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If you’re looking ahead to graduate school, you may be wondering whether the standardized test used for most graduate school admissions, the GRE, is more difficult than the SAT, which is used for college admissions.
In this article, we’ll discuss the overall difficulty of the GRE vs. SAT and some key differences between the two exams that affect their difficulty.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Is the GRE Harder Than the SAT?
- GRE vs. SAT: Differences in Difficulty
- GRE vs. SAT: Key Takeaways
- GRE Difficulty: Should I Worry?
- What’s Next?
Let’s start by answering the question, “Is the GRE harder than the SAT?”
Is the GRE Harder Than the SAT?
On some level, yes, the GRE is harder than the SAT. After all, the GRE is for students seeking admission to graduate school, while the SAT is for students seeking admission to college. So, most SAT test-takers sit for the SAT in their junior year of high school, while most GRE test-takers have completed at least a couple of years of college, and many have earned a college degree.
KEY FACT:
Test-takers sit for the SAT in their junior year of high school, while most GRE test-takers have completed at least a couple of years of college or earned a college degree.
Will a test created for people at the college level be, generally speaking, more difficult than a test created for people who haven’t yet earned a high school diploma? In a vacuum, sure. We would expect as much, right? However, there are a couple of important reasons why comparing SAT vs. GRE in a vacuum doesn’t really tell us much about whether the GRE is more difficult.
SAT vs. GRE: An Apples to Oranges Comparison
One important thing to keep in mind when comparing the difficulty of the SAT and GRE is that we’re talking about two very different exams. Undoubtedly, there is some overlap between the concepts tested on the SAT and GRE. But even so, comparing the two exams is a bit like comparing apples to oranges. From the format of the exams to the types of questions you’ll see to the topics covered to the scoring algorithms, just about every aspect of the SAT and the GRE is different.
Since we can’t make a 1:1 comparison between the SAT and the GRE, any comparison of the difficulty of the exams is somewhat open to interpretation.
Comparing the two exams is a bit like comparing apples to oranges.
There is another key reason not to get too caught up in the fact that the GRE is generally considered more difficult than the SAT: you won’t be in high school anymore when you take the GRE.
You’re Not in High School Anymore
If you were taking the GRE in your junior year of high school, you might think that the GRE is a harder test than the SAT. However, you won’t be taking the GRE when you’re in high school. So, you will have gained the additional skills you need to perform well on the GRE by the time you sit for the GRE.
Remember, the SAT is designed for people with high school-level skills because it assesses college readiness. The GRE is designed for people with college-level skills, because it assesses graduate school readiness. So again, in a vacuum, we may be able to say that the GRE is harder than the SAT. However, you will have a higher level of educational attainment when you take the GRE. So, at that point, you will be up to the task.
KEY FACT:
By the time you sit for the GRE, you will have gained the additional skills you need to perform well on the exam.
With these points in mind, let’s talk about some of the differences between the SAT and GRE that may make one or the other test seem more difficult.
GRE vs. SAT: Differences in Difficulty
There are several differences between the GRE and SAT that may make either test seem more difficult than the other. Let’s look at each of these differences.
Exam Length
There is no longer an essay portion of the SAT, but the SAT is a longer exam than the GRE: 3 hours vs. roughly 1 hour and 58 minutes. (The 2024 version of the SAT is shorter, at only 2 hours and 14 minutes.) The GRE does have an essay portion, the Analytical Writing section.
So, you will need more stamina to sit for the SAT than for the GRE.
KEY FACT:
The SAT is a 3-hour test, whereas the GRE, which has an essay portion, is roughly 1 hour and 58 minutes.
Exam Structure
The structure of the SAT is predictable. The sections of the SAT always appear in the same order, Reading, Writing and Language, and Math, and the difficulty of the sections is fixed. (The 2024 SAT consists of a Reading and Writing section followed by a Math section. Each section contains two modules, and difficulty varies between modules based on your performance on the first module of each type.)
The GRE structure, on the other hand, is unpredictable. After the Analytical Writing section, which always appears first, the GRE Verbal and Quant sections can appear in any order.
Furthermore, the GRE is section-adaptive. So, your performance on the first Verbal or Quant section you see affects the difficulty level of the second Verbal or Quant section you see. For instance, if you perform well on the first Verbal section, the questions in the second Verbal section will be somewhat more difficult overall. Likewise, if you perform poorly on the first Quant section, the questions in the second Quant section will be somewhat easier overall. (And, importantly, easier questions are worth fewer points.)
KEY FACT:
Unlike on the SAT, GRE section order is random, and the section difficulty adjusts based on your performance.
Many people consider the random section order and adaptive testing of the GRE reasons that it is more challenging than the SAT. (The 2024 version of the SAT introduces adaptive testing between modules in the two sections)
The Math Section
One area where the SAT may be no easier–and possibly even harder–than the GRE is the math section. Both the SAT and GRE test basic concepts in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. However, the SAT also includes trigonometry, logarithms, and polynomial graphs. Those topics are not included in the Quant section of the GRE.
Furthermore, the SAT features one math section that does not allow the use of a calculator. On the other hand, the GRE allows the use of an on-screen calculator for all math questions. (The 2024 SAT will allow for calculator use for all math questions.)
Once again, however, the point you’re at in your educational career may affect how difficult each test seems. Since students take the SAT while they are in high school, studying math is part of their daily lives. Thus, SAT test-takers regularly use the math concepts that the SAT tests. In other words, students already have to know those concepts for their high school classes.
For many GRE test-takers, it has been years since they learned and regularly practiced applying the math concepts that the GRE tests. They may have graduated from college several years before taking the GRE. Furthermore, unless they majored in math or a math-heavy subject, math may not have been a big part of their college studies. So, their math skills may be rusty. Thus, GRE math may seem much more challenging than SAT math did.
So, there are multiple factors that go into the perceived difficulty of the Quant section of the GRE compared to SAT Math.
KEY FACT:
The Quant section of the GRE does not include trigonometry, logarithms, and polynomial graphs, which are included on the SAT.
GRE Verbal
The Verbal section of the GRE is generally considered more challenging than the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT. (the 2024 version of the SAT changes the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section to the Reading and Writing section)
For one, many GRE Verbal questions place a heavy emphasis on vocabulary knowledge. Thus, GRE test-takers generally need to learn hundreds of vocabulary words when preparing for the exam, a task that SAT-takers don’t have to worry about.
Furthermore, GRE reading passages are more complex than their SAT counterparts. Additionally, the questions associated with those passages require more advanced reading comprehension and critical-thinking skills than SAT questions.
All of that said, by the time you sit for the GRE, you will have significant experience with college-level reading and writing — far more than you had when you took the SAT. So, your skills will also be more advanced.
Although as a college graduate, you might look at SAT reading passages and think they seem fairly basic, perhaps as a high school student, the SAT’s focus on long reading passages felt exhausting. Perhaps you’ll find the generally shorter passages and greater variety of Verbal question types on the GRE more engaging, and thus easier to handle during an hours-long exam. (The 2024 version of the SAT eliminates long passages with multiple questions)
KEY FACT:
The GRE requires more advanced vocabulary, reading comprehension, and critical-thinking skills than the SAT.
GRE vs. SAT: Key Takeaways
When thinking about the difficulty of the SAT vs. GRE, remember the following:
- Although there are some similarities between the two exams, comparing the SAT and GRE is a bit like comparing apples to oranges.
- You will have gained the additional skills you need to perform well on the GRE by the time you sit for the GRE.
- The GRE is shorter than the SAT and has an essay portion.
- The GRE Verbal and Quant sections can appear in any order, and the GRE is section-adaptive.
- The GRE does not include trigonometry, logarithms, and polynomial graphs, topics that are included in SAT math.
- GRE Verbal places much greater emphasis on vocabulary knowledge than SAT Reading and Writing.
GRE Difficulty: Should I Worry?
Is the GRE harder than the SAT? In some respects, it may be. But in other ways, you may actually find the GRE easier. The main takeaway is that the exams are very different, and you will be at different points in your life when you take them. So, as long as you put in the time and effort you need to properly prepare for the GRE, you shouldn’t worry about whether it’s more difficult than the SAT.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you put in the time and effort you need to properly prepare for the GRE, you don’t need to worry about whether it’s more difficult than the SAT.
What’s Next?
Check out this article to learn more about how hard the GRE is., and these articles dive into how difficult GRE Verbal and GRE Quant are.
