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Last Updated on April 24, 2023
It’s almost test day! Hopefully, you’re excited to finally put all the GRE skills and knowledge you’ve acquired throughout your GRE prep to work. Of course, you may have been so focused on learning GRE content and strategies that you haven’t given much thought to the practical matter of what to bring to GRE test centers so that you can have the best test day possible.
In this article, we’ll give a checklist of the items you need to bring with you when you sit for your GRE, and the items you’ll want to bring with you.
- A Medical or Cloth Face Mask
- One or Two Valid Forms of ID
- Confirmation Email and/or Authorization Voucher
- Directions to the Test Center
- A Playlist
- A Warm Layer
- A Snack and Drink
- Prescription Eyeglasses and Medicines
- A Few Practice Questions
- A Mental List of Up to 4 Score Recipients
- Your “A” Game!
A Note About the Lockers
Although you can’t bring personal items such as a backpack, purse, wallet, or cellphone into the testing room with you, you will have the option of storing those and other personal items in a locker outside of the testing room. Keep in mind that locker space at test centers is not infinite, and there are many items, such as a cell phone, tablet, calculator, or dictionary, that you’re not allowed to access during your breaks even if you store them in your locker. (Keep in mind also that there is an on-screen GRE calculator that you’ll be able to access during your exam, and you will be provided with scratch paper for note-taking.) So, don’t go crazy packing everything but the kitchen sink into the bag you take to the test center. Test day is definitely a time to “pack light”!
TTP PRO TIP:
Locker space is limited at GRE test centers, so “pack light” on test day and bring in only those items you really need.
Before we review the items that you should bring to your GRE, let’s take a quick look at some items that you absolutely should not bring to a GRE test center.
What Not to Bring
First off, there are very few items that you’re allowed to bring into the actual testing room with you, so anything else you carry into the test center will have to be stored in your locker. Electronic devices such as cell phones and watches, your travel mug or to-go cup of coffee, your water bottle, your sunglasses, even your pocket change — all of these items will have to be stored in your locker (or left in your car, if you drove to the test center). Furthermore, you can expect that pretty much the only items you’ll be able to access during your break, regardless of what you have stored in your locker, will be food, beverages, and necessary medications. So, to reiterate, you’re better off bringing only those items you absolutely need into the test center.
That said, items such as firearms and other weapons are strictly prohibited at test centers, both in the testing room and in your locker. Remove the Swiss army knife from your keychain and the scissors from your backpack. If you’re unsure whether a particular item would be considered a weapon, err on the side of caution and leave it at home.
With the exception of wedding bands and engagement rights, jewelry also is not allowed in the test center. Your best bet is to take off any jewelry you’re wearing — earrings, bracelets, necklaces — the night before your exam, so that you don’t have to worry about doing so (and risk forgetting to) on the morning of your GRE. You’ll probably be asked to remove other accessories such as cufflinks, headbands, and barrettes before you enter the testing room, so best to leave those at home, too.
Likewise, before exam day, be sure to empty the pockets of the clothing you’ll be wearing and clean out the bag you’ll be bringing to the test center, so that you don’t inadvertently carry in a prohibited item and, consequently, get turned away from the test center. It’s also a good idea to double-check the test center regulations on ETS’s website to make sure you’re in compliance with the rules on personal items.
TTP PRO TIP:
Before test day, empty the pockets of the clothing you’ll wear, take off any jewelry you’re wearing, and clean out the bag you’ll bring to the test center, so that you don’t inadvertently carry in a prohibited item and get denied entry into your exam.
Another “item” you definitely can’t bring with you to the test center is a buddy. Friends, family, and “plus ones” will not be allowed into the building with you, and you won’t be able to leave the test center during your break to get a quick hug from mom in the parking lot. So, if someone wants to offer you moral support on test day, he or she will have to find a very comfortable seat at a nearby coffee shop because the GRE is a long exam.
Now that we know what not to bring to GRE test centers, let’s take a look at the items you’ll need and want to have with you on test day.
What to Bring
A Medical or Cloth Face Mask
Right now, a global pandemic is affecting every facet of our lives, and the GRE is no exception. In fact, many GRE test centers are still closed due to COVID-19. However, some test centers have reopened or will be reopening soon, and there are new safety measures those locations have implemented in order to ensure a hygienic environment for test-takers.
On your end, you will likely be required to wear either a medical or cloth face mask at the GRE test center, for either some or all of the time you’re at the test center (including during your exam). Confirm the guidelines for your region, because public health measures vary depending on location, but as of the writing of this article, test centers in all regions are requiring face masks. Make sure to bring a mask that you know will be comfortable to wear for several hours straight, so it doesn’t become a distraction (or fog up your eyeglasses) during your exam.
For the time being, even if your test center does not require you to wear a mask, you can bring one anyway. You’re also permitted to wear rubber gloves during your exam, although they are not required.
TTP PRO TIP:
While COVID-19 is still a concern, check the face mask requirements for your region, and be sure that the mask you bring on test day is comfortable enough to wear for several hours straight.
One or Two Valid Forms of ID
This is your ticket for entry into the GRE test center. For obvious reasons, ETS (the maker of the GRE) takes security pretty seriously, so during the check-in process at a test center, you’ll need to bring a valid identification. Valid ID documents cannot be photocopied or expired. An international travel passport, government-issued driver’s license, or government-issued national/state/province identity card is considered an acceptable form of ID.
Make sure that the first and last name on your identification exactly match the information you provided to register for the GRE, and that your ID contains a signature that matches your name and a photograph that is recognizably you. If the name on your ID doesn’t match the name with which you registered for the GRE, you won’t be allowed to take your exam.
In fact, it’s not a bad idea to bring a second, backup ID just in case the exam administrator has any issue confirming your identity. Although a second ID isn’t required for check-in, ETS states that “you are encouraged to bring at least two forms of acceptable ID each time you report to a test center,” so better safe than sorry, right?
TTP PRO TIP:
Although two forms of ID are not required for check-in at the GRE, it doesn’t hurt to bring a backup ID just in case.
Confirmation Email and/or Authorization Voucher
If you’re taking the computer-delivered GRE, you actually are not required to bring your test appointment confirmation email from ETS to your exam; however, there is really no reason not to bring it, just in case (and you will need it if you’re taking the paper-based GRE). When you’re headed to the airport, it’s good to have your flight information on hand, even though you don’t need it to board the plane, right? So, print your confirmation email to show the test administrator in the event that there is any confusion about your test appointment.
If you received a fee reduction voucher for your GRE, you do need to bring your Authorization Voucher with you to your exam, whether you’re taking the computer- or the paper-delivered GRE. For test-takers who haven’t received a test fee reduction or waiver, you don’t have to worry about this requirement.
TTP PRO TIP:
Bring your appointment confirmation email from ETS just in case there is any confusion about your testing time, and if you received a test fee reduction or waiver, be sure to bring your Authorization Voucher.
Directions to the Test Center
This may seem obvious, but you don’t want to have to do any guesswork about where you’re going on test day. If you’re relying on GPS to get to your test center, you may also want to print out directions, just in case technology fails you.
With that in mind, it’s never a bad idea to do a dry run of your trip to the test center before the big day, if possible. There is something to be said for having familiarity with your surroundings during your commute, rather than seeing everything for the first time on test day. You may be surprised at how much calmer your nerves during your second trip.
Try to do your dry run at the same time of day and on the same day of the week you’ll be going to take your test, so you can get an accurate sense of how traffic might affect your travel time. You can even do a dry run of your commute on public transportation, if that is how you’ll be traveling to your exam. If your test center is far away or a dry run simply isn’t feasible, just be sure to review a map of your route before you get on the road.
Plan to arrive at the test center about 30 minutes before the start of your GRE, so you’ll have plenty of time to check in. If you’re raring to go for your exam and you get to the test center much earlier than that, grab a seat at a nearby coffee shop where you can pregame with some flash cards or practice questions (we’ll talk more about that later).
TTP PRO TIP:
Print out directions to the test center just in case your GPS fails you, and do a dry run of your commute before test day if possible.
A Playlist
Obviously, you won’t be able to listen to music during your GRE (and you likely wouldn’t want to), but making a playlist of some songs to get your mood and energy up during your commute to the test center is a great way to get pumped for your GRE. Even if you’re walking to your local test center, grab some headphones and get yourself psyched up and ready to go! You’ve worked really hard to prepare for this day — get ready to CRUSH IT!
A Warm Layer
ETS recommends that when sitting for the GRE, you “dress so that you can adapt to any room temperature.” The fact is, the temperature inside many GRE test centers can be pretty “brisk,” so you’re going to want an extra, warm layer that you can throw on if your teeth start chattering during your exam.
That doesn’t mean that you should attempt to bring your giant puffy coat with a thousand pockets into the testing room with you, nor are hooded layers allowed, but a sweatshirt, cardigan, or other long-sleeve layer is a good idea. Everyone has their own “ideal temperature,” and you have no way of controlling what the temperature at the test center will be, so do yourself a favor and don’t expect the “weather” inside the exam room to be the same as the weather outside.
Keep in mind that your photo will be taken during the check-in process at the test center, and ETS will attach that photo to the score report sent to your selected schools, in order to confirm that you were in fact the person who sat for your exam. So, while you certainly want to dress for comfort on test day, you probably don’t want to look like you just rolled out of bed.
TTP PRO TIP:
Since you can’t control the temperature at the test center, bringing an extra, long-sleeve layer of clothing to your GRE is a smart plan. — just don’t wear anything with a hood into the exam room.
A Snack and Drink
There is a reason that marathoners refuel during a race. The GRE will take you about 4 hours to complete, so you’re probably going to need a “pick-me-up” part way through your exam. One thing is for sure: you certainly won’t need a growling stomach.
Hopefully, you’ll start test day with an energizing, healthy breakfast to fuel your body and brain, but you should still plan to bring a snack and a drink with you to the test center. Some quick and filling options are a protein bar, granola and dried fruit, or a banana. You may also want to bring a bottle of water and a coffee or energy drink (we do not recommend guzzling Red Bull or Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso if you’re not someone who typically consumes such drinks).
Your snacks and drinks will have to be stored in your locker and consumed during your 10-minute break, so make sure whatever you bring will “keep” for a couple of hours and isn’t going to be messy to eat. Also remember that your 10-minute break will be the most convenient time to use the restroom, so you don’t want to overdo it on liquids and need to run to the restroom later on.
TTP PRO TIP:
Bring a quick, filling snack that can be easily stored in your locker, such as a protein bar or some granola or fruit.
Prescription Eyeglasses and Medicines
You might be surprised by the things people forget when they’re anxious or in a rush, or their minds are preoccupied with, say, a major exam they’re about to take. While you generally can’t wear accessories in the testing room, you can wear your prescription eyeglasses during your exam, if you need to. Prescription medications can be stored in your locker and accessed during your break.
If there are other medically necessary items you need to have on your person during your GRE, such as an asthma inhaler or a hearing aid, contact ETS customer service to find out the protocol for bringing those. We recommend that you reach out to ETS well in advance of your projected or scheduled GRE test date, just in case you need to register as a test-taker with disabilities or health-related needs. Approvals for test accommodations take a minimum of one month, and may take a few months.
KEY FACT:
Prescription eyeglasses are permitted in the testing room, but you should contact ETS if there are other medically necessary items you’ll need to have on you during your exam.
A Few Practice Questions
Cramming on the day of your GRE (or in the week leading up to it) is not good idea, but doing a handful of practice questions right before you walk into the test center actually can provide a nice mental “warm-up,” reduce your level of anxiety, and help you get into test-taking mode.
Now, you don’t want to go overboard with a 20-question set of GRE problems — and certainly not a practice test — and burn yourself out before the exam begins. But if you’re feeling nervous about seeing that first question on the computer screen, or you simply need to perk up your brain a little bit, complete a couple of quant questions and a couple of verbal questions, so you don’t start your GRE completely cold. A mix of a few different types of questions should “limber up” your brain and get you into the zone for your exam.
TTP PRO TIP:
Completing a handful of quant and verbal questions right before you walk into the test center can provide a nice mental “warm-up” and help calm test anxiety.
A Mental List of Up to 4 Score Recipients
Assuming that you don’t cancel your GRE score, right after your exam finishes, you’ll have the option to send, for free, either the score you just earned or all of your GRE scores to up to 4 schools or programs (you also have the option to not send any scores). Luckily, you do not need to memorize the school codes for your chosen score recipients; you can simply search by school name to look up the codes on your computer at the test center.
So, before test day, prepare your mental list of which schools you want to send your score. If you’re really not sure where you want to send your score or you don’t have any schools in mind, you can send GRE scores after you leave the test center, using the ScoreSelect option, for a fee of $27 per recipient.
TTP PRO TIP:
Before test day, prepare a mental list of up to 4 schools to which you’ll send your GRE scores.
Your “A” Game!
There is a lot to be said for having a top competitor’s mindset on test day. If you’ve put in the time and effort to properly prepare for your GRE, and learned and practiced with study materials that result in GRE mastery, then you have every reason to walk into the test center with complete confidence that you will hit your score goal.
Bring your “A” game! You’re about to crush your GRE!
There is a lot to be said for having a top competitor’s mindset on test day.
Now that you know what to bring to the GRE on test day, you may want to check out these GRE test-day tips.
