Graduate Record Examinations
GRE
The Graduate Record Examinations is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for many graduate schools in the United States and Canada and few in other countries. The GRE is owned and administered by Educational Testing Service. It is used for Admissions to masters and doctoral degree programs in various universities
The GRE is split into 6 sections: first an Analytical Writing section consisting of a 30-minute Argument Task and a 30-minute Issue task; then 2 sections each of Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning, with a final “experimental” section that is either Verbal or Quantitative reasoning. After the Analytical Writing section, the remaining sections occur in random order. Some tests also have an optional “research” section after the conclusion of the exam.
Skills Tested are Analytical writing, quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning
Exam Duration is About 3 hours and 45 minutes (includes 1-minute breaks after each section and a 10-minute break after third section)
GRE test fee in India is approx. 16500 rupee.
GRE General Test Pattern
| GRE Sections | No. of Sections | Duration |
| Analytical Writing | 1 section- two tasks | 60 minutes |
| Verbal Reasoning | 2 section- 40 questions | 60 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 2 section- 40 questions | 70 minutes |
| Unscored | Varies | Varies |
You get three scores on your GRE: An Analytical Writing score from 0–6, in half-point increments. A Verbal Reasoning score from 130–170, in 1 point increments. A Quantitative Reasoning score from 130–170, in 1 point increments.
2 Marking system in Quant minimum score is 130 and maximum score is 170. And in Verbal also minimum marks is 130 and maximum marks is 170. So in total minimum marks are 260 and maximum are 340.
We may retake GRE once every 21 days up to five times per year for the computer-based test.
GRE score is valid up to 5 years
GMAT
The Graduate Management Admission Test is a computer adaptive test intended to assess certain analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English for use in admission to a graduate management program, such as an MBA program.
Since, 16th April 2018, the Graduate Management Admission Council has shortened the GMAT exam 2022 by 30 minutes. Now, the exam is of 3 hours and 30 minutes including test instructions and breaks. The Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative sections were shortened by 13 and 10 minutes respectively. The Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessment along with the Score Preview and the optional break time remained the same. These changes do not have any impact on scoring in the shortened Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative sections as only the unscored items have been removed by the GMAC. GMAT has a feature that provides candidates with the flexibility to customize their GMAT experience by choosing the section order in which they feel most comfortable taking the exam.
GMAT Exam Pattern
| Sections | Number of Questions | Time Limit (mins.) |
| Integrated Reasoning | 12 questions | 30 |
| Quantitative | 31 questions | 62 |
| Verbal | 36 questions | 65 |
| Total | 80 questions | 187 |
SAT
The SAT is a university admission exam that is used by the majority of colleges and universities to make decisions about students. The College Board created and administers the SAT, a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper exam.
The intent of the SAT is to assess a high school studentsreadiness for college and to provide universities with a single point of comparison for all applicants.
College admissions deputies will look at your standardized test scores, high school GPA, courses you took in high school, reference letters from educators or mentors, recreational activities, admissions conversations, and personal essays. The importance of SAT scores in the college application process varies by school.
The SAT, ACT, or both are taken by the vast bulk of high school students in the spring of their sophomore year or the fall of their senior year. It’s critical to allow enough time to redo the test if you need to improve your score before applying to college. Every year in August, October, November, December, March, May, and June, the SAT exam is administered nationwide.
Most colleges and universities will accept SAT or ACT scores and do not prefer one over the other. Nonetheless, more college-bound students are taking both the SAT and the ACT.
Let’s have a better understanding of the pattern of the test. The composite SAT score ranges from 400 – 1600 and is a sum of the Evidence-based Reading & Writing score (200-800) and the Math score (200-800). The total duration of the test if you choose to attempt the Essay section is 4 hours, 5 minutes (with breaks).
Details of SAT General
| Duration | 3 Hours + 50 Minutes for Essay [Optional] |
| Questions | 154 |
| Language of Paper | English |
| Sections | Reading, Math, and Writing |
| Frequency | 5 times a year |
| Negative Marking | NA |
| Score Scale | 400-1600 |
SAT Structure
IELTS
IELTS stands for “International English Language Testing System,” and it is a test used to assess English language proficiency. It is recognized by universities and immigration officials in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Universities in the United Kingdom will not be able to make you a final offer unless you have a valid IELTS score.
IELTS is accepted by over 10,000 organizations around the world, including academic institutions, employers, government agencies, immigration authorities, and professional organizations.
The three-hour test is divided into four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Listening lasts 40 minutes, followed by reading and writing (one hour each) and speaking for up to 15 minutes.
IELTS comes in two varieties: General and Academic. When applying to universities, students must take Academic classes. If you are only taking IELTS for a visa application or to study at a lower level, the General test is appropriate. If you are uncertain, academic IELTS can be used for both study and immigration purposes. The structure for both exams is the same, with the reading and writing components in the General test being slightly easier.
A threshold IELTS score of 6 is typically required for an undergraduate degree, rising to 6.5 for postgraduate studies. A score of 7.0 is required for specialist courses such as medicine. However, each university and course is unique.
TOEFL
If you are an international student seeking to pursue an education in an English- speaking country, you may be required to take the TOEFL exam. TOEFL is an abbreviation for the official title of the test, Test of English as a Foreign Language. It evaluates your ability to communicate and understand English by evaluating your reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills. These are all skills that will be required to complete your academic research, and the test is used by institutions to make sure that students are capable of continuing and succeeding on their desired track in a country where the syllabus is taught in English.
Over 27 million people around the world have taken the TOEFL testing to ensure their English proficiency. Students intending to study at a university oversea and scholarship candidates, as well as students and workers trying to apply for visas and English- language learners monitoring their English progress, frequently take the test. Keep a keen eye on the necessities for university courses, as it will state whether the TOEFL is needed and the least grade needed to apply for the course.
TOEFL scores are accepted by educational institutions and government agencies in over 130 countries when contemplating applications for specific positions or courses.
Duolingo
Duolingo English Test Pattern include two sections- Adaptive test and video interview. The total test duration is 60 minutes. The adaptive test takes 45 minutes to complete and the video interview takes 10 minutes.
The Duolingo English Test is a computer-based online exam that is an English proficiency assessment designed for international institutions and students. Access to the test is available online, and there is no need to travel to any test center, as the exam can be taken from the comfort of one’s own home using a computer and a webcam.
The test is conducted to check the candidate’s ability in all four language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, similar to the traditional study abroad exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE. In this article, we will discuss everything there is to know about the test, from the Duolingo English test pattern to its important dates, which will assist you in preparing better for the test.
The test is administered via a computer-adaptive technology, which means that the difficulty level of the questions increases with every correct answer and decreases if the answer is incorrect. When the results are submitted, the test takers are also asked to go through a video interview and record their responses to open-ended questions and a writing sample, which will be sent to an institution along with the test taker’s proficiency score.
The test can be taken from home, and there is no need for a prior appointment. The Duolingo test pattern is such that the entire test lasts less than an hour, and the results are announced within 48 hours, which can be shared with several institutions.
Duolingo Test Pattern
The Duolingo English test pattern is planned and designed using Data Forensics and Artificial Intelligence technology to maintain the clarity of the test. The test lasts for one hour and is administered online in one go. The questions are written in such a manner that they assess the test taker’s analytical thinking and versatility.
The Duolingo English test pattern is divided into two sections: adaptive testing and video interviews, and is conducted all at once within 60-minute. The first 5 minutes of the test are an introductory section that gives the test takers a quick walkthrough of the Duolingo English test setup. All the rules and requirements of the test are explained. The time duration of the Adaptive test is 45 minutes and the remaining 10 minutes is for the video interview. Let us look at the sections of the Duolingo exam pattern.