The GRE Subject Tests include Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Literature in English, Physics and Psychology. The syllabus for all of these tests varies from each other.
Syllabus of GRE Subject Test - Biology
The questions in the GRE Subject Test - Biology are based on field situations, experimental results, diagrams and descriptions of laboratories. The syllabus of the test is distributed into three major areas:
-
Cellular and Molecular Biology (makes up for 33 – 34% per cent of the paper)
-
Ecology and Evolution (makes up for 33 – 34% per cent of the paper)
-
Organismal Biology (makes up for 33 – 34% per cent of the paper)
Here are the topics covered under these three areas.
|
Cellular and Molecular Biology Topics
|
Ecology and Evolution Topics
|
Organismal Biology Topics
|
|
Cellular Structure and Function
|
Environment/ Organism Interaction
|
Animal Structure, Function and Organization
|
|
Cell Cycle: Division, Growth and Regulation
|
Population, Behavioral and Community Ecology
|
Animal Reproduction and Development
|
|
Cell Organelles
|
Ecosystems
|
Plant Structure, Organization, and Function, with Emphasis on Flowering Plants
|
|
Cell Membrane Dynamics
|
Evolution and Evolutionary Consequences
|
Plant Reproduction, Development and Growth with Emphasis on Flowering Plants
|
|
Genetic and Molecular Biology
|
Genetic Variability and History of Life
|
Diversity of Life
|
|
Gene Expression and Regulation in Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes
|
Microevolutionary and Macroevolutionary Processes
|
Animalia and Plantae with Emphasis on Major Phyla
|
Syllabus of GRE Subject Test - Chemistry
The GRE Subject Test - Chemistry consists of about 130 multiple-choice questions that are based on four major areas:
-
Physical Chemistry (comprises 30 per cent of the paper)
-
Organic Chemistry (comprises 30 per cent of the paper)
-
Inorganic Chemistry (comprises 25 per cent of the paper)
-
Analytical Chemistry (comprises 15 per cent of the paper)
The test booklet contains a printed periodic table as well as a table containing information like physical constants, conversion factors, etc. Here are the topics that are asked under the mentioned areas.
|
Analytical Chemistry
|
Inorganic Chemistry
|
Organic Chemistry
|
Physical Chemistry
|
|
Data Acquisition and Use of Statistics
|
General Chemistry
|
Structural Bonding and Nomenclature
|
Thermodynamics - First, Second and Third Law
|
|
Heterogeneous Equilibria
|
Covalent Molecular Substances
|
Reaction Mechanism (Nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution/ elimination, Diels-Alder and Cycloadditions)
|
Thermochemistry, Ideal & Real Gases and Solutions
|
|
Homogeneous Equilibria
|
Ionic Substances
|
Reactive Intermediates
|
Chemical Potential, Phase Equilibria, Chemical Equilibria
|
|
Solutions and Standardization
|
Concepts of Acids and Bases
|
Organometallics
|
Gibbs and Helmholtz Energy, Statistical Thermodynamics and Colligative Properties
|
|
Environmental Applications
|
Chemistry of Transition Elements
|
Resonance
|
|
|
Radiochemical Methods
|
Metals and Semiconductors
|
Molecular Orbital Theory, Catalysis
|
Quantum Chemistry and Applications to Spectroscopy
|
|
Instrumental Methods - Calibration of Instruments
|
Chemistry of Main Group Elements
|
Acid-Base Theory and Carbon Acidity
|
Photochemistry, Solution and Liquid Dynamics
|
|
Electrochemical, Chromatographic, Thermal and Spectroscopic Methods
|
Organometallic Chemistry, Applied Solid State Chemistry, Bioinorganic Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry
|
Aromaticity, Macromolecules, Antiaromaticity, Amino Acids, Lipids, Peptides, Nucleic Acids, Polymers
|
Experimental and Theoretical Chemical Kinetics
|
Syllabus of GRE Subject Test - English Literature
The questions on the GRE Subject Test - English Literature are based on drama, poetry, essay, biography, short story, criticism, novel, history of the language and literary theory. The test comprises four areas:
-
Literary Analysis (40 - 55 per cent)
-
Identification (15 - 20 per cent)
-
Cultural and Historical Contexts (20 - 25 per cent)
-
History and Theory of Literary Criticism (10 - 15 per cent)
|
Literary Analysis
|
Identification
|
Cultural and Historical Contexts
|
History and Theory of Literary Criticism
|
|
Interpretation of Passages of Poetry and Prose
|
Recognition of Author, Date or Work by Style
|
Literary Knowledge, Cultural and Intellectual History
|
Analysis and Identification of the Methods of Different Theoretical Approaches
|
|
Recognition of Genres and Conventions
|
Recognition of Author, Date or Work by Content
|
Recognition of Author or Work Through Biographical Information or Critical Statement
|
Recognising Characteristics of Various Critical Approaches
|
|
Literary Techniques, Meaning and Tone, Allusions and References
|
Literary Theory Identifications
|
Identification of Plot, Details of Character or Setting of Work
|
--
|
Syllabus of GRE Subject Test - Mathematics
In the GRE Subject Test - Mathematics, about 50 per cent of the questions cover Calculus and its applications, 25 per cent cover abstract, linear and elementary algebra and the remaining 25 per cent cover areas of Mathematics that are currently studied at the undergraduate level.
|
Calculus
|
Algebra
|
Additional Topics
|
|
Differential and Integral Calculus
|
Elementary Algebra
|
Introductory Real Analysis
|
|
Calculus-Based Applications
|
Basic Algebraic Manipulations and Techniques
|
Discrete Mathematics
|
|
Trigonometry, Coordinate Geometry
|
Linear Algebra
|
General Topology, Complex Variables, Geometry
|
|
Trigonometry
|
Abstract Algebra
|
Numerical Analysis, Probability and Statistics
|
Syllabus of GRE Subject Test - Physics
Following are the major areas covered in the GRE Subject Test - Physics.
|
Classical Mechanics(content weightage - 20%)
|
Kinematics, Work and Energy, Newton’s Laws, Rotational Motion, Oscillatory Motion, Particle System Dynamics, 3-D Particle Dynamics, Hamiltonian and Lagrangian Formalism, Fluid Dynamics
|
|
Electromagnetism(content weightage - 18%)
|
Electrostatics, Magnetic Fields, Currents and DC and AC Circuits, Induction, Lorentz Force, Maxwell’s Equations, Electromagnetic Waves
|
|
Optics and Wave Phenomena (content weightage - 9%)
|
Wave Properties, Interference, Superposition, Geometrical Optics, Diffraction, Doppler Effect and Polarisation
|
|
Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (content weightage - 10%)
|
Laws of Thermodynamics and its processes, Equations of State, Kinetic Theory, Ideal Gases, Calculation and Statistical Concepts of Thermodynamic Quantities, Heat Transfer, Thermal Expansion
|
|
Quantum Mechanics(content weightage - 12%)
|
Fundamental Concepts, Schrödinger Equation and its solutions, Wave Function Symmetry, Angular and Spin Momentum, Elementary Perturbation Theory
|
|
Atomic Physics (content weightage - 10%)
|
Properties of Electrons, Energy Quantisation, Bohr Model, Atomic Spectra and Structure, Black-Body Radiation
|
|
Special Relativity (content weightage - 6%)
|
Time Dilation, Simultaneity, Length Contraction, Energy and Momentum, Velocity Addition, Lorentz Transformation, Four-Vectors
|
|
Laboratory Methods (content weightage - 6%)
|
Data and Error Analysis, Instrumentation, Electronics, Radiation Detection, Optical and Laser Interferometers, Counting Statistics, Fundamental Applications of Statistics and Probability
|
|
Specialised Topics(content weightage - 9%)
|
Particle and Nuclear Physics, Condensed Matter, Astrophysics, Computer Applications and Mathematical Methods
|
Syllabus of GRE Subject Test - Psychology
The GRE Subject Test - Psychology comprises six major areas which are:
|
Biological
|
Sensation and Perception, Behavioral and Physiological Neuroscience
|
|
Cognitive
|
Language, Learning, Thinking and Memory
|
|
Social
|
Social Perception and Comparison, Attitudes and Behaviour, Emotion and Affect, Cultural and Intergroup Processes, Cultural and Gender Influences, Theories, Evolutionary Psychology, Aggression and Altruism
|
|
Developmental
|
Nature-Nurture, Emotion, Perception and Cognition, Personality, Physical and Motor, Socialisation, Theories
|
|
Clinical
|
Personality, Clinical and Abnormal
|
|
Methodology, Measurement and Other
|
General, Measurement and Methodology
|
