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Last Updated on March 11, 2024
One question that I hear all the time from GRE students is, “How many times can you take the GRE?” However, there is an equally important question that students thinking about taking the GRE multiple times should consider: How many times should you take the GRE?
In this article, I’ll answer all of the most common questions about retaking the GRE and discuss pros and cons of taking the GRE multiple times.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- How Many Times Can You Take the GRE?
- How Often Can You Take the GRE?
- How Many Times Should You Take the GRE?
- What Are the Consequences of Taking the GRE Multiple Times?
- Should You Keep Retaking the GRE?
- Key Takeaways: How Many Times Can You Take the GRE?
- What’s Next?
How Many Times Can You Take the GRE?
The short answer to this question is that you can take the GRE an unlimited number of times. As I’ll discuss later in this article, there are a few reasons why you probably wouldn’t want to keep retaking the GRE over and over again, but the fact is, you have the option to do so. There is no lifetime limit on the total number of times a person can sit for the GRE, whether for the General Test, a Subject Test, or any combination of the two (though for the purposes of this article, we will focus on the GRE General Test).
There are, however, some limitations and waiting periods related to retaking the test — we’ll review all of those shortly. First, it’s important to be aware of what counts as a GRE attempt and what will not be recorded as a test attempt. Let’s take a look.
- If you cancel your GRE score from an exam, that exam DOES still count as a GRE attempt. Any time you sit for an actual GRE exam, whether at home or at a test center, the exam attempt counts.
- If you cancel your GRE exam appointment, that canceled exam does NOT count as an exam attempt because you did not actually sit for the exam.
- If you are a no-show on test day (you did not cancel your GRE, but you did not show up for your exam appointment), that exam does NOT count as a GRE attempt because you did not actually sit for the exam.
Basically, any time you actually sit for the GRE, regardless of what you do with your test scores or where you take the test, it counts. And, any time you don’t actually sit for the GRE, it doesn’t count. Makes sense, right?
KEY FACT:
There is no lifetime limit on the total number of times a person can sit for the GRE, whether for the General Test, a Subject Test, or any combination of the two.
Now, although there is no limit on the total number of times you can take the GRE, there is a limit on the number of times you can take the test within a certain period. Let’s discuss that next.
How Often Can You Take the GRE?
Test-takers are allowed to retake the GRE no more than 5 times within any continuous 365-day period. Furthermore, you must wait at least 21 days to retake the GRE, regardless of how many times you’ve taken it in the last 365 days (note that GRE Subject Tests are offered only 3 times per year, so you cannot take those every 21 days). These rules apply even if you canceled your GRE scores from a previous exam. Remember, a GRE attempt still counts if you cancel your test scores from that attempt.
Note also that the at-home GRE and GREs administered at test centers share the same annual count. So, regardless of where you sit for the exam, you still have to wait 21 days for your retake, and you cannot exceed 5 attempts within the rolling 1-year period.
KEY FACT:
You retake the GRE every 21 days but cannot exceed 5 GRE attempts within a consecutive 365-day period.
So, let’s say that you made your first GRE attempt on March 15, 2023. Conceivably, you could sit for the GRE every 21 days and reach your annual limit of 5 attempts by the end of June. At that point, you would have to wait until March 16, 2024 to make attempt number 6. Of course, this scenario is highly unlikely, and I wouldn’t recommend taking this kind of approach to the exam, for several reasons that we’ll soon discuss. The important thing to note right now is that, if you need to retake the GRE, you don’t have to do so in 21 days simply because you have the option to. Whether you’re gearing up for your first GRE attempt or your fifth, ideally, you should take the exam only when you feel fully prepared to hit your score goal.
TTP PRO TIP:
Whether you’re gearing up for your first GRE attempt or your fifth, ideally, you should take the exam only when you feel fully prepared to hit your score goal.
Now that you know how many times and how often you can take the GRE, you may be wondering whether graduate schools view applicants who have taken the GRE more than once unfavorably.
How Many Times Should You Take the GRE?
The fact of the matter is, many test-takers sit for the GRE more than once and even retake the GRE multiple times. So, there is no shame in having to retake the GRE. In fact, when selecting GRE test dates with your application deadlines in mind, you should factor in a cushion of time for retaking the test at least once (if not twice). When it comes to the GRE, a wise motto to live by is, “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”
If upon hearing all this you’re still nervous that grad schools might view your application unfavorably if you take the GRE multiple times, I have good news for you: graduate schools never have to know you’ve taken the GRE more than once. ETS, the maker of the GRE, offers test-takers an option called ScoreSelect, which allows you to send only your most recent score to schools. So, if you have low test scores from previous GRE attempts, or you simply don’t want schools to know that you’ve taken the GRE more than once, you can keep that information private. (To read more about the ScoreSelect option, check out this handy guide to sending your GRE scores to schools.)
With all of this said, if you’ve already sent GRE scores to schools and end up retaking the test and sending out additional test scores to those same schools, I don’t want you to panic. Grad schools know that many (if not most) students end up taking the GRE more than once, and in general, schools will pay attention only to your highest score.
Think about it: would it make much sense for schools to penalize students for trying again and successfully improving? Not really. So, if you think you can improve your score, there is no reason not to give the test another shot, even if you’ve already sent past GRE scores to schools.
TTP PRO TIP:
If possible, schedule your first GRE so that you’ll have enough time before your application deadlines to prepare further and retake the GRE once or twice if necessary.
So, the simple answer to the question of how many times you should take the GRE is that you should take it as many times as you need to in order to reach your score goal. However, there are some serious points to consider about retaking the GRE multiple times. Let’s discuss those now.
What Are the Consequences of Taking the GRE Multiple Times?
Although graduate schools never have to know that you’ve taken the GRE more than once, there are some consequences of retaking the test multiple times. For one, the GRE is not exactly cheap for most people. From prep materials and practice tests to exam registration and score reporting fees, GRE expenses can rack up pretty quickly. While some of those expenses represent a necessary investment in your future, others are avoidable if you plan ahead and have a smart strategy.
In particular, exam registration is one of the biggest fees that GRE test-takers incur, so avoiding unnecessary retakes is key if you’re hoping to keep costs low. For example, imagine you’re the student from our earlier example who takes the GRE 5 times in one year. Without taking into account any other GRE expenses, you will have spent more than $1,000 on the GRE! On the other hand, if you give yourself time to study for the GRE until you are truly prepared to sit for the exam, rather than rely on your ability to retake the GRE over and over, you can put that money toward other things — moving expenses for graduate school, for instance.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the process of preparing for the GRE and actually sitting for the exam is both time-consuming and, let’s face it, pretty stressful. Learning GRE content, honing your test-taking skills, and tackling a nearly 4-hour test are mentally and physically taxing experiences that demand hard work and sacrifice. Early mornings and late nights of studying, weekends hitting the books instead of hanging out with friends, less time with your family — preparing for GRE even once can have a huge impact on your daily life, for months at a time. So, while a few GRE attempts may be manageable, taking the GRE numerous times isn’t very practical, particularly if your schedule is already packed with work and other responsibilities.
Aside from gobbling up a lot of your time and energy — time and energy you could be putting toward, say, completing your grad school applications — retaking the GRE over and over again and seeing little or no improvement in your score can be pretty demoralizing. At a certain point, each retake could become another hit to your confidence, and eventually you may even see your GRE scores decrease as a result.
So, even if your budget isn’t a concern, you should absolutely aim to hit your score goal on your first GRE attempt and do everything in your power to prepare yourself to do so. Moreover, make sure that you’re setting your GRE test dates based not on arbitrary timelines (such as a 21-day waiting period) but on your readiness to reach your score goal.
Let’s discuss these important considerations a little further.
TTP PRO TIP:
The best way to avoid unnecessary retakes is to make sure that you set your test dates based not on arbitrary timelines but on your readiness to reach your score goal.
Should You Keep Retaking the GRE?
At a certain point, all GRE test-takers who have yet to hit their score goals must consider the law of diminishing returns. Familiarity with the exam can certainly work to your advantage, and you may very well feel less nervous about the test-taking experience if you’ve been through it before. But if you’ve taken the GRE multiple times and have yet to hit your score goal, at some point you have to stop and ask yourself whether retaking the test over and over again is really the answer.
It’s true that even well-prepared test-takers may not hit their score goals on their first or second (or even third) GRE attempt. But if all you’re doing is preparing for the GRE in the same way you’ve always prepared, using the same prep materials and strategies you’ve always used, then why would GRE attempt number 4 be any different from attempt number 3 or 2? As I mentioned earlier, you may even end up becoming more and more fatigued and frustrated by additional GRE attempts, causing your test performance to suffer and taking you even further from your goal.
To avoid that scenario — or if you’re currently in this very situation — it’s important to ask yourself some key questions. First and foremost, are you hitting your score goal on full-length, official GRE practice tests? If not, then you probably aren’t ready to retake the GRE. Second, if you’ve taken the GRE a few times already and are preparing for another retake, have you adjusted your test prep in any way? Sought out new prep materials that are more comprehensive or better suited to your needs? Increased the number of hours you study for the GRE each week, implemented more consistent study hours, or looked into more efficient ways to study for the GRE, if any of those issues have plagued your test prep?
The point is, if you are seriously worried that after several GRE attempts, you still may not be prepared to reach your goal, you need to stop and take a hard look at how you are preparing for the GRE, and make some adjustments before you schedule any further exams.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you are not hitting your score goal on full-length, official GRE practice tests, then you probably aren’t ready to retake the GRE.
Key Takeaways: How Many Times Can You Take the GRE?
To recap, here are the key points about how many times you can retake the GRE:
- You can retake the GRE every 21 days, up to 5 times in a calendar year, with no lifetime limit on the number of attempts.
- You should take the GRE as many times as you need to hit your target score: plan for the possibility of at least one retake.
- Schools never have to know you took the GRE more than once with the use of the ScoreSelect tool, but they will generally only consider your best score.
- Keep in mind the financial and personal consequences of taking the GRE multiple times.
- Do not rush to retake the GRE: consider your test prep methods and strategy, and gauge your readiness.
What’s Next?
For tips and strategies to help you reach your score goal as efficiently as possible, check out this article on how to earn a 330+ on the GRE.
