GRE Reasoning Measures
The Quantitative Reasoning Measure has four types of questions:
- Quantitative comparison questions
- Multiple Choice Questions - Select an option
- Multiple Choice Questions - Select one or more options
- Numerical questions
In this computer test, you are allowed to use a basic on-screen calculator in both sections of the quantitative reasoning measure.
Quantitative comparison questions:
Description:
Questions like this ask you to compare two quantities, A and B, and then determine which of the following statements describes the comparison:
- Quantity A is greater
- Quantity B is greater
- The two quantities are equal
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
Multiple Choice Questions - Select an option:
Description:
These are multiple choice questions where you will be asked to select a single option from a list of five options.
Multiple Choice Questions - Select one or more options:
Description:
These are multiple choice questions where you will be asked to select one or more options from a list. The question may or may not specify the number of correct options. These questions are marked with squares next to the answer choices, not circles or ovals.
Numerical questions:
Description:
In questions of this type, you are asked to enter an answer as a whole number or decimal in a space or as a fraction in two separate spaces, one for the numerator and one for the denominator.
Time management:
Each of the two quantitative reasoning sections contains approximately twenty questions, and you have a total of thirty-five minutes to complete each section. Therefore, they average about one minute and forty-five seconds per question.
Reading comprehension
Reading comprehension questions include traditional multiple-choice questions, where you can choose from five possible answer options; a new variant in which one, two or three answers of the three options may be correct, and another type of question called "select in the passage", in which you must choose the phrase in a passage that fits a conceptual description (chosen by clicking anywhere in the phrase.)
Complete the text
Text completion questions include a passage made up of one to five sentences with one, two, or three blanks. There are three answer options for each blank space, or five answer options if there is only one blank space. There is only one correct answer, which consists of one choice for each blank. The question will not be scored with partial answers. Correct decisions depend not only on knowing the meaning of the words presented, but on being able to correctly understand the meaning of the sentences and the text as a whole.
Equivalent Phrases
Behind this title there is a variation of what we saw in completing the text, except that here we have a blank space in a single sentence, and out of six possible words to fill the space, two are adequate to give meaning to the sentence. You must choose both words correctly. The question will not be scored with partial answers.
Reading comprehension questions, of course, come in groups, with their corresponding text; Completing the text and the equivalent sentence questions are independent. ETS bases the content of the reading comprehension passages in the following areas, adapting material found in books and periodicals, both academic and non-academic:
- The physical sciences;
- Biological sciences;
- The social sciences;
- Art and humanities;
- Current topics.
Time management
Each of the two sections (Verbal Reasoning) contains 20 questions; you have a total of thirty minutes to complete the section. Therefore, they take an average of one and a half minutes per question - including the time to read the passages as well.
