Most Graduate Schools require applicants to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), a standardized test. The GRE, according to ETS, attempts to evaluate students' long-acquired abilities in verbal reasoning, numeric reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking. Specific types of algebra, geometry, arithmetic, and language make up the GRE's curriculum. At Prometric testing facilities, the GRE General Test is available as a computer-based test.
The weight given to GRE scores throughout the graduate school admissions process varies greatly between institutions and within academic divisions within institutions. A GRE score's significance can range from being only a requirement for admission to being a crucial selection criteria.