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Taking the At-Home GRE: Guidelines and things to remember

May 31, 2021December 21, 2022Dilip Oak's Academy

Amid the pandemic, many of you could not take the GRE at the test centres and have had to postpone your GRE dates ahead. There is a lot of uncertainty regarding availability of test centres and test dates which is why the ETS has started the ‘GRE at Home’ edition in order to enable students to take the test from anywhere at their convenience and safety.

The ‘GRE at Home’ is identical in format and pattern to the test taken at the test center and the test dates are available seven days a week. The student has to take the test on his/her own computer at home and it will be monitored by a human proctor online through ProctorU®

To register for the test, visit https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home/ today!

But before you do, make sure you are aware of the technical requirements, registration process and things to do before and on the test day. In this blog, we will quickly run you through these points.

Firstly, your computer must meet the equipment requirements for the test. This will mean you have to install the ETS Test Browser and the ProctorU Systems Check on your machine (desktop/laptop). During the test, a human proctor, via video camera, will monitor you and your computer screen to ensure you follow procedures: the entire test will be recorded and your photo will be taken, which will be made available as part of your score record to the institutions you designated. Additionally, there are certain environmental parameters you must follow.

Here are the Equipment and Environment criteria in detail:

EQUIPMENT:

1] Computer:

Must be a desktop or laptop computer, not a tablet or mobile device
Cannot be a Mac® computer or use an iOS® operating system
Must use Windows® operating system, versions 10, 8, or 7

2] Speaker

Must use an internal or external speaker to hear the proctor
Headsets or wireless earphones are not allowed
Recording devices of any kind are strictly prohibited

3] Microphone

Must use an internal or external microphone to communicate with the proctor
Must not be a part of a headset
Recording devices of any kind are strictly prohibited

4] Camera

Can be a built-in camera in the computer or a separate webcam
The camera must be able to be moved to show the proctor a 360-degree view of the room, including your tabletop surface, before the test

5] Note-taking Materials

You CANNOT take notes on regular paper
You can take notes using a whiteboard with erasable marker or a plastic transparency sheet and erasable marker
You will be asked to erase all notes in view of the proctor at the end of the test

Once your equipment and systems checks are complete:

Download and install the ETS Test Browser on the computer you will use for the test
Run the ProctorU® System Check from the computer you will use for the test

ENVIRONMENT:

1] Privacy

You must be alone in a quiet, well-lit room
You cannot communicate with anyone else; no one else can enter the room during the test
Make sure you can be seen on camera by the proctor: DO NOT MOVE during the test as suspicious movements could invalidate your test
Testing in a public space such as a park, internet cafe or restaurant is not allowed

2] Tabletop and seating

Your computer and keyboard must be on a desk or other tabletop surface
The tabletop and surrounding area must be clear of all items not approved for use during the test: MOBILE PHONES, RECORDING DEVICES, HEADPHONES, EARPHONES are NOT ALLOWED
You must sit in a standard chair; you may not sit or lie on a bed, couch, or an overstuffed chair
Food and drink are not allowed during the test

3] Clothing and appearance

Your face must be visible: DO NOT wear sunglasses or other accessories
Your ears must remain visible throughout the test: DO NOT cover your hair with a hat or other items
DO NOT wear jewelry, tie clips, cufflinks, ornate clips, combs, barrettes, headbands, and other hair accessories
You must be dressed appropriately for your test: you will be monitored via camera by the proctor, and your photo will be shared with institutions that receive your scores

Important links to be followed step by step:

1] Primary link: https://www.ets.org/gre/at-home

2] Equipment and Environment Checklist: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home/equipment/

3] Registration with ETS: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home/ets-account/

4] Registration with ProctorU: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home/proctoru-account/

5] Testing Experience: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home/test-day/

Taking the GRE® General Test at Home: On Test Day

The GRE General Test at home is the same as the GRE General Test you take at a test center. It will cost the same as taking the exam at a test center. The score delivery timing and acceptance of the scores by university programs are also the same. Once you have registered for the GRE General Test at home, on the day of the test, you must ensure the following:

Before the Test:

Log in to your ProctorU account at your appointment time
You will have up to 15 minutes after your scheduled time to begin your check in: if you have not checked in by that time, your test will be canceled and your fee will not be refunded
Select “Start Session”
Complete the authentication steps, which include showing your ID to the proctor: the name on your ID must match the name on your ETS account
The proctor will review the exam rules and request access to your computer screen for monitoring purposes
The proctor will ask you to use either a hand-held mirror or cell phone to show your computer screen
The proctor will ask you to use the camera on your computer to show a 360-degree view of the room, including your tabletop surface
When directed by the proctor, you will launch the ETS secure web browser: the password to access the test will be provided by the proctor

During the Test:

The test has six sections with a 10-minute break following the third section and one-minute breaks between the remaining sections
You are required to remain in your seat for the one-minute breaks
You are allowed to leave your seat during the 10-minute break: if you do not return on time, your test will be canceled and your fee will not be refunded
Unscheduled breaks during the at home test are not allowed

After the Test is Completed:

At the end of the test, you will be given the option to report or cancel your scores
If you choose to report your scores, you will be able to view unofficial Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores
You will not be able to view your Analytical Writing scores at the end of your test
If you elect to report your scores, you will be asked to choose up to four score recipients as part of your test fee

For more details, you can visit the official website: https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home/

Things to remember:

Please make sure that you are alone in the room throughout the duration of the test. If anyone enters the room, you are required to justify and this process could cause you to lose out on time
Connectivity issues and other unprecedented technical glitches (power cut) can occur. Make sure you communicate it to the proctor so that you do not fall short on time
While solving Quant problems on the transparency sheet, remember that the space on the sheet is limited and you can only solve 3 to 4 questions at a time. Once you erase them for the next question, you cannot go back to refer to your rough work. Therefore, try to solve the problem in one go before moving on to the next
Make sure that you DO NOT read any RC passage/Quant problem or any text on the screen aloud as it could go against the test protocol

Centre Shock: The Unexpected Challenges Your GRE Test Center May Throw at You!

March 13, 2015December 15, 2022Dilip Oak's Academy

Hi folks! Today’s post is a write up by Shraddha Barawkar, an engineering student (see brief bio below) about her GRE test experiences at the Prometric Center at Goregaon. We thought it might be interesting for all you GRE candidates out there to hear about how things worked out for her.

Name: Shraddha Barawkar
Branch: Mechanical Engineering
College: Pune Vidhyarthi Griha’s College of Engineering and Technology

GRE Date: 5 December 2014
GRE Center: Prometric Testing Pvt Ltd
Center Location: Techniplex I, Goregaon (West), Mumbai

Ideally, you should enter your GRE test center full of pep and leave it with a smile! But if you don’t prepare for conditions at the test center or think about travelling there, you may be in for an energy drain that can wipe the smile right off your face. And that can throw off your performance in the GRE!

One of the first things I realized is that it would have been better to be at the test location the day before. I live in Pune and my GRE test center in Goregaon West, Mumbai, was about 120 kms. away – that’s for non-Maharashtrian readers! (Google map and more details here) So, I had to wake up at 4 a.m. and eventually left my house at 6.30 for Mumbai. Not a good idea on the day of the exam!

However, it was early morning, there was only light traffic and so we reached the outskirts of Mumbai at 10 a.m. I heaved a sigh of relief: I had a 12.30 p.m. slot, there were still 2-½ hours for my test and we thought it would take only half an hour to cover the approximately 25 kms to the test center. But by then, the traffic had started up and so, it took us 1-½ hours. As a result, I didn’t even get to have breakfast in peace. Luckily though, my father was able to grab a couple of wadas for me from the vendors outside the center. Finally, at 12.25 p.m., I walked into the center.

My test room was on the 8^th floor. As I entered the room, I saw 50 expressionless faces looking blankly at me: those of my fellow test-takers. Simultaneously, I was hit by a sharp temperature drop, from 30⁰C outside, to around 18⁰ inside. I felt as if I had entered a graveyard, and my hands started shivering. Nevertheless, I put a smile on my face and tried to converse with some of the folks there, but they were very reticent, adding to the nervousness I felt because of chill in the room. I could feel myself losing focus and giving in to the desire to just to get the exam over as soon as possible! The atmosphere at the test center, I realized, doesn’t help you to settle into the right frame of mind to take the test.

Test Center Rating 1 — Shraddha's Overall Evaluation of the Test Center

Somehow, eventually, the formalities got over (passport, ID checking etc.) and, a painful half an hour later, we were asked to put our bags and accessories in the lockers. Then, one by one, we were sent to the main exam room. I relaxed a bit at that point, since I thought that the formalities were finally over. But I was wrong! Inside there was yet another room where I was asked to remove my blazer, unchain my back pockets, raise the collar of my formal shirt and unfold the lower portion of my jeans. This was all done by male authorities, which as a woman, I found quite embarrassing. Finally, I was sent to the test room.
During the exam itself, I encountered two important problems: firstly, typing with nearly numb fingers was a tough job in the analytical writing section. Secondly, during the 10 minute-break halfway through the test, I thought going to the waiting room would be a simple matter. But again I had to complete formalities involving signatures and time entry in order to check out. After the break the whole process of apparel checking was repeated which, took another 3-4 minutes. I was not aware that I had to include time for these things in the break as well and it was only by luck that I had come back early from my break. These circumstances made the GRE a tougher nut to crack!

You might wonder, why I am telling about you my frustrating experiences. It’s because I don’t want you to get demoralized by these things; I want you to be prepared for the worst. The first challenge lies in overcoming the unfavorable conditions at the test center. Only then can you attain the calm state of mind that you need to solve tricky GRE questions!

In conclusion, here’s my advice: if your test center is not located in your home town, you should be at the test location a day before. Find out about nearby places to eat and travel routes and times. Take into consideration traffic conditions too, and try to reach an hour early! You should also eat properly before the test and wear warm clothes. Sometimes the washrooms are far from the test rooms. So, be prepared for a long trek there and, if you are at the Goregaon center, all the formalities of signing in and signing out too!

Hope this helps folks.

This is Shraddha wishing you all the best to give your best!

News from ETS: New GRE Test Centers Open in India

October 25, 2013December 16, 2022Dilip Oak's Academy

Starting in July this year, the GRE program made additional testing available across the country to support the growing demand in India. The cities where additional testing will be available include Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Calcutta, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Vadodara and Vasad. A surprise inclusion is Nasik. Pune is yet, however to get a test center of its own despite the large number of test takers from Pune.

Dawn Piacentino, Director of Communications and Services for the GRE Program at ETS explains that there are two reasons for the increase in the number of test-takers: “Interest in the GRE revised General Test has been steadily growing as more people are choosing to submit GRE scores when applying for an MBA or specialized master’s program. The number of graduate schools around the world who accept GRE scores is also on the rise, giving GRE test takers a lot of options.” The GRE is obviously still aggressively challenging the position of the GMAT a the premiere test for students seeking admission to MBA programs in the United States.

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