How to Take the GRE and GMAT at Home

How to Take the GRE and GMAT at Home main image

To meet the needs of thousands of students who are unable to take the GRE due to coronavirus policy changes, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) is now allowing applicants to take the test at home.

The online GRE is identical in content, format and on-screen experience to the in-person test and will be monitored by a human proctor online through the program ProctorU.

To accommodate students’ schedules, test takers will be able to choose from “numerous” timeslots each week.

As of today, the at-home test is available to students living in the US, Canada, Columbia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Hong Kong and Macau.

ETS said the option will be available in other locations “in the upcoming weeks”, and that the cost will remain the same as the in-person test.

Alberto Acereda, Executive Director of the Global Higher Education Division at ETS, said in a recent press release: “It was imperative for us to create a timely, flexible and reliable solution to allow students the opportunity to take these tests, so that they can complete time-sensitive applications that will allow them to continue on their educational journeys.

“Test takers can expect the same valid and reliable tests that are administered in test centers from the comfort of home.”

If you don’t want to miss out on going to business school, here’s how you can take the GRE at home.

What you will need

To take the at-home GRE, you will need:

A computer: EST has specified it can be either a desktop or laptop (not a tablet or mobile device), as long as it has a Windows operating system (versions 10, 8, or 7) and a QWERTY keyboard.
A speaker: It can be both an internal and external speaker. Headsets or wireless headphones won’t be allowed.
A microphone: It can be both internal and external.
A camera: It can be a built-in camera in the computer/laptop or a separate webcam, as long as it can be moved to show the proctor a 360-degree view of the room before the test.

How it will work

First, you will need to install the ETS Secure Browser, available on the ETS website, and the ProctorU System Check. Only when you’ve done so you’ll be able to register your ETS account, book your test timeslot, pay the fee and complete the set-up of the online proctor.

Once you’re ready to take the GRE, you will be connected to a human proctor via video camera. They will ask you to show your test-taking environment, including your tabletop surface, and will tell you when to launch the ETS web browser and begin the test.

As per the in-person test, there will be six sections with a 10-minute break after the third section and one-minute breaks between the remaining sections. You’ll be allowed to leave your seat for the former but not for the latter.

At the end of the test, the software will give you the option to either report or cancel your scores.

If you choose to report them, you’ll be able to view scores for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections, and you’ll be asked to designate up to four score recipients as part of your test fee.

After the test

ETS said your GRE score will be available on your account and sent to your chosen schools “approximately” 10-15 days after your test date.

Just like the in-person tests, you’re allowed to take the GRE again once every 21 days and up to five times in one year.

What about the GMAT?

As of April 14, the GMAT is now accepting registrations for its virtual exam, which will cost US$200. The first test will be held on April 20 2020.

The online GMAT can be taken on either a Mac or PC. All sections of the exam will remain the same except for the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), which has been scrapped.

Similarly to the online GRE, the exam will be a two-hour and 37-minute test monitored by a human proctor. Test-takers will log in 15 minutes prior to the exam start time, take a virtual photo-ID picture and photos of their surroundings.

From June 11 2020, GMAC is allowing test-takers to use a physical whiteboard during the exam. Pen and paper are still forbidden.

Candidates will receive their scores within seven days of taking the test.

Due to regulatory restrictions, the online GMAT is not yet available in China, Iran, Cuba, Sudan, Slovenia and North Korea.