GRE quantitative reasoning syllabus

Quantitative Reasoning is 27 scored questions across two sections, 12 in 21 minutes and 15 in 26 minutes, with a basic on-screen calculator available throughout.

The mathematics stops well short of what the measure’s reputation suggests. Trigonometry, calculus and other higher mathematics are excluded, and you are never asked to construct a proof. The GRE General Test syllabus hub page covers the other measures.

Pattern

The full five section structure is below. Analytical Writing always comes first, and the two measures may then appear in either order.

Content areas and question types

Content areas

• Arithmetic

• Algebra

• Geometry

• Data analysis

Question types

• Quantitative Comparison, where two quantities are compared and you decide which is greater, whether they are equal, or whether it cannot be determined

• Multiple choice, select one answer choice

• Multiple choice, select one or more answer choices

• Numeric Entry, where you type the answer rather than choose one

• Data Interpretation sets, which group several questions around one shared table, graph or other display

Quantitative Comparison is the format with no counterpart in most Indian competitive exams, and the fourth option, that the relationship cannot be determined, is the one candidates underuse.

What is not in this section

• No trigonometry

• No calculus

• No higher mathematics beyond the four named content areas

• No proofs

• No penalty for a wrong answer

• No question level adaptivity within a section

How to spend the time

Learn Quantitative Comparison as a format in its own right. The question is which quantity is larger, not what either equals, so computing both in full is usually wasted effort.

Use the fourth option properly. Cannot be determined is correct whenever a variable can take values that reverse the relationship, and candidates who never pick it are leaving marks behind.

Use the calculator sparingly. It is basic, it is slower than estimating for most questions, and reaching for it by reflex costs more time than it saves.

Give the first section the steadier pace, since it selects the second. Twenty one minutes for 12 questions is the most generous per question rate in the measure. Browse the available GRE General practice papers.

Common mistakes

• Preparing trigonometry or calculus, neither of which is in the syllabus

• Solving both quantities in full on a Quantitative Comparison question

• Never selecting the cannot be determined option

• Reaching for the calculator on questions that estimate faster

• Leaving Numeric Entry questions blank, where there is no penalty

• Treating Data Interpretation sets as separate questions rather than reading the display once for all of them

GRE Quantitative against CAT Quantitative Ability

Frequently asked questions

How many Quantitative questions are on the GRE?

Twenty seven scored questions, across sections of 12 and 15.

How long is the Quantitative measure?

Forty seven minutes in total, being 21 minutes and 26 minutes.

What content areas are tested?

Arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis.

Is calculus in the GRE syllabus?

No. Trigonometry, calculus and other higher mathematics are excluded.

Is a calculator provided?

Yes, a basic on-screen calculator.

What is a Quantitative Comparison question?

One giving two quantities, where you decide which is greater, whether they are equal, or whether the relationship cannot be determined.

Are there proofs?

No. Constructing proofs is not tested.

Is there negative marking?

No. The raw score is the number of correct answers.

What is Numeric Entry?

A question type where you type the answer rather than selecting from options.

Is the measure adaptive?

At section level. Your performance on the first section determines the second.