Always Included Sections:
* Verbal Reasoning: This section assesses your ability to analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it, analyze relationships among component parts of sentences and recognize relationships among words and concepts. It includes question types like:
* Reading Comprehension: Analyzing passages and answering questions about their content, arguments, and implications.
* Text Completion: Filling in blanks in sentences with the most appropriate words.
* Sentence Equivalence: Choosing two words that create sentences with equivalent meanings.
* Quantitative Reasoning: This section tests your basic mathematical skills and ability to apply them to solve problems. It includes questions on:
* Arithmetic: Operations with integers, fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios.
* Algebra: Equations, inequalities, functions, and graphs.
* Geometry: Shapes, lines, angles, areas, volumes.
* Data Analysis: Probability, statistics, and interpretation of data presented in tables and graphs.
Sections that Vary:
* Analytical Writing: This section is *always* included but its placement varies. It always consists of two tasks:
* "Analyze an Issue" task: You present your perspective on a given topic.
* "Analyze an Argument" task: You critique a given argument's reasoning and logic.
* Unscored Section (Research Section): This is a section used by ETS (the test maker) for research and development of future GRE questions. It might be Quantitative or Verbal Reasoning. You won't know which section this is during the exam, and it won't affect your score.
* Additional Scored Section (Rare): Very rarely, a third scored section may be included, but this is unusual. It could be either Verbal or Quantitative Reasoning. If you get this, it will likely be identified as a scored section.
In short, while the Analytical Writing section is always present, the order of and whether additional scored or unscored sections are included is variable and unpredictable. The consistently scored sections determining your final scores are Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning.