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Last Updated on April 26, 2023
You’re finally ready to sit for the GRE — or you’re pumped to crush your retake — when a global pandemic hits. What do you do?
First, stay calm. COVID-19 is NOT going to derail your grad school dreams. That said, there is no denying that we’re in uncharted territory for the moment, and keeping up with the changes happening on an almost-daily basis during this pandemic is no easy task.
For GRE students, the news that ETS, the makers of the GRE, would be offering an at-home GRE caused excitement as well as anxiety.
The news that ETS, the makers of the GRE, would be offering an at-home GRE General Test was an exciting development for all people planning to take the GRE but also caused some anxiety among would-be test-takers. In this article, we’ll answer all of your most pressing questions about the at-home GRE, so you can make an informed decision about whether this exam right for you.
First, let’s review some top-line facts about the at-home exam.
What is the At-Home GRE?
Because taking the GRE at a test center is, for the most part, not possible right now, but grad school hopefuls still have application deadlines to meet, ETS developed an online version of the GRE General Test that is identical in content, format, and scoring to the GRE that people worldwide normally take at test centers.
So, the at-home and in-person GRE exams measure knowledge and skills in the same way and associated with the same topics and concepts
Students can sit for the exam in a private location, such as a quiet room at home, using a personal desktop or laptop computer (tablets and mobile devices are not permitted). The exam is administered by a remote proctor through a service called ProctorU.
KEY FACT:
The at-home GRE is an online, remote-proctored version of the GRE General Test that is identical in content, format, and scoring to the GRE that students normally take at test centers.
GRE Subject Tests are not available for remote test-taking, and unfortunately the at-home GRE is not currently available in Mainland China or Iran. For test-takers in other countries, registration for the at-home GRE is currently open, and test appointments are available any time of day, any day of the week.
Furthermore, you may be able to sit for your at-home GRE as soon as 24 hours after you register. Test registration for the at-home exam costs the same as registration for the in-person exam, $220 USD, and can be done through your ets.org account. If you have a voucher code for a reduced registration fee, you can use that for the at-home test. Additionally, if you need to request accommodations for your at-home GRE, you can do so just as you would for the in-person test.
KEY FACT:
Registration for the at-home GRE costs $220, and round-the-clock test appointments are available 7 days a week. Fee reduction vouchers and test accommodations are also available.
Clearly one of the big “perks” of taking the at-home exam is that you can schedule your test for any time of day. If you’re an early bird, you can take your at-home GRE at the crack of dawn, and if you’re a night owl, you can take your exam after the rest of your household has gone to sleep. This added flexibility may be especially helpful to test-takers who work full-time and need to schedule their exams around a hectic workday.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of the at-home GRE, let’s dig into some of the technical aspects of taking the test remotely.
Equipment Requirements for the At-Home GRE
Even if the at-home GRE is available in your location, before you register, it’s essential that you carefully review all of the computer requirements for taking the test remotely and perform both of the system checks that ETS recommends. One notable requirement is that you MUST use a Windows operating system for your exam.
If you have access only to a Mac computer, you can install and use a Windows operating system on your Mac. You also will need a reliable internet connection and a working webcam, microphone, and speakers on your computer. If you use a laptop to take your GRE, be sure that your computer is plugged into a power source before you begin your exam. The last thing you want is for your battery life to run out in the middle of your GRE.
TTP PRO TIP:
Before you register for the at-home GRE, carefully review all of the equipment requirements for taking the test remotely, and perform both of the computer system checks ETS recommends.
ETS designed the at-home GRE to provide an on-screen experience just like that of the in-person exam, but of course, some adjustments were required to facilitate a remote test-taking environment. Let’s take a look at two important areas in which the test-taking experience is different for the at-home exam: the remote proctor and the check-in process.
The Remote Proctor
We mentioned earlier the importance of having a working webcam, microphone, and speakers on the computer you use for your at-home GRE. This is necessary because the at-home GRE is administered by a remote proctor. The remote proctor will monitor you and your computer screen throughout your at-home GRE, watching you through your computer’s webcam, and your entire test session will be recorded.
The microphone and speakers will allow you to communicate with the remote proctor during your exam, if necessary. Note that your microphone and speakers cannot be on a headset — no headphones, headsets, or earbuds are allowed during the exam. Your proctor may change at some point during your test, but this won’t cause any interruption in the test-taking process.
At first, the remote proctor set-up may sound a bit unsettling — creepy, even — but, in practice, it’s not much different from being monitored by a proctor in person. If you were at a test center, the proctor would still be able to watch your every movement, and hear you clearing your throat or tapping your fingers on the desk. The webcam and microphone simply provide a way for the proctor to “be in the room” with you, as much as that is possible in a remote setting.
Once you begin your at-home GRE, you will not be able to move out of view of your webcam. The proctor must be able to see your face at all times during your exam, so that means no standing up to stretch your legs, leaning over to tie your shoe, or leaving the room for any reason outside of the optional 10-minute break after the third section of the exam (there are also 1-minute breaks after the subsequent sections, but you are not allowed to leave your seat for those).
The proctor will have the ability to stop and invalidate your test if he or she determines that you are not complying with the GRE rules, or if you take more than 10 minutes for the designated break.
KEY FACT:
A remote proctor will monitor you and your computer screen throughout your at-home GRE, and your entire test session will be recorded.
Now, let’s take a look at the process of checking in for the at-home GRE.
Checking in at Home
You have up to 15 minutes after your scheduled test time to begin the online check-in with the remote proctor. Don’t use that cushion of time as an excuse to become complacent, however; if you don’t begin your check-in by the time those 15 minutes are up, your test will automatically be canceled and your registration fee will not be refunded. So, better to begin the check-in process at your scheduled test time or 5 minutes late than to wait until 14 minutes after your scheduled start time.
During the check-in process, your photo will be taken and you’ll have to show a valid form of ID. Avoid wearing large or unnecessary accessories (such as a hat, sunglasses, headband, or bowtie), and if you have long hair, you may want to pull it back because you’ll have to make sure that it doesn’t cover your ears at any point during the test.
In addition to verifying your identity and your test-ready appearance, you’ll show your computer monitor to the proctor, using a handheld mirror or your cell phone, so that the proctor can ensure that no sticky notes, etc., are attached to your monitor. If you use your cell phone for this process, you’ll need to silence and store it away immediately afterward, along with any other electronic devices, such as smartwatches and iPads.
The proctor will also initiate computer screen-sharing with you, so that he or she can make sure that no unauthorized windows are open on your computer during your exam, and you’ll use your webcam to provide a 360-degree view of your workspace and tabletop to the proctor.
You can learn more about the check-in process by watching this 2-minute video, but for now, let’s take a closer look at what the proctor will expect to see when you provide that panorama of your workspace, or as we like to think of it, your “personal test center.”
Prepping Your “Personal Test Center”
Just as important as the computer requirements for taking the at-home GRE are the workspace requirements. While it’s true that the at-home GRE does not have to be taken at your personal home — for instance, you might take the exam at your parents’ home because that offers you more privacy and quiet — you definitely cannot take the at-home GRE just anywhere.
Public settings, such as the local park, are not permissible environments for taking your exam, nor is any area of your home where people will be coming and going. In fact, you cannot take the at-home GRE in a room where there are any other people or where people will attempt to talk to you during your test. So, taking your exam in a living room where your roommate is watching TV is not an option.
Think of the room where you take your at-home GRE as your “personal test center.” At a regular test center, the tabletop where your computer sits is completely free of clutter. Likewise, your tabletop at home must be free of any knickknacks, books, to-do lists, soda cans, take-out containers, and pretty much anything other than your computer and your erasable scratch pad (we’ll discuss that last item in further detail soon).
You also should clear the walls around your workspace of any items that have writing on them. And, not surprisingly, you can’t play the radio on low volume in the background or listen to a white noise machine during your test.
Although you obviously won’t be able to empty the entire room of personal belongings or stop car horns from honking outside your window, you should try to recreate a test center environment as much as possible. That means having a quiet, clutter-free workspace, preferably one where you can shut the door.
One of the advantages of having a “personal test center” is that you can better simulate test day when you take your practice exams. If possible, take your practice exams in the workspace where you will take your at-home GRE, using the computer you will use for your actual exam, and prepare the room in the exact same way you’ll prepare it for your real test.
Take your practice exams on the same day of the week and at the same time as your real GRE, and ask the other members of your household not to disturb you during your exam. Why not take full advantage of having your “test center” at your disposal, and give yourself as close to the genuine GRE experience as possible? Doing so can only help better prepare you mentally and yield more accurate practice test scores.
TTP PRO TIP:
Think of the room where you take your at-home GRE as your “personal test center,” a workspace free of clutter and distraction. Use this space for your practice exams as well, following all of the workspace guidelines that you’ll adhere to on test day.
Now that we know how your testing environment should be configured, let’s take a closer look at that scratch pad we mentioned.
Note-Taking During the At-Home GRE
Although regular paper and pen or pencil is not permitted for note-taking during the GRE, you are allowed to use an erasable marker with either a small whiteboard OR a blank sheet of paper inside a transparent sheet protector. Regardless of which you choose, your scratch pad will have to remain on your desk, in view of the proctor, at all times during your exam. You should not have anything written on your scratch pad before the start of your exam, and you will be required to erase all of your notes in view of the proctor at the end of the exam.
A smart strategy for getting accustomed to note-taking during the at-home GRE is to purchase your preferred type of scratch pad (or both types, if you want to test them out to see which is more comfortable for you) in advance of your exam and practice with it. During your practice tests, use the same type of scratch pad and marker that you will use for your actual test.
You also can practice using the scratch pad and marker when you’re doing problem sets for your GRE prep. Just remember, because of the pandemic, many online retailers, including Amazon, have longer-than-normal wait times for deliveries, so if you’ll be ordering your scratch pad online, give yourself plenty of time before your exam.
TTP PRO TIP:
To take notes during the at-home GRE, you may use an erasable marker with either a whiteboard OR a blank sheet of paper inside a transparent sheet protector. Order yours in advance so you can use them during your practice exams as well.
We’ve covered the nuts and bolts of the test-taking process for the at-home GRE, so what about the most important part of the exam — your scores!
Scoring on the At-Home GRE
Since the at-home GRE contains the same content, delivered in the same format, as the in-person exam, both exams are scored using the same process and scale. In other words, a score on the at-home GRE is no different than a score on the in-person exam. In fact, your GRE score report will not even indicate that you took the exam at home.
All of your GRE scores, whether for exams taken at a test center or exams taken at home, will be in the same format — no footnotes, no asterisks, no big red flashing signs saying “one of these things is not like the other.” Thus, schools should not consider scores from an at-home GRE any differently than they would scores from an in-person exam.
KEY FACT:
The at-home GRE is scored using the same process and scale as those of the in-person exam. Your GRE score report will not even indicate that you took the exam at home.
As with the in-person exam, as soon as you finish your at-home GRE, you will be given the option to either report or cancel your scores, and if you choose to report your scores, you will see your unofficial Quant and Verbal scores. Included in your test registration fee is the ability to send your scores for free to up to 4 recipients; you can designate those at the end of your exam or send your scores later by ordering additional score reports for $27 each.
If you designate score recipients at the end of your exam, your official scores, including your Analytical Writing score, will be sent to those recipients 10–15 days after your test date. At that point, you’ll also be able to view your official scores online in your ETS account. As with any other GRE, your at-home GRE scores will be valid for 5 years.
KEY FACT:
As with the in-person exam, if you do not cancel your at-home GRE score, you will see your unofficial Quant and Verbal scores at the end of the exam and be able to designate up to 4 score recipients, who will receive your official GRE scores 10-15 days after your test date.
Now that we know that the content, format, and scoring of the at-home GRE is identical to those of the in-person exam, let’s review some policies related to test scheduling.
Rescheduling, Canceling, or Retaking the At-Home GRE
Whether you decide to cancel or keep your at-home GRE scores, you can retake the GRE either at home again or at a test center, once every 21 days, up to five times in a 12-month period.
If you have a test appointment set for the at-home exam and you need to reschedule, you can do so through your ProctorU account (you’ll create that when you register for your at-home test) for free anytime before your scheduled test time. However, you will not be able to reschedule an at-home exam as an exam at a test center.
On the other hand, if your GRE is scheduled at a test center anytime through June 2020, you can change that to an at-home exam by contacting ETS. You also should contact ETS if you need to cancel your at-home GRE altogether; just note that you must cancel no later than 4 days before your scheduled test in order to receive the refund of half of your test registration fee.
TTP PRO TIP:
You can reschedule your at-home GRE online for free anytime before your scheduled test appointment, but if you need to cancel altogether, do so no later than 4 days before your test in order to get half of your registration fee refunded.
Should You Take the At-Home GRE?
The at-home GRE offers test-takers the same format and scoring as the in-person exam, and schools receiving your scores will have no indication of whether you took the exam at home or at a test center (except, perhaps, the date of the exam).
Unless you have significant reason to believe that you won’t be able to maintain concentration and stay in “test mode” if you take the GRE at home rather than at a test center, you really have nothing to lose by taking the GRE at home. And if you’re anxious about taking the GRE outside of a test center, why not prep a “personal test center” as you would for the at-home GRE and try taking a full-length practice exam there? You might be surprised at how well the at-home option suits you!
TTP PRO TIP:
The at-home GRE offers test-takers the same format and scoring as the in-person exam.
GRE at home test times are now available around the clock, seven days a week. Appointments may be available as early as 24 hours after you register. https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home/faq/
Thanks so much for the update, Karen! We’ve updated our blog accordingly.