GRE exam fees and cost (2026)
The GRE General Test costs US$249 in most countries, according to the ETS fee list effective 1 August 2026, with a different price in China and India and taxes added at checkout in some countries. This guide covers what you actually pay, the extra fees that catch people out, and how to pay less if you qualify. Fees change, so always confirm the current price for your country on ets.org before you register.
What the GRE costs
Per the ETS fee list effective 1 August 2026, the GRE General Test fee is US$249 in most countries. That single fee covers the test itself and the four score reports you can send for free on test day, which we come back to below.
The important caveat is that this number is not the same everywhere. ETS lists US$237.86 for China and publishes the price for India on its ETS India site. ETS's 2026-27 Bulletin also says that in some countries, including Australia, Canada, Nigeria, Turkey, the United States and the EU, sales or similar taxes are added when you order, and that the final charge includes a non-refundable 4% online service fee. Currency movements can shift the amount you see at checkout too, so the dollar figure above is best treated as an anchor rather than an exact quote.
Because of that, do not budget from a number you read on a third-party page, including this one. The only reliable price is the one ETS shows for your country when you register. Confirm your current fee on ets.org before you commit.
Quick GRE check
3 questions, about 2 minutes. How would you do on the real test?
Verbal · Sentence Equivalence
Because the evidence linking the additive to the illness remained blank, regulators declined to issue a ban and instead called for further study.
Extra costs beyond the test fee
The headline fee is rarely the whole story. A handful of optional services cost extra, and they add up if you are not expecting them. Per the ETS fee list effective 1 August 2026, the common ones look like this. Taxes and currency can change what you pay, so treat them as a guide and check the current figures on ets.org.
| Service | Approximate fee |
|---|---|
| Additional score report (beyond the 4 free on test day) | US$40 each |
| Rescheduling your test | US$55 (US$55.43 in China) |
| Changing your test center | US$55 |
| GRE Subject Test | separate fee, set by ETS |
A few notes. You get four free score reports sent on test day; each report after that costs US$40. Rescheduling and changing your test center each cost US$55, and ETS requires a reschedule at least four days before your test date, so it pays to lock in your date and location before you book. The GRE Subject Tests are a different exam from the General Test and carry their own separate fee, so do not assume the General Test price covers them.
Fee reductions and how to pay less
If the cost is a barrier, there is a legitimate way to bring it down. The ETS Fee Reduction Program lets eligible test takers register for the General Test for US$100 instead of US$249. According to ETS, it is aimed at US citizens and resident aliens with demonstrated financial need, and at some others, for example people who are unemployed or enrolled in certain national programs.
In broad terms, the financial-need route is for people receiving aid through a US undergraduate college, or who can document low income; the unemployment route is for people receiving unemployment compensation who can show recent proof. You apply through ETS using its fee reduction request form and the supporting documents it asks for, before you register for the test. Exact eligibility rules and the discount can change between cycles, so confirm the current terms on ets.org.
A program reducing your test fee is different from a program dropping its GRE requirement, and the word "waiver" gets used for both. Our GRE waiver guide breaks down the fee reduction and the requirement waiver side by side, with who qualifies for each and how to request one.
How to make sure you do not waste the fee
A couple of hundred dollars is real money, so the goal is to sit the real test once, ready, rather than paying again for a retake you could have avoided. The single most useful thing you can do before you book is take a free full-length practice test under timed conditions, so test day holds no surprises.
Sit a free, no-signup full-length GRE mock test to see where you actually stand, then run our GRE readiness check to decide whether you are ready to register or whether a few more weeks of practice would protect your fee. It is also worth confirming whether you even need the score: our is the GRE required guide can save you the fee entirely if your programs do not ask for it.
Scores last 5 years, so the fee is amortized
One thing that softens the cost: GRE scores are valid for 5 years from your test date, according to ETS. A single sitting can therefore cover several application cycles, so the fee is spread across every program you apply to in that window rather than spent on one application.
That changes the maths. If you are likely to apply over more than one cycle, or to several programs, a well-prepared test you only take once is a reasonable cost rather than a recurring one. As always, confirm the current fee and the current validity period for your country on ets.org before you plan around them.
Frequently asked questions
See where you actually stand
The free GRE Quick Mock Test: the first Verbal and Quant sections under official timing, with an estimated score and a worked solution for every question.