GRE Psychology Subject Test study guide
GRE Psychology Subject Test · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The GRE Psychology Subject Test is a standardized multiple-choice examination administered by ETS, the same organization that delivers the GRE General Test. It is designed for students preparing to apply to graduate programs in psychology and for undergraduates who want to demonstrate mastery of the field beyond their transcript. The GRE Psychology Subject Test study guide has 6 sections and about 2,581 words.
01Biological Bases of Behavior
The Biological domain asks how physiology produces behavior: how neurons signal, which transmitters carry which message, which structure does what, and how genes and hormones shape behavior. Expect lesion-to-symptom predictions, neurotransmitter-to-disorder matches, and items that force you to separate structure from function.
381 words, about 2 min02Cognitive Psychology
The Cognitive domain tests how people take in, store, transform, and use information: attention, memory systems, language, problem solving, and judgment. Items usually describe a result and ask which mechanism explains it, so knowing the name of an effect matters less than knowing what produces it.
392 words, about 2 min03Social Psychology
The Social domain tests how the presence of others, and our beliefs about them, change thought and behavior: attribution, attitudes, influence, group processes, and intergroup perception. Most items give a scenario and ask you to name the bias or predict the behavior.
415 words, about 2 min04Developmental Psychology
The Developmental domain covers change across the lifespan: prenatal development, cognitive stage theories, language acquisition, attachment and parenting, moral reasoning, and aging. Items usually present a child's behavior and ask which stage, concept, or theorist it demonstrates.
399 words, about 2 min05Clinical and Abnormal Psychology
The Clinical and Abnormal domain tests how disordered behavior is defined, classified, and treated: DSM-5-TR criteria, the major disorder categories, theoretical models, and intervention research. Many items hinge on a duration threshold or a symptom count, so learn the numbers.
505 words, about 3 min06Measurement and Methodology
Measurement and Methodology tests whether you can judge a study: are the measures reliable and valid, is the design causal, is the statistic appropriate, and does the conclusion follow? Expect items that present a design or a number and ask for the flaw, the correct test, or the correct interpretation.
489 words, about 2 min