What's on the GRE®: The Complete Topic List

If you are building a study plan, one of the first things you probably want to know is: what do I actually need to learn?

That is a reasonable question. And the answer is more straightforward than a lot of people expect.

The GRE® tests three areas: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. The content itself is not particularly advanced. Most of the math goes through about a high school level. The verbal section tests reading and reasoning skills you have been building your entire life.

What makes the exam challenging is not the content. It is the way the questions are asked. The GRE® is a reasoning test dressed up in math and reading clothes. Understanding the topics is necessary, but it is not sufficient. You also need to learn how the exam tests those topics — which is a separate skill.

Think of this post as a map, not a syllabus. A syllabus tells you everything you need to learn. A map tells you what is on the test, where the traps are, and where to spend your time first.

We will walk through every section, list every major topic, and give you notes on where to focus your energy. Then we will point you to the next step.

The Three Sections

The Verbal and Quant sections are each split into two parts. The exam is section-level adaptive, meaning your performance on the first Verbal section determines the difficulty of the second Verbal section. The same applies to Quant.

You get an on-screen calculator for the Quantitative Reasoning sections. More on that below.

Total test time is about 1 hour and 58 minutes.

How to Use This List

Before we get into the topics, a quick note on approach.

Some people read a topic list like this and try to learn everything at once. That tends to lead to overwhelm and uneven preparation.

A better approach:

Step 1. Take a free PowerPrep Online practice test from ETS. This gives you a baseline score and shows you where your gaps are.

Step 2. Tag every miss as either a topic gap (you did not know the content) or an execution gap (you knew the content but made a mistake under pressure).

Step 3. Build a weekly loop: learn a topic, drill it, review your mistakes, then re-test.

This turns the topic list from a checklist into a diagnostic tool. If you want a full walkthrough of that process, our post on how to build a GRE® study plan that works covers it in detail.

Analytical Writing

The Analytical Writing section consists of one task: Analyze an Issue.

You will see a short statement on a general topic. Your job is to write an essay that takes a position on the issue and supports it with reasoning and examples.

You have 30 minutes. There is no spell-check or grammar-check in the testing interface.

ETS is looking for a few things here:

• Can you take a clear position on a complex topic?
• Can you support that position with relevant reasons and examples?
• Can you organize your ideas in a coherent, logical structure?
• Can you write in standard English at a level appropriate for graduate-level work?

They are not looking for length. A well-argued 400-word essay can outscore a rambling 700-word essay. They are not looking for specialized knowledge either. The prompts are designed so that any educated person can engage with them.

The essay is scored on a 0 to 6 scale, in half-point increments. For many programs, a 4.0 is fine. Some programs prefer to see 4.5 or higher. But the bigger win is writing clearly under time pressure — that is what most programs care about.

If this section feels less important than the other two, that is because it usually is. Graduate programs care about Analytical Writing, but rarely as much as Verbal and Quant. If you can write a clear, organized essay with a defensible position, you are in good shape.

Verbal Reasoning

The Verbal section is 27 questions across two sections. The first section has 12 questions and 18 minutes. The second section has 15 questions and 23 minutes.

There are three question types: Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension.

Text Completion (TC)

Text Completion questions give you a sentence or short paragraph with one, two, or three blanks. You choose the word or words that best complete the passage.

For single-blank questions, there are five answer choices. For two- and three-blank questions, there are three choices per blank. You must select the correct word for every blank to get credit. No partial credit.

The core skill is using context to determine meaning. The sentence gives you clues — sometimes subtle, sometimes not — about what kind of word fits each blank.

What makes TC challenging is that the answer choices are designed to be tempting. There is almost always a word that feels right but does not quite work. Learning to distinguish "feels right" from "is right" is most of the battle.

Vocabulary matters here. The GRE® does not test obscure words you have never seen, but it does test common words in uncommon senses. A word like "check" can mean "to stop" rather than "to verify." A word like "want" can mean "lack" rather than "desire." Those are the kinds of distinctions that show up.

Sentence Equivalence (SE)

Sentence Equivalence questions give you a sentence with one blank and six answer choices. You choose exactly two words that both complete the sentence and produce sentences that mean the same thing.

Like TC, there is no partial credit. You must pick both correct words.

SE questions test two things at once: can you find words that fit the blank, and can you find two words that create the same meaning? Sometimes the two correct answers are near-synonyms. Sometimes they are not — two different words can complete the sentence in ways that happen to produce equivalent meanings.

The trap on SE is that the test is set up to reward "one word that fits, then pick its closest synonym." That approach works sometimes, but it fails when the two correct answers are not synonyms. The better approach is to predict what kind of word the blank needs before looking at the choices. That way you are matching meaning, not just surface similarity.

Reading Comprehension (RC)

Reading Comprehension questions give you a passage and ask you several questions about it. Passages vary in length — some are a single paragraph, others are several paragraphs long.

The passages cover a range of topics. Science, humanities, social science, business. You do not need prior knowledge of any topic. Everything you need is in the passage.

Here are the question types you will see:

• Main idea — What is the passage primarily about?
• Supporting detail — What specific information does the passage provide?
• Inference — What can be reasonably concluded from the passage?
• Application — How would the author's reasoning apply to a new scenario?
• Logical structure — How is the passage organized? Why does the author include a particular detail?
• Tone and style — What is the author's attitude toward the subject?

Some RC questions are standard five-option multiple choice where you select one answer. Others ask you to select one or more correct answers from three choices. No partial credit on the multiple-select variant.

Some questions include a "select-in-passage" feature — you click on the sentence in the passage that fulfills a particular role. This format takes some getting used to, but the skill is the same as any other RC question.

The biggest challenge for most people is not understanding the passage. It is managing time while reading carefully enough to answer the questions accurately. There is real tension between speed and comprehension, and learning to handle that tension is a core part of verbal prep.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quant section is 27 questions across two sections. The first section has 12 questions and 21 minutes. The second section has 15 questions and 26 minutes.

There is an on-screen calculator. It can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and take square roots. It is not a scientific calculator — no exponents, no parentheses, no order of operations. You can use it, but for many questions, mental math or scratch work is faster.

The content covers math through about a high school level. There is no calculus, no trigonometry, and no advanced statistics.

Here is what you need to know:

Arithmetic

• Operations with integers, decimals, and fractions
• Order of operations
• Positive and negative numbers
• Even and odd numbers
• Prime numbers and prime factorization
• Factors, multiples, and divisibility rules
• Greatest common factor and least common multiple
• Fractions (adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, simplifying, comparing, converting)
• Decimals (converting to and from fractions, operations)
• Percents (calculating percentages, percent change, percent of a percent)
• Ratios and proportions
• Averages (arithmetic mean, weighted average)
• Descriptive statistics (median, mode, range, standard deviation concepts)

Algebra

• Variables, expressions, and simplifying
• Solving linear equations and inequalities
• Systems of equations (two variables)
• Quadratic equations (factoring, using the quadratic formula)
• Exponents (rules for multiplying, dividing, negative exponents, fractional exponents)
• Roots and radicals (square roots, simplifying, rationalizing)
• Functions (evaluating, substituting, interpreting f(x) notation)
• Absolute value
• Sequences and patterns (arithmetic and geometric sequences, finding terms)

Geometry

Unlike the GMAT® Focus Edition, which largely removed geometry, the GRE® still tests it. You should know:

• Lines, angles, and parallel/perpendicular relationships
• Triangles (properties, area, special right triangles, Pythagorean theorem)
• Quadrilaterals (rectangles, squares, parallelograms, trapezoids)
• Circles (radius, diameter, circumference, area, arcs, sectors)
• Three-dimensional figures (rectangular boxes, cylinders, spheres — volume and surface area)
• The coordinate plane (plotting points, slope, distance, midpoint, equations of lines)

Geometry on the GRE® is more about knowing properties and relationships than about complex computation. Many geometry problems can be solved with logic once you know the key relationships.

Data Analysis

• Basic probability (single events, combined events, complementary probability)
• Counting methods (permutations and combinations)
• Data interpretation (reading graphs, charts, and tables)
• Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode)
• Measures of dispersion (range, standard deviation, quartiles)
• Frequency distributions and histograms

Question Types

The Quant section uses four question formats:

Quantitative Comparison (QC)

You are given two quantities, labeled Quantity A and Quantity B. You must determine which is greater.

The answer choices are always: (A) Quantity A is greater. (B) Quantity B is greater. (C) The two quantities are equal. (D) The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.

QC is unique to the GRE®. There is no parallel on the GMAT® or most other standardized tests. The skill is not just comparing — it is knowing when you have enough information to compare. Answer choice (D) is correct more often than most people expect.

The trap on QC is that the test is set up to punish "it worked for one example, so it must be true." Testing values is a powerful strategy, but you need to test edge cases — zero, negative numbers, fractions between zero and one — to make sure your conclusion holds.

Multiple Choice (select one)

Standard five-option multiple choice. You pick one answer.

Multiple Choice (select one or more)

You are given three choices and must select all that apply. No partial credit. These tend to be harder because you cannot use process of elimination the same way you do with single-answer questions.

Numeric Entry

You type the answer into a box. No answer choices to guide you. These are less common but test whether you can solve a problem from scratch without the safety net of answer choices.

What Is NOT on the Exam

A few things people commonly worry about that they can ignore:

• Calculus — No limits, derivatives, or integrals.
• Trigonometry — No sine, cosine, tangent, or radians.
• Advanced statistics — No regression analysis, no hypothesis testing, no confidence intervals. Standard deviation is tested conceptually (understanding what it measures) but you will not need to calculate it by hand.
• Specialized knowledge — The Verbal section passages cover many topics, but you never need outside knowledge. Every answer is in the passage.
• Data Sufficiency — That is a GMAT® question type. The GRE® does not use it.
• Sentence Correction — Also a GMAT® format. The GRE® tests vocabulary and reading, not grammar correction.

Where to Focus Your Energy

If you are wondering where to start, here is a rough priority framework.

High priority for almost everyone

• Arithmetic fluency (even with the calculator, many questions are faster by hand)
• Algebraic manipulation (equations, inequalities, exponents)
• Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence strategy (predicting before choosing)
• Reading Comprehension active reading (finding the main idea before looking at questions)
• Quantitative Comparison process (testing values systematically)

Important but often underestimated

• Vocabulary building — not cramming word lists, but learning words in context
• Scratch work habits — this is not a content topic, but it drives scores more than most content topics do
• Translating word problems into algebra
• Geometry properties (many students skip this and lose easy points)

Lower priority (but do not skip)

• Probability and combinatorics (tested, but not heavily)
• Numeric Entry questions (less common, but the math is the same)
• Advanced Data Analysis (frequency distributions, quartile analysis)

The exact prioritization depends on your starting point. A diagnostic test will tell you where your gaps are. ETS offers two free PowerPrep Online practice tests that are the best starting point. If you have not taken one yet, that is the best first step.

If this list feels like a lot, that is normal. The topics are finite and manageable. The key is not learning all of them at once — it is learning them in the order that matters for your score.

For a full walkthrough of how to build a study plan around these topics, check out our post on how to build a GRE® study plan that works.

Want to learn even more?

If you are just getting started with GRE® prep, we have written guides for every stage of the process:

• How to start your GRE® studies — what to do on day one
• How to study for the GRE®: a complete guide — the full methodology
• What is a good GRE® score? — how to figure out your target score
• Is the GRE® hard? — what makes the exam feel difficult, and why that is normal

You can also visit us at thegrestrategy.com for more resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there geometry on the GRE®?

Yes. Unlike the GMAT® Focus Edition, which largely removed geometry, the GRE® still tests it. You should know lines, angles, triangles, circles, quadrilaterals, basic three-dimensional figures, and the coordinate plane. The emphasis is on properties and relationships more than complex computation. Spend a few study sessions on geometry fundamentals and you will be prepared for what shows up.

What math level does the GRE® test?

Through about a high school level. The content includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and basic data analysis. There is no calculus, trigonometry, or anything that would typically be covered in a college math course. The challenge is not the difficulty of the math — it is the style of reasoning the questions require.

Is there a calculator on the GRE®?

Yes. There is an on-screen calculator available during the Quantitative Reasoning sections. It can perform basic arithmetic and square roots. It is not a scientific calculator. For many questions, mental math or scratch work is faster than using the calculator. Knowing when to use it and when to skip it is part of good test strategy.

What is Quantitative Comparison on the GRE®?

Quantitative Comparison is a question type unique to the GRE®. You are given two quantities and must determine which is greater, or whether the relationship cannot be determined. The format tests reasoning as much as computation. Many QC questions can be solved by testing values, but you need to test edge cases — zero, negatives, fractions — to avoid concluding something is always true when it is not.

How does the GRE® differ from the GMAT®?

The GRE® tests Quantitative Comparison, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence — question types the GMAT® does not use. The GMAT® tests Data Sufficiency, Integrated Reasoning, and Critical Reasoning — question types the GRE® does not use. The GRE® is used for a much wider range of graduate programs, while the GMAT® is specific to business school. Both are section-level adaptive.

How many topics do I need to learn for the GRE®?

The topic list is finite and manageable. Most of the Quant content is material you encountered before college. The Verbal section tests reasoning and vocabulary in context, not memorizable formulas. Analytical Writing tests your ability to organize thoughts clearly. The real question is not how many topics there are — it is how deeply you understand the ones that matter most for your score.

Should I study all three sections at the same time?

Most people benefit from starting with Quant and Verbal, then refining Analytical Writing closer to test day. The essay does not require weeks of study — a few practice essays with self-review against the ETS scoring guide is usually enough. Building strong Quant and Verbal foundations first makes the most of your study time.

Does the GRE® have Sentence Correction?

No. Sentence Correction is a GMAT® question type. The GRE® tests vocabulary through Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence, and tests reading through Reading Comprehension. There is no grammar correction section on the GRE®.