GRE subject test is perfect for you if you think your academic strength lies in a particular subject. The test is organized by experts on various subjects to test the abilities of GRE candidates on specific subjects.
Questions from these subjects are set from titles that would be relevant to candidates in their PG programs, from what they’ve learned in their undergrad days.
Therefore, if you’re a prospective candidate for the GRE subject test, and you’re not sure of how it works, this article is for you. We will look holistically at the subject that forms the GRE subject test. We will help you understand how to register and pay for the test.
Before we get right into it, we need to know what GRE is all about.
What is GRE
According to Investopedia, the graduate record examination (GRE) is a standardized exam used to measure one’s aptitude for abstract thinking in the areas of analytical writing, mathematics, and vocabulary.
The GRE is commonly used by many graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada to determine an applicant’s eligibility for the program.
GRE tests can be taken from any one of the 16o countries that are eligible for it, in any of the centers, or from the comfort of your home. The test is usually computer-based but there can be exceptions where necessary.
What Are the Subject Tests?
The GRE® Subject Tests are a type of accomplishment test that assesses your knowledge of a certain subject area. Each Subject Test is designed for students who have completed an undergraduate degree or have considerable experience in one of the following fields:
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology
Read Also: GRE Test Format 2024: All You Need To Know
Which Schools Accept GRE Subject Test?
Thousands of graduate schools, as well as individual departments or divisions within numerous schools, accept GRE Subject Test scores.
To access the list of schools or departments that accept GE subject tests, click here.
Even if the results are not required for admission to a certain program, admissions committees are likely to take them into account if they are submitted. It’s essential to inquire about the criteria of the specific graduate school you’re interested in.
Who can take the GRE Subject Test?
The Subject Tests are taken by prospective graduate school applicants. The GRE Subject Tests give a common benchmark for comparing individuals’ qualifications, as they originate from a variety of educational and cultural backgrounds.
Admissions or fellowship panels employ GRE Subject Test scores to bolster your undergraduate records, recommendation letters, and other requirements for graduate-level studies.
Some Subject Tests generate subscores that can be used to identify strengths and shortcomings in a test taker’s preparation, as well as for counseling and placement.
What Are the Subject Tests?
The GRE® Subject Tests are a type of accomplishment test that assesses your knowledge of a certain subject area. Each Subject Test is designed for students who have completed an undergraduate degree or have considerable experience in one of the following fields:
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology
Graduate schools will take attention if you demonstrate your knowledge of a specific subject. By stressing your knowledge and skill level in a certain area, the Subject Tests can help you stand out from other applicants.
See Also: How hard is the GMAT exam?
How To Register For GRE Subject Test
The GRE Subject Tests are offered three times a year, in September, October, and April, in paper-delivered test sites around the world. A Subject Test can be registered online or by mail.
Online Registration
The first step in registering for GRE subject test is creating an account on ETS. If you’ve done this, you can then proceed to make payment through the numerous payment options available in your location.
For candidates from Nigeria, only Visa, PayPal, and voucher numbers are accepted.
Also, note that online registration is not available for people with disability or health-related needs. If you are disabled click here to see how you can be accommodated.
To start your registration, click here.
If this process is a bit tedious for you, you can consider using the mail registration process.
Overview Of The GRE Subject Tests
We will take a brief look at some of the subjects that you will encounter in the GRE subject test. This is to help you understand what is expected of you from these tests. This said the following are the subjects you are likely to encounter and their overviews as seen on www.ets.org.
- Chemistry test
- Physics test
- Mathematics test
- Psychology test
Chemistry Test Overview
Here’s what to expect in the Chemistry GRE subject test
- The test consists of approximately 130 multiple-choice questions.
- A periodic table is printed in the test booklet as well as a table of information presenting various physical constants and a few conversion factors among SI units. Whenever necessary, additional values of physical constants are printed with the text of the question.
- Test questions are constructed to simplify mathematical manipulations. As a result, neither calculators nor tables of logarithms are needed. If the solution to a problem requires the use of logarithms, the necessary values are included with the question.
- The content of the test emphasizes the four fields into which chemistry has been traditionally divided and some interrelationships among the fields. Because of these interrelationships, individual questions may test more than one field of chemistry.
- Some test takers may associate a particular question with one field, whereas other test takers may have encountered the same material in a different field. For example, the knowledge necessary to answer some questions classified as testing organic chemistry may well have been acquired in analytical chemistry courses by some test takers.
- Consequently, the emphases of the four fields indicated in the following outline of material covered by the test should not be considered definitive.
See Also: Best GRE Essay Examples for free samples.
Content Specifications
I. ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY — 15%
II. INORGANIC CHEMISTRY — 25%
III. ORGANIC CHEMISTRY — 30%
IV. PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY — 30%
Mathematics Test Overview
Here’s what to expect in the mathematics GRE subject test
- The test consists of approximately 66 multiple-choice questions drawn from courses commonly offered at the undergraduate level.
- Approximately 50 percent of the questions involve calculus and its applications — subject matter that is assumed to be common to the backgrounds of almost all mathematics majors.
- About 25 percent of the questions in the test are in elementary algebra, linear algebra, abstract algebra, and number theory. The remaining questions deal with other areas of mathematics currently studied by undergraduates in many institutions.
Content Specifications
The following content descriptions may assist test-takers in preparing for the test. The percents given are estimates; actual percents will vary somewhat from one edition of the test to another.
CALCULUS — 50%
ALGEBRA — 25%
ADDITIONAL TOPICS — 25%
The foregoing descriptions of exam topics should not be regarded as exhaustive; many other related ideas must also be understood.
Test takers should be warned that questions requiring only a basic understanding of precalculus can be exceedingly tough; in fact, such problems can be among the most difficult on the test.
In general, the questions are designed to examine not only knowledge recall, but also fundamental idea understanding and the ability to apply those concepts in a variety of contexts.
Read Is GRE easier than GMAT? to see which is easier.
Physics Test Overview
Here’s what to expect in the Physics GRE subject test
- The test consists of approximately 100 five-choice questions, some of which are grouped in sets and based on such materials as diagrams, graphs, experimental data and descriptions of physical situations.
- The aim of the test is to determine the extent of the examinees’ grasp of fundamental principles and their ability to apply these principles in the solution of problems.
- Most test questions can be answered on the basis of a mastery of the first three years of undergraduate physics.
- The International System (SI) of units is used predominantly in the test. A table of information representing various physical constants and a few conversion factors among SI units is presented in the test book.
- The approximate percentages of the test on the major content topics have been set by the committee of examiners, with input from a nationwide survey of undergraduate physics curricula. The percentages reflect the committee’s determination of the relative emphasis placed on each topic in a typical undergraduate program. These percentages are given below along with the major subtopics included in each content category. In each category, the subtopics are listed roughly in order of decreasing importance for inclusion in the test.
- Nearly all the questions in the test will relate to material in this listing; however, there may be occasional questions on other topics not explicitly listed here.
- The Physics Test administered beginning in April 2024 yields three subscores in addition to the total score: (1) Classical Mechanics, (2) Electromagnetism, and (3) Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Physics. The questions on which subscores are based are distributed throughout the test; they are not set aside and labeled separately, although several questions from a single content area may appear consecutively.
Content Specifications
- CLASSICAL MECHANICS — 20%
- ELECTROMAGNETISM — 18%
- OPTICS AND WAVE PHENOMENA — 9%
- THERMODYNAMICS AND STATISTICAL MECHANICS — 10%
- QUANTUM MECHANICS — 12%
- ATOMIC PHYSICS — 10%
- SPECIAL RELATIVITY — 6%
- LABORATORY METHODS — 6%
- SPECIALIZED TOPICS — 9%
Psychology Test Overview
Here’s what to expect in the Psychology GRE subject test
- The test consists of approximately 205 multiple-choice questions. Each question in the test has five options from which the test taker is to select the one option that is the correct or best answer to the question.
- Some of the stimulus materials, such as a description of an experiment or a graph, may serve as the basis for several questions.
- The questions in the Psychology Test are drawn from the core of knowledge most commonly encountered in courses offered at the undergraduate level within the broadly defined field of psychology.
- A question may require recalling factual information, analyzing relationships, applying principles, drawing conclusions from data and/or evaluating a research design.
- All GRE® Psychology Test editions given at Subject Test administrations adhere to the terminology, criteria and classifications referred to in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
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Content Specifications
I. BIOLOGICAL (17–21%)
II. COGNITIVE (17–24%)
III. SOCIAL (12–14%)
IV. DEVELOPMENTAL (12–14%)
V. CLINICAL (15–19%)
VI. MEASUREMENT/METHODOLOGY/ OTHER (15–19%)
The questions on which subscores are based are distributed throughout the test; they are not set aside and labeled separately, although several questions from a single content area may appear consecutively.
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