GRE Information

Depending on a department's admission requirements, applications to the Graduate School must include (when required) official reports of the General and Subject Tests of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). For information about required tests, as well as other supplementary materials to be submitted by applicants, please refer to individual departmental listings.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is offered as a computer-based test in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries; where computer-based testing is not available, paper-based tests are available. The GRE is designed to measure skills which students have developed over the course of their academic careers. It is not necessarily related to a single field or set of fields. The test is composed of three sections: analytical writing, verbal, and quantitative. Practice tests are available online at the GRE website, as are a number of other study resources.

The Advanced Subject tests are offered as paper-based tests and are given in eight areas: biochemistry, cell and molecular biology; biology; chemistry; computer science; literature in English; mathematics; physics; and psychology. This test measures achievement in specific subject areas and assumes an undergraduate major or extensive background in the particular discipline. As with the General Test, a great deal of information and a number of resources can be found at the GRE website. Additionally, when students register for the test they will be sent a practice test book with their registration materials.

Take the exam early enough to accommodate scoring and reporting times. At the time of the test, students can choose which schools should receive reports of their scores at no cost to the student. Brown applicants should send all score reports to the Graduate School; the GRE reporting code for Brown is 3094 (consult the list below for departmental codes related to subject tests). After students have received their scores, they may also request that the scores be sent to programs to which they are applying, though there is a fee for each report. Please be aware that this process may take several weeks to complete. If applicants are not satisfied with their test scores, they may take any of the tests more than once (though it is important to note that a student's entire score history will be reported to any university to which they send scores).

INSTITUTION REPORTING CODES

Brown University: 3094

Departmental Codes:

Please consult ETS's list for the appropriate department code for the GRE.