Short answer: yes, you can take the GRE at home. ETS launched the at-home version in 2020 and has kept it as a permanent option since. The score is accepted by every program that accepts the in-person GRE, with no asterisk and no separate label.
The more useful question, and the one most articles skip, is whether you should. The at-home test is genuinely equivalent in content and scoring, but it has its own set of rules, equipment requirements, and failure modes. A poorly set up at-home test can cost you a cancelled session, lost test fees, and weeks of rescheduling. This post walks through the full picture so you can decide with both pieces of information.
TL;DR: take the GRE at home if you have a quiet, lockable room, a stable internet connection, and an aversion to test-center anxiety. Take it at a test center if your home setup is uncertain, you live with people who can't reliably stay out of the room for 2 hours, or your country's at-home version is limited (a few regions have restrictions).
Quick Reference: What's the Same and What's Different
| Aspect | Test Center | At Home |
|---|---|---|
| Test content | Identical | Identical |
| Test format | Section-adaptive, same sections | Section-adaptive, same sections |
| Test length | About 1 hour 58 minutes | About 1 hour 58 minutes |
| Score scale | 260-340 total, 0-6 AWA | 260-340 total, 0-6 AWA |
| Score validity | 5 years | 5 years |
| Acceptance by programs | Universal | Universal (same score report, same code) |
| Retake rules (21 days, 5 in 12 mo) | Apply | Apply (count is shared across both formats) |
| Test fee | US$249 in most regions (ETS, from 1 August 2026) | Same fee structure |
| Calculator | On-screen ETS calculator | On-screen ETS calculator (identical) |
| Scratch paper | Scratch paper provided by the test center | Erasable whiteboard or transparent sheet protector with marker (you supply) |
| Proctor | On site at test centre | Remote human proctor via webcam, through the ETS Secure Browser |
| Breaks | None scheduled; the clock keeps running if you leave your seat | None; ETS does not permit unscheduled breaks at home |
| Reschedule window | No later than 4 days before test date (US$55 fee) | No later than 4 days before test date (US$55 fee) |
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Verbal · Sentence Equivalence
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Equipment Requirements (Where Most Tests Get Cancelled)
ETS publishes a detailed equipment checklist for at-home test takers. The most common reasons sessions get cancelled or refused at check-in:
- Computer and operating system: a desktop or laptop running licensed Windows (ETS recommends version 11 or higher) or macOS 11 or higher. Tablets, Chromebooks, mobile devices and Microsoft Surface Pro devices are not permitted.
- Browser: the ETS Secure Browser, which you download in advance and use to run the Equipment Check. Run it before booking. If your machine fails the check, fix it before you register, not after.
- Webcam: built-in or external. Most modern laptop cameras work. The proctor needs to see your face clearly.
- Microphone: built-in or external. No headphones, earbuds, or headsets during the test (the proctor needs to hear room audio).
- Internet: stable wired or strong Wi-Fi. The ETS Equipment Check includes a bandwidth test, and the practical reality is you want a connection that does not drop. Test it on the same day of the week and at the time of day you would actually sit the test.
- Phone: a fully charged smartphone or tablet with a camera (iOS 12+ or Android 8+) is required twice: for ETS's IDVaaS identity check at least 72 hours before the test, and as a second camera during it, propped about an arm's length to your side so it shows your desk, hands and profile. Keep it plugged in and on Do Not Disturb.
- Mirror or reflective surface: handheld mirror used to show the proctor the screen edges, reflective surfaces near the workspace, and behind the monitor. A small handheld mirror works fine.
- ID: government-issued photo ID matching the name on your registration exactly.
Run ETS's free equipment check on the same machine, in the same room, at roughly the same time of day you plan to sit the actual test. Wi-Fi behaves differently at 9 AM versus 10 PM, and a check that passed two weeks ago does not guarantee a check that passes today.
The Test Room: ETS Rules That Trip People Up
ETS publishes a long list of room requirements. The ones first-time at-home test takers most often violate:
- Tabletop and surrounding area clear of anything not approved for the test, including notes and study materials. ETS says furniture and decor do not need to be removed, but notes and study materials within reach do.
- Desk clear of everything except your computer, your note-taking surface, and your ID, with your phone set up as the second camera. Food and drink are not allowed during the at-home test.
- No second monitor connected. Disconnect it physically; toggling display settings off is not sufficient.
- No notes, books, or papers within reach. The proctor will fail you on this if they see paper edges peeking out from under the keyboard.
- Headphones, earbuds, and headsets are all prohibited. ETS says headsets are not allowed for the at-home test, even if the software mentions one.
- Door must be closed. Other people in the room (including pets that may wander in) will cause the session to be flagged and possibly cancelled.
- No reading the questions out loud. Whispering, muttering, or reading along is grounds for cancellation.
- Bathroom breaks: there are none. The test has no scheduled break and ETS does not permit unscheduled breaks at home, so go before you check in.
Sounds outside your control (a sudden delivery, a barking dog two doors down) are usually noted by the proctor but rarely cancel the session unless they become repeated or extreme. Do everything you can on what you can control, accept what you cannot, and stay calm if something happens.
Scratch Paper: The One Equipment Difference Worth Practicing
At a test center, the administrator gives you scratch paper. At home, you supply your own scratch surface, and ETS accepts only two options:
- A small dry-erase whiteboard with an erasable marker and an eraser.
- A transparent sheet protector with one blank sheet of paper inside and an erasable marker (the paper must stay inside the protector).
Both work, but the experience is different from physical paper, especially for Quant. Marker thickness, page size, and the act of erasing all change how comfortable you are with scratch work. The fix is simple: practice full-length mocks with the same scratch setup you intend to use on test day, not regular paper. The first time you discover your dry-erase marker is too thick for clean fraction work should not be 20 minutes into a real Quant section.
Buy a single 8.5x11 dry-erase whiteboard and two extra markers (one of each works for one section before drying out is a real risk). Use it for your last 3 to 4 mock tests before test day. Aim for the same handwriting habits you would use on scratch paper at a test center.
Pros and Cons: Honest Trade-offs
| At-home pros | At-home cons |
|---|---|
| No travel time, no test-center commute, no parking | Equipment failure or internet drop can cancel the session |
| You control the temperature, the chair, the lighting | You are responsible for room setup; the proctor can pause or cancel for violations |
| Often easier to schedule (more frequent slots than busy test centres) | Distractions from neighbours, family, deliveries, and pets are your problem |
| Lower commute-related anxiety for many test takers | Some test takers focus better in a neutral testing room than at home |
| Same score, same acceptance, same percentile | Some regions have at-home restrictions; check before booking |
When to Pick At-Home vs Test Center
Use these decision rules rather than defaulting to either:
- If your nearest test center is more than 60 to 90 minutes away, the at-home advantage is real. Travel fatigue costs scaled points.
- If you live in a stable, quiet space you control (your own apartment, a private bedroom in a quiet household), at-home is a clean choice. If your space is shared, loud, or has uncontrollable foot traffic, take the test at a centre.
- If you have ever had a webcam, audio, or internet issue on a video call in the past 6 months, schedule a centre slot. The 5 percent chance of a similar failure on test day is not worth the cost.
- If your home is fine but you find sitting still at your own desk for hours difficult (it is your work-and-procrastination desk), a centre will feel more focused.
- If you have already taken the at-home version once and the experience was clean, repeating at home is usually the right call.
How to Prepare Specifically for the At-Home Version
- Run the ETS equipment check at least 3 times before booking, ideally on different days and times.
- Photograph your test workspace in advance and review it against ETS's published photos of acceptable setups. Remove anything questionable.
- Practice with your real scratch setup (whiteboard or sheet protector) on at least 3 full-length free section-adaptive mocks.
- Tell your household you will be unavailable, with the room door closed and locked if possible, for 3 hours on test day. Build in 30 minutes before for check-in and 30 minutes after for buffer.
- Have a backup plan: if your at-home session gets cancelled for any reason, ETS allows rebooking. Know your nearest test centre slot availability in case you need to fall back.
- On the day, sit a 30-minute GRE Readiness Check the morning before as a warm-up. Light, not heavy. The goal is to be loose, not tired.
For a deeper walk-through of test day execution (whether at home or at a centre), see our complete GRE test day plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you commit to either format, take a free, full-length, section-adaptive Warm-Up Mock on your home laptop with the scratch surface you would use on test day. The score is your real GRE baseline; the experience tells you whether your home setup is ready for the real thing.