Here are eight free GRE practice questions online, with an explanation for each one. They cover the main verbal and quant question types, so you can see how each works and where you need the most help.
We wrote these questions ourselves, so they are not ETS questions and cannot predict your score. For a realistic estimate, use the official POWERPREP tests described below.
How the GRE Is Structured
The GRE General Test takes about 1 hour and 58 minutes. It begins with one Analytical Writing task and then moves on to Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning, each with two sections:
- Verbal Reasoning: 27 questions in 41 minutes
- Quantitative Reasoning: 27 questions in 47 minutes
Check the ETS GRE website for current details before you test.
GRE Verbal Practice Questions
Question 1: Text Completion
Although critics dismissed her theory as ______, later experiments showed that it was sound.
- A. implausible
- B. rigorous
- C. popular
- D. durable
Answer: A. "Although" signals a contrast with "sound", so the blank must mean something like unbelievable.
Question 2: Sentence Equivalence
Choose the two words that fit the sentence and give it the same meaning.
The professor's explanation was so ______ that the students needed no further help.
- A. lucid
- B. muddled
- C. lengthy
- D. perspicuous
- E. obscure
- F. verbose
Answer: A and D. Both words mean clear. "Lengthy" and "verbose" fit the grammar, but they do not explain why the students needed no help.
Question 3: Reading Comprehension
The town's new bike lanes drew complaints from drivers who expected worse traffic. Yet a year later, travel times on the main road had barely changed, while the number of cyclists had doubled.
Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?
- A. Drivers no longer complain about the lanes.
- B. The bike lanes did not cause the traffic problems that drivers expected.
- C. Every town should build new bike lanes.
- D. Cyclists now outnumber drivers in the town.
Answer: B. Travel times barely changed, which supports B. The passage says nothing about current complaints, other towns or how cyclists compare in number to drivers.
GRE Quant Practice Questions
Question 4: Quantitative Comparison
Quantity A: 3/4 of 80
Quantity B: 60% of 100
- A. Quantity A is greater.
- B. Quantity B is greater.
- C. The two quantities are equal.
- D. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.
Answer: C. Both quantities equal 60.
Question 5: Percentages
A price rises from $120 to $150. What is the percent increase?
- A. 20%
- B. 25%
- C. 30%
- D. 50%
Answer: B. The increase is $30, and 30 ÷ 120 = 0.25. Always divide by the original amount.
Question 6: Algebra
If 2x + 3y = 12 and y = 2, what is x?
- A. 2
- B. 3
- C. 4
- D. 6
Answer: B. Substitute y = 2 to get 2x + 6 = 12. Then 2x = 6, so x = 3.
Question 7: Geometry
A circle has a radius of 5. What is its area?
- A. 10π
- B. 25
- C. 25π
- D. 100π
Answer: C. Area = πr², and 5² = 25. Answer A is the circumference.
Question 8: Data Analysis
Five numbers have a mean of 12. A sixth number, 24, is added. What is the new mean?
- A. 13
- B. 14
- C. 15
- D. 18
Answer: B. The first five numbers add up to 5 × 12 = 60. Adding 24 gives 84, and 84 ÷ 6 = 14.
Where to Find More GRE Practice Online
Start with official material. POWERPREP Online from ETS offers two free full-length practice tests that simulate the real test, including its navigation and on-screen calculator. Save at least one for later in your preparation, so you can check your progress.
A question bank is useful for targeted practice. Our GRE question bank plans let you drill the topics you find hardest. If reading is your weak area, try our GRE reading comprehension practice.
How to Get More From Each Question
- Review every question. Check the ones you got right too, in case you guessed.
- Keep an error log. Write down the question type, what went wrong and how to avoid the mistake.
- Sort your errors. Decide whether you had a content gap, misread the question or ran out of time.
- Study vocabulary in context. Learn words from the sentences you meet rather than from long lists alone.
- Use timed sets. You have about 1.5 minutes per verbal question and a little more for quant.
- Redo your misses. Try them again a week later to see whether you have fixed the problem.
Next Steps
Our GRE prep starts with your target score and builds practice around your weakest areas. For more about one-on-one help, read our guides to private GRE tutoring and GRE quant tutoring. You can compare options on the pricing page.
You take the real exam yourself, under ETS rules. To start, order GRE prep online or call or WhatsApp +1 (217) 426-5403.