GRE Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (11–20)

Question 1

The passage indicates which of the following about the development of republics in Europe?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

It would be many years before another republic would develop in Europe.. In the first sentence, the author notes the following: “It might be surprising to discover that Europe’s first republic pre-dated the turn of the 11th century, long before Europe would see the rise of another such system.” This statement clearly indicates that Iceland’s republic came well before another in Europe, so indeed it was “many years” before another republic emerged in Europe.

The author of the passage mentions a monarchy in Norway and Denmark, but this mention alone is not enough to assume that monarchy was the more common system–based only on the information in the passage.

The information in "The republic in Iceland ultimately was unable to withstand..." and "The republic that developed in Iceland lacked the stability it needed..." focuses solely on the republic in Iceland, and this counters the question with its focus on the development of republics in Europe.

Additionally, the author mentions that Iceland is currently a republic, but this mention alone is not enough to comment on modern republics in Europe or on the level of “sophistication” that defines them.

Question 2

He has frequently faced criticism for his business practices; nevertheless, Winston was recently recognized by the governor for his ________ endeavors.

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Philanthropic. The word "however" suggests that despite criticism of Winston's business practices, the governor has acknowledged him for accomplishing something valuable.

Therefore, the correct answer is "philanthropic," which means charitable.

The word "philandering," meaning committing adultery, does not fit the context.

"Misanthropic," meaning disliking humankind, does not make sense either.

"Unorganized" is also nonsensical.

Additionally, "whimsical," which means playfully quaint or fanciful, does not fit the context.

Question 3

Choose one answer for each blank. Select from the appropriate column for each blank. Choose the answer that best completes the sense of the text.

Russian author Leo Tolstoy wrote War and Peace from an ________ point of view because he wanted to convey what each of his characters was thinking and feeling.

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

omniscient. In literature, an omniscient point of view is one that features a narrator who has total knowledge of the feelings and thoughts of all characters in the story.

Accomplished (choice A) means "skillful," and while that word does make grammatical sense in this context, it is not as specific a choice as omniscient.

The novel in question may have an enormous number of characters, but there is no such thing as an "enormous point of view" in literature, so choice B is not the best answer.

Ensemble (choice C) seems to make sense in this context because the author could be dealing with an ensemble of characters, but a point of view that conveys the feelings and thoughts of all characters is called an omniscient point of view, not an "ensemble" point of view.

Acrimonious (choice E) means "bitter or spiteful" and does not make any sense in this context.

Question 4

Consist of short passages containing two or three blanks. Choose one answer for each blank.

According to Frank, the (i)________ for his part-time job would hardly cover his college expenses. Still, he was too (ii)________ to ask for a raise, believing he would be turned down and maybe fired.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
A. derivation	D. reticent
B. exploitation	E. tactile
C. remuneration	F. invigorated

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

remuneration. For blank (i), Frank is referring to his wages, which is what remuneration means in this context. Derivation refers to the source of an idea or word and makes no sense in this context. While Frank may feel exploited or victimized working for a low wage he receives, exploitation doesn't make sense in the context of the sentence.

For blank (ii), Frank is reticent, or quiet, by nature, even without the fear of losing his job. Something tactile can be touched, which doesn't describe Frank's feelings. Invigorated, derived from the root vigor, means "enlivened." It's an antonym of reticent and doesn't describe Frank accurately.

Question 5

For each blank, choose one answer from the appropriate column that best completes the sense of the text.

To sell their products, many companies are harnessing social networking as a marketing tool. However, it is crucial to use it ________ because the hard sell approach risks offending potential customers.

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

judiciously. The context of the sentence suggests that the correct answer should indicate an opposite action to the phrase "hard sell." The word that matches this sense is "judiciously" (choice C), which means "showing good judgment, being prudent."

"With ease" (choice A) doesn't fit the sense as a hard sell can be done easily. The same issue occurs with "actively" (choice B).

"Expeditiously" (choice D), meaning "efficiently and quickly," is incorrect because doing a hard sell efficiently and quickly doesn't make it more palatable to the consumer.

Additionally, simply being efficient (choice E) doesn't address the issue.

Question 6

In what sense are "census reports, church records, directories" (sentence (15)) inadequate?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

They do not tell the human side of the story.. The “census reports, church records and directories” (sentence (15)) are representative of the “available sources” (sentence (15)) that the author finds inadequate specifically because they “cannot provide one of the essential dimensions of history, the full narrative of the human experience” (sentence (16)). That is, they do not tell the human side of the story.

Question 7

What is _{8}P_{4} equal to?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

1,680. _nP_k depicts the permutation of n total objects with k objects being arranged.

Thus,

_{8}P_{4} = \frac{n!}{k!}=\frac{8!}{4!}

The upper factorial is the upper index, and the lower factorial is the difference of the indices.

\frac{8!}{4!} = \frac{8 imes 7 imes 6 imes 5 imes 4 imes 3 imes 2 imes 1}{4 imes 3 imes 2 imes 1}

The 4! or 4 imes3 imes2 imes1 will cancel out.

8 imes7 imes6 imes5 = 56 imes30 = 1,680

Question 8

a + b + c+ d + e = 0 a × b × c × d × e ≠ 0 Quantity A: a² + b² + c² + d² + e² Quantity B: (a + b + c + d + e)³

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Quantity A is greater.. Don't let the many variables and exponents scare you. As you might expect with a problem that looks this complicated, there is a slick solution.

First, note that since the product of the five variables does not equal zero, then none of the variables equals zero. Next, consider quantity B, which cubes the sum of all the variables. Since the sum of the variables is zero, its cube is also zero—that is, quantity B is zero. Quantity A adds the squares of all the variables. Since none of the variables is zero, the squares aren't zero, either—and, in fact, each of them is positive. As the sum of positive numbers, quantity A is also positive, and therefore greater than quantity B.

Question 9

A business has made the decision to renew the surface of a specific section within their warehouse. This section happens to be a perfect square, with each side measuring 15 feet.

What is the total area that requires resurfacing?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

225 square feet. 15 x 15 is 225 square feet.

Key Takeaway: Squaring numbers that end in 5 becomes easier with this trick.

To square any number that ends in 5, use this trick: Take the first digit of the number, in this case 1, and multiply it by itself and the next consecutive digit, which is 2. So, 1 x (1+1) = 1 x 2 = 2. Then, simply append 25 to the end, resulting in 225. This trick is effective for squaring any number that ends in 5.

Question 10

What is a potential value for 'y' after the points of intersection for the equations:
y= -x^2 + 3 and y= x^2- 5?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

-1. To find the distance between two points, we need to equate the two equations, determine the points of intersection, and apply the distance between points formula.

By equating the two equations, we obtain:

x = 2 and x = -2, which correspond to y = 7 and y = -1, respectively.

Hence, we select option -1 as the correct answer.

GRE Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (11–20)

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