GRE application and registration: choose the test and book it
To register for the GRE, first confirm whether your target programme asks for the General Test, one of the Subject Tests, either test or no GRE score. Then create or review an ETS account, select the correct test and an available appointment, check identification and accommodation requirements, pay the displayed fee and follow the account's score-recipient instructions. A booking confirms a test appointment; it does not establish admission eligibility.
Before opening the booking flow
Make a list of target programmes and application intakes. For each one, record the test version, required or optional status, any total or section minimum, accepted test mode, score-age rule and deadline for official results. University-wide guidance may not settle a department's requirement. ETS's approved General score-recipient directory is a delivery lookup, not a live catalogue of course admission policies. If the programme has not stated whether GRE is considered, ask the department before paying for an exam.
Choose between the field-independent General Test and the Mathematics, Physics or Psychology Subject Test only from that policy. Confirm that the exact Subject discipline is offered in the intended location and calendar window. If a programme requires both, plan each test and score report separately. Keep academic prerequisites, English-language tests, transcripts and recommendation requirements on the same application checklist but do not treat a GRE booking as satisfying them.
Create and check the ETS account
Use the ETS account instructions to register and manage appointments, score access and recipient selection. Before payment, confirm the first and last name against the identification document exactly. ETS warns that the test-taker name must match the ID. Verify local ID requirements inside the account for the country and appointment: allowed document types and supplementary rules can vary. If the account has a spelling or identity problem, resolve it with ETS before test day rather than relying on an informal explanation at check-in.
Select the intended test, appointment location and delivery mode carefully. General Test appointments are rolling and live slots differ by region. At-home testing is offered only where permitted and only if the candidate can meet ETS's current equipment, room and identity verification requirements. Read the current checklist for computer, operating system, camera, microphone, connection and workspace rules before choosing that option. A home appointment can be unsuitable if the testing environment fails a requirement. A test centre appointment may be the practical alternative.
Accommodations, payment and confirmation
Candidates requesting accommodations should begin the approval process before scheduling and submit the supporting documentation ETS asks for. Wait for directions on how to book the approved arrangements; do not assume that an accommodation can be added after selecting an ordinary slot. Available dates may depend on approval and appointment capacity.
Review the fee shown at checkout, currency, payment method and included services before submitting payment. The ETS India General fee page's indexed text showed USD 249 / ₹25,522 for registrations effective 1 August 2026, but the page itself displayed USD-only information during the 28 October 2026 source check. Treat the rupee amount as a dated observation and rely on the live checkout for the payable value. The published Subject fee is USD 199 worldwide for registrations on or after 1 August 2026; an India-specific Subject fee was not independently confirmed. Additional score reports or changes can have separate charges. Read current cancellation and rescheduling terms because fees depend on timing and location.
After payment, save the account confirmation and check the test name, date, local time, location or at-home mode, approved accommodations and candidate details. Add the programme's score-receipt deadline separately from the appointment. ETS says General results usually appear 8-10 days after testing; Subject results follow scheduled release dates. A university's processing and official score delivery can take additional time.
Score recipients and next steps
Use the recipient selection process in the ETS account and match the institution and any department or programme code to the target's official instructions. Check the code before submitting; an institution's general code may not route the score to the intended unit. Confirm whether the programme requires an official ETS report by the application deadline or accepts self-reported scores temporarily. ETS's recipient listing confirms that an institution or sponsor can receive GRE scores, not that each programme currently requires them.
ETS's General retake rule is at least 21 days between attempts and no more than five times during a continuous rolling 12-month period. Subject Test retakes require at least 14 days. If planning a retake, allow time for the new result and report delivery. Score reporting is available for five years from the test date under ETS policy, but a department may set a shorter acceptable score age.
Before test day, reopen the confirmation and current ETS instructions. Check route, arrival time, identification, permitted items and accommodation details. For home delivery, repeat the system and room check. Afterward, review the score report, select recipients according to the programme deadline and retain evidence of delivery. Contact the department if its intake-specific policy remains unclear; no centralized GRE counselling office decides the next admissions step.