GRE test dates 2026–27

Next GRE dates at a glance

• GRE General Test: available year-round at test centres and at home, subject to appointment availability.
• GRE Subject Tests: the 14–27 September 2026 window is in progress; the next published window is 19 October–1 November 2026.
• Following Subject Test window: 19 April–2 May 2027.
• Book your actual date: General Test scheduler or Subject Test scheduler.

Your university’s deadline and score receipt rules determine when you should test. Confirm the available appointment in your ETS account before making travel plans.

GRE General Test: flexible booking

ETS offers the General Test throughout the year. Test centre and at-home times vary by location and availability; there is no single worldwide exam date. ETS permits one General Test attempt every 21 days, up to five attempts in a rolling 12-month period, including cancelled scores. Official scores generally appear in your ETS account 8–10 days after testing. Allow extra time for a university to receive and process them.

Check live General Test dates on ETS →

GRE Subject Test windows, 2026–27

Subject Tests are available for Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. ETS publishes three two-week windows for this testing year. At-home appointments are offered on certain dates in eligible locations; check the booking system for your country.

ETS permits one Subject Test attempt every 14 days. Subject Test at-home availability varies by location; some countries are excluded. See the official Subject Test registration rules.

Current GRE fees

ETS fees effective 1 August 2026:

Fees can change. Use the General Test fee page and Subject Test fee page before payment.

How to choose and book your date

1. Check whether each programme requires the General Test, a Subject Test, or neither.
2. Note the earliest application deadline and allow time for preparation, the published score reporting date, and institutional processing.
3. Use the ETS scheduler to choose an available test centre or eligible at-home appointment. Confirm your ID and equipment requirements.
4. Review the final fee and rescheduling rules in your ETS account before paying.

For General Test scores, ETS states 8–10 days after testing. For Subject Tests, use the exact score date in the table above. Avoid relying on a generic monthly calendar for a specific seat.

Every upcoming verified GRE window, and what is still live

ETS's published 2026–27 Subject Test calendar contains three windows: 14–27 September 2026, 19 October–1 November 2026, and 19 April–2 May 2027. As of this review on 26 September, the first window is nearly over; a remaining appointment is possible only if ETS's live scheduler shows a seat you can still book. The October–November window is the next full published opportunity, and the April–May window follows. The listed score reporting dates are 5 October 2026, 9 November 2026, and 10 May 2027 respectively. These are ETS reporting dates, not university receipt guarantees.

The General Test follows a different model. ETS offers appointments throughout the year at test centres and, where eligible, at home. It does not publish one fixed list of every future General Test day for all cities. Search your own location and preferred mode in ETS's scheduler. A date shown in a guide is not a booked seat. Choose the exact appointment that appears in your account, then check its confirmation. This distinction prevents a candidate from confusing a global Subject Test window with an available local General Test slot.

Not every programme needs both tests. Read the graduate department's current admissions page to see whether it requires, recommends, accepts or ignores a General or Subject Test. Some departments use a Subject Test only for a particular field. A single programme may have different rules for domestic and international applicants. Confirm the exact test and score deadline before paying. Our exam timetable hub helps compare GRE dates with other deadlines, while ETS remains the source for the actual seat.

General Test versus Subject Test

The GRE General Test assesses verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing for a broad range of graduate and professional admissions. The Subject Tests assess knowledge in Mathematics, Physics or Psychology. A Subject Test is not a substitute for a General Test when a programme asks for General scores. Likewise, a strong General score cannot automatically replace a requested Subject score. Identify the test by its full ETS name in the application instructions and, if needed, ask the department directly.

Subject Test availability is limited to the published windows, so candidates applying for a programme with a winter deadline should pay particular attention to the October–November 2026 window. The April–May 2027 window may be useful for later admissions cycles but is too late for many earlier deadlines. General Test candidates have more scheduling flexibility, yet local capacity and score processing still matter. The difference is especially important if you want a backup attempt after seeing an initial score.

Some programmes no longer require the GRE, and policies can change between application years. Do not take the test just because a broad article says graduate schools use it. Check the specific programme and intake. If the result is optional, weigh the cost and preparation time against other application elements. If it is required, note whether the university needs your score by the submission deadline or will accept a later ETS report.

Booking a General Test appointment

Start from ETS's official General Test scheduling page, linked in the source list at the end. Search your city or postal code and choose test centre or at-home delivery if the latter is eligible in your location. Compare actual dates and times, then review your university deadline. A test-centre appointment may be preferable if you want a controlled environment; an at-home appointment may help with travel constraints if you can meet the technical and room requirements. Availability is specific to the option you select.

Create or use your ETS account with the identity information required for the test. Check that your registration name matches the accepted ID you will present. Do not rush through the recipient or score selection screens. ETS permits designated score recipients as part of registration, and additional reports carry a separate fee. Record each institution's code and programme details from its own application instructions. A score sent to the wrong institution or department can create avoidable delay.

Before checkout, confirm the test type, location or at-home mode, date, local time, price and change rules. Save the registration confirmation and review any separate appointment instructions. If you need accommodations, use ETS's approved process early; a standard seat may not be appropriate until arrangements are confirmed. For at-home testing, run the required equipment and room checks before test day, rather than discovering a problem when the proctor is ready.

Booking a Subject Test inside a published window

Select Mathematics, Physics or Psychology in the Subject Test scheduler and inspect available appointments within the 2026–27 windows. ETS offers at-home Subject Tests on certain dates in eligible places, with country restrictions; do not assume the at-home option exists for your city merely because it appears on a global page. A test centre may have fewer dates than the full two-week window. The scheduler and account confirmation determine your actual test day.

When planning the 19 October–1 November 2026 window, use the 9 November ETS score reporting date as the earliest official milestone. Allow time after that for the university to receive and process the report. The 19 April–2 May 2027 window has a 10 May reporting date. If a department closes applications before those reporting dates, ask whether it permits pending scores. Do not rely on an old 2025–26 Subject Test timetable; the 2026–27 windows are different.

ETS permits a Subject Test attempt once every 14 days, including where a previous score was cancelled. That frequency rule does not create a new testing window. In practice, your options are constrained by the three published periods and available seats. If you intend to sit twice, make a realistic plan based on the window dates and the recipient's deadline. A second booking may not be useful if the first result arrives after the last application date.

Score dates, delivery and validity

ETS says General Test scores usually appear in the candidate account 8–10 days after test day. It delivers electronic scores to institutions twice weekly, and a university then needs time to match and process them. Count backward from the application deadline with those steps in mind. A result in your own account is not always proof that the programme has marked the score received. Check its portal and contact admissions promptly if a report appears missing.

For Subject Tests, ETS publishes a reporting date for each window rather than an individual 8–10-day estimate. The September 2026 window reports on 5 October, the October 2026 window on 9 November and the April 2027 window on 10 May. Use the date for your actual window. A candidate testing at the start of a two-week window still waits for the scheduled reporting day. This makes the Subject Test calendar especially important to admissions planning.

GRE scores are generally reportable for five years under ETS rules, but a programme may have a different policy about recent scores. Check score age, accepted score versions and whether a programme accepts ScoreSelect choices. If you have an older valid score, compare it with the current admission requirement before buying another attempt. If you take a new test, keep the application record of which dates and scores you asked ETS to send.

Retake rules and a realistic backup plan

ETS permits the General Test once every 21 days, no more than five times in a continuous rolling 12-month period, even when an earlier score is cancelled. Therefore a test chosen only three weeks before an application deadline may leave little opportunity for a second result to arrive. If you want a backup attempt, choose the first test early enough to receive feedback, prepare for weak areas, wait the required interval and allow another score report to reach the institution.

The Subject Test uses a 14-day minimum between attempts, including cancelled scores. But the limited windows make a theoretical retake interval less useful than it first appears. Confirm that the desired subject is available on the later date and that its reporting date meets your programme's rule. Do not pay for repeated attempts without a diagnostic plan. If a score is below target, identify whether the gap reflects knowledge, timing, test anxiety or unfamiliar format.

A retake can help when practice evidence shows clear improvement. It can waste time when a candidate repeats the same method without reviewing errors. Preserve time for statement writing, recommendations and other admissions work. A GRE score is one part of an application; the relative value of a retake depends on the programme's policy and the rest of the file.

Fees and budgeting as of August 2026

ETS lists a US$249 General Test fee for most locations and US$199 for Subject Tests from 1 August 2026. General testing in China and testing in India have separate pricing arrangements. Additional score reports and test changes have their own fees. The booking checkout is the final source for the amount in your location and any tax. Avoid using older guides that still quote earlier prices. Our table above distinguishes the tests and common services, but it should be checked against ETS before payment.

Budget for more than the base test. You may need extra score reports for programmes outside your initial recipients, travel to a Subject Test centre, or a change fee if your application plan moves. A retake means another full test fee. If you qualify for an ETS fee-reduction programme, read the eligibility and voucher rules before booking. Do not assume that a voucher applies to every service or that all applicants worldwide qualify.

A convenient at-home appointment can reduce travel costs, but only if you have suitable equipment, internet and a private space that meets current proctoring rules. A centre appointment may involve transport but can simplify the testing environment. Decide based on your situation and ETS eligibility, not a general claim that one mode is always cheaper or easier.

Prepare for the General Test

Start with a timed diagnostic that follows the current test format. Record performance in verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Build a study plan around the programme's score expectations and your own baseline. A candidate already strong in quantitative reasoning but weak in reading comprehension needs different practice from a candidate who knows the mathematics but loses time on data interpretation. A diagnostic makes that distinction visible.

For verbal reasoning, learn to support every answer with passage evidence or sentence logic. Practise reading a passage for structure, not just vocabulary. For quantitative reasoning, review arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis at the level ETS tests, then practise efficient problem selection and checking. For analytical writing, learn to present a clear position, develop reasons and use the available time for revision. A steady feedback loop is more valuable than completing many problems without understanding errors.

Keep an error log with the question type, cause of the mistake and a better method. Revisit the same pattern after a few days. Timed full-length practice tests help test stamina and pacing, while untimed review helps correct misconceptions. The plan should reflect how much time remains before a live appointment. If you are also considering a business-school test, our GMAT guide can help compare scheduling rules once you confirm which tests your programmes accept.

Prepare for a Subject Test

Subject Test preparation is broader than memorising a small list of test tricks. ETS publishes content descriptions and sample material for Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. Map those topics to your undergraduate coursework and identify gaps. Use a diagnostic to separate forgotten material from topics never studied. Prioritise high-impact areas and practise recalling concepts under a time limit. A department's score expectation may differ by field and programme, so review its own admissions guidance.

For Mathematics, practise selecting an efficient method and checking algebraic accuracy. For Physics, connect equations to underlying concepts and work on units and approximations. For Psychology, organise theories, methods and findings into a structured review instead of isolated flashcards. These are broad preparation principles; ETS's current test description defines the actual content. Make time for mixed-topic practice because a real Subject Test moves rapidly between areas.

Do not schedule a Subject Test solely because the next window is near. Confirm that the score can arrive before your deadline and that your preparation covers the required material. If the October 2026 window is too close, the April 2027 window may fit a later intake, subject to that programme's deadlines. A candidate applying in the current cycle should ask the department whether a later score is acceptable before relying on it.

An eight-week preparation example

Week one: verify each programme's GRE policy and take a diagnostic. Weeks two and three: repair the largest knowledge gaps and learn the current question formats. Weeks four and five: practise timed sections, review errors and refine pacing. Weeks six and seven: use full-length practice tests, focus on recurring weak areas and confirm score recipients. Week eight: review lightly, check ID and travel or at-home setup, and protect sleep before the appointment.

This is an example, not an ETS requirement. A Subject Test may need a longer content review; an applicant near the target may need a shorter plan. The calendar should be shaped by your baseline and the fixed Subject windows or live General appointments. For individual support, see NUM8ERS private tutoring. If your admissions plan includes other international exams, the full timetable hub can help keep their deadlines separate.

Test-day and score-sharing checklist

Read the confirmation for reporting time, accepted ID, location or at-home check-in steps. Check any ETS emails for changes. At a centre, allow travel and check-in time; at home, complete system checks and clear the room as required. Bring or present the exact ID you registered with. If you encounter a technical issue, use the authorised proctor or centre process immediately. A later informal complaint may be harder to resolve.

After testing, note the expected ETS score date. Confirm that selected institutions receive the correct report and that their portals match it to your application. If you use ScoreSelect, record which test dates you sent. Leave time to correct an institution code or application identity mismatch. A good GRE plan ends when the programme can use the official score, not when you leave the test room.

1. Confirm General versus Subject Test requirements.
2. For a Subject Test, select the correct 2026–27 published window and reporting date.
3. For a General Test, search live centre or at-home appointments.
4. Check ID, fees, recipient codes, score deadline and retake room.
5. Save the ETS confirmation and verify official score delivery.

Admissions timing scenarios

A programme closes in early December 2026

The October 19–November 1 Subject Test window has an ETS reporting date of November 9. That leaves several weeks for delivery and programme processing, but it does not prove a particular school will accept the score in time. Check the exact deadline and the way the school defines “received.” A November General Test could still work for some programmes because ETS usually releases General scores in 8–10 days, yet a late-November seat leaves little margin for delays or a retake. Confirm the programme's policy in writing if the timing is close.

A programme closes before November 9

The October Subject Test result will normally report too late unless the department explicitly accepts a pending score or later update. The September window's October 5 reporting date may be the relevant result if you tested there. If you have not yet booked, the remaining September seats may be limited or unavailable. A General Test might still be an option if that is what the programme requires, but it cannot replace a Subject Test merely because it has flexible dates. The application rule determines the choice.

A programme begins reviewing in mid-2027

The 19 April–2 May 2027 Subject Test window reports on May 10. For a later intake, that may provide time for a score and for broader preparation. If you need to test earlier, the October 2026 window is also published and may fit. Check whether a score from the earlier date will remain valid under the programme's own policy. General Test candidates can choose an appointment nearer to readiness, but should still preserve a reporting margin and any needed retake interval.

You are considering business or law school

ETS describes the General Test as an option for graduate, business and law school, but individual programmes decide whether to accept it and how to compare it with other admissions tests. Consult each school's current admissions page. For business school, compare a valid GRE route with the GMAT using the NUM8ERS GMAT date guide. For law school, our LSAT date guide covers its separate fixed administrations. Do not infer that a school treats all scores as equivalent.

Frequent mistakes to avoid

One mistake is copying a prior testing year's Subject window. The 2025–26 dates were different from the 2026–27 dates. Another is treating the full published Subject window as proof that a seat exists in your city on every day. ETS's scheduler shows the actual available appointments. A third is ignoring the score reporting date; the first day of a Subject window does not create an immediate result. These errors can derail a graduate application even when the candidate prepared well.

Other errors include booking the wrong test, registering with a name that does not match accepted ID, sending scores to the wrong institution code and leaving no time for university processing. Fix them with a short review before payment: test name, personal details, location or home mode, date, recipient code, ETS reporting date and programme deadline. Save this checklist with the confirmation. If any field is uncertain, resolve it before checkout.

Finally, do not interpret a test score in isolation. A programme may look for different strengths in research-oriented, professional or interdisciplinary applicants. Use published admission guidance and, where helpful, contact the department. A preparation plan should serve the application you are making, not an imagined universal GRE target. This also helps decide whether another attempt is worthwhile.

A final planning note for international candidates

Availability, identity rules, time zones and payments can differ by country. A centre in Dubai may show a different appointment pattern from a centre in another UAE city, and an at-home option may have country restrictions. Use the ETS location search with the city where you will actually test. If you expect to travel, check the appointment's local date and reporting time, your travel documents and the registration ID policy. Schedule changes can be expensive and may be impossible close to the test.

Graduate applications often have multiple stages: submitting the online form, paying an application fee, securing recommendations, uploading academic records and delivering official test scores. Put the ETS reporting date into that wider plan. For a Subject Test, use the published reporting date for the exact window. For a General Test, use ETS's stated 8–10-day score period and allow more time for the recipient's system. If the university gives a different deadline for scores than for the form, document both. Ask admissions rather than guessing when the rules are unclear.

Review your plan again after booking. A confirmed appointment gives you the precise test date but not a guaranteed result outcome. If practice scores are far from the target, adjust preparation early. If the school changes its GRE policy, confirm whether your booked test is still useful. A flexible plan preserves options while keeping the official ETS and programme rules at the centre of the decision.

Frequently asked questions

Official ETS sources

• Subject Test windows and booking
• Subject Test score dates
• General Test scheduler and retake policy
• General Test fees and Subject Test fees

Information checked 26 September 2026. ETS’s booking flow shows live local availability.