45th | ~14th |
Percentiles shift as ETS updates its comparison tables — verify against ETS's own interpretive data before publishing or quoting a specific figure. Quant-heavy fields at research universities often see admitted averages in the high 160s on Quant; less quant-intensive fields weight Verbal more. Treat any "good score" figure as directional, not a universal target.
Our GRE Coaching Process
Decide
An honest, program-by-program read on whether the GRE is required, optional, or skippable for the schools you're actually targeting.
Plan
A personalised study plan built around your real baseline and application deadlines — not a generic template.
Train
Section-wise coaching plus timed mocks, weighted toward wherever your target score gap is biggest.
Strategize
Score strategy and ScoreSelect guidance, so you send the right scores to the right schools.
GRE FAQs
What's the current GRE pattern?
What actually changed in the 2023 redesign?
Is the GRE required if a program lists it as "optional"?
What's a good GRE score?
How is the GRE scored?
How long are GRE scores valid, and what's the retake policy?
What does the GRE cost right now?
Is there any bias in whether Unify Abroad recommends the GRE?
Not Sure If You Even Need the GRE?
Talk to a counsellor who'll check your actual target programs and tell you honestly whether the GRE will help your application — before you spend weeks preparing for a test you might not need.
Talk to a Counsellor — Free