Now in half the time, GRE remains the most widely used measure of graduate readiness.

New Delhi, 01 June 2023 – Today, ETS announced that beginning this September, the GRE General Test will take less than two hours to complete – roughly half the time of the current test. This makes the GRE General Test the shortest and most efficient test among top graduate, business, and law school admissions. The shorter GRE test will continue to provide test takers and institutions with the same valid and reliable scores they have always counted on from ETS. Registration for the shorter test is now open for test dates beginning September 22, 2023.

Changes to the test include:

• Removal of the “Analyze an Argument” task in the Analytical Writing section.
• Reduced number of questions in the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections
• Removal of the unscored section

In addition to test changes, test takers can expect to receive their official scores much faster, in just 8-10 days. These changes mark the first of several planned future updates to the GRE General Test, all of which are intended to provide test takers with a better experience that values their time and reduces anxiety and fatigue.

“The changes we’re announcing today underscore the emphasis we place on keeping our customers at the center of all that we do,” said ETS CEO Amit Sevak. “As we continue to introduce product innovations, we’re committed to balancing two things – maintaining rigor and validity, while improving the test-taker experience.”

“At IIM Bangalore, GRE is one of the assessments for consideration. Look forward to the new version, which proposes a reduced test duration that reflect ETS's commitment to prioritizing the needs of test takers,” said Prof. Kunal Dasgupta, Admissions & Financial Aid, IIM Bangalore. “We congratulate ETS for adapting the GRE General Test to the current times while ensuring that it remains as reliable as ever for institutions and test takers alike."

Beginning in September, test takers can access official GRE test prep resources and practice tests designed for the newer streamlined test. Since the shorter test has the same question types (except for the removal of the Analytical Writing “Analyze an Argument” essay), test takers can continue to use the existing Official GRE Prep materials.

“GRE test was always known for its rigour and reliability. However, especially in current times, a long format assessment test is extremely stressful for students. A shortened GRE test will hopefully take away the stress on the students while maintaining the rigour and reliability associated with the GRE test.” said Mahesh Peri, Founder & CEO, Careers360. He added “India is a large and growing market for study abroad aspirants and this change will only encourage more students to apply for graduate programs across STEM, Management, and streams at international universities of their choice. I am happy that ETS is making this change to the GRE General Test. These improvements will help students in their education journey.”

The GRE will continue to be the most valid, reliable, and secure assessment of graduate readiness in the world, just in less time. The score scales will also remain the same, allowing graduate programs to easily compare performance across individuals who test before and after September 2023.

To learn more about these changes, visit www.ets.org/gre/shorter. To create an account, register for a test, access test prep resources and more, visit www.ets.org/mygre.

About the GRE General Test
The GRE® General Test is the world’s most widely used test for admission to graduate and professional programs, including business and law. It securely assesses the verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that are essential for success in most graduate-level programs. GRE scores are an essential part of holistic admissions because of their unique role in the application as the only research-based, fair, and objective measure of cognitive skills. Since first introduced, GRE scores have opened doors for those with fewer socioeconomic resources and educational opportunities than their peers, and they still serve this purpose today.