Last Updated on November 9, 2023
Test-takers just beginning their GRE study and those in the final stages of their test prep alike frequently wonder, are GRE practice tests harder than the real thing?
In fact, if you’ve spent any time researching the GRE, you may have read various claims online about the difficulty level of various aspects of the GRE or the GRE exam as a whole. For instance, you may have seen claims that the real GRE Quant is harder than the practice test version, claims about the difficulty of reading passages in practice tests vs. on test day, and so on.
So, in this post, we’ll address the reality behind practice test vs. actual GRE difficulty. We’ll also discuss some factors that can influence GRE difficulty from one test to the next. Additionally, I’ll provide some tips for ensuring that the practice tests you take — and the scores they yield — are as close to the real thing as possible.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Are GRE Practice Tests Harder Than the Real Thing?
- How Similar Are GRE Practice Tests to the Real Deal?
- Are the ETS GRE Practice Tests Scored?
- Key Takeaways
- What’s Next?
To start, let’s discuss what we actually mean when we ask, “Are practice GRE tests harder?” because that question can relate to two different things and thus have different answers.
Are GRE Practice Tests Harder Than the Real Thing?
One thing we have to keep in mind when discussing practice test vs. actual test difficulty is that GRE practice tests can come from two main sources: ETS, the official GRE test-maker, or test prep companies.
So, if you’re asking whether GRE practice tests are harder than the real thing, you could be asking, “Are the ETS GRE practice tests harder than the actual test?” or “Are the GRE practice tests from other companies harder than the actual test?”
There is actually a significant difference between these two questions and their answers. So, let’s tackle each separately.
KEY FACT:
GRE practice tests can come from two main sources: ETS, the official GRE test-maker, or test prep companies.
Is the GRE Easier Than the Practice Tests from ETS?
Whether we’re taking official practice tests from ETS or the actual GRE exam, there is one thing we can say for sure: no two GREs are exactly alike. In other words, you’re never going to see the exact same questions from one GRE to the next. After all, if the same questions appeared on some GREs, then test-takers retaking the exam would have a huge advantage over those taking it for the first time.
So, depending on the questions you see from one practice and/or real test to the next, what your current strengths and weaknesses are, and even just how you’re feeling that day, you may find one test somewhat easier or harder than another.
Nevertheless, ETS practice tests are not designed to be harder than the actual GRE. Rather, ETS provides full-length practice tests to give test-takers a realistic view of what to expect on test day. Thus, any increase or decrease in difficulty from practice tests to actual GREs is generally a matter of probability. On test day, you could happen to see questions that, given your GRE skill set, seem less or more difficult to you than those you saw on certain practice tests.
Additionally, test-day anxiety could make the actual GRE seem harder than practice tests, even though the questions you see are no more difficult overall. On the other hand, perhaps you’ll be so well-prepared from having taken practice tests before test day that your actual GRE will seem easier than those tests.
The point is, such variations in difficulty generally happen by chance, not by design.
KEY FACT:
Though each test varies, ETS practice tests are not designed to be easier or harder than the real GRE.
Older ETS Practice Tests May Be Slightly Easier
ETS practice tests are designed to mirror the overall difficulty of the actual GRE. That said, the GRE has changed somewhat over the years. So, older official practice tests (i.e., the two, free POWERPREP I tests) are slightly easier than current GRE exams, particularly in quant. However, the difference is by no means dramatic. Thus, those tests still provide valuable practice for the actual GRE.
Furthermore, the newer, POWERPREP II tests that ETS provides are on par with the overall difficulty of the current GRE. So, when you take any of those three tests, you’re getting a realistic picture of the actual GRE’s difficulty level.
KEY FACT:
The overall difficulty level of ETS POWERPREP II practice tests is on par with that of the actual GRE.
But what if you’re taking full-length practice tests from companies other than ETS? Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the difficulty level of those tests is comparable to that of the actual GRE. Let’s discuss.
Is the GRE Easier Than the Practice Tests from Test Prep Companies?
There are many unofficial full-length GRE practice tests out there offered by various test prep companies. The thing is, no one knows the “secret sauce” of the GRE algorithm except for ETS. So, no one else is going to be able to replicate the overall difficulty of a GRE exam as precisely as ETS.
Thus, full-length practice tests from a test prep company could be easier or harder than the real GRE. Of course, whether practice tests you’re using are easier or harder than the real GRE is something you’re much better off knowing before the big day! If you, unknowingly, were using Company X’s practice exams that are easier than the real GRE, you could score lower than you expected on test day.
Even practice exams that are consistently harder than the real deal are not necessarily a good thing. For instance, perhaps based on those unduly hard practice exams, you spent a lot of time studying advanced “tricks” that you don’t really need. Furthermore, perhaps you neglected some fundamentals that you do need. Or perhaps your pacing will be off during your actual exam because you calibrated it using unrealistic practice exams.
The point is, when you rely on full-length practice GREs from companies other than ETS, you take an unnecessary risk, one that leaves you vulnerable to an inaccurate perception of your readiness for test day.
Moreover, for most students, there is no good reason to take that risk. Let’s discuss.
TTP PRO TIP:
To get the most accurate view of your readiness for test day, stick with official practice exams.
Most Students Don’t Need Unofficial Practice Exams
Since ETS provides a total of five full-length practice exams, there really is no need for most students to take full-length tests from other companies. In other words, five practice exams should be plenty!
The thing is, many test-takers mistakenly use practice exams as their primary means of studying for the GRE. So, they do end up needing to turn to outside companies for more practice tests, because their GRE study is based on taking full-length tests. However, taking practice tests is not a good way to learn content.
Rather, it’s important to incorporate full-length practice tests into your GRE study strategically, at specific points during your test prep, for the purpose of accomplishing specific, score-enhancing goals. If your study plan consists primarily (or solely) of taking full-length practice exams, whether from ETS or other companies, you won’t get the full benefit of the exams.
Moreover, you’re unlikely to gain the knowledge you need to perform at a high level on the GRE. (If you’ve been relying on full-length practice exams to learn GRE content, check out this article on the best way to study for the GRE.)
KEY FACT:
In most scenarios, it’s unnecessary for students to need more than 5 full-length practice exams during their GRE prep. Thus, the ETS-provided exams should be sufficient.
So, let’s set aside practice GRE exams from companies other than ETS, since the reliability of those exams is questionable and highly variable. Moving forward, let’s assume that you will take only official practice GREs. With that in mind, how similar to the actual GRE can you really expect those official practice exams to be?
How Similar Are GRE Practice Tests to the Real Deal?
We’ve just learned that ETS designs its practice exams to mirror the overall difficulty of actual GRE exams. However, we’ve also learned that every GRE, whether an official practice exam or a real GRE, varies. So, how similar to the real deal can you expect your official GRE practice tests to be?
Let’s examine a few factors that affect how similar practice tests and real GREs are.
Test Format
One thing that you can expect to remain mostly the same on your ETS practice tests and your actual GRE exams is the test format.
For starters, whether you’re taking an ETS practice GRE or real GRE, you’ll always see the Analytical Writing section first. That section will always consist of one essay task that you have 30 minutes to complete. The remainder of every test will include two scored Verbal sections and two scored Quant sections. The first Verbal section will give you 18 minutes to answer 12 questions, and the second will give you 23 minutes to answer 15 questions. The first Quant section will give you 21 minutes to answer 12 questions, and the second will give you 26 minutes to answer 15 questions.
Now, where things vary somewhat is in the order in which the test sections appear. Although Analytical Writing is always the first section, the Quant and Verbal sections can appear in any order after that. So, the order may vary from one test to the next. For example, on some tests the first Quant section comes immediately after Analytical Writing. On others, the first Verbal section does.
The good news is that most students find these differences basically inconsequential. After all, regardless of those variations, you will still need to answer the same number of scored questions in the same amount of time on any GRE, practice or real.
KEY FACT:
The order of the Quant and Verbal sections can vary from one practice or real GRE to the next.
Test Presentation
Another bit of good news is that ETS practice exams look just like the GRE you see on test day. The presentation of on-screen instructions, the features and tools within the exam, and the way the test screens look is exactly the same. So, you will have ample opportunity to get comfortable with the look and feel of the GRE before test day.
(Keep in mind that there is a different check-in process for at-home GRE exams. So, the initial on-screen instructions for at-home exams may differ from those of official practice tests. Check out this article for a detailed comparison of the at-home vs. test center GRE.)
KEY FACT:
Official practice tests have the same on-screen look and feel of the actual GRE and the same on-screen features.
Question Types
As we already discussed, the specific questions you see on any official test — real or practice — vary from one test to the next. So, for instance, there is no way to predict the exact number of questions testing geometry concepts you’ll see on any given test. In fact, you’re likely to see a slightly different number on each test.
Furthermore, within geometry questions, there is no way to predict the exact number of questions dealing with parallel and perpendicular lines, or polygons, or volume you’ll see. Again, that number is likely to vary on each test.
The same goes on the Verbal side. For example, we can’t predict how many Reading Comprehension questions about the author’s opinion we’ll see on any given GRE, practice or real. That number could vary from test to test.
Nevertheless, as with the test format, there is a fundamental underlying structure to the question types that remains basically the same from test to test. In each Quant section, about half the questions are Quantitative Comparison. The other half are a mix of traditional multiple-choice and Numeric Entry.
In each Verbal section, about half the questions are Reading Comprehension. Those questions are split among roughly 2 or 3 passages and may include an additional Critical Reasoning question or two. The other half of the questions are fairly evenly split between Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence.
So, on a macro level, we do know the general question types we’ll see in each section. It’s at the micro level — the specific concepts the questions will test — that things become less predictable.
KEY FACT:
On any official practice test or real GRE, half the Quant questions are Quantitative Comparison, and half the Verbal questions are Reading Comprehension.
Test-Taking Environment
Unless you are taking the at-home GRE, in which case you can take your practice exams and real exam in the same location, using the same computer, one big difference between your practice and real GREs will be your test-taking environment.
The fact is, even if you take your practice tests in a quiet location outside your home, such as a library, there is no way to replicate the test center environment exactly. (That said, I do recommend taking your practice exams outside your home, to try to get as close as possible to the test-day feel.)
Now, while your practice test environment and the test center won’t necessarily be that similar, I don’t think that fact should make you overly concerned. For one, taking your practice tests in a quiet location outside your home really will help to at least somewhat simulate a test center environment.
Secondly, one of the skills you want to hone as you take practice tests is your ability to block out your surroundings and focus on the task at hand — finding the answer to the question in front of you. If you can sharpen that skill, then the difference between taking a test at, say, the library vs. a test center is unlikely to show up in your score (barring anything truly unforeseen, of course).
TTP PRO TIP:
Unless you’ll take the at-home GRE, take your official practice tests in a quiet location outside your home, to get as close as possible to the test center feel.
Are the ETS GRE Practice Tests Scored?
The short answer to the question of whether ETS practice tests are scored is, generally speaking, YES. However, the first free ETS practice test gives you the option to take the test untimed, in which case your test is not scored.
So, when you take practice test 1, you must select the timed option in order to receive a score.
TTP PRO TIP:
For ETS practice test 1, be sure to select the timed option, so your test is scored.
Now, let’s delve a little deeper into the similarities and differences between the scores you’ll receive on ETS practice tests and on the real GRE.
GRE Practice Test Score vs. Real Score
First things first, practice exams and real GRE exams use the same scoring algorithm and score scale.
However, GRE scores for the two free ETS practice exams include a Quant score and a Verbal score only. You will not receive an Analytical Writing score on those exams. (Nevertheless, complete the Analytical Writing section to get in the practice!)
On the three paid practice tests, you will receive test scores for all three sections — Quant, Verbal, and Analytical Writing — just as you do on real GREs.
KEY FACT:
The two free ETS practice exams don’t include an Analytical Writing score, whereas the three paid exams include scores for all three test sections.
Are GRE Practice Tests Accurate?
ETS practice tests use the same scoring algorithm and score scale as the real GRE. Thus, an ETS practice test score is a good representation of the score you’d likely earn if you sat for the real exam at that time. So yes, especially if we’re talking about the POWERPREP II exams, I’d say that ETS practice tests are pretty darn accurate.
Of course, there is one major caveat. If you do not make every effort to replicate realistic testing conditions when you take your practice exams, or you do not follow all of the test rules during those exams, you can’t expect them to yield accurate scores.
Additionally, we can’t predict exactly how test day will go, and off days do happen. For instance, your practice test scores could be an accurate representation of your current GRE abilities on an average day. However, if you barely sleep the night before your real exam, or you’re under the weather on test day, you may not perform at the level you normally would. While that possibility isn’t really a reflection of practice test accuracy, it is something to bear in mind.
Lastly, remember, there is no guarantee that practice test scores from non-ETS tests will reflect your real-world GRE skills. To get the most accurate GRE score, stick with official practice exams.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you don’t approximate realistic testing conditions and follow all test day rules when you take practice exams, you can’t expect to get accurate test scores.
Key Takeaways
- Official ETS practice tests are the most accurate full-length GRE practice tests you can take.
- Official ETS practice tests are designed to mirror the overall difficulty of the real GRE, not be harder or easier.
- From official practice tests to the real GRE, variations in difficulty generally happen by chance, not by design.
- There is no guarantee that full-length practice GREs from companies other than ETS will accurately replicate the difficulty of the real GRE. So, they may be harder or easier.
- It’s unlikely that most students will need to take more than the five practice tests that ETS provides.
- Replicate realistic testing conditions when you take your ETS practice exams, and follow all test-day rules.
What’s Next?
Having trouble staying motivated as you prepare for the GRE? These expert tips will keep you inspired.
Wondering what you’ll need to bring with you to the GRE test center? This guide will get you test-day ready.
