GRE Chemistry Test

Graduate Record Examination
(Chemistry Subject Test)
TypePaper-based standardized test[1]
AdministratorEducational Testing Service
Skills testedUndergraduate level chemistry:
PurposeAdmissions in graduate programs (e.g. M.S. and Ph.D.) in chemistry (mostly in universities in the United States).
Year terminated2023 (2023)
Duration2 hours and 50 minutes[3]
Score range200 to 990, in 10-point increments[4]
Score validity5 years[5]
Offered3 times a year, in September, October and April.[6]
RegionsWorldwide
LanguagesEnglish
Annual number of test takers~3,000-4,000 yearly
PrerequisitesNo official prerequisite. Intended for chemistry bachelor degree graduates or undergraduate students about to graduate. Fluency in English assumed.
FeeUS$ 150[7]
(Limited offers of "Fee Reduction Program" for U.S. citizens or resident aliens who demonstrate financial need, and for national programs in the USA that work with underrepresented groups.[8])
Used byChemistry departments offering graduate programs (mostly in universities in the United States).
Websitewww.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/chemistry

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Subject Test in Chemistry was a standardized test in the United States created by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Designed to assess a candidate's potential for graduate or post-graduate study, the exam covered various chemistry subfields: analytical chemistry (15%), inorganic chemistry (25%), organic chemistry (30%), and physical chemistry (30%).[9]

Unlike the GRE General Test, which is typically computer-based, the Chemistry Subject Test was paper-based. It consisted of 130 questions to be completed within 2 hours and 50 minutes. Scores on this exam were sometimes required for admission to chemistry Ph.D. programs in the United States.

Results were reported on a scaled range between 200 and 990. However, in later versions, the reported scores spanned from 460 (1st percentile) to 940 (99th percentile). For test-takers between July 2009 and July 2012, the mean score was 703 with a standard deviation of 115.[10]

Historically, the exam was administered three times a year, on a Saturday in September, October, and April, with a registration deadline approximately five weeks before the test date. The ETS discontinued the Chemistry Subject Test following the April 2023 administration.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "GRE Subject Tests Content and Structure (For Test Takers)".
  2. ^ "GRE Chemistry Subject Test (For Test Takers)".
  3. ^ "GRE Subject Tests Content and Structure (For Test Takers)".
  4. ^ "GRE Subject Test Scores (For Test Takers)".
  5. ^ "GRE Subject Test Scores (For Test Takers)".
  6. ^ "About the GRE Subject Tests (For Test Takers)".
  7. ^ "GRE Subject Tests Fees (For Test Takers)".
  8. ^ "GRE Subject Tests Fee Reduction Program (For Test Takers)".
  9. ^ "GRE Chemistry Subject Test (For Test Takers)".
  10. ^ "GRE Subject Tests Total Score Interpretive Data Used on Score Reports" (PDF). www.ets.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  11. ^ "Upcoming GRE Subject Test Changes".