GRE exam centers: finding one and what happens on test day

How to find GRE testing sites near you

1. Create an ETS account, or sign in. ETS says that’s where you get up-to-date test center information.
2. Start a GRE General Test registration and choose a test center.
3. Look at seat availability for the dates and places that suit you, and book.

In most places the test runs all year. In Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, centers hold it one to three times a month, and Mainland China bookings go through NEEA. ETS may also offer the test on set dates at places outside the Prometric network.

What ID do you need at a GRE exam center?

Your ID is the only thing you need in the testing room, and you may also wear a mask. It must be an original physical document (not on a phone), government issued, still valid, with your photo, your signature and your first and last name exactly as you registered them. ETS encourages bringing two forms of ID.

• Accepted as primary ID: passport, driver’s license (not a mobile one), state or province ID card, national ID card, and at test centers a military ID.
• Never accepted: photocopies, expired or damaged IDs, mobile driver’s licenses, international driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, birth certificates, credit cards, employee IDs and Aadhaar cards.

Different rules apply in some countries, if you test outside your country of citizenship, or if you’re not a US citizen testing in the US. ETS lists those on its ID requirements page.

Test day at the center

• Arrive at least 30 minutes before your test. Late arrivals may be turned away and lose the fee.
• Staff take your photo and check your ID. You may be asked for a voice sample, to empty your pockets and roll up your sleeves, to remove your glasses, or to be scanned with a metal detector wand.
• You sign a confidentiality statement. If you won’t, you can’t test.
• Staff give you scratch paper and tell you where to store your things. No phone, watch, food or drink in the room, and no jewelry except wedding and engagement rings.
• There’s no scheduled break. If you leave your seat, raise your hand first; the clock keeps running.
• At the end you choose whether to report your scores, and if you do, you see your unofficial Verbal and Quant scores.

If the center has a problem

If a technical problem at the center cancels your session, ETS offers a free new appointment or a full refund. You can also claim back reasonable, documented travel costs by contacting GRE Services within 30 days of the appointment.