The GRE and Graduate Studies Abroad

Are you considering graduate-level studies? If yes, then studying abroad will be a life-changing experience you should take into account, as it will enable you to evolve academically, learn new skills, expand your network, and experience a different lifestyle as an international student.

In order to get admitted to an institution abroad, you need to meet particular criteria. Except for previous academic certifications, letters of recommendation, motivation letters, and language proficiency results, you can also consider providing a standardized test like the GRE (Graduate Records Examination).

Whether you are pursuing a Master’s, a Doctorate, a J.D. degree or even thinking about studying an MBA, the GRE for international students is a test that will test your knowledge, add extra value to your application, and help you gain admission to your selected business school or graduate program.

The GRE is not only accepted in the United States, so whether you are planning to pursue studies outside the US, for instance in the United Kingdom, Canada, or Germany among others, the GRE test is an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your skills.

How does the GRE work?

You can take the GRE test in more than 1,000 test centers existing in 160 countries, giving you at the same time access to more than 1,200 business schools. The test is computer-delivered or paper-based and is repeated on a continuous basis (every three weeks) for the majority of locations around the world and is valid for five years.

The cost of the test is $205 for most regions globally, although the cost is slightly higher for the following countries: Australia, India, Nigeria, Turkey, and China.

What makes the GRE for Master’s a great test option for you is its flexibility: After you receive your results, you can decide on which results to keep and which not. Plus, you can skip questions during the test and come back to them later or choose which questions to answer first. The GRE test duration is around 3 hours and 45 minutes and is divided into three sections: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Qualitative Reasoning.

• During the analytical writing section, you will need to prove your English language skills by providing sufficient argumentation to support the claims made on the questions, along with the ability to explain complex ideas more clearly. The section is divided into two smaller tasks: Analyze an argument and analyze an issue task.
• The second part refers to your ability to provide correct answers to the questions provided to you regarding reading comprehension and text completion tasks. The focus here is on the deeper understanding of meaning and the interrelations between words, sentences, and texts.
• The quantitative section evaluates your skills in problem-solving, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. It includes data interpretation, numerical and multiple choice tasks based on mathematical models.

If you are still in doubt whether to take the GRE examination and you want to find out more detailed information about the cost, registration, test centers, and examination sections, you can visit our comprehensive GRE guide.

In relation to the scoring, for the verbal and quantitative reasoning, the score ranges between 130–170 points, in 1-point increments. The analytical writing section is scored between 0-6 points, in half-point increments. What is more interesting about the GRE test is that through the ScoreSelect® option, you can select and give your best scores to the graduate schools.

Which countries accept the GRE Test

The GRE is considered one of the most widely used Master’s admission examinations not only in the United States, but also in other popular international student destinations such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany. Each country and institution follows their own desired GRE admission result for graduate admission, so make sure you contact the institutions of your choice for additional information.

In the following table you can find the number of universities and colleges that accept the GRE test for Master’s studies in the aforementioned countries and also the number of test takers of the GRE test:

Is GRE required for Master's in Canada and the US?

The vast majority of American colleges and universities require prospective students to take the GRE examination for Master’s studies, as it showcases the student’s ability in critical thinking, reading comprehension, writing, and numerical skills. In some instances of significant working experience and previous studies along with an exceptional GPA, GRE results might not be asked.

As a result, it is not surprising that prestigious universities like Yale and Harvard use GRE scores for admissions. It is important to note that some institutions like Princeton University have made the GRE test optional for graduate programs since the aim is to attract a wider range of students.

Canada has a similar focus as the U.S. on the GRE: GRE test results are required by the Canadian institutions for graduate-level admission. In fact, some universities like for instance McGill University or the University of Montreal require a good score in the test’s sections, as this is an indicator of academic performance in higher education.

The GRE Test for studies in the United Kingdom and Germany

Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, GRE scores are not necessarily required for Master’s admission. At the same time though, universities like the London School of Economics or University College London consider the GRE test as an essential element of a student application, especially if the student hasn’t received a previous undergraduate degree in the United Kingdom.

In Germany, GRE test results are not required for Master’s admission to universities. Keep in mind though that if your GRE score is good (i.e. a score of 315 or higher), this will be seriously taken into consideration and will probably boost your application, since German universities value academic scores and achievements.

Some of the highly-accredited universities that accept the GRE test in Germany are LMU Munich, Heidelberg University, and Humboldt University of Berlin.

GRE for Master’s: Opening doors for studying abroad

Is the GRE required for Masters in the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom? The answer is positive! Despite the fact that it is more extensively used for graduate admission in the US and Canada, more and more universities in Germany and the United Kingdom and also in a lot more countries value the GRE, as it is an indicator of a student’s qualifications.

Taking the GRE test and pursuing graduate studies in the US, Canada, Germany, and United Kingdom will be a life-changing study experience for your future career. In fact, all of them are included in the Top 10 Places to Study Abroad.

Regardless of the location of your future studies, the GRE exam will allow you to test yourself in various modules, show your strengths and gain admission to your dream graduate program!

Sources:

https://www.ets.org/gre