Created by the Educational Testing Service in the United States, the GRE Biology subject test was designed to assess a student’s potential for various graduate and post-graduate programs in the field of Biology. With 194 questions that need to be answered within 2 hours and 50 minutes, the test demands significant preparation from a candidate.
Here are a few important facts you should know about the GRE Biology Test –
- This comprehensive test covers in equal proportions various aspects of biology including ecology, evolution, organismal biology and molecular biology.
- The scores of these exams are a requirement for entry into majority of the biology PhD. programs in the United States.
- The scoring of this test is scaled and then reported in numerical form between 200 and 990 (corresponding to the 99 percentile) and 400 (1 percentile).
- Between July 2009 and July 2012, the mean score of all test takers was 658. The standard deviation was 123.
- Test takers should know that these tests take place about three times a year on a Saturday in either September, October or April.
- To be able to appear for this test, one must register for it about five weeks before the date of the exam.
- When registering for the Biology test make sure that you look for a center where that particular paper based test is administered.
- You could choose to register for the test online or physically via mail.
- Free study material is provided to students at the time of registration to make preparation easy for you.
- Within the 2 hours 50 minutes assigned to you to appear for the test, you will be expected to answer multiple choice questions that typically come with five answer choices.
- Towards the end of the Biology test, you will find that the nature of the questions tends to change. Here, you will be probably asked 3 to 5 questions clubbed together. These questions will be based on a single description that is about a laboratory or field situation, diagrams or experimental results.
- To be able to do well in these questions, you should be able to interpret the data that is offered in the form of charts, tables, diagrams or graphs.
When preparing for the paper, make it a point to focus on the three primary areas – Cellular and Molecular Biology, organism biology, ecology and evolution.
Get to know about free GRE resources available online. Click Here.
