Year started (?) ((?)) | Duration 2 hours and 50 minutes | |
Type Paper-based standardized test Knowledge / skills tested Undergraduate level physics:Classical mechanicsElectromagnetismOptics and wave phenomenaThermodynamics and statistical mechanicsQuantum mechanicsAtomic physicsSpecial relativityLaboratory methodsSpecialized topics Purpose Admissions in graduate programs (e.g. M.S. and Ph.D.) in physics (mostly in universities in the United States). | ||
The GRE physics test is an examination administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The test attempts to determine the extent of the examinees' understanding of fundamental principles of physics and their ability to apply them to problem solving. Many graduate schools require applicants to take the exam and base admission decisions in part on the results.
Contents
- 1 Classical mechanics 20
- 2 Electromagnetism 18
- 3 Optics and wave phenomena 9
- 4 Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics 10
- 5 Quantum mechanics 12
- 6 Atomic physics 10
- 7 Special relativity 6
- 8 Laboratory methods 6
- 9 Specialized topics 9
- References
The scope of the test is largely that of the first three years of a standard United States undergraduate physics curriculum, since many students who plan to continue to graduate school apply during the first half of the fourth year. It consists of 100 five-option multiple-choice questions covering subject areas including classical mechanics, electromagnetism, wave phenomena and optics, thermal physics, relativity, atomic and nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, laboratory techniques, and mathematical methods. The table below indicates the relative weights, as asserted by ETS, and detailed contents of the major topics.