GRE registration is done online through an ETS account, and Indian students can book the General Test on any day of the year. The rules below follow the 2026-27 GRE Information Bulletin (valid July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027). For the exam structure, see the GRE Exam Overview.

• Registration deadline: Book online at least 2 calendar days before your test date.

• Registration fee: $249 (₹25,522) for registrations made on or after August 1, 2026.

• Registration mode: Online through your ETS account; phone booking is available for test center slots in most locations.

• Official website: ETS GRE Registration

• Test dates: General Test year-round; Subject Tests only in fixed windows.

• Test mode in India: Prometric test centers or GRE at home with a live proctor.

• ID for Indian citizens: Valid original passport only.

Also Check: GRE Fees in India

GRE Registration for Indian Students 2026

Indian students need an ETS account, passport, a payment card, and a chosen date and test mode. Keep these ready before you start.

ETS Account

Every GRE booking is made through an ETS account, which is free. The same account is used to view, change, or cancel your registration and to see scores.

• New test takers: Create one account at ets.org/mygre.

• Existing account: Confirm the account name still matches your passport.

• Name mismatch: Contact GRE Services to correct it before booking.

Personal Details

Your first and last name must exactly match your passport, excluding accents. A mismatch can stop you from testing or lead to cancelled scores.

• First name: Full given name; no nickname or initial.

• Last name: Complete surname as printed, including two-part surnames.

• Middle name: Optional; leave the field empty if you have none.

• Long names: Enter as much of the full legal name as the field allows.

Identification Document

Indian citizens testing in India must show a passport with name, photograph, and signature. ETS lists the Aadhaar card as unacceptable. See GRE Eligibility for Indian Students for who can take the test.

• Original only: Photocopies and digital IDs on a phone are not accepted.

• Valid on test day: Expired documents are rejected.

• Supplemental ID: May be asked for if the passport is questioned; it cannot fix a name mismatch.

Background Information

The form uses ETS code lists for a few background details. No marks or certificates are asked for.

• Intended major: From the GRE department and major field codes.

• Citizenship and country: From the GRE country code list.

• Native language: From the GRE native language code list.

Preferred Test Date

You choose one date and time from the seats shown in your ETS account. Seats are given on a first-come, first-served basis. Official scores reach universities about 8 to 10 days after the test, so plan around your deadlines. City-wise slots are on GRE Exam Dates.

Test Mode

You can test at a center or at home. The at-home test has the same content, format, and on-screen experience.

• At-home availability: Offered based on the country of your account address.

• At-home system: Desktop or laptop, Windows or Mac, Chrome, and a phone as a second camera.

• At-home booking: Online only through your ETS account.

Payment Method

The fee is paid online in full; cash is not accepted. The 2026-27 Bulletin lists these methods.

• Cards: Visa, Mastercard, RuPay Global, American Express, Diners Club International, Discover, JCB and UnionPay.

• Other: PayPal and authorization vouchers.

• India-specific options: The Bulletin refers test takers in India to ETS India; options appear at checkout.

• Verification: Your bank may ask for an OTP or 3D Secure code; a wrong entry rejects the payment.

ETS fee reduction vouchers are limited to people testing in the US and its territories, so they do not apply in India.

How to Register for GRE

To register for the GRE online, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Go to the official ETS GRE India website. (Link Here). Click on “Register for GRE.”

Step 2: Sign in or create an account if you do not already have one.

Step 3: After signing in, click on “Register Now.”

Step 4: Select the test as “GRE General Test” and choose your exam mode (test center or at-home). You can also select the date range to check availability.

Step 5: You will then be able to see the list of available test dates and centers. Select your preferred date, center, and time slot, and click on “Register”.

Step 6: Check your test details and read and acknowledge all the policies.

Step 7: Make sure your name exactly matches the name on the ID you will present on test day. For Indian test takers, the primary accepted ID is a valid passport with your name, photograph, and signature.

Step 8: Accept or Reject sharing your information with ETS partners for admissions, scholarships, fellowships, or other educational opportunities.

Step 9: Answer the mandatory background information, like your country of residence, your current study level, intended study level, etc.

Step 10: After this, you will see a list of all the official prep materials that you can buy along with the test. These include practice tests and books.

Step 11: Review all the details carefully and then make the payment. Use valid payment methods and remember to enable international transactions on your card.

Step 12: You will receive an email confirming your test and all its details. You can also access this information anytime from your ETS GRE account.

Valid payment methods:

Note: ETS may change the look of its portal. Screen names can differ, but the information asked stays the same.

GRE Registration Dates and Deadlines

The GRE General Test has no fixed registration window because it runs year-round. The deadlines below are counted from your own test date.

The 4-day rule counts back from the test day. For a Saturday test, the cut-off is Tuesday.

To check the exact GRE dates available in different cities and states, refer to GRE Exam Dates 2026.

GRE Subject Tests run only in fixed windows. The windows still open in the 2026-27 cycle are below.

GRE Registration Fee 2026

The GRE General Test fee is $249 for registrations made on or after August 1, 2026. The table separates the base fee, taxes, and extra charges as ETS lists them.

GRE Registration Confirmation

Your registration is confirmed once payment succeeds and ETS sends a confirmation email. The booking also shows in your ETS account.

• Appointment confirmation number: Needed to change or cancel a booking by phone.

• At-home email: Carries the Start Your Test link and a QR code for ID verification.

• What to bring to a center: ETS lists only valid, acceptable ID.

Watch out: If money is deducted but no booking appears, do not pay again straight away. Check your account first, then contact ETS support for India.

Changes After GRE Registration

You can reschedule or cancel a GRE booking online until 4 days before the test. After that, the test fee is forfeited.

Rescheduling

Yes, the test date can be changed for $55 (INR 5,650) in your ETS account. The new date must fall within one year of the original appointment. For step-by-step help, see GRE Rescheduling. Center change rules are covered under Test Centers above.

Cancellation and Refund

Yes, a cancellation made on time returns half the test fee. Cancel online in your ETS account.

Service fees, prep material, and other services are not refunded. ETS India says refunds go to the original payment method and may take about 15 business days.

Correction of Registration Details

Yes, but name changes need documents. ETS processes a name change once it approves the supporting documents sent through GRE Services. Mailing address changes can be made online in your ETS account.

No-Show Policy

No, there is no refund if you miss the test. Universities are not told about the absence. To test again, register and pay afresh.

Common Mistakes While Registering for GRE

Most GRE registration problems come from the name, the ID, or the 4-day rule.

• Using initials: Writing an initial in place of the surname printed in the passport creates a mismatch.

• Relying on Aadhaar: It is listed as an unacceptable ID; only the passport works.

• Passport expiring before test day: Expired documents are rejected at check-in.

• Skipping the equipment check: At-home tests that fail system rules get no refund or free reschedule.

• Late IDVaaS verification: A failed check on test day means you cannot test as scheduled.

• Missing the 4-day cut-off: Later changes forfeit the test fee.

• Not picking free recipients: Later score reports cost $40 each.

GRE Registration for Indian Students

A few rules apply to Indian students in ways not covered above.

GRE registration for Indian students is open year-round through an ETS account and closes 2 calendar days before each test date. The General Test costs $249 plus a 4% service fee, with taxes included. Indian citizens need a valid passport, since Aadhaar is not accepted. Changes and cancellations close 4 days before the test, and an on-time cancellation returns 50% of the test fee.

The ETS has set no age limit, no degree requirement, and no ID requirements for registration or eligibility. Anyone willing to take the GRE can take the exam. The rules that do exist are passport rules.

Key highlights of GRE eligibility criteria are:

• ETS sets no age limit, no academic qualification, and no minimum marks for the GRE.

• For Indians, the only hard requirement is a valid original passport with an exact name match.

• The GRE fee in India is INR 22,550. 

• Final-year students can and should take it, keeping retake headroom before deadlines.

GRE Eligibility Quick Facts 2026

Applicants appearing for the GRE exam should know that ETS has set no specific eligibility criteria. There are no specific age or educational requirements. Applicants can check the other eligibility criteria from the table below: 

USD 1 = INR 95 is used as the currency conversion throughout the article as of July 1, 2026.

What Are the GRE Eligibility Rules in 2026?

ETS has not set any specific eligibility criteria for its applicants. Anyone can register for the GRE General Test, provided they have a valid passport. The applicant's registered name and passport name should be the same. 

• No ETS restrictions: no age limit, no degree condition, no minimum percentage, no stream requirement and no attempt eligibility beyond the retake windows.

• Passport-only ID for India: a valid, unexpired, original passport, since photocopies, digital scans, Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence and college ID are all refused at the centre.

• Exact name match: the ETS account and registration name must match the passport letter for letter.

• Two formats, same rules: the test centre and GRE at Home versions are identical in format, scoring and acceptance.

• Universities set their own bars: ETS eligibility gets you a score, and each program decides whether it wants one and how high.

Key Insight: GRE eligibility and university eligibility are different gates, and mixing them up costs money in both directions. ETS will happily test a second-year student or a 40-year-old professional, while a university may still demand a completed bachelor's, minimum marks or no GRE at all. Clear ETS's gate with the passport, and clear the university's gate with its own checklist.

GRE Age Limit 2026

There is no minimum or maximum age for the GRE in 2026, and ETS publishes no age criterion at all. The typical taker profile is a choice, not a rule.

The table below breaks down who and when they can take the GRE test: 

What the no-age rule covers and what it does not:

• Covers: the right to register and test at any age, at a centre or at home.

• Does not: university preferences, since programs weigh work experience, recency of study, and score validity their own way.

If your scores will be more than 5 years old by your intended intake, then the validity clock, not any age limit, is what forces a retake. That means older applicants should count backward from the application season, not from today.

GRE Educational Qualification Requirements 2026

ETS asks for no educational qualification: no completed degree, no minimum CGPA, no particular stream, and no proof of study at registration. The universities you apply to ask for all of that instead.

. How the education question really works:

• No degree needed to test: ETS never asks for certificates, marksheets, or enrolment proof.

• Final-year students are the classic takers: testing in the pre-final or final year leaves room for a retake before Fall deadlines.

• Backlogs do not block the GRE: ETS neither asks about them nor sees them, though universities read them in your transcripts later.

• Any stream can test: arts, commerce and science graduates all register identically, since the GRE measures verbal, quantitative and writing skills, not subject knowledge.

• Subject Tests are separate: the GRE Subject Tests in specific disciplines carry the same open eligibility, with their own fee.

Common Mistakes Students Make Regarding GRE Eligibility 2026

Most of the applicants make a common mistake of not having a valid passport for GRE registration. It is the only mandatory requirement for the GRE. Applicants must have a valid passport. Here are some other common mistakes that can affect your GRE exam: 

• Name mismatch: registering with a spelling, initial, or surname order that differs from the passport, which voids entry on test day without refund.

• Expired or absent passport: arriving with a photocopy, a digital scan, or an expired booklet, none of which is accepted.

• Assuming Aadhaar or PAN works: Indian domestic IDs are refused at GRE centres, however valid elsewhere.

• Waiting for the degree: postponing the test to after graduation, losing the final-year retake buffer for nothing, since no degree is needed.

• Miscounting retake windows: booking inside the 21-day gap or as a sixth attempt in 12 months, which the system blocks, while cancelled scores still count as attempts.

• Confusing the two gates: treating ETS's open door as university eligibility, then discovering a program's degree, marks, or test-policy bar after paying.

Key Insight: Fix the passport first and everything else follows. Apply for or renew the passport before you touch the ETS account, then copy the name into the registration character by character from the booklet, not from memory. One careful minute at signup protects INR 22,550 and a test day.

Tips and Suggestions for GRE Exam 2026

Applicants who are willing to register for GRE must do it before 1st August, as the exam fees are to rise after that. Book your test well in advance so that you have ample time to plan for a retake. Here are some tips for those appearing for the GRE: 

• Beat the fee rise where sensible: registrations from August 1, 2026 reflect the increased USD 249 fee, so students already prepared should book in July.

• Plan 2 to 3 months before deadlines: the shorter GRE runs about 1 hour 58 minutes, and slots exist year-round, but retake gaps need calendar room.

• Hold the free score reports: the 4 free reports are chosen at registration or on test day, so likely retakers should wait, since extra reports cost INR 2,900 each and ScoreSelect lets you send only your best attempt.

• Choose centre or home by discipline: both versions are identical, so pick the environment you test better in and arrive 30 minutes early at centres.

• Pay smart from India: UPI now works alongside internationally enabled cards, while domestic-only cards fail to process payments.

• Know the safety valves: cancelling at least 4 days ahead gets a 50% refund; rescheduling costs about INR 5,000; and the AWA rescore window runs for 90 days.

GRE eligibility in 2026 stays what it has always been: open by design, guarded only by the passport. No age limit, no degree condition, and no marks bar sit on ETS's side, while the real bars, program requirements and score expectations, sit with the universities. Match the registration to the passport letter for letter, test in the final-year window with retake room, hold the free reports until the score is final, and mind the August 1 fee rise. Do that, and eligibility becomes the one part of the GRE you never think about again.

The GRE General Test is available year-round in India. The test dates are listed across 47 cities, subject to appointment availability. Candidates can book their test through their ETS account. Students have an option to choose between a test centre and the At-Home option.

• The test takes 1 hour 58 minutes and includes Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning.

• Applicants should plan their GRE test dates, as:

  • Official GRE scores are generally available within 8-10 days of the test.

  • Additional score reports can take up to 5 business days to process.

• Candidates can take the GRE up to 5 times in a rolling 12-month period, with a minimum gap of 21 days between attempts.

How to Register for the GRE Exam 2026

To register for the GRE 2026, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Visit the official ETS GRE website and create an ETS account or log in to your existing account. Ensure that your first and last name match the ID you will present on test day.

• Step 2: Review the GRE registration policies, exam fees, ID requirements, and the official Information Bulletin.

• Step 3: Select the GRE General Test and choose whether to take it at a test centre or at home.

• Step 4: For a test-centre appointment, enter your city or postal code and select a preferred date and location. For the At Home option, check the available appointments.

• Step 5: Select your preferred date, time, and location, complete the registration details, and pay the applicable fee.

Note: Candidates will receive a confirmation email once your registration is processed.

Also read: Check GRE Exam Registration Step-by-Step Guide 2026

How to Check GRE Exam Dates 2026

Applicants can check available GRE dates through the official ETS website or their ETS account by following these steps:

• Step 1: Visit the official ETS GRE scheduling page and select the GRE General Test or GRE General Test at Home.

• Step 2: Enter your city name or postal code to find available test locations.

• Step 3: Select a convenient date range and review the available dates and test locations.

• Step 4: Choose your preferred date and location, then proceed with the registration process.

Note: Choose a test date that allows enough time to receive your GRE scores before the university’s application deadline. ETS states that official score reports are generally available 8–10 days after the test. Allow additional time for the university to process the scores.

GRE At-Home Exam Dates 2026

The GRE At-Home exam dates for 2026 are as follows:

GRE Exam Dates in New Delhi 2026

GRE Exam Dates in Mumbai 2026

GRE Exam Dates in Bangalore 2026

GRE Exam Dates in Chandigarh 2026

GRE Exam Dates in Kolkata 2026

GRE Subject Test Dates 2026

The GRE Subject Tests are offered in Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. The official ETS testing windows for 2026–27 are:

• October 19–November 1, 2026

• April 19–May 2, 2027

Score reporting dates:

Also read: Check Difference Between GRE General and GRE Subject Test 2026

How to Choose the Best GRE Exam Date 2026?

Indian students should choose a GRE test date that allows sufficient time for score reporting and university processing. According to ETS, official GRE Test scores are generally available in the ETS account and sent to recipients selected on test day 8–10 days after the test. Requests for additional score reports submitted after test day take approximately 5 business days to process.

Students planning to study abroad should check the GRE score submission deadlines of their chosen universities before booking the test. Those who may need to retake the exam should also account for ETS's minimum 21-day gap between attempts. ETS allows up to five attempts in any continuous 12-month period.

Also read: Check GRE Scores Required to Study Abroad in 2026

Tips and Suggestions for GRE Exam 2026

Indian applicants willing to appear for the GRE exam should follow these tips and suggestions before booking exam dates. These tips and suggestions can guide them on when to take the test and how to be prepared for it.

• Book your GRE slot 1-2 months in advance. Early booking gives you more choices for test dates, timings, and nearby test centers.

• Take the GRE at least 1 month before your university application deadline. This allows enough time for your official scores to reach the institutions you have selected.

• Carry a valid passport or other accepted ID. The name on your ID must exactly match the name used during GRE registration, or you may not be allowed to take the test.

• Reach the test center at least 30 minutes before the reporting time. Arriving early gives you enough time to complete the check-in and security procedures.

• Check the test center location before exam day. Plan your route to avoid delays caused by traffic or unfamiliarity with the location.

• Use your breaks wisely during the exam. Stay hydrated, have a light snack if permitted, and return to the testing room on time.

• Keep your ETS account details secure after the exam. You will need your account to access your official score report, send scores to universities, or manage future test appointments.

Also read: GRE Preparation Tips and Suggestions 2026

The GRE General Test is available throughout the year in test-centre and at-home formats, subject to appointment availability. Candidates can take the test up to 5 times in 12 months, with a minimum gap of 21 days between attempts. Since official scores are generally released within 8–10 days, Indian students should check university deadlines and plan their GRE dates accordingly.