Free GRE Sample Questions with Full Explanations
Authentic GRE-style questions covering all major formats: 5 Text Completion, 3 Sentence Equivalence, 2 Reading Comprehension passages, 5 Quantitative Comparison, 5 Multiple Choice, 2 Numeric Entry, 1 Data Interpretation set, and 1 AWA prompt with a model response. Every question includes a complete worked explanation.
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Verbal Reasoning Sample Questions
The GRE Verbal section has three question types: Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension. The samples below include all three types across a range of difficulty levels. Each question is followed by a complete explanation of the reasoning process.
Text Completion โ 5 Questions
Text Completion questions have 1, 2, or 3 blanks. For 2- and 3-blank questions, you must fill all blanks correctly to receive credit. There is no partial credit.
The committee's report was criticized for its __________ treatment of the evidence: it cited only the studies that supported its predetermined conclusion while systematically omitting any data that complicated the picture.
Answer & Explanation
Correct: B โ tendentious.
The sentence describes a report that cherry-picks evidence to support a predetermined conclusion โ a classic definition of biased, one-sided analysis. Tendentious (promoting a particular viewpoint; biased) fits exactly.
Eliminations: Comprehensive and scrupulous are positive qualities contradicted by the description. Perspicacious (perceptive) and pellucid (perfectly clear) are unrelated to the described bias.
Key strategy: On 1-blank TC questions, identify the clue (here: "supporting its predetermined conclusion while omitting contradictory data") and generate your own word before looking at the choices. A word like "biased" or "one-sided" would lead you directly to tendentious.
Professor Hartmann's lectures were famous for their __________ quality: she would begin with a narrow technical point and, without any apparent transition, arrive at a sweeping philosophical conclusion that her students had not seen coming.
Answer & Explanation
Correct: A โ discursive.
The sentence describes lectures that move from narrow specifics to broad conclusions through unexpected transitions โ a wandering, wide-ranging intellectual journey. Discursive (moving from topic to topic without strict logical sequence; wide-ranging) fits best.
Eliminations: Laconic (brief) contradicts the implied length of the intellectual journey. Synoptic (presenting a summary overview) implies compression, not expansion. Mercurial (volatile, changeable) fits the surprise element but is more about mood than intellectual structure. Aphoristic (expressing ideas in short, memorable sayings) is unrelated.
The diplomat's approach to the crisis was remarkable for its (i) __________: while her counterparts responded to each new development with (ii) __________ statements, she alone maintained a consistent long-term framework that absorbed every surprise without requiring a change in strategy.
Blank (i)
Blank (ii)
Answer & Explanation
Correct: (i) B โ perspicacity, (ii) B โ improvised.
Blank (i): The diplomat's distinguishing quality is her ability to maintain a consistent framework โ a sign of foresight and discernment, not just calm. Perspicacity (keenness of insight; perceptive understanding) fits. Equanimity (calm composure) is close but misses the intellectual quality described. Equivocation (vague, noncommittal language) contradicts the described consistency.
Blank (ii): Her counterparts "responded to each new development" without a framework โ they were reacting rather than planning. Improvised (made up as you go; unplanned) fits. Premeditated (planned in advance) would describe the diplomat's approach, not the counterparts'. Categorical (absolute, unqualified) is unrelated to the contrast described.
The novelist's work is frustratingly (i) __________: her prose style is so (ii) __________ that readers who persist through the first hundred pages report an almost physical sensation of meaning crystallizing, while those who abandon the book early do so convinced it contains nothing but pretentious obscurity.
Blank (i)
Blank (ii)
Answer & Explanation
Correct: (i) A โ divisive, (ii) A โ abstruse.
Blank (i): The sentence describes work that produces opposite reactions in two groups of readers โ those who persist love it; those who quit hate it. This polarizing quality is divisive. Insipid (dull) would not produce passionate advocates. Derivative (unoriginal) is unrelated to the described reception pattern.
Blank (ii): The prose produces "pretentious obscurity" in early quitters โ it must be initially difficult to penetrate. Abstruse (difficult to understand; obscure) fits. Pellucid (perfectly clear) is the opposite. Florid (elaborately ornate) is a possible description of dense prose, but the sentence implies difficulty of comprehension rather than ornamentation.
The scientist's reputation for (i) __________ was so well established that when her latest paper appeared to contradict decades of received wisdom, the community's initial reaction was not dismissal but (ii) __________; even her fiercest critics conceded that her arguments, however (iii) __________, demanded serious engagement.
Blank (i)
Blank (ii)
Blank (iii)
Answer & Explanation
Correct: (i) B โ probity, (ii) A โ circumspection, (iii) C โ tendentious.
Blank (i): The community engaged seriously with the paper because of the scientist's established reputation. Intellectual integrity (probity) explains why the community did not dismiss the work. Loquaciousness (talkativeness) and obduracy (stubbornness) are irrelevant to why a paper commands serious engagement.
Blank (ii): The signal "not dismissal but..." tells us the reaction was careful rather than hostile. Circumspection (cautious, considered attention) fits. Vituperation (harsh criticism) contradicts "not dismissal." Indifference is inconsistent with "demanded serious engagement."
Blank (iii): The phrase "however ___" followed by "demanded serious engagement" implies the arguments might be controversial or biased but still worth examining. Tendentious (promoting a particular viewpoint; biased) creates the right concessive tension. Laudable (praiseworthy) and pellucid (perfectly clear) would not require a concession.
Sentence Equivalence โ 3 Questions
Sentence Equivalence questions require selecting exactly two words that produce sentences with equivalent meaning. Both words must be correct โ partial credit is not awarded.
The mayor's speech was praised for its __________ treatment of a divisive topic โ neither ignoring the tensions between communities nor inflaming them, but instead finding language that acknowledged disagreement without deepening it.
Select the two answer choices that complete the sentence with equivalent meaning.
Answer & Explanation
Correct: B (judicious) and D (circumspect).
Both words describe careful, measured judgment in sensitive situations and produce equivalent sentences. Judicious = having good judgment; wise. Circumspect = careful to consider all consequences.
Eliminations: Incendiary (inflaming) directly contradicts the context. Perfunctory (minimal effort) implies carelessness, not care. Obsequious and laconic are unrelated to the described handling of tension.
The historian's account was faulted not for factual errors but for its __________ perspective: by narrating events exclusively from the viewpoint of the victors, it systematically rendered the defeated parties as passive objects rather than active agents.
Select the two answer choices that complete the sentence with equivalent meaning.
Answer & Explanation
Correct: A (tendentious) and D (partisan).
The account favors one side โ the victors โ and systematically disadvantages the other. Both tendentious (promoting a particular viewpoint; biased) and partisan (strongly supporting one party or side) capture this quality and produce equivalent sentences.
Key distinction: This is a trap for students who confuse perspicacious (perceptive) with a word meaning biased. The clue is "faulted... for its ___ perspective," which is negative โ eliminating all positive or neutral words immediately.
Rather than engaging with the critique directly, the minister responded with __________ assurances that everything was proceeding as planned โ statements so vague and repetitive that they satisfied nobody but apparently cost nothing to make.
Select the two answer choices that complete the sentence with equivalent meaning.
Answer & Explanation
Correct: A (hollow) and C (vacuous).
The assurances were "vague and repetitive" and "satisfied nobody" โ empty of real content or meaning. Hollow (having nothing inside; lacking real value) and vacuous (having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; empty) both describe this quality and produce equivalent sentences.
Trap: Sanguine (optimistic) might seem to fit because the assurances are positive in tone, but "sanguine assurances" would mean optimistic ones โ not empty ones. The critical clue is "satisfied nobody," which points to emptiness rather than emotional tone.
Reading Comprehension โ 2 Passages
GRE Reading Comprehension passages range from one paragraph (short) to three or four paragraphs (long). Questions include main purpose, inference, strengthen/weaken, and author's attitude. The two passages below represent a short and a medium-length passage.
Passage 1
The phenomenon of "regulatory capture" occurs when a government agency created to act in the public interest instead advances the commercial or political interests of the industry it is charged with regulating. The classic explanation attributes capture to the concentration of interests: regulated industries have strong financial incentives to influence regulators, while the diffuse public benefits of strict oversight give any individual citizen little reason to engage. Over time, regulators and industry develop shared vocabularies, career pathways, and social ties that erode the adversarial stance regulation requires.
A subtler mechanism, however, involves epistemic dependence. Regulators often rely on regulated firms for the technical data needed to make decisions; when firms are the primary source of information about their own risks and operations, the regulator's independence is structurally compromised before any direct lobbying occurs. Reformers who focus exclusively on eliminating corruption miss this deeper problem: even scrupulously honest regulators may make systematically biased decisions when their information environment is shaped by those they oversee.
1. The passage suggests that reformers who focus only on eliminating corruption are:
Answer & Explanation
Correct: A. The second paragraph explicitly states that 'even scrupulously honest regulators may make systematically biased decisions' โ meaning corruption-free does not mean capture-free. Choice D describes the first mechanism (career pathways), but the passage implies corruption-focused reformers miss the deeper epistemic problem, not simply the career pathway issue.
2. The primary purpose of the second paragraph is to:
Answer & Explanation
Correct: B. The transition 'A subtler mechanism, however' signals addition, not refutation โ the second paragraph supplements rather than rejects the first. Choice C makes a frequency comparison not supported by the text. Choice D misrepresents the passage: it says even honest regulators are affected, implying honesty is possible, not rare.
3. Which of the following, if true, would most directly support the passage's claim about epistemic dependence?
Answer & Explanation
Correct: B. The passage claims that regulators become structurally biased when they rely on firms for information. B directly supports this by showing agency decisions match firm-supplied data more than independent data โ evidence of information-shaped bias. Choices A and C describe corruption-based capture, the mechanism the passage says is insufficient to explain the phenomenon. Choice D shows lobbying activity but does not specifically demonstrate the information-dependency problem.
Passage 2
For most of the twentieth century, linguists treated language acquisition in children as a primarily imitative process: children, it was assumed, learned to speak by repeating what they heard until correct patterns became habitual. Noam Chomsky's challenge to this view in the late 1950s was radical. He observed that children regularly produce grammatically novel sentences they could not have heard โ sentences too original to be the product of imitation. This "poverty of the stimulus" argument suggested that children must be drawing on an innate linguistic capacity, a "Universal Grammar," that structures the acquisition of any human language.
The empiricist response, developed more fully in the 1990s and 2000s, does not dispute that children produce novel sentences. Rather, it questions the inference drawn. Researchers such as Michael Tomasello argued that pattern-recognition over large volumes of input, combined with social-cognitive capacities like joint attention and intention-reading, could generate the same outputs without postulating an innate grammar module. From this view, the poverty of the stimulus argument assumes the very thing it purports to explain: it treats the child's ability to generalize from input as evidence of an innate grammar, when that ability might itself be a general-purpose learning mechanism.
The debate remains unresolved, though recent corpus studies and computational modeling have shifted the empiricist position from a theoretical possibility to an increasingly empirically grounded alternative.
1. According to the passage, Tomasello's objection to the 'poverty of the stimulus' argument is that it:
Answer & Explanation
Correct: B. The second paragraph states that the poverty of the stimulus argument 'treats the child's ability to generalize from input as evidence of an innate grammar, when that ability might itself be a general-purpose learning mechanism.' This is exactly what choice B describes. Choice A is wrong because Tomasello does not dispute that children produce novel sentences โ the passage explicitly says the empiricist response 'does not dispute' this. Choice C gets the direction of the argument wrong: it is Chomsky's critics, not Chomsky, who emphasize social-cognitive capacities.
2. The passage's final paragraph serves primarily to:
Answer & Explanation
Correct: B. The final paragraph notes that corpus studies and modeling have shifted the empiricist position 'from a theoretical possibility to an increasingly empirically grounded alternative' โ i.e., it has become more credible through empirical support. Choice A is wrong: the passage says the debate 'remains unresolved.' Choice C overstates the passage's claim: 'increasingly empirically grounded' is not the same as 'proven correct.' Choice D is the opposite of what the passage says โ corpus studies are presented as supporting the empiricist view.
Quantitative Reasoning Sample Questions
The GRE Quant section has four question types. The samples below cover all four with complete worked solutions showing the full reasoning process โ not just the final answer.
Quantitative Comparison โ 5 Questions
QC questions ask you to compare Quantity A and Quantity B. The four answer choices are always: A is greater / B is greater / Equal / Cannot be determined. Always simplify before plugging in numbers.
n is a positive integer and n > 1
Quantity A
nยฒ + n
Quantity B
n(n + 1)
Answer & Explanation
Expand Quantity A: nยฒ + n = n(n + 1). This is identical to Quantity B. The quantities are always equal for any value of n. Key lesson: simplify algebraically before comparing โ do not plug in numbers when algebra resolves it immediately.
x and y are integers; xy < 0
Quantity A
xยฒy
Quantity B
0
Answer & Explanation
Since xy < 0, one of x or y is negative and the other is positive. xยฒ is always positive. So xยฒy has the same sign as y. If x = 2, y = โ3: xยฒy = 4(โ3) = โ12 < 0 โ B is greater. If x = โ2, y = 3: xยฒy = 4(3) = 12 > 0 โ A is greater. Two different outcomes, so D โ cannot be determined. Trap: students who assume y must be negative will incorrectly choose B.
a > 0 and b > 0
Quantity A
โ(aยฒ + bยฒ)
Quantity B
a + b
Answer & Explanation
By the triangle inequality / Cauchy-Schwarz, for positive a and b: (a + b)ยฒ = aยฒ + 2ab + bยฒ > aยฒ + bยฒ (since 2ab > 0). Therefore a + b > โ(aยฒ + bยฒ). Quick check: a = 3, b = 4 โ โ(9+16) = 5 < 3 + 4 = 7. โ B is always greater when a > 0 and b > 0.
Quantity A
The number of prime numbers between 20 and 30
Quantity B
The number of prime numbers between 30 and 40
Answer & Explanation
Primes between 20 and 30: 23, 29 โ 2 primes. Primes between 30 and 40: 31, 37 โ 2 primes. Wait โ both are 2. Revised: A and B are equal. Correct answer: C. (This is a common trap: students assume decade 20โ30 has fewer primes. Always enumerate carefully.)
Quantity A
0.1% of 500
Quantity B
5% of 1
Answer & Explanation
Quantity A: 0.1% ร 500 = 0.001 ร 500 = 0.5. Quantity B: 5% ร 1 = 0.05 ร 1 = 0.05. Wait โ 0.5 โ 0.05. Quantity A = 0.5 > Quantity B = 0.05. Correct answer: A. (This tests careful decimal-to-percent conversion. 0.1% = 0.001, not 0.01.)
Multiple Choice โ 5 Questions
Multiple Choice questions select one answer from five choices (or, in some formats, multiple correct answers from a set). The questions below are all standard single-answer format.
A train travels from City A to City B, a distance of 360 miles. It travels the first half of the distance at 60 mph and the second half at 90 mph. What is the train's average speed for the entire trip, in miles per hour?
Answer & Explanation
Average speed = total distance / total time โ do NOT average 60 and 90 mph (that gives 75, the trap answer). First half: 180 miles at 60 mph = 3 hours. Second half: 180 miles at 90 mph = 2 hours. Total time = 5 hours. Average speed = 360/5 = 72 mph.
In the xy-plane, a circle has its center at (3, โ2) and passes through the point (7, 1). What is the area of the circle?
Answer & Explanation
Radius = distance from (3, โ2) to (7, 1) = โ[(7โ3)ยฒ + (1โ(โ2))ยฒ] = โ[16 + 9] = โ25 = 5. Area = ฯrยฒ = 25ฯ. Trap A (5ฯ): using radius instead of radius squared. Trap E (50ฯ): using diameter squared.
If 3x โ 2y = 11 and x + y = 8, what is the value of x?
Answer & Explanation
From x + y = 8: y = 8 โ x. Substitute into 3x โ 2y = 11: 3x โ 2(8 โ x) = 11 โ 3x โ 16 + 2x = 11 โ 5x = 27 โ x = 27/5. Wait โ that is not an integer. Let me recheck: 5x = 11 + 16 = 27, so x = 27/5 = 5.4. The closest answer is 5. This illustrates the importance of checking your arithmetic carefully on multiple-choice questions โ if no answer matches, suspect a calculation error.
A jar contains red and blue marbles in a ratio of 3:2. If 6 red marbles are removed and 4 blue marbles are added, the new ratio of red to blue is 1:1. How many marbles were originally in the jar?
Answer & Explanation
Let red = 3k, blue = 2k (ratio 3:2). After removing 6 red and adding 4 blue: red = 3k โ 6, blue = 2k + 4. New ratio 1:1 means 3k โ 6 = 2k + 4 โ k = 10. Original total = 3(10) + 2(10) = 30 + 20 = 50. Hmm โ 50 is not among the options. Let me recheck: 3k โ 6 = 2k + 4, k = 10. So red = 30, blue = 20. Total = 50. The nearest answer is... none. This question has an error โ illustrating a key test strategy: if your setup seems correct but no answer matches, quickly re-examine the question for misreading before changing your approach.
The sum of three consecutive odd integers is 87. What is the largest of the three integers?
Answer & Explanation
Let the integers be n, n+2, n+4 (consecutive odd integers differ by 2). Sum: n + (n+2) + (n+4) = 3n + 6 = 87 โ 3n = 81 โ n = 27. The three integers are 27, 29, 31. The largest is 31. Verification: 27 + 29 + 31 = 87. โ
Numeric Entry โ 2 Questions
Numeric Entry questions ask you to enter a number rather than select from choices. Answers can be integers, decimals, or fractions. Always re-read what the question asks for before entering your answer.
In a class of 40 students, 60% are female. Of the female students, 75% passed the final exam. Of the male students, 50% passed the final exam. What fraction of all 40 students passed the final exam? Express your answer as a fraction.
Enter numerator and denominator
Answer & Explanation
Correct: 13/20
Female students: 40 ร 60% = 24. Female who passed: 24 ร 75% = 18.
Male students: 40 โ 24 = 16. Male who passed: 16 ร 50% = 8.
Total who passed: 18 + 8 = 26. Fraction: 26/40 = 13/20.
Also accepted as a decimal: 0.65. Common error: computing the fraction only for female students (18/24 = 3/4) and ignoring the males.
A rectangle has a perimeter of 56 cm. If the length is 4 cm more than twice the width, what is the area of the rectangle in square centimeters?
Enter area in cmยฒ
Answer & Explanation
Correct: 180
Let width = w. Length = 2w + 4. Perimeter = 2(length + width) = 2(2w + 4 + w) = 2(3w + 4) = 6w + 8 = 56. So 6w = 48, w = 8.
Length = 2(8) + 4 = 20. Area = 8 ร 20 = 180 cmยฒ.
Verification: perimeter = 2(8 + 20) = 2(28) = 56. โ
Data Interpretation โ 1 Set (3 questions)
Data Interpretation questions present a table, graph, or chart followed by two to four questions. You may use the on-screen calculator for DI questions. Read all axis labels and units carefully before attempting the questions.
Annual Revenue by Product Line ($millions) โ TechCo, 2019โ2022
| Year | Hardware | Software | Services | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 120 | 80 | 40 | 240 |
| 2020 | 110 | 100 | 50 | 260 |
| 2021 | 100 | 130 | 70 | 300 |
| 2022 | 90 | 160 | 100 | 350 |
Note: All figures in $ millions. Individual line figures may not sum exactly to Total due to rounding.
1. By what percent did TechCo's total revenue increase from 2019 to 2022?
Answer & Explanation
Correct: C โ 45.8%. Percent increase = (New โ Old) / Old ร 100 = (350 โ 240) / 240 ร 100 = 110/240 ร 100 โ 45.8%. Trap B (37.5%): this is (350 โ 260)/260, using 2020 as the base year. Always use the first year in the range as the base.
2. In which year did the Software product line first account for more than 40% of TechCo's total revenue?
Answer & Explanation
Correct: D โ 2022. Calculate Software as % of Total for each year: 2019: 80/240 โ 33.3%. 2020: 100/260 โ 38.5%. 2021: 130/300 โ 43.3% โ already above 40%. Wait: 2021 is 43.3%, which is above 40%. Let me re-check 2020: 100/260 = 38.5% < 40%. So the first year above 40% is actually 2021, not 2022. Correct answer: C (2021). This illustrates the importance of computing each year rather than eyeballing the table.
3. From 2021 to 2022, which product line showed the greatest absolute dollar increase in revenue?
Answer & Explanation
Correct: B โ Software. Hardware: 90 โ 100 = โ$10M (decreased). Software: 160 โ 130 = +$30M. Services: 100 โ 70 = +$30M. Both Software and Services increased by $30M. If this were a GRE question, a tie would likely not be among the answer choices โ one figure would differ slightly. In this case the answer is B (Software), taking the first in the list when tied, but be alert that DI questions on the real GRE are designed to avoid ties.
Analytical Writing Sample
Issue Prompt
"Governments should place no restrictions on the free flow of information because the benefits of an informed public outweigh any potential harm that could come from unrestricted access to information."
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take.
Score 5/6 Response โ Annotated Outline
Introduction
"The claim that unrestricted information flow always serves the public interest has strong intuitive appeal โ democratic society depends on an informed citizenry. However, the unqualified assertion that governments should place no restrictions whatsoever proves too broad. A defensible position acknowledges that the principle of free information is vital while recognizing limited, narrowly defined exceptions that the statement's absolute language refuses to permit."
Body 1: Supporting argument โ free information as democratic necessity
"The strongest support for unrestricted information flow comes from the history of censorship's failure. The Soviet Union's suppression of information about the Chernobyl disaster โ delaying emergency response and exposing millions to unnecessary radiation โ illustrates how government restriction of information reliably serves state interests over public welfare. The Pentagon Papers similarly show that classified information withheld from the American public served the government's political interests rather than genuine national security."
Body 2: Complication โ narrow exceptions where restriction is justified
"Yet the statement's absolute phrasing โ 'no restrictions' โ ignores categories of information whose unrestricted flow imposes serious, concrete harms. Detailed synthesis routes for chemical weapons, personal data enabling targeted violence, or real-time troop movements during active conflict represent information whose restriction serves the public interest rather than betraying it. These are not the abstract threats governments historically use to justify censorship; they are specific, demonstrable harms."
Body 3: Counterargument + rebuttal
"Defenders of the original statement might argue that acknowledging any exceptions creates a slippery slope toward wholesale censorship. This concern is historically grounded โ governments do expand narrow exceptions into broad ones. But this argues for robust procedural safeguards and judicial oversight, not for denying any regulatory authority whatsoever."
Conclusion
"The statement captures an important and often violated principle, but its absolute formulation misrepresents the genuine complexity of the issue. A government committed to democratic values should presumptively favor open information while maintaining narrowly defined, procedurally constrained exceptions for categories of information whose unrestricted flow causes demonstrable, direct harm. The principle is right; its unqualified articulation is not."
GRE Statistics: Did You Know?
Source: ETS GRE Data; independent test prep research. Figures are approximate.
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