The GRE
? Physics test consists of approximately 100 five-choice questions.
The test attempts to determine the extent of the examinees' understanding
of fundamental principles of physics and their ability to apply them in
problem solution.
The scope of the test is largely that of the first three years of a standard
United States undergraduate physics curriculum.
MAJOR CONTENT TOPICS | Percentage |
1. Classical mechanics
- kinematics?
- Newton's laws
- work and energy
- [rotational motion about a fixed axis]?
- [dynamics of systems of particles]?
- [central forces and celestial mechanics]?
- [three-dimensional particle dynamics]?
- Lagrangian and Hamiltonian? formalism
- [noninertial reference frames]?
- [elementary topics in fluid dynamics]?
|
20%
|
2. Electromagnetism
|
18%
|
3. [Optics and wave phenomena]?
|
9%
|
4. Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics
|
10%
|
5. Quantum mechanics
|
12%
|
6. Atomic physics
- [properties of electrons]?
- Bohr model
- [energy quantization]?
- [atomic structure]?
- [atomic spectra]?
- [selection rules]?
- [black-body radiation]?
- x-rays?
- [atoms in electric and magnetic fields]?
|
10%
|
7. Special relativity
- [introductory concepts of special relativity]?
- [time dilation]?
- [length contraction]?
- simultaneity
- [energy and momentum]?
- [four-vectors and Lorentz transformation]?
- [velocity addition]?
|
6%
|
8. Laboratory methods
- [data and error analysis]?
- electronics
- instrumentation?
- [radiation detection]?
- [counting statistics]?
- [interaction of charged particles with matter]?
- [lasers and optical interferometers]?
- dimensional analysis
- [fundamental applications of probability and statistics]?
|
6%
|
9. Specialized topics
- [nuclear and particle physics]?
- [nuclear properties]?
- [radioactive decay]?
- fission and fusion
- reactions?
- [fundamental properties of elementary particles]?
- [condensed matter]?
- Miscellaneous
|
Also:
Mathematical methods and their applications in physics
- [single and multivariate calculus]?
- [coordinate systems]? (rectangular, cylindrical, spherical)
- [vector algebra]? and [vector differential operators]?
- [Fourier series]?
- [partial differential equations]?
- [boundary value problems]?
- [matrices and determinants]?
- [functions of comples variables]?
Range of [Raw Scores]? Needed to Earn Selected Scaled Scores on Three Physics Test Editions That Differ in Difficulty |
Scaled Score | Raw Scores |
Form A | Form B | Form C |
900 | 75 | 71 | 60-61 |
800 | 61 | 57 | 45 |
700 | 47 | 43-44 | 33 |
600 | 33-34 | 29-30 | 22 |
Number of Questions Used to Compute Raw Score |
| 100 | 100 | 98 |