GRE Sample Questions with Answers and Explanations

Sriram Venkataraman

07/10/2026

7 min read

The GRE General Test has three measures: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning. The overall test time is about 1 hour and 58 minutes, according to the official ETS test structure. Below you will find sample questions of every type, each with an answer and a short explanation.

Looking for full-length practice rather than worked examples? Our free GRE resources collect practice material in one place, and the free GRE mock test gives you a timed full test.

Every question on this page is original. ETS’s own questions are copyright, so we have not reproduced them; for official practice, use the free ETS POWERPREP tests. Use our samples to learn how each question type works, then practise under time on a full test.

What does the GRE look like today?

This is the structure for tests taken from 22 September 2023 onwards, taken from the ETS test-structure page on 26 September 2026:

For how the sections are scored and ordered, see our GRE exam pattern guide.

GRE Verbal sample questions (with answers)

Verbal Reasoning has three question types: Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence and Reading Comprehension.

Text Completion, one blank. The researcher’s conclusions were far from ______; even her supporters admitted the data could be read in more than one way.
A) definitive  B) tentative  C) unpopular  D) original  E) lengthy

Answer: A, definitive. The second half says the data could be read in more than one way, so the conclusions were not settled. “Far from definitive” is the only choice that fits. “Tentative” is the trap: it describes the conclusions, but “far from tentative” reverses the meaning.

Text Completion, two blanks. Although the novel was initially (i) ______ by critics, who called it shapeless and dull, it is now taught in schools as (ii) ______.
Blank (i): A) dismissed  B) praised  C) translated
Blank (ii): D) a classic  E) a failure  F) an imitation

Answer: A and D, dismissed and a classic. “Shapeless and dull” tells you the critics were negative, so blank (i) is “dismissed”; “although” then signals that the later view is the opposite, and a book taught in schools is “a classic”. Without the critics’ words, “praised” and “a failure” would fit the contrast too, which is why real GRE sentences always give you a clue like this. Each blank is marked right only if both are correct: there is no partial credit.

Sentence Equivalence (choose two). The manager’s ______ approach to spending surprised staff who had expected cuts.
A) lavish  B) frugal  C) extravagant  D) cautious  E) thrifty  F) hesitant

Answer: A and C, lavish and extravagant. Staff expected cuts and were surprised, so the manager spent freely. You need two words that produce sentences with the same meaning. “Frugal” and “thrifty” are also a matching pair, which is exactly why they are there, but they give the opposite meaning.

Reading Comprehension.
Many cities once planted a single species of street tree because uniform avenues were cheap to maintain. The approach failed repeatedly: when a disease arrived, it could move from tree to tree along an entire avenue. Planners now aim for variety, on the principle that no single species should make up more than a small share of a city’s trees.

The passage suggests that planting a single species was risky mainly because:
A) uniform trees are more expensive to plant
B) one disease could spread through many trees
C) planners preferred variety for appearance
D) single species grow too slowly

Answer: B. The passage links the failure directly to a disease moving along an entire avenue. A contradicts the passage, which says uniform avenues were cheap, and C and D are never stated. For more on this question type, read our guide to GRE reading comprehension, and build range with our GRE vocabulary list. For an interactive way to drill those same words, try our GRE vocabulary app.

GRE Quant sample questions (with answers)

Quantitative Reasoning has four question types: Quantitative Comparison, multiple choice with one answer, multiple choice with one or more answers, and Numeric Entry. An on-screen calculator is provided.

Quantitative Comparison. x > 0.
Quantity A: (x + 2)²    Quantity B: x² + 4
A) Quantity A is greater  B) Quantity B is greater  C) The two quantities are equal  D) The relationship cannot be determined

Answer: A. Expanding, (x + 2)² = x² + 4x + 4. Subtract x² + 4 from both quantities and you are comparing 4x with 0. Because x is positive, 4x is always greater than 0.

Multiple choice, one answer. A jacket is marked down 20%, and the sale price is then reduced by a further 10%. What is the total discount on the original price?
A) 28%  B) 30%  C) 32%  D) 18%

Answer: A, 28%. The price becomes 0.8 × 0.9 = 0.72 of the original, so the total discount is 28%, not 30%. Successive percentage changes multiply; they do not add.

Multiple choice, one or more answers. If x is an integer and |x − 3| < 2, which of the following could be the value of x? Select all that apply.
A) 1  B) 2  C) 3  D) 4  E) 5

Answer: B, C and D. |x − 3| < 2 means x lies strictly between 1 and 5, so the integers are 2, 3 and 4. You must select every correct choice and no wrong one to get the mark.

Numeric Entry. The average of five numbers is 12. Four of them are 10, 11, 13 and 15. What is the fifth number?

Answer: 11. Five numbers averaging 12 total 60. The four given add up to 49, so the fifth is 60 − 49 = 11.

For the topics these questions draw on, see our GRE math guide.

GRE Analytical Writing sample question

Issue task (30 minutes). “Governments should spend more on public libraries than on large sports stadiums.” Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement, and explain your reasoning.

What a strong response does: it takes a clear position in the first paragraph, which can be a qualified one, such as agreeing for smaller cities but not for larger ones. It supports that position with two or three specific reasons and examples, deals with the strongest counter-argument, and ends with a conclusion consistent with the opening. Examiners reward a well-reasoned position, not a particular side. See our GRE Analytical Writing guide for how the essay is scored.

Where can you find official GRE practice papers?

ETS publishes two free full-length POWERPREP practice tests. They are the closest thing to the real exam, because they use retired official questions and the same timing.

Be careful with anything sold as a “GRE previous year question paper”. ETS does not publish past papers, so those collections are unofficial at best.

How should you use GRE sample questions in your preparation?

Sample questions teach you the formats; they do not tell you your score. Work through each type above until the format is familiar, then take a full timed test, then check where your score sits.

Take our free GRE mock test under exam conditions, then use the GRE score calculator to estimate your scaled score. Our guide to GRE total marks explains what the score range means for your applications, and the GRE free resources page collects the rest of our practice material.