What to Expect on GRE Test Day
/in GRE /by adminPreparing for GRE test day includes knowing what to bring, how check-in works, and which test-center rules to follow. Test takers should review their appointment confirmation, check their identification documents, plan their route, and choose comfortable clothing before heading to the test center.You know you’re going to do a lot of math problems, read some passages, and write essays, but what’s really going to happen on GRE Test Day? A lot more than just the test, and knowing what to expect can improve your mindset (and your score).
Here’s what will happen on GRE Test Day from start to finish:
Before the Test
Arrive early.
Test takers should arrive at least 30 minutes before their scheduled appointment. Planning extra travel time can help account for traffic, parking, and finding the entrance. Check-in includes identity verification, storing personal belongings, and security screening, so arriving early also leaves time to settle in before testing begins.
Check in.
Test takers must bring valid identification that meets ETS requirements for their citizenship and testing location. The first and last names on the ID must match the registration, excluding accents. Registering under a nickname can prevent admission. In general, acceptable identification must be an original, unexpired government-issued document with a recognizable photograph and signature. Any questions about acceptable documents or name discrepancies should be resolved with ETS before test day.
Test-center staff will explain where personal belongings must be stored and which items are permitted in the testing room.
Put away phones and study materials.
Phones must be switched off and stored as directed by test-center staff. Test takers cannot access phones or study materials during the test or an unscheduled break. Books, notes, and flashcards should stay outside the testing room. Following these rules helps avoid dismissal or score cancellation.
Ask questions before testing begins.
Before starting, test takers can ask staff:
- Where is the restroom?
- How should a technical problem or distracting noise be reported?
- What is the procedure for requesting an unscheduled break?
- How can additional scratch paper or a replacement pencil be requested?
The GRE General Test has no scheduled breaks. During an unscheduled break at a test center, the testing clock continues to run.
The test center supplies scratch paper. Once all supplied paper has been used, test takers must return it to staff to receive more. Raising a hand alerts the administrator when assistance is needed.
Sign the statement.
You’ll write out a statement saying you are who you say you are. Be prepared to feel like you’re going through airport security. The test makers really value security, but it can also throw you off your game if you’re not prepared for it. If you go in expecting this, then it will be easier to stay focused.
Preparing for these procedures can make the testing environment feel less unfamiliar. Test takers should follow staff instructions and ask for clarification whenever a step is unclear. Treating check-in as part of the test-day routine can help keep attention on the exam ahead.
Get your picture taken and sign in.
You’ll be asked to sign in and out of the testing room, and the proctor will take your picture to verify that the same person leaves and comes back from breaks. Again, this is just par for the course of taking the GRE, not a comment on how trustworthy your face looks.
Get assigned to a computer.
This is your computer for the whole test. Get comfortable in your chair. You’ll be taking the GRE alongside folks who are taking the GRE or other exams, but you’ll each be in your own cubicle.
Complete the tutorial.
The tutorial is a program that walks you through how to use a computer. Even though the fact that you navigated to this blog probably means that you have all the computer skills you need to take the GRE, always do the tutorial. Use this time to get settled in and to acclimate yourself to your surroundings. You will also feel incredibly smart as the computer teaches you how to use the spacebar and how to copy/paste.
Choose where you’ll send your scores
(if you’re sending them the day of the exam.) Pick four schools to receive your scores.These are free to you now, but they’re not free if you choose them after the test is over.You don’t need to remember any codes, as the GRE will allow you to search for schools by name. Remember that you now have the option of using Score Select to send your scores later or to choose which set of scores to send if you’ve taken the GRE more than once, but it will cost you.
Take the GRE.
You’ve made it! Now work your GRE magic!
After the Test
Complete the exit survey.
This survey will ask you what you’re interested in studying in graduate school and how long you spent studying for the GRE. None of these answers will go to your target grad schools. The GRE test makers are just gathering information about students who take their test.
Click: I don’t want to cancel my score.
You’ll be asked, before you get to see your scores, if you’d like to cancel your scores. There are only three reasons that you’d ever want to cancel your score. I have my GRE students repeat these reasons over and over again throughout the course, as chances are you will feel that the GRE was hard because the difficulty level of the GRE adapts to your performance. Never cancel your score simply because the test felt challenging. Only cancel your score if…
…you become extremely ill during the test.
…there is a natural disaster during the test.
…for whatever reason, you do not finish many questions in a section. If you don’t finish half a section, for example, your best bet is to test again, as there is a large penalty for not finishing the majority of the questions.Get your score.
You will get unofficial math and verbal scores right then and there. Your writing scores will come about three weeks later.
CELEBRATE!
You’ve done it! Pat yourself on the back and do something nice for yourself. You deserve it!
