GRE General Test at Home Testing: Requirements, Dates, Fees, Preparation at Home

The ETS allows students to take GRE at home. It was started during the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim was to let students take the GRE General Test by sitting at their home. Students have to arrange the hardware and software required for the GRE Exam at home.

GRE at Home: With the dawn of the pandemic, a lot of things changed – universities adapted to remote learning, countries closed their borders and exams started to be held at home, and that’s how the GRE at Home was born. ETS the conducting body of the GRE has made it their priority to be accessible to students even in the most difficult of times. Going forward with this vision, ETS (Educational Testing Service) launched their GRE test at home, so that exams were still conducted even though the GRE test centres remained closed.

Anyone not living under a rock would be aware that the pandemic, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc and distorted lives. While exam testing centres had to indefinitely close down keeping the security of students and invigilators in mind, the future of students wanting to study abroad hung in perpetual limbo.

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While a select few universities relaxed their admission criteria keeping the difficult times in mind, most were hesitant as doing away with important tests such as the GRE Exam would dilute the quality of the student pool. It is here that ETS GRE at Home came to the rescue of students who had to appear for the GRE test to qualify the eligibility for most universities abroad. Read on as we detail what GRE at Home is all about including GRE at Home requirements, GRE at Home last date and how to start GRE preparation at home.

What is GRE at Home?

As the name suggests, the GRE at Home is a safe and convenient alternative for candidates looking to appear for the test from the safety of their homes. GRE test centres across India have either temporarily shut down or curtailed services owing to local lockdowns and student safety. The GRE test at home is a safe way for candidates to take the GRE test without having to leave their homes. Currently, the GRE at Home test is offered in all locations except Iran.

The GRE test at home is identical to the GRE exam being conducted at the test centre with the main difference being the location of the test. THE GRE at Home is conducted in the safety of your home and candidates wanting to appear for the GRE test at home would be required to have a computer at home or at a secured location with the system requirements as described below.

GRE at Home Requirements

In the GRE at home requirements, we will be talking about the GRE at Home system requirements, GRE at Home Equipment requirements and GRE Testing Room requirements that are mandatory for candidates to successfully take the GRE test at Home.

GRE at Home: System Requirements

Here we are providing the GRE at Home requirements that are mandatory to have on the test date. 

Computer Requirements

• Desktop or laptop computer; you cannot use a tablet, Chromebook or mobile device
• Approved operating system, which must be licensed. Unlicensed or test-mode versions are not permitted
• PC: Windows® operating system, versions 10 or 8
• MAC®: Mac OS X® 10.5 or higher (10.13 High Sierra is recommended)
• Chrome™ or Firefox® browser
• Multiple monitors or dual screens are not permitted

Speaker Requirements

• Use an internal or external speaker to hear the proctor
• Headsets or earphones are not allowed

Microphone Requirements

• Use an internal or external microphone that is not part of a headset to communicate with the proctor

Camera Requirements

• Can be a built-in camera in the computer or a separate webcam
• The camera must be able to be moved to show a 360-degree view of the room, including your tabletop surface, before the test

GRE at Home Requirements: System

• Download and install the ETS Secure Test Browser on the computer you will use for the test. To fully install the browser, run the file after downloading it. Close the browser once you see the following message: "Success! You have installed the ETS secure test browser"
  • Download the Windows version. If you receive an error message, please follow these troubleshooting steps (PDF)
  • Download the Mac version
• Run the ProctorU Equipment Check from the computer you will use for the test. If you fail the equipment check, you must fix any issues before test day. Live ProctorU representatives are available to help
• Computer firewalls and security applications can interfere with the test delivery software. If you experience this issue, you may need to disable or reconfigure your applications before the test

GRE at Home Requirements: Environment and Testing Space

Privacy Requirements

• You must be alone in a room with no one else entering during the test
• You cannot take the test in a public space such as a park, internet cafe or restaurant
• You must close all doors in the room before beginning the test

Tabletop and Seating Requirements

• Your computer and keyboard must be on a desk or other tabletop surface
• Position your table and chair so the door to the room will be visible to the proctor. The proctor may require you to do this at check-in
• The tabletop and surrounding area must be clear of all items not approved for use during the test, including cell phones (except when used for check-in), cameras, notes and study materials. The furniture and décor in the room do not need to be removed
• You must sit in a standard chair; you may not sit or lie on a bed, couch or overstuffed chair
• Food and drink are not allowed during the test

Clothing and Appearance Requirements

• Your ears must remain visible throughout the test, not covered by hair, a hat or other items. Religious headwear is permitted if your ears remain visible during the test
• Face masks may not be worn during check-in or any part of the GRE at home testing session
• You must be dressed appropriately for your test. You will be monitored via camera by the proctor, and your photo will be shared with institutions that receive your scores
• Avoid wearing such items as jewellery, tie clips, cuff links, ornate clips, combs, barrettes, headbands and other hair accessories

Note-taking Materials

• You may not take notes on regular paper, for security purposes
• You may use one of the following:
  • One small desktop whiteboard with an erasable marker
  • One sheet of paper inside a transparent sheet protector, with an erasable marker. Pencils and pens are not permitted
• At the end of the test, you will need to show the proctor that all notes have been erased

The above GRE at home requirements has been sourced from the official GRE Website.

GRE at Home experience

In this section, we are going to touch upon the GRE at Home experience of candidates opting for the GRE test at Home. Once the candidate has confirmed the availability of the GRE requirements as mentioned above on the GRE test date, he can go ahead and book his GRE registration slot. Registration for the GRE at Home would require the candidate to visit the official GRE Website.

Here, under the 'Find Test Centers and Dates' page, candidates will be required to select the 'Test at Home' option of the GRE exam. Candidates would be then required to follow the directions to confirm their time zone, select their GRE test date and time and pay for the GRE test at Home. On successful registration, the candidate would receive a registration confirmation email from ETS. The email will include a link to check in and start your test on the GRE test day.

GRE at Home Experience: On Test Day

On the day of the GRE test, candidates would be required to use the ETS GRE at Home test activation link in their confirmation mail or accessible through their ETS account to check in and start the GRE test. Candidates are required to check in with the test activation link within 12 minutes of their scheduled GRE test start time or else the test would be cancelled.

During the test the proctor will walk you through the check-in process, The candidate will be required to show their ID, and show their computer screen using a small mirror or their mobile phone. After which the candidate would use his computer camera to show a 360-degree view of the test room.

GRE at Home Experience: During the GRE Test

During the GRE test, the candidate should be in full view of the proctor at all times. Candidates are advised against doing anything that could raise suspicion such as looking away from the screen or talking loudly to themselves. 

GRE at Home Experience: After the GRE Test

At the end of the GRE Test at Home, candidates would be given a choice to report or cancel their GRE Scores based on their overall performance. If candidates choose to report their scores, they will get to view their unofficial scores in the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections. The Analytical Writing scores would not be available at the end of the test due to the marking process. Candidates can choose the universities they wish to report their GRE scores at this time if they have not been selected earlier. GRE Scores will be available to students 10-15 days from the day of the test in your ETS Account. The GRE test is valid for a period of five years from the day of the test. 

GRE at Home Test Dates

In this section, we are going to be discussing the GRE at Home test dates and the GRE at home last date. The GRE General Test is available to students once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). This applies even if the candidate has cancelled their GRE scores on a test taken previously. The GRE General Test at home is available around the clock, seven days a week, with appointments available as early as 24 hours after you register. To be able to take the test at home, you must meet the GRE System requirements as mentioned above. Hence, there is nothing such as the GRE at home last date. 

GRE at Home Fee

ETS - the conducting body of the GRE test has kept the GRE fees of the GRE at Home exam at par with the GRE exam in the test centre. The cost of GRE at Home is $213.00. All additional costs have been absorbed by the conducting body to make the GRE test as accessible as possible. Candidates can look at the cost of GRE at Home in India and the Cost of GRE around the world, in the table below.

GRE Rescheduling Policy

For reasons personal to the candidate they may be required to reschedule their GRE General Test no later than four days before their appointment or their test fee will be forfeited. Candidates would be charged a fee for rescheduling their GRE test registration as mentioned below. Candidates should keep in mind that GRE appointments cannot be rescheduled beyond one year of the original appointment date. If the candidate fails to reschedule their test registration as indicated above, the full test fee will be forfeited.

GRE at Home Location	GRE at Home Fees
GRE at Home Fee China	$231.30
GRE at Home Fee India	$213.00
GRE at Home Fee rest of the world	$205.00
GRE at Home rescheduling fee China	$53.90
GRE at Home rescheduling fees rest of the world	$50.00

How to Start GRE Preparation at Home

GRE Preparation at Home: To be able to study on your own effectively, you need a few good books and resources for GRE, along with motivation and self-discipline. Candidates can also check out our customized 4-week GRE Preparation plan to better their GRE Exam performance. Candidates looking to prepare for their GRE exam can check out our detailed preparation guide on the various sections of the GRE. Candidates can also benefit from downloadable sample GRE questions for the benefit of the test taker.

When to Start Preparing for GRE?	GRE Prep tips: Analytical Writing
GRE Prep tips: Quantitative section	GRE Prep tips: Verbal Reasoning section

The official website of GRE has provided the following GRE material that can be purchased from the official website, here: https://www.ets.org/gre 

GRE at Home Test Preparation Study Material	Fee
POWERPREP® Online: Two official practice tests, each containing a different set of never-before-published real test questions	FREE
POWERPREP PLUS® Online — Three official practise tests (sold separately), each containing a different set of never-before-published real test questions	$39.95
The Official Guide to the GRE® General Test, Third Edition (available in paperback, also available at many bookstores)	$40.002
Official GRE® Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition (available in paperback, also available at many bookstores)	$20.00*
Official GRE® Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition (available in paperback, also available at many bookstores)	$20.00*
Official GRE® Value Combo (eBook Only) — includes the Official GRE® Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions, Volume 1, and the Official GRE® Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions, Volume 1	$37.00
Official GRE® Super Power Pack — includes The Official Guide to the GRE® General Test, the Official GRE® Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions and the Official GRE® Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions	$72.00
ScoreItNow!™ Online Writing Practice	$20.00

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