GRE Exam Eligibility 2023 (General & Subject Test)- Age Limit, Qualification & Minimum Score Requirement

Highlights of GRE Exam Eligibility Criteria

The highlights of GRE exam eligibility criteria are:

• There are no particular GRE exam eligibility criteria for students to fulfil.

• The is no age restriction to taking the GRE test.

• GRE is to be given mostly while pursuing bachelor's or after completing it.

• Students from arts, commerce, science, engineering, law and others are eligible to sit for the exam.

• In India, your original passport will be accepted as proof of identity for the GRE exam. Aadhar card is also now being temporarily accepted as identity proof for registration. It must be an original document. 

• Your intended university or course might have some specific graduate requirements that you will need to meet. Therefore, you must cross-check with the university web page before proceeding with the GRE registration and find out if you need to qualify for any other prerequisites in particular.

• A gap year does not influence GRE eligibility criteria. 

GRE at Home Exam Eligibility

ETS has now introduced GRE at Home which makes it easy for students to appear for GRE from their homes. Candidates can book the GRE test and appear for it whenever they wish to. The test dates are available all around the year.

There are some GRE at Home eligibility criteria for students who want to take the exam from the comfort of their homes. These are as follows:

• Candidates can use only their laptop or PC for the exam. Mobile phones, Chromebooks and tablets are not allowed.

• Browsers such as Firefox and Google Chrome are only allowed.

• Only one monitor is allowed. Multiple monitors or dual screens should not be used.

• Headphones or earphones are not permitted.

• Speakers should be used for internal and external communication.

• Equipment has to be kept on the table.

• Students should be on their own in the room in a private space. All doors and windows should be closed.

• Students should sit in a way that the proctor can see directly. The camera should give a full view of the candidates, room and the table surface area.

• They cannot take notes on other sheets of paper.

• All the extra notes and writing should be erased and shown to the proctor.

• Masks and jewellery should not be worn.

• ETS Secure Browser should be downloaded and installed on the computer or laptop.

All these arrangements should be made prior to the exam so that candidates can peacefully attempt it.

GRE Eligible Countries

GRE scores are well-known for being used as an evaluation of eligibility criteria and admission requirements for study abroad aspirants. The ETS website lists all of the institutes that accept GRE scores, making it simple for students to choose the programme and check for GRE eligibility criteria, academic credentials, and other requirements. The map below assists students in deciding which institute to go to for MS, ME, MBA, or other master’s level programmes.

All of the world's top institutions, including those in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Singapore, and Australia, accept GRE scores. Almost 600 business schools across the world accept the GRE. The GRE General Test is accepted by over 1,300 business schools and universities worldwide for top-ranked MBA or master's level programmes.

GRE Exam Eligibility Based on Education Qualification

ETS has not yet made an official announcement on the GRE eligibility criteria for candidates or test takers based on their previous educational qualifications to appear for the exam. Candidates must hold a graduate degree in any field from a recognised university. There are no formal educational prerequisites. Since the exam is designed to assess graduate students' preparation for entrance to postgraduate schools, the optimum academic degree would be a full-time recognised graduate degree.

Related Reads:

GRE Exam Eligibility Based on Work Experience

A pressing question among students appearing for the GRE is whether they can do so without work experience. To address this question, one must first note that the GRE exam is mostly popular among students who have completed their bachelor’s degrees and are hoping to start their master’s application. In such cases, it is not possible to gain work experience. Therefore, work experience is not mandatory for the GRE test and freshers can easily appear for the exam.

Nonetheless, having work experience can add more value to a candidate’s profile and be counted as a positive point. Hence, work experience can act as additional support for GRE eligibility for Indian students.

Age Limit for GRE Exam Eligibility

The age limit of any exam is the minimum and maximum age of a candidate to take the exam. ETS does not specify any lower or upper limit for taking the exam. Generally, GRE is taken by students who have completed a bachelor’s degree and are mostly between 20 and 22 years of age. This ensures that age is never a hindrance in GRE registration.

As there is no upper limit to taking the exam, students who have discontinued studies or gone on to work after graduation can also appear for the GRE exam. That said, students must check in with their universities to find out if there is any age limit to attend a programme.

The age limit to take an exam is the maximum age over which one is not considered eligible to appear for the examination. There is officially no age limit to taking the GRE test. This means that your age will not be considered a factor in deciding your GRE exam eligibility.

GRE Score Eligibility

Most institutions place a premium on a high GRE score as an eligibility criterion for candidates to get admitted to their programmes.

The GRE exam has no minimum qualifying score, according to GRE exam eligibility. The score is frequently used by institutions as an indicator of the calibre of possible students; it is reliant on the prospective institutes where candidates seek admission. Several institutes have set a GRE cutoff for aspirants seeking admission to the various courses on offer. As a result, candidates should double-check this information and plan accordingly for the GRE 2023.

Analytical Writing

Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning

GRE Exam Eligibility Based on Differently Abled Candidates

Students who are differently-abled often wonder what is the GRE eligibility criteria for candidates with special needs. ETS provides various provisions for students who are differently-abled and they can request accommodations. 

The provisions provided for differently-abled candidates or students with special needs are:

• Extended time (25 to 50%, for 100% time extension documentation is needed)

• Extended breaks (for snacks, medication, visiting the washroom, etc.)

• Screen magnification

• Selectable background and foreground colours

• Screen reader and refreshable braille compatibility

Accommodations for Differently-Abled Candidates for GRE General Test 

The assistance that is provided to students with special needs for GRE General Test are:

• IntelliKeys keyboard

• Ergonomic keyboard

• Trackball

• Keyboard with touchpad

• Human reader and human scribe

• Oral interpreter and Sign language interpreter(for spoken directions)

• Braille slate and stylus and Perkins brailler(for notetaking)

• Braille, large print test books and recorded audios(alternate test format)

Candidates with special needs need to fill up a form to avail the assistance mentioned above. They have to submit a list of documents to get the opportunities. These include:

• Disability certificate,

• Medical history of the student,

• List of test equipment needed during the exam,

• List of limitations suffered by the candidate due to disability.

The ETS disability services will consider the plea of students and make suitable arrangements.

GRE Exam Eligibility Based on Language

English fluency is required to take the GRE exam or any other competitive exam to study abroad. Test takers must be fluent in both English speaking and writing. Applicants must be fluent in English to be admitted to master's programmes and degrees at reputable universities in English-speaking nations.

Documents Required at the GRE Test Centre

Candidates need to carry specific documents at the GRE test centre that will enable them to enter the exam hall. Students are advised to gather the documents beforehand to avoid a last-minute hurry. The documents required to be shown at the GRE test centre are:

• One must carry an identity card.

• Notably, an admit card is not issued for the GRE test.

• The full name of the candidate must be printed on the ID card. A mismatch between the name on the ID card and the GRE registration form will not be allowed to sit for the test until they get a go-ahead from ETS.

• The test ID must be original with a recent photograph and signature.

• At the exam hall, photo identification, biometrics, thumb printing or fingerprinting, comparison of signatures or videotaping verifications are done.

Number of Attempts Permitted for GRE

GRE General Tests are conducted throughout the year while GRE Subject Tests are conducted three times a year. There is no lifetime limit on the number of times one can take the GRE exam whether it is the GRE General or Subject tests.

There are, however, some limits imposed on the number of times a test can be taken in a year and waiting periods related to the tests.

• The computer-delivered GRE General Test can be taken 5 times a year.

• The minimum waiting period between two tests is 21 days.

• If one cancels the scores during the exam, it is also counted as an attempt.

• On cancelling the appointment for the exam, it is not regarded as an attempted test.

• Not appearing on the test date is not considered an attempt. 

• Unlike the Computer-Delivered GRE General Test, you can take the Paper-delivered GRE General Test as often as they are conducted.

Note: One must take the test only when prepared well.