Testing
Application Testing Requirements
We believe in a holistic admissions process that includes a review of academic and professional background, references, interviews and standardized testing. Visit your program of interest to identify the required tests for your application and use the resources below as you prepare your best application.
Students applying to Teacher Preparation please refer to the Teacher Preparation page for testing requirements.
Note: Students who have questions about tests required for admission to teacher preparation, please see this page.
Graduate Degree Program Testing
The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for most Graduate Schools in the United States. The GRE has three main components: Verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing.
We look at applications holistically and do not have official cut-off scores for our programs.
GRE scores must be within five (5) years for your application. Please submit official scores if your scores are nearing the five-year mark.
Please note that there is a fee reduction program run by ETS, the publisher of the GRE, for individuals facing financial hardship.
There are several online courses and resources available for students to use. The GRE site and Kaplan Test Prep Online are two key places to start your test preparation. Additional resources include the following.
Similar to the GMAT Club, the GRE Prep Club provides useful information for students who are preparing for their exam, such as strategies, practice tests and discussion questions, online courses reviews, success stories and more.
The Study Guide Zone offers information about exam registration, cost, format and content, the scoring process and more.
There are many apps available online that could help you prepare for the exam. Some examples are Magoosh, Varsity Tutors, Manhattan Prep, GRE Prep by Ready4 and others, depending on the area you choose to focus (verbal, math or both).
International applicants must submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Testing Language System (IELTS) as part of their application. The minimum scores required are:
| LEVEL | TEST | MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate | TOEFL IBT | 80 | ||||||||||
| Revised TOEFL PBT | Reading 19-23, Listening 20-23, Writing 24-26 | |||||||||||
| Undergraduate | TOEFL IBT | 70 | ||||||||||
| Revised TOEFL PBT | 19 Reading 13-18 Listening 12-Writing 21-23 | |||||||||||
The TOEFL or IELTS requirement is waived for those submitting transcripts from degrees earned at American institutions. For additional information on testing requirements, please visit our Graduate Admissions or Undergraduate Admissions websites.
Note: Students who have any questions about testing requirements, please contact SOESSC@vcu.edu to review your specific case.
Ready To Get Started?
- Jenna Lenhardt, Ph.D.
- Recruitment Specialist
- (804) 827-2479
- SOEinfo@vcu.edu