Anisha has done MBA in Marketing from NMIMS And Executive Management(PMNO) from Harvard Business School. She has been instrumental in growing CATKing Digital with her experience with Marico and Henkel in the past.
Are There Official GRE Previous Year Papers?
No. The GRE does not release official previous year question papers.This is the direct answer to the question most students arrive at this page with.
ETS (Educational Testing Service), the organization that administers the GRE, keeps all test content strictly confidential. Unlike GATE, CAT, UPSC, or most Indian competitive exams - where previous year papers are published officially or become public after administration - the GRE's actual test questions are never released.
This is a deliberate policy. ETS rotates questions from a large validated item bank across test administrations, and retiring questions into the public domain would compromise the integrity of that bank.
GRE PYQ PDFs Online are not Official
If you find a website offering 'GRE Previous Year Papers 2024' or 'Official GRE PYQ PDFs' for download - they are not official. These are either:
1. Third-party question compilations mislabelled as 'previous year papers'
2. Questions from ETS prep books (which are legitimate but not 'previous year papers')
3. Fake PDFs with low-quality non-ETS questions
Using these as your primary practice material gives you a false benchmark and potentially the wrong question types. The next section covers what ETS actually provides - which is genuinely better than raw past papers.
What ETS Actually Provides - Better Than Previous Year Papers
ETS does not release past papers, but it does provide something more strategically valuable: official practice resources built from the same item bank as the real test. Here is everything that is officially available.
1. ETS PowerPrep Tests (Free) - The Gold Standard
PowerPrep I and PowerPrep II are the two free full-length GRE practice tests provided by ETS. These use real, retired GRE questions and the actual GRE scoring algorithm. No third-party mock test can match their accuracy.
|
Feature |
Detail |
|
Questions |
Real retired GRE questions - same quality and format as the actual test |
|
Sections |
Full test: AWA (1 essay) + Verbal (2 sections) + Quant (2 sections) |
|
Scoring |
Uses the actual GRE scaled scoring algorithm - most accurate score prediction available |
|
Score Report |
Section-level breakdown - shows correct/incorrect per section |
|
Cost |
Free - available at ets.org/gre/test-takers/general-test/prepare/powerprep.html |
|
Best Used |
PowerPrep I: first week of prep (baseline). PowerPrep II: final 2 weeks (benchmark before real exam). |
2. ETS Official GRE Question Bank (Free) - Topic-by-Topic Practice
The Official GRE Question Bank is a free tool on the ETS website with 150+ authentic GRE questions. Unlike PowerPrep (which simulates a full test), the Question Bank lets you filter by section type and difficulty level - making it ideal for targeted practice on weak areas.
• Filter by: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Analytical Writing
• Filter by difficulty: Easy, Medium, Hard
• Questions come with official explanations and scoring guidance
• Access at: https://gre.ets.org/gre/subject/about/free-resources
3. PowerPrep Plus Tests 1, 2 and 3 (Paid - $40 for all 3)
For students who want more official practice beyond the 2 free PowerPrep tests, ETS sells three additional full-length tests called PowerPrep Plus. These use the same authentic question bank and scoring algorithm as the free tests. At $40 for all three, this is the highest-quality paid practice material available.
4. ETS Official GRE Guide (Books)
ETS publishes an official GRE preparation guide (currently in its 5th edition) that includes 4 full-length practice tests, detailed answer explanations, and section-specific strategies written by the actual test designers. This is the most comprehensive official written resource available.
How to Use ETS PowerPrep Tests - Step-by-Step Guide
Taking a PowerPrep test casually produces an unreliable score. To get the most accurate benchmark and the most useful data, follow this protocol.
|
Step |
Action |
Why |
|
1. Set aside 2.5 hours |
Block an uninterrupted 2-hour window plus 30 minutes for post-test review setup |
The test itself is ~1hr 58min. Interruptions invalidate your score benchmark. |
|
2. Simulate real conditions |
Take the test at your computer, at a desk, with scratch paper ready. No phone, no food, no pausing. |
The only way to measure real test performance is to replicate real test conditions. Pausing inflates your score. |
|
3. Attempt AWA |
Write the Argument essay fully - do not skip it |
AWA trains mental stamina for the sections that follow. Skipping it means your Verbal/Quant performance is measured without the cognitive load AWA creates. |
|
4. Take the optional break |
When the test offers a break between sections, take it (1 minute, stand up, drink water) |
This is part of the real test protocol. Skipping the break changes your concentration curve for remaining sections. |
|
5. Record your section scores immediately |
Write down: Verbal scaled score, Quant scaled score, time spent per section |
These numbers are your baseline. You will compare future mocks against this record. |
|
6. Review incorrect answers |
Go through every wrong answer and identify: was it a concept gap, calculation error, or misread question? |
The review is where improvement happens. Taking a test and not reviewing it is the most common preparation mistake. |
|
7. Build an error log |
Use a spreadsheet: Question type, Topic, Error type (Concept/Calculation/Misread), Action item |
Patterns emerge across multiple mocks. The error log shows you where to focus next. |
GRE Verbal Reasoning - Sample Practice Questions
The questions below follow ETS format and difficulty calibration. Work through each one before reading the explanation.
Text Completion (TC) - 1 Blank
|
# |
Question |
Answer |
Explanation |
|
TC-1 |
The professor's lecture, though _______ in its details, left the audience with a surprisingly clear understanding of the theory's central argument. (A) precise (B) exhaustive (C) abstruse (D) lucid (E) redundant |
(C) abstruse |
The contrast signal 'though...left the audience with a clear understanding' tells us the blank must mean something that would make clarity unexpected — something difficult or obscure. 'Abstruse' means difficult to understand. 'Lucid' is the opposite of what's needed. 'Redundant' doesn't fit the contrast. |
|
TC-2 |
The committee's report was praised for its _______ approach: rather than taking a partisan position, it carefully weighed evidence from multiple perspectives before drawing conclusions. (A) contentious (B) decisive (C) impartial (D) expedient (E) cursory |
(C) impartial |
The explanation after the colon defines what kind of approach: not taking a partisan position, weighing multiple perspectives. This describes 'impartial' (fair, without bias). 'Contentious' means causing disagreement. 'Decisive' doesn't fit the idea of careful weighing. |
|
TC-3 |
The biographer was criticized for presenting a _______ account of her subject's early life — one so flattering that it bordered on hagiography. (A) candid (B) speculative (C) harrowing (D) adulatory (E) measured |
(D) adulatory |
The sentence provides the definition: 'so flattering that it bordered on hagiography' (saint-like biography). 'Adulatory' means excessively admiring or flattering. 'Candid' means honest and direct — the opposite. 'Measured' suggests moderation, also opposite. |
Text Completion (TC) - 2 Blank
|
# |
Question |
Blank (i) |
Blank (ii) |
Explanation |
|
TC-4 |
Her research, though initially dismissed as (i) _______, eventually gained (ii) _______ recognition when later studies corroborated her core findings. Blank (i): (A) groundbreaking (B) speculative (C) rigorous Blank (ii): (D) widespread (E) grudging (F) premature |
(B) speculative |
(E) grudging |
The structure 'though initially dismissed...eventually gained' signals a reversal. Blank (i) needs something that explains why research would be dismissed — 'speculative' (not well-supported). Blank (ii): if it was initially dismissed, the later recognition came reluctantly — 'grudging' (given unwillingly). 'Widespread' is neutral and doesn't capture the reluctance implied by the story. |
Sentence Equivalence (SE)
|
# |
Question |
Both Correct Answers |
Explanation |
|
SE-1 |
The negotiator's _______ manner helped defuse the tense standoff — her quiet, methodical approach reassured both parties that a resolution was possible. (A) aggressive (B) placid (C) serene (D) volatile (E) imperious (F) calculated |
(B) placid and (C) serene |
The sentence describes a quiet, calming manner that helped reduce tension. Both correct answers must create sentences with the same meaning. 'Placid' and 'serene' both mean calm and untroubled — interchangeable here. 'Calculated' means deliberate but doesn't create the same calm meaning as the pair. |
|
SE-2 |
Despite the study's _______ sample size, its conclusions were widely cited — a testament to the strength of its methodology rather than its scope. (A) expansive (B) meagre (C) paltry (D) arbitrary (E) representative (F) diverse |
(B) meagre and (C) paltry |
The contrast signal 'despite' paired with 'widely cited' and 'strength of methodology rather than scope' tells us the sample was small. Both 'meagre' and 'paltry' mean small/inadequate in quantity — they are synonyms that create sentences with the same meaning. |
GRE Quantitative Reasoning - Sample Practice Questions
Quantitative Comparison (QC) Questions
For QC questions: always test x = 0, x = 1, and x = a negative number before selecting your answer. If the relationship changes, the answer is D.
|
# |
Quantity A |
Quantity B |
Answer |
Solution |
|
QC-1 |
x squared + 1 |
2x |
D - Cannot be determined |
Test x = 1: A = 2, B = 2. Equal. Test x = 0: A = 1, B = 0. A is greater. Since the relationship changes, the answer is D. |
|
QC-2 |
The average of 5 consecutive even integers starting from n |
n + 4 |
A = B |
Consecutive even integers: n, n+2, n+4, n+6, n+8. Sum = 5n+20. Average = n+4. So A = B always. |
|
QC-3 |
Probability of getting exactly 2 heads in 3 fair coin flips |
3/8 |
A = B |
P = C(3,2) x (1/2)^3 = 3 x 1/8 = 3/8. Equal. |
|
QC-4 |
Area of a right triangle with legs 5 and 12 |
Area of a circle with diameter 8 |
B is greater |
Triangle area = 1/2 x 5 x 12 = 30. Circle area = pi x 4^2 = approximately 50.3. B > A. |
Problem Solving (PS) Questions
|
# |
Question |
Answer |
Solution |
|
PS-1 |
A store sells a jacket at a 20% discount off the original price. If the discounted price is Rs.4,800, what was the original price? (A) Rs.5,400 (B) Rs.5,760 (C) Rs.6,000 (D) Rs.6,200 (E) Rs.5,600 |
(C) Rs.6,000 |
Discounted price = 80% of original. 4800 = 0.80 x Original. Original = 4800 / 0.80 = 6000. |
|
PS-2 |
In a class of 40 students, 25 play cricket and 20 play football. If 10 play both, how many play neither? (A) 3 (B) 5 (C) 7 (D) 8 (E) 10 |
(B) 5 |
Use the union formula: Cricket only + Football only + Both = Total who play at least one. (25-10) + (20-10) + 10 = 15+10+10 = 35. Neither = 40-35 = 5. |
|
PS-3 |
If 3x + 2y = 18 and x - y = 1, what is the value of x? (A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 5 (E) 6 |
(C) 4 |
From the second equation: x = y + 1. Substitute into first: 3(y+1) + 2y = 18. 3y+3+2y=18. 5y=15. y=3. x = 3+1 = 4. |
Numeric Entry
|
# |
Question |
Answer |
Solution |
|
NE-1 |
A sequence begins: 2, 5, 11, 23... If each term is obtained by multiplying the previous term by 2 and adding 1, what is the 5th term? |
47 |
Term 5 = 23 x 2 + 1 = 47. |
|
NE-2 |
If the mean of 6, 8, 12, x, and 14 is 10, what is x? |
10 |
Sum needed: 10 x 5 = 50. Current sum: 6+8+12+14 = 40. x = 50-40 = 10. |
GRE AWA - Sample Argument Essay Prompts with Approach Guide
The GRE AWA section (Analyze an Argument) gives you 30 minutes to critique a short argument. ETS publishes all possible prompts publicly. Below are 5 representative prompts with the specific attack approach for each.
|
# |
Prompt (Abbreviated) |
Argument Type |
Your Attack Points |
|
AWA-1 |
'Sales at the Riverside Mall have declined over the past two years. During this same period, a new highway was constructed nearby. Therefore, mall management should lobby for the highway's removal to restore previous sales levels.' |
Correlation treated as causation + single solution fallacy |
1. The highway and sales decline happened simultaneously - this does not prove the highway caused the decline. What other factors changed? 2. Even if the highway contributed, removing it may not restore sales if other factors (online shopping, competition) are the real cause. 3. What evidence shows the highway specifically diverted customers rather than simply coinciding with a broader retail downturn? |
|
AWA-2 |
'A survey of 200 Greenfield residents found that 70% would support expanding public parks. The city council should therefore approve a major park expansion budget to satisfy the majority's wishes.' |
Survey data overgeneralization + sampling problems |
1. 200 residents from a city of (presumably) thousands is a small and potentially unrepresentative sample. Who was surveyed - area near parks? Young families? 2. 'Support' in a survey does not equal willingness to pay higher taxes for it. 3. The survey asks about parks but the policy involves a specific budget - does support for parks translate to support for this specific expenditure? |
|
AWA-3 |
'Company X increased employee productivity by 25% after introducing flexible working hours. Company Y, which operates in the same industry, should adopt flexible hours to achieve similar productivity gains.' |
Success transfer without comparability analysis |
1. Are Company X and Y comparable? Different sizes, cultures, management structures, and employee profiles could make the results entirely different. 2. What other factors contributed to Company X's productivity gain? Was flexible hours the only change, or were there other simultaneous improvements? 3. The 'same industry' tells us they sell similar products - it does not tell us their workforces have the same needs or preferences. |
|
AWA-4 |
'The Millbrook School District recently eliminated standardized testing and reported that student satisfaction scores improved by 40%. Districts nationwide should eliminate standardized testing to improve student satisfaction.' |
Before/after single metric + generalization |
1. Student satisfaction is one metric - did academic outcomes also improve or did they decline? 2. What else changed when testing was eliminated? New teachers, curriculum changes, reduced homework? 3. Millbrook's specific student population may respond differently to policy changes than other districts. One district's experience cannot be generalized without more evidence. |
|
AWA-5 |
'Our hospital recently hired consultants who identified inefficiencies in our administrative processes. Since implementing their recommendations, operating costs fell 15%. Other hospitals facing budget pressure should therefore hire the same consulting firm.' |
Anecdotal success + oversimplified recommendation |
1. Is 15% cost reduction attributable solely to the consultants? What other cost-control measures were implemented simultaneously? 2. Are other hospitals' administrative structures comparable to this hospital? Different sizes and systems will respond differently. 3. The consultants identified inefficiencies specific to this hospital - their recommendations may not be applicable elsewhere without a similar assessment. |
Free Resource - All AWA Prompts on ETS Website
ETS publishes all 175 official AWA Argument prompts here:
https://www.ets.org/gre/test-takers/general-test/prepare/analytical-writing/pools.html
Review the full list and categorise each prompt by argument type (correlation/causation, survey data, success transfer, etc.). You will find that most prompts fall into 8-10 recurring types. Preparing one strong response framework per type covers the entire pool.
Third-Party GRE Practice Questions vs Official ETS Content - What to Trust
Not all GRE practice material is equal. Using unreliable third-party content as your benchmark gives you a false score and the wrong preparation signals.
|
Source |
Question Quality |
Score Accuracy |
Best Use |
Trust Level |
|
ETS PowerPrep I and II (free) |
Real retired GRE questions |
Most accurate available |
Benchmarking — treat as your closest proxy to real exam score |
Highest - use these first and last |
|
ETS PowerPrep Plus (paid) |
Same as free PowerPrep |
Same high accuracy |
Additional official practice if needed beyond 2 free tests |
Highest - same content standard |
|
ETS Official Question Bank (free) |
Official questions with answers |
High accuracy for individual questions |
Topic-specific practice by difficulty level |
High - official source |
|
Manhattan Prep (free test) |
High quality, slightly harder than real GRE |
Slightly inflated difficulty |
Challenge test mid-prep to stress-test your preparation |
Good - reputable third party |
|
Magoosh GRE (paid subscription) |
Good quality, accurate to format |
Moderate - not as precise as PowerPrep |
Ongoing practice with explanations, not benchmarking |
Good for practice, not for final benchmark |
|
Random 'GRE PYQ PDFs' online |
Usually poor - wrong question types, wrong difficulty calibration, sometimes outdated format |
Unreliable - may be 10-15 points off real exam performance |
Avoid benchmarking. Use only for informal exposure if at all. |
Low - not official, not validated |
Frequently Asked Questions - GRE Practice Questions 2026
Q1. Are there official GRE previous year papers?
No. The GRE does not release official previous year question papers. ETS keeps all actual test content confidential to preserve the integrity of their item bank. Unlike GATE, CAT, or UPSC - where previous year papers are published after each administration - GRE questions are never officially released. What ETS does provide are official practice tests (PowerPrep I and II, both free) that use real retired questions from the actual GRE item bank. These are more useful than past papers because they use the actual scoring algorithm and give you a calibrated score.
Q2. Where can I find free official GRE practice questions?
ETS provides two free full-length GRE practice tests called PowerPrep I and PowerPrep II, available at the official ETS website. Additionally, ETS offers a free Official GRE Question Bank with 150+ authentic questions filterable by section (Verbal, Quant) and difficulty level (Easy, Medium, Hard). Both resources are available without payment and are the highest-quality GRE practice material available anywhere.
Q3. Is ETS PowerPrep enough for GRE prep?
PowerPrep I and II are essential but not sufficient on their own for a complete preparation. The two free tests provide a total of approximately 100 scored Verbal and Quant questions - which is valuable for benchmarking but not enough for thorough topic coverage. A complete preparation plan uses PowerPrep for benchmarking (first and last), the ETS Official Question Bank for topic-targeted practice, and additional practice from reputable third-party sources such as CatKing's question bank or Manhattan Prep for deeper content coverage.
Q4. Does the GRE repeat questions?
ETS uses a rotating item bank, and the same question can theoretically appear in different test administrations - but you will never see identical questions if you take the GRE multiple times, because ETS ensures consecutive administrations draw from different parts of the bank. What does repeat are question patterns, topic distributions, and logical structures. Studying high-frequency patterns and question types is far more effective than searching for specific 'repeated' questions.
Q5. How many GRE practice tests should I take?
Four to six full-length practice tests is the optimal range for most students. The two free ETS PowerPrep tests are mandatory - these should be your first and last practice tests. In between, take two to three additional mocks from Manhattan Prep, Magoosh, or CatKing for practice and error analysis. Beyond six mocks without deep analysis between each one produces diminishing returns. Quality of analysis matters more than quantity of tests taken.
Q6. What is the best GRE practice test for accuracy?
ETS PowerPrep tests (both free and paid PowerPrep Plus) are the most accurate GRE practice tests available because they use real retired questions and the actual ETS scoring algorithm. Third-party tests from Manhattan Prep, Magoosh, and Kaplan can vary by 5-10 points in either direction from your real exam score. Always use a PowerPrep test as your final benchmark - never book your real exam date based solely on a third-party mock score.
Q7. Can I download GRE practice questions as a PDF?
ETS does not offer downloadable PDFs of official GRE questions - their practice materials are accessed through the official website and the PowerPrep software. The ETS Official GRE Guide (published in book format) contains 4 full-length tests and can be purchased as a physical book or eBook.
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