Catastrophe definition, a sudden and widespread disaster: the catastrophe of war. See more.
1 Total Time: The computer-delivered GRE takes 3 hours and 45 minutes for the average student.  Experts recommend sitting for the GRE exam one year prior to entering graduate school. This allows for ample study time and the option to retake it if desired.
How the GRE Works. The GRE is a three-hour exam, comprised of three sections that measure the test taker's readiness for graduate school. In the analytical writing section, the first part of the exam, students have 45 minutes to answer one of two essay questions on an issue and 30 minutes to write an essay critiquing an argument on the given topic.