Physics GRE
Covid-19 Still Scrambling the Physics GRE
The Covid-19 pandemic has altered the standard practice of
many graduate programs and the Educational Testing Service
(ETS). Testing centers canceled test dates in 2021, often with
little notice; graduate programs did not require scores on the
Physics Subject Test.
The 2022 year may be a repeat performance. As of 24 August
2022, there are only two available test centers in the region
for the October 29 sitting, and the closest is 35 miles
away at Cal State Dominguez Hills. It seems unlikely that many
programs will require the Physics GRE and so it may not make
much sense to run the GRE review this year.
There is a group that began a spreadsheet on the practices of a long list
of graduate programs and appears to be updating it for
the current year. Besides information on GRE requirements,
the list shows the application fee and provides a link to
the program’s policy statement.
If you think you might be bound for graduate school in physics in the next 5 years, you should definitely prepare for — and take — the physics Graduate Records Examination as a senior. This test is largely based on the first two years of a physics education, with a little statistical mechanics/thermodynamics and theoretical mechanics thrown in, as well. Graduate programs use GRE scores to compare students from different schools on an approximately uniform scale. An excellent score on this exam will help any application; a poor score may call into question an otherwise strong application.
Just like the SAT, the physics GRE is far from perfect and may have subtle biases that favor certain kinds of students. It is doubtful that GRE scores correlate very well, if at all, with performance in graduate school. However, it is a necessary hurdle you will have to leap and it is very much to your advantage to prepare. To arrive at the exam in September or October ready to go, you should
- Acquaint yourself with the format and topics of the exam
- Review the basic physics that will be tested on the exam
- Practice on previous physics GRE tests
Case Western Reserve University has developed a deck of flashcards to help students review for the physics subject test. Some students have found them quite helpful in their review. See https://physics.case.edu/flashcards/.
GRE Review Sessions
To assist in this, Prof. Saeta will hold weekly review sessions over Zoom (at least initially) on Mondays at 19:30 to 20:30. All are welcome. The first meeting will be on 9/6. Let him know if you'd like to be added to the list of attendees. Prior to that first session, please download the 2017 physics test, and take the test under proper exam conditions of a single sitting of 170 minutes. For each question keep track of your answer, your confidence, and (if you can't figure out the problem), your guess at the right answer and any answers you feel you can rule out. Score the exam using the key at the end, and bring your answer sheet (and copy of the questions, if you printed them out) to the review sessions.
Up-to-date Information
Please see the ETS website for up-to-date information on the exam, to find out when the test is offered, and to register to take the exam. For the 2022–2023 academic year, the ETS test dates are:
| Test Date | Sat 17 Sept 2022 | Sat 29 Oct 2022 | Sat 8 April 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular registration | Fri 128 August 2022 | Fri 23 September 2022 | Fri 3 March 2023 |
| Late Registration | Fri 19 August 2022 | Fri 30 September 2022 | Fri 10 March 2023 |
| Scores Available Online | Mon 17 October 2022 | Mon 28 November 2022 | Mon 8 May 2023 |
The general examination, which covers basic math, English, and logic, is available throughout the year. The topics covered on the physics GRE are
| Topic | Percentage of questions |
| Classical mechanics | 20 |
| Electromagnetism | 18 |
| Optics and wave phenomena | 9 |
| Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics | 10 |
| Quantum mechanics | 12 |
| Atomic physics | 10 |
| Special relativity | 6 |
| Laboratory methods | 6 |
| Specialized topics (nuclear, particle, condensed matter, astrophysics, math methods, etc.) | 9 |
References for Review
Halliday, Resnick, and Krane (Vols. I and II) are quite comprehensive and may be useful resources for review, although you may find them too detailed and lengthy for efficient study. For some people, it is more useful to review the chapter summaries and then to pick some problems to check your understanding. Pay particular attention to topics that are unfamiliar, either because you have forgotten them — special relativity, perhaps? — or because they are not covered (much) in our program — for example, basic fluid mechanics. Schaum’s outlines can be extremely helpful and have a wealth of problems, some with solutions. Townsend’s sophomore-level book is useful for modern, quantum, atomic, and nuclear physics review.
The summer before your senior year is an excellent time to review. Usually, summers are less hectic than fall semesters. Make sure to keep handy any books or notes that you think will be helpful for this review before you pack things up for the summer.
In addition, there are resources available on the web:- practice GRE quiz — this is a mini exam containing 31 problems, to give you a flavor of the questions on the real exam
