Graduate Record Examination

There are no specific eligibility criteria for the GRE Exam. Anyone can register for the GRE and there is no prescribed age limit or qualification required for GRE 2021. However, there are some criteria that make you eligible for the exam.

Also, since GRE is an assessment test for admission to graduate courses, candidates are expected to have completed their undergraduate program.

In this article, we have covered various aspects of eligibility for GRE General and subject test. These aspects also cover the ones that would give you an idea about the situations that could lead to your ineligibility for the test if you are not aware of them.

GRE Eligibility

Here are the 9 GRE Eligibility criteria for 2021:

1. ID requirement
2. Age restriction
3. Qualification requirement
4. Restriction on Gap year after the undergraduate degree
5. Maximum number of attempts for GRE
6. Eligibility for Physically Handicapped
7. Nationalities
8. GRE ‘at home’ version
9. Test center requirement

Let us discuss the above-mentioned points under 9 situations and analyze if they can make you not eligible for the GRE.

Here is a brief overview of the situations:

Sr.no	Situations	GRE Eligibility
1.	You are an Indian National who went to the GRE test center without a passport	Not Eligible
2.	I am a 44-year-old Indian Male engineer	Eligible
3.	I just finished my bachelor’s in English Literature	Eligible
4.	I finished my undergraduate degree two years ago. But didn’t do a job after that. I spent the time to prepare for GRE and other entrance exams for Masters	Eligible
5.	I attempted GRE five times this year. Now I’m unable to book the next GRE test date	Not Eligible
6.	I suffer from low visual acuity	Eligible
7.	I am an Iranian national and the testing centers are not operational in Iran due to pandemic	Eligible
8.	I tried to attempt the GRE ‘at-home’ from my bed. But I was not allowed to do the same and had to shift to a tabletop arrangement	Not Eligible
9.	I went to the test center without a mask and was not allowed to enter the test center without it	Not Eligible

Criteria 1 – ID Requirement

“You are an Indian National who went to the GRE test center without a passport.“

For Indian Nationals, carrying a passport to the test center is essential for both GRE and GMAT.

Anuj, who scored 770 on the GMAT, made this error once. Take a look at his story.

Apart from carrying a passport to the test center, you require a valid ID proof while registering for the GRE exam. The same ID you need to carry to the test center.

If you bring an invalid ID to the test center. For instance,

You will not be eligible for the GRE if the first and last name on your ID doesn’t match with the name on your GRE application. Also, your test fee will not be refunded.

Thus, while registering on ETS, you need to be careful about the name you use. Any supplemental ID will not be a valid ID proof and hence won’t resolve any discrepancies.

ID requirements depend on the country to which you belong and the one where you plan to test. Please go through the General ID requirements and select the country or location of your exam to check the corresponding ID requirements.

Unfortunately, if you do not satisfy GRE eligibility and wish to get yourself admitted to a B-School, you can switch to GMAT.

Criteria 2 – Age Restriction

“I am a 44-year-old Indian Male engineer.”

Do not worry, having a higher age number won’t make you ineligible to apply for GRE. There is no age limit specified by ETS to apply for GRE.

However, the colleges you are planning to apply to may have candidates from a similar age group. The 2000 National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey suggests that 33 years is the average age of graduate students, and about 20% of them are over the age of 40.

Thus, irrespective of your age, you can apply for GRE.

Here’s a great article exploring the various aspects and considerations of pursuing an MBA after 30.

Criteria 3 – Qualification Requirement

“I just finished my bachelor’s in English Literature.”

Be it Arts, Science, Business, Law, or Engineering, you can apply for GRE if you have a bachelor’s degree in any domain from a recognized institute or university.TS has not put any restrictions on qualification to apply for GRE. Eligible criteria are set by the colleges you wish to apply for, through GRE. All grad schools require one to have a bachelor’s degree.

They may also set a restriction on GPAs as per the kind of applications they receive. For eg., Ivy League Schools have students with an average GPA of 3.71 on a 4.0 scale.

Criteria 4 – Gap year after Undergraduate degree

“I finished my undergraduate degree two years ago. But didn’t do a job after that. I spent the time to prepare for GRE and other entrance exams for Masters.”

The gap years won’t affect your GRE eligibility. For some, they might be an advantage, giving them a buffer to prepare well for grad schools and work on their application. These years might also hamper the admission prospects if one is unable to justify them appropriately.

Criteria 5 – GRE Attempts

“I attempted GRE five times this year. Now I’m unable to book the next GRE test date.”

One can attempt the GRE 5 times in a rolling year. The minimum gap between consecutive attempts should be at least 21 days. So, if one attempts GRE 5 times in a year, the next exam date will be after the end of the current year.

Criteria 6 – For Physically handicapped

“I suffer from low visual acuity.”

You can certainly apply for accommodations if you suffer from health-related issues or if you have any physical disability. This won’t make you ineligible for the GRE. You can apply through the ETS account, email, mail, or through courier services.

You need to fill the form provided in this bulletin and share it with ETS using the above-mentioned means.

Criteria 7 – Nationality

“I am an Iranian national and the testing centers are not operational in Iran due to pandemic.”

To help students in the pandemic situation, ETS has launched GRE ‘at-home’ option. However, this option is not available in Mainland China and Iran. Hence, the students from these 2 regions need to wait for the testing centers to get reopened.

In general, no nationalities are kept outside of GRE eligibility. ETS is also working with the authorities of Mainland China and Iran to make the at-home option available for the aspirants.

If you belong to Mainland China or Iran and wish to get admitted to a B-School, you can attempt GMAT too.

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Criteria 8 – For GRE at-Home

“I tried to attempt the GRE ‘at-home’ from my bed. But I was not allowed to do the same and had to shift to a tabletop arrangement.”

For the at-home version, the tabletop arrangement is required and no other arrangements are allowed during the test. Also, the invigilator monitors you during the test. .

The at-home version is available for the GRE General Test. If your country and address are eligible for this option, you will see the ‘at home’ option in your ETS Account.

Before registering for the test you must check the Equipment requirement.

ETS browser needs to be installed for Windows or Mac. You need to have a ProctorU Systems Check. You also must have a room that provides an acceptable environment for the test.

Criteria 9 – for test center

“I went to the test center without a mask and was not allowed to enter the test center without it.”

You are required to carry your own mask, or you will not be permitted to attempt the test. Rubber gloves are optional. You will be required to remove the mask for some time to have your photo taken. This will enable the test center to verify your ID during check-in and upon returning from breaks.