GRE Test to get shorter from September 2023

The new GRE General Test will take less than two hours to complete – roughly half the time of the current test.

June 2, 2023 13:37 IST

In addition to test changes, test takers can expect to receive their official scores much faster, in just eight-10 days.

Educational Testing Service (ETS), the brand which owns English language proficiency tests – TOEFL and GRE has announced changes in the GRE General Test that will be implemented beginning September, 2023.

According to an official release, the new 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 release said.

The shorter GRE test will continue to provide test takers and institutions with the same valid and reliable scores. Registration for the shorter test is now open for test dates beginning September 22, 2023.

Changes to the test include:

Removal of the “Analyse 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 eight-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 release said.

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

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 prioritising the needs of test takers,” Kunal Dasgupta, admissions and financial aid, IIM Bangalore, said.