Key takeaways
- The GRE at home and at a test center is the same test. Only the rules around it differ.
- At home, test days are lost before the test starts: the Equipment Check, the 72-hour identity check, blocked networks, the wrong rough paper.
- At a center, the risks are arriving late and an ID name that does not match the registration.
Picture a student in Pune who books the GRE at home for a Sunday morning, on her office laptop. At check-in, screen sharing will not start: the company network blocks it. Her rough work is in a spiral notebook, which is not allowed. Three months of study, and the problem had nothing to do with verbal or quant.
This is a briefing for the counselor or GRE teacher who advises a batch. The rules come from ETS’s at-home test day page, its test center page and the 2026–27 GRE Information Bulletin.
Same content and format in both modes
ETS says the at-home test is identical in content, format and on-screen experience. Both follow the shorter format in use since 22 September 2023: about 1 hour 58 minutes, no break, an on-screen calculator in Quant. In either mode a student can test once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12 months.
| At home | Test center | |
|---|---|---|
| Content, format, timing | Same: about 1 h 58 min, no break | Same: about 1 h 58 min, no break |
| When | Around the clock, seven days a week | Year-round, by seat availability |
| Before test day | Secure Browser, Equipment Check, identity check 72 hours ahead | ID name matches the registration |
| Check-in | Link in the email, 15 min before; about 20–30 min with a proctor | Arrive 30 min early; photo, ID check, sign a confidentiality statement |
| Rough work | Whiteboard, or one sheet inside a transparent sheet protector; erased on camera | Scratch paper from the center; swap it when full; return all of it |
At home: the rules students miss
The test runs in the ETS Secure Browser, watched by a human proctor. Tell students:
- Run the Equipment Check at the hour you plan to test. Every red item must be fixed before the appointment.
- Verify your identity in the IDVaaS app at least 72 hours before.
- Avoid office and college networks. ETS warns they may block the screen sharing the proctor needs.
- Turn off Teams, Zoom, TeamViewer, Grammarly and any other screen-sharing or remote-access software.
- Rough work goes on a whiteboard, or one sheet inside a transparent sheet protector, erased on camera at the end.
- Sit alone, door in view, ears visible. No headset, no face mask.
- Keep a phone or mirror ready to show your screen, and set up the second camera when prompted.
Check-in starts from the email link 15 minutes early and takes about 20 to 30 minutes. During the test, talking aloud, looking away or moving out of view can invalidate it.
At a test center: arrival, ID and scratch paper
- Arrive at least 30 minutes early. A late student may not be admitted, and the fee is lost.
- Bring an original, physical ID whose name matches the registration exactly.
- Expect a photo and a confidentiality statement to sign. Only your ID, and a mask if you wear one, go into the room.
- Scratch paper comes from the center. Hand it back for more when full; return all of it.
- You can raise your hand to leave your seat, but the clock does not stop.
Students testing in India need a passport as their ID. ETS’s ID requirements page (select India) lists a passport with name, photograph and signature as the only accepted document.
Which mode to suggest? We would steer a student to a center if they share a room, only have an office or college laptop, or think best on paper. A student with a quiet room, their own computer and a steady connection can use the at-home slots, which ETS offers around the clock.
A one-page briefing your counselors can send
Student briefing
Your GRE test day checklist
- At booking
- Name on the ETS account matches the ID exactly (in India, the passport)
- 7 days before
- At home: Secure Browser installed, Equipment Check run at the hour of the test
- Whiteboard or sheet protector bought; last two timed practice tests done on it
- 72 hours before
- At home: identity verified in the IDVaaS app
- Night before
- At home: Teams, Zoom, TeamViewer and Grammarly closed and set not to auto-start
- Room clear, door visible, phone or mirror ready
- List of up to four universities ready for free score reports
- Test day
- At home: run a final Equipment Check shortly before check-in; switch off other devices using the home internet
- At home: check in from the email link 15 minutes early
- At a center: reach 30 minutes early with the original ID (in India, the passport)
Stress the whiteboard item. A student who did every mock on loose paper may feel slower on a small board. Do the last two practice tests on the board so test day is not the first time.
Send this briefing to a whole batch
See how a checklist is pinned, reminders go out by email and WhatsApp, and a live briefing is scheduled in Vacademy.
Running briefing sessions and practice in Vacademy
Walk through the checklist live. In Vacademy, schedule a short briefing on Zoom, Google Meet or YouTube Live. Students get email and WhatsApp reminders, and attendance is recorded, so you know who missed it. See the guide to live online classes in Vacademy.
How to build those sections: mock tests for the shorter GRE. Practice runs on Vacademy’s standard test screen, not a copy of the ETS screen, so students should still take ETS’s free POWERPREP tests. Vacademy is not connected to ETS.
Questions counselors ask
Is the GRE at home the same test as at a test center?
Yes. ETS says the content, format and on-screen experience are identical: about 1 hour 58 minutes, no break, and an on-screen calculator in Quant. Only the rules around the test differ.
Can students use paper for rough work in the GRE at home?
Only a whiteboard, or one blank sheet inside a transparent sheet protector, with an erasable marker. The student erases it on camera at the end. A notebook or loose sheets are not allowed.
When must a student verify identity for the GRE at home?
At least 72 hours before the test, in the IDVaaS app. A student who books later should verify straight away; ETS says late verification may delay check-in.
How early should a student reach a GRE test center?
At least 30 minutes before the test, with an original ID whose name matches the registration. A late student may not be admitted and loses the fee.
Can students wear earphones in the GRE at home?
No. Headsets are not allowed, and the ears must stay visible to the proctor for the whole test. Face masks are not allowed at home either.
Try Vacademy for your GRE batches
Live briefings, reminders, timed section tests and reports, under your institute’s name.