GRE Verbal Reasoning: format, question types and scoring
Updated 4 November 2026 · By the Dean Prep team
Verbal Reasoning is one of the three scored parts of the GRE General Test. It tests reading, vocabulary in context and reasoning about written arguments. Here is what it contains on the current, shorter GRE, and what each question type asks of you.
The format
| Verbal Reasoning | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | 12 | 18 minutes |
| Section 2 | 15 | 23 minutes |
| Total | 27 | 41 minutes |
The whole GRE General Test takes about 1 hour 58 minutes: Analytical Writing (one essay), two Quantitative Reasoning sections and two Verbal Reasoning sections. Verbal is adaptive by section: how well you do in the first section sets the difficulty of the second. Inside a section you can skip questions, mark them and come back.
The three question types
Text Completion
A passage of one to five sentences with one, two or three blanks. A one-blank question has five choices; two- and three-blank questions have three choices per blank. Every blank must be right to earn the point. These questions reward knowing what words mean precisely, and reading the whole passage before choosing.
Sentence Equivalence
One sentence, one blank and six choices. You pick the two choices that each complete the sentence and give it the same meaning. Both must be right. Two words can be near-synonyms and still give different meanings in the sentence, so the sentence decides, not the word list.
Reading Comprehension
Passages from one paragraph to several, on the sciences, social sciences, humanities and everyday topics. Questions come in three formats: choose one answer of five, choose all answers that apply (no partial credit), and select the sentence in the passage that does what the question describes. Reading Comprehension is roughly half of Verbal Reasoning.
Scoring
Verbal Reasoning is scored from 130 to 170 in one-point steps; Quantitative Reasoning uses the same scale and Analytical Writing is scored from 0 to 6. Scores are valid for five years. Programs often publish the averages of the students they admit; check the programs you are applying to.
How to prepare
- Learn vocabulary in context. Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence are about half the section, and both test words in sentences. Learn a set number of words each day and use them in questions at once. See GRE vocabulary: what to learn.
- Read actively every day. For each paragraph, say in a few words what it does and how it connects to the one before.
- Review every mistake. Know why each wrong choice is wrong, not just why the answer is right.
- Practise under time. 41 minutes for 27 questions is about 90 seconds a question; sentence questions should take less, so passages can take more.
- Take the official practice tests from ETS near the end, to see the real interface and timing.
A plan for 4, 8 or 12 weeks is in GRE Verbal study plan.
Taking the GRE outside the US
The GRE is taken by graduate applicants all over the world, for programs in the United States, Canada, the UK and Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, and it is offered at test centers and, in most countries, at home. Check the official site for the dates, fees and centers in your country.
Dean Prep works the same everywhere: one price in US dollars in every country, paid by card or PayPal, in English, in any modern browser and on Windows, iPhone and Android. Students in the US, Canada, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, the UK, Germany, France, the Philippines and elsewhere use exactly the same product.
Questions
How many questions are in GRE Verbal Reasoning?
27 questions in two sections: 12 questions in 18 minutes, then 15 questions in 23 minutes.
What is a good GRE Verbal score?
It depends on your programs. Scores run from 130 to 170; many competitive programs admit students in the 150s and 160s. Check the averages your programs publish.
Is there partial credit on GRE Verbal?
No. On Text Completion every blank must be right, on Sentence Equivalence both choices must be right, and on select-all Reading questions every correct choice must be selected.
How do I improve my GRE Verbal score?
Learn vocabulary in context every day, read actively, review every mistake until you know why each wrong choice is wrong, and practise under time.
Practise GRE Verbal with Dean's GRE
3,408 Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions, 450 Reading passages and 2,547 flashcards on 849 words, all original, with an explanation for every choice. Try the free version in your browser, no account needed.
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