With the pandemic wreaking havoc across different parts of the world, causing governments of the different countries to take precautionary measures which restrict movements within and outside the country. This has led to the delaying and rescheduling of major exams, especially of internationally accepted exams such as GRE.
GRE or Graduate Record Examinations is conducted by the Educational Testing Service, which is the largest non-profit testing service in the world. Keeping in mind the public health regulations of different countries, ETS has temporarily offered a provision where candidates can appear for the test from the comfort of their homes. However, certain precautionary measures, as well as criteria, need to be fulfilled before appearing for the test.
In this article, we shall discuss the provision of GRE General Test at Home, which is a temporary provision by ETS for applicants to appear for this year’s tests. You can learn about the GRE General Test at Home eligibility criteria, equipment and environment needs, general rules and regulations and much more.
Eligibility for GRE General Test At Home
For those who choose to appear for the GRE at home, they must ensure that they meet the necessary eligibility for the GRE General Test at Home. While candidates are to meet the usual GRE Eligibility Criteria to appear for the exam, they must adhere to these additional eligibility criteria for GRE General Test at Home, to be eligible for the “at Home” testing process. The GRE General Test at Home eligibility criteria, as outlined by ETS, has been given below.
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At Home option for GRE General Test will be dependent on the regulations put in place by the Government of India.
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If the government allows, candidates will be able to apply for the GRE General Test at Home.
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You can use either a laptop or a desktop, which can either be PC or Mac. The computer which you will use for the exam must meet the equipment requirements, which also includes the proper installation of the ETS web browser as well as the ProctorU Systems Check.
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Candidates must download the ETS web browser appropriate for the computer they are using. This will be available on the official website of ETS.
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Check Equipment and Environment Requirements Here (crosslink)
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The room selected for the test must meet the general requirements for the GRE General Test at Home.
Note: Each candidate must ensure that they meet the requirements before applying for the GRE General Test at Home.
Also Read: IELTS Academic vs IELTS General: What’s the Difference?
How to Apply for GRE General Test at Home?
To continue the registration/application process for GRE, candidates must select the test centre and date best suited for them. However, since the GRE General Test at Home option has been made available to the applicants, candidates will not be required to select a test centre and can apply for the GRE General Test at Home and dates only. Here are the steps on how to apply for the GRE General Test at Home for GRE.
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Pre-registration Check: Candidates must ensure that they have the requisite ID documents prepared. The primary ID proof to be used should be a passport. If you do not possess a passport, any ID proof which is considered valid in the candidate’s country shall be accepted.
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ETS Registration: Similar to the usual registration process, candidates must either possess or register themselves with a valid ETS account. It should be noted that the candidate name on the primary ID proof should be the same as on the ETS account.
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Register/Find Test Centres: Candidates will be asked to log in to their account and click on “Register/Find Test Centres”.
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Here, instead of choosing to appear for the test in the test centre, if the candidate’s country offers the option, they must select the “At Home” option.
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Candidates will be asked to select the date and time for the test via ProctorU, after the registration processes.
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Complete Registration and Payment: All candidates are advised to complete the registration process as per the directions that have been provided. At the end of the registration process, candidates must pay the fees for the GRE Test 2021.
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Confirmation of Registration: Candidates will receive an email confirming the payment for the test.
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ProctorU Email for Slot-Booking: Candidates will receive an email from ProctorU with a link and a temporary password, which you shall use for slot-booking. In other words, click on the link and enter the temporary password provided in the email to book the date and time to appear for the test.
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Candidates can choose to book the date and time immediately after the registration process or at a later date and time as well.
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Note: Candidates must ensure that all the necessary equipment and environmental needs are met before applying for the GRE General Test at Home. Any discrepancies found at the time of the test may lead to the cancellation of the candidate’s test, without refund.
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GRE General Test At Home Requirements
ETS has designed certain GRE General Test at Home Requirements which include meeting the necessary software and hardware requirement, etc., for the test. To be considered for the GRE General Test at Home, candidates must ensure that the following requirements are available before applying and appearing for the test. Check out the general guidelines and procedures for the GRE General Test at Home.
Equipment and Environment Requirements
One of the more important checklists to complete is the equipment and environment checklist, which includes things such as computer and computer application specifications, acceptable environment for the testing process, computer hardware and software requirements, etc. Here is the checklist for Equipment and Environment Requirements for the GRE General Test at Home.
Equipment Requirement
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Computer:
- Must use either a Desktop or a Laptop Computer. Use of Tablets or Mobile Devices for the test will not be permitted.
- Candidates must use Chrome or Firefox browser.
- All candidates must download and install the original ETS browser on the computer, which will be used for the test. It is necessary to run the application to install the programme completely. Candidates will be able to find the direct links to download the browser appropriate for the computer on the official website of ETS.
- Candidates must run the ProctorU Systems Check application on the computer designated for the test.
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Speaker: Candidates must use an internal or external speaker to listen to the proctor. No headsets or wireless earphones will be allowed for the test.
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Microphone: Candidates will be required to use a microphone that is either integrated with the computer or additionally added to the computer. No microphones which are attached to the headsets will be allowed in the test.
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Camera: Candidates can either use an in-built camera of the computer or a separate webcam for monitoring. Candidates must be able to rotate or move the camera to provide the proctor with a 360° of the room and the tabletop.
Environment and Testing Space
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Privacy: You shall sit alone in a room with no one entering the room in the middle of the test. Appearing for the test in a public space such as a park, internet cafe or restaurant is strictly prohibited.
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Tabletop and Environment: The computer designated for the test must be placed on a tabletop surface or a desk.
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The surrounding area of the tabletop shall be devoid of all items inappropriate and disapproved for the test.
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The chair used must be standard. Sitting or lying on a bed or sitting on an overstuffed chair is prohibited.
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Candidates can not consume food or drinks during the test.
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Candidate Clothing and Appearance:-
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A candidate’s ears must be visible at all time. In other words, hair, hat or any other item or accessory shall not cover or hide the ears in any manner.
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Appropriate Dressing is a must as a photo shall be clicked during the test, which will be forwarded to the institutions which are designated to receive your scores.
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It is advised to avoid wearing items such as Jewelry, Headbands, Ornate Clips, Cufflinks, Barrettes or any other hair accessories.
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Note-Taking Materials: The accepted note-take materials during the test include either a whiteboard or a transparent plastic sheet with a white below the transparent sheet. Candidates will be asked to ensure that they erase all the notes scribbled on the plastic sheet and the whiteboard at the end of the test.
Video and Online Monitoring
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A Human Proctor will be assigned to you who will be responsible for monitoring you via a video camera and the computer screen to ensure that all procedures are being adhered to.
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The entire test session will be recorded, and a photo of the appearing candidate will be taken as well. The photo from the session will be available at ETS Data Manager as part of the candidate’s score record and be available to the designated institutions.
Also Read: How to Prepare for GMAT Online Exam?
Checking-In Regulations for GRE General Test at Home
Once all the pre-testing checklists have been cleared, the candidates must continue with the checklists for the checking-in procedure. The Checking-in regulations for GRE General Test at Home, all applicants must follow the instructions as mentioned below.
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All candidates must log in to their respective ProctorU account at the appointed time. Candidates will be given 15 minutes from the scheduled time to begin their check-in procedure. Failure of beginning your check-in procedures within the first 15 minutes will result in the cancellation of your GRE. You will not receive any refund of the deposited fee if your exam is cancelled.
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Once checked-in, You can click on “Start Session”.
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Next, all candidates will be required to complete the authentication process, which will require you to present the proctor with an ID. You should ensure that the name provided on the ID matches the name entered on the ETS account.
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The proctor will then continue to explain the exam rules and also request access to the candidate’s computer screen for monitoring.
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Candidates will then be asked to raise a handheld mirror to the camera so that the proctor can see the computer screen of the candidate.
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Once these steps are completed, candidates must provide a 360° view of the room along with the tabletop used for the test.
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As per the directions of the proctor, candidates must open the ETS web browser. Candidates must enter a password which will be provided by the proctor as well, to gain access to the test.
Regulations to be Followed During GRE General Test at Home
After the checking-in processes have been completed, candidates will be directed to begin their tests. While the exam pattern for GRE has not changed, certain regulations have been put in place for the GRE General Test at Home. During the test, all candidates must ensure that they abide by the regulations to be followed during the GRE General Test at Home.
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You must always be visible to the proctor during the entire duration of the test.
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Usage of unauthorised materials such as mobile devices, prewritten notes or textbooks, is strictly prohibited.
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There shall be no communication with a third party.
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The test will be divided into six sections with a 10-minute break after the third section. The candidates will be offered 1-minute breaks between other sections.
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Candidates must be seated during the 1-minute breaks.
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Candidates will be allowed to move during the 10-minute break. However, failure to report back to the seat within the stipulated time will lead to the cancellation of the test. Your exam fee shall not be refunded in this case.
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After the test has been completed, candidates will be able to report or cancel their test scores. Reporting the test centres will allow the candidates to view the unofficial scores of the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores. However, due to the evaluation process for essay writing, the Analytical Writing Test scores will not be visible.
Also Read: Check out the List of Top MS Business Analytics Universities in the US
With the provision of appearing for the test at home, ETS ensures that all aspirants are safe and follow the COVID-19 protocols that have been put in place by the respective governments of the different countries. This provision also allows for students to continue their higher education pursuit without any obstructions.
The Official Guide to GRE General Test
One of the tried and tested methods of scoring high in GRE General Tests is referring to the official guide released by GRE or practice GRE tests as part of your preparation strategy. A popular opted method by aspiring test-takers from around the world is to buy the official guide to GRE General Test, which will also be beneficial for those attempting the test from the comfort of their homes.
The Official Guide to the GRE General Test, which is now in its 3rd edition, comes complete with practice tests, exam strategies, answer explanations and much more to help you ace the test this year. Here are some of the benefits of choosing the official GRE General Test guide:
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Test-taking strategies
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Four real practice tests including two within the book and two online practice tests through PowerPrep.
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Sample essays and responses with reader commentary
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Quantitative reasoning problem-solving steps and strategies.
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Numerous authentic GRE test questions
Note: You can find several notable and reputed GRE test prep guide books that can help you prepare well for the tests. In fact, ETS also offers test-takers the option to buy books for individual sections of the test such as Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, etc
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