Preparation · GRE

Prepare for the GRE.
In the right order.

Three exams, five sections. A concept-by-concept plan, built from your answers.

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  • Choose one test and keep your progress

New to the test? The GRE guide

Schools that accept it
152 programmes across 101 schools, whose admissions page mentions the GRE. Their inclusion does not imply a partnership. Schools that accept the GRE
The strategy, applied to the GRE

A question bank lets you choose. Upsilar tells you what to work on.

Upsilar’s three-step strategy, followed by a full-length GRE practice test.

  1. What should I work on?

    Every concept has a status.

    Your queue brings together the open topics in Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning; “ Recommended for you ” suggests the next one.

  2. In what order?

    Prerequisites unlock what comes next.

    Exploring a concept unlocks the next ones. Whether your answer is right or wrong, each response moves your plan forward.

  3. What about my progress?

    Your progress is saved.

    Pick up where you left off, with no required review or reset.

And on test day?

A mock exam to prepare for test day.

The four timed reasoning sections, just like test day; the essay is separate. Your results then show what to work on.

Test day · 1 hr 58 min

  1. Analytical Writing1 task · 30 min · separately
  2. Verbal Reasoning12 questions · 18 min
  3. Quantitative Reasoning12 questions · 21 min
  4. Verbal Reasoning15 questions · 23 min
  5. Quantitative Reasoning15 questions · 26 min

Analytical Writing always comes first; the four reasoning sections follow in variable order, with no scheduled break. This is one possible order.

Wherever you are starting from

  • The date is approaching

    Prioritize.

    Focus your first sessions on one concept to revisit.

  • You have time

    Build the foundations.

    Understand a concept, then practice the questions connected to it.

  • You’re retaking it

    Build on what you know.

    Review the approaches that still need work.

Methods

A strategy for every section.

Three sections, three ways to reason. For each one, see the method used in Upsilar’s preparation, followed by a worked example using it.

  • 3sections, scored separately
  • 5sections
  • 1 hr 58 minof testing, no scheduled break

Always first · one task, 30 minutes

Analytical Writing

Building an argument and supporting it coherently: what the task measures, according to ETS.

The method

  1. Read the instructions as closely as the claim.
  2. Prendre position, then qualify it.
  3. Save a few minutes to proofread.

The task

  • Analyze an Issue : an opinion on an issue and instructions for responding.
  • Scored from 0 to 6, separately from the two reasoning sections.

Upsilar does not score the essay: it is not included in the mock test.

The section guide Analytical Writing

A problem and the plan the method builds from it

A translation can never be as good as the original.

Write a response in which you state how far you agree or disagree with the statement and give your reasons. Support your position by examining cases in which the statement holds and cases in which it does not, and explain how those cases affect your view.

The plan, using the method

  1. The instructions. Neither a simple yes nor no: explain the extent to which you agree, using cases where the claim holds and others where it fails, and how they affect your position. It all turns on “ never ”: one strong counterexample is enough to disprove it.
  2. A nuanced position. Only partly. A poem built on sound and wordplay may lose some of its effect when translated. By contrast, imagine an instruction manual translated with every instruction preserved and just as clear as the original: that example is enough to challenge “never.” So clarify what “as good” compares: literary effect, accuracy of information, or clarity.
  3. The review. Save the last 30 minutes for revision: the conclusion should defend the same position as the introduction—only partly—and review each sentence visually, since errors are not underlined.

The pitfall Arguing only one side without explaining where the claim stops holding: the prompt asks to what extent you agree.

Two sections · 27 questions, 41 minutes

Verbal Reasoning

Analyzing a passage and the relationships between parts of a sentence and between words: what the task measures, according to ETS.

The method

  1. Predict before looking at the choices.
  2. Follow the structure words.
  3. Reread the completed sentence.

The questions

  • Reading Comprehension : questions about passages.
  • Text Completion : one to five sentences, one to three blanks.
  • Sentence Equivalence : one sentence, one blank, two answers to choose from six.
The section guide Verbal Reasoning

A worked example using the method

Although the committee’s report was praised for its thoroughness, its conclusions were surprisingly …: it offered few firm recommendations.

Choose two answers: each must complete the sentence, and the two sentences they give must mean the same thing.

  1. AtentativeCorrect answer
  2. Bemphatic
  3. CguardedCorrect answer
  4. Dexhaustive
  5. Ecomprehensive
  6. Fbelated

The method in action

  1. Read the whole sentence before the choices: “ few firm recommendations ” describes conclusions that make few strong claims. We predict “cautious.”
  2. “ Although ” contrasts those conclusions with the report’s praised rigor: the blank calls for the opposite of “ thoroughness ”. Tentative and guarded each produce this sentence; emphatic dit l’inverse, belated something else.
  3. Read in full, the two sentences mean the same thing: both A and C are correct, because ETS does not award partial credit.

The pitfall D and E: two synonyms that repeat “ thoroughness ” instead of announcing “ few firm recommendations ”. A pair of synonyms is not enough.

Two sections · 27 questions, 47 minutes

Quantitative Reasoning

Basic math concepts and the ability to model and solve problems, according to ETS. An on-screen basic calculator is provided.

The method

  1. Understand the question before calculating.
  2. Choose the shortest path.
  3. Check the answer before selecting it.

The questions

  • Quantitative Comparison : two quantities, four fixed answers.
  • Multiple-choice — Select One Answer Choice : five choices, one answer only.
  • Multiple-choice — Select One or More Answer Choices : select all the choices that apply, and only those.
  • Numeric Entry : no choices, the answer is typed on the keyboard.
The section guide Quantitative Reasoning

A worked example using the method

x is a nonzero number.

Quantity A x²

Quantity B x³

  1. AQuantity A is greater.
  2. BQuantity B is greater.
  3. CThe two quantities are equal.
  4. DThe relationship cannot be determined from the information given.Correct answer

The method in action

  1. The only given value: x is nonzero. Find a relationship between x² and x³ that holds for all these values, rather than a value of x.
  2. Mentally, a variety of numbers. x = 2: 4 versus 8, B is greater. x = −1: 1 versus −1, A is greater.
  3. Two allowed cases — x is nonzero — two different relationships: answer D.

The pitfall B, by trying only integers greater than 1: x³ is not greater than x² unless x is greater than 1. At 1, they are equal; for a negative value or a fraction between 0 and 1, A is greater.

The format of the GRE, according to ETS. The examples are written by Upsilar in the format of each section.

A question, then its review

The answer matters. The method matters more.

A question from Quantitative Reasoning, explained as on Upsilar: the strategy, steps, and the pitfall.

Quantitative Reasoning · Multiple choice Written by Upsilar
The average (arithmetic mean) of five numbers is 12. When one of the numbers is removed, the average of the remaining four numbers is 10. What number was removed?

Choose an answer.

The solution, step by step

Correct answer: D — 20.

The method

An average lets you recover a sum: multiply each average by its corresponding count, then compare the two sums.

The method in action

  1. The five numbers. Their sum is 5 × 12 = 60.
  2. The four remaining numbers. Their sum is 4 × 10 = 40.
  3. Conclusion. The removed number is 60 − 40 = 20. Answer: D.

The pitfall

Choosing A by subtracting the two averages, 12 − 10 = 2: they are based on different numbers of values.

Key takeaways

Average × count = sum: compare the sums.

Next · the Forge

Same method, new exercise.

The average of six numbers is 15. When one of the numbers is removed, the average of the remaining five numbers is 16. What number was removed?

This time, 10. 6 × 15 = 90 and 5 × 16 = 80, so the removed value is 10. It was below the average, which is why the average of the remaining values increases.

What you can evaluate us on

A method you can explain.

Clear principles, identified sources, and a guide that explains the test in detail.

01 · The model

A model that learns from every answer.

Your answers inform a Bayesian model that estimates your understanding of each concept and recommends what to work on next from the concepts unlocked by prerequisites. Your progress keeps track of the work you have done; it does not guarantee that you have mastered every concept you explore.

How the model decides
03 · The benchmarks

Understand the test before you prepare for it.

Test format, score, and rules: the GRE guide provides the key facts, based on ETS’s pages, and a reference sheet covers each section.

The GRE guide
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Frequently asked questions

Before you get started.

Five short answers. See the guide for the test itself.

Do I need to know the test before I start?

No. The GRE guide explains the test, scoring, and schools; on the platform, your queue shows you where to start. The GRE guide

How much time should I allow to prepare?

It depends on your starting point, test date, and available time. Start by identifying one priority, then adjust the pace of your sessions.

Is it free?

Yes. The free account covers one test, with progressive access to the curriculum and monthly quotas. Basic, Premium, and Pro are described on the pricing page, but subscriptions are not open yet. They include access to the full curriculum without unlock quotas, in prerequisite order. See pricing

Is the app available in French?

The interface is in English, as is the GRE itself. The website, guides, and section guides are available in French and English.

Do wrong answers lose points?

No: nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, and ETS recommends answering every question. The GRE guide

Prepare for the GRE

Start with one concept, then keep going in order.

Free account. Choose a test and keep your progress.

Start for free The GRE guide