GRE General Test from India: fee, ID, format, scores and retakes
I am taking the GRE from India for a master's abroad. What will it cost, which ID do I need, how is the test laid out, when do scores come, and how often can I retake it?
The GRE General Test is the ETS exam that many graduate, business and law programmes abroad ask for. You take it on a computer, at a test centre or at home, in one sitting of 1 hour 58 minutes with no break. ETS lists US$249 for most countries and says India costs slightly more; the exact India price appears when you book. An Indian citizen testing in India must show a passport. Official scores reach your ETS account 8 to 10 days after the test and can be sent to universities for 5 years.
This page may be out of date. It was due for a re-check on 30 November 2026. Confirm every rule with the official source before acting on it.
As of 31 October 2026: ETS lists the GRE General Test at US$249 for most of the world, says India costs slightly more, and shows the India price only when you book. Policies follow the 2026-27 GRE Bulletin (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027).
At a glance
- Fee
- US$249 in most countries; ETS says India costs slightly more and shows the India price when you book[2]
- ID in India
- Passport only, with your name, photo and signature, for Indian citizens testing in India[8]
- Test time
- 1 hour 58 minutes in five sections, no breaks[4]
- Scores
- Verbal and Quant 130 to 170 each; Analytical Writing 0 to 6[5]
- Official scores
- In your ETS account 8 to 10 days after the test[5]
- Valid for
- 5 years from the test date[5]
Where the 1 hour 58 minutes go
What you get back if you cancel
| Measure | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing (always first) | 1 "Analyze an Issue" essay | 30 minutes |
| Verbal Reasoning, section 1 | 12 questions | 18 minutes |
| Verbal Reasoning, section 2 | 15 questions | 23 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning, section 1 | 12 questions | 21 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning, section 2 | 15 questions | 26 minutes |
Verbal takes 41 minutes in all and Quant 47. Both are adaptive by section: how you do in the first section sets the difficulty of the second.[4]
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| GRE General Test, most countries | US$249 per test |
| Rescheduling your test | US$55 per change |
| Changing your test centre | US$55 per change |
| Additional Score Report (after test day) | US$40 per university |
| Score Review, Analytical Writing | US$60 per review |
| Score reinstatement | US$50 per request |
This is ETS's worldwide list. ETS sends test takers in India to its India site for their price, and its one-page guide says India costs slightly more than US$249. The amount you pay shows in your ETS account before you confirm.[1]
| Test centre | At home | |
|---|---|---|
| ID | Passport (Indian citizens in India) | Passport or other acceptable ID, shown to the proctor on camera |
| Before test day | Nothing extra | ETS Secure Browser, equipment check, identity check in the IDVaaS app at least 72 hours before |
| Arrive or check in | At least 30 minutes early | From 15 minutes before; more than 12 minutes late and the test is cancelled with no refund |
| Notes | Provided by the centre | Your own whiteboard or plastic transparency sheet, erased on camera at the end |
Same test, same 1 hour 58 minutes, no breaks in either.[9]
ETS's fee page, effective 1 August 2026, lists US$249 for the GRE General Test in most of the world and points test takers in India to the ETS India site. On 31 October 2026 that site (etsindia.org redirects to in.ets.org) showed the same US dollar list and no rupee price. ETS's one-page guide to the test says India costs slightly more than US$249. Expect to pay a little over US$249, and read the exact figure in your ETS account before you pay. The 2026-27 Bulletin adds that the final charge includes a non-refundable 4% online service fee.[2]
Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each scored from 130 to 170 in 1-point steps, and Analytical Writing from 0 to 6 in half points. At a test centre you see unofficial Verbal and Quant scores as soon as you finish; the essay score comes later. Official scores reach your ETS account 8 to 10 days after the test, and ETS emails you when they do. On test day you can name up to four universities free of charge. With ScoreSelect you choose to send your most recent scores or all of them, and later you can also pick any single sitting. Universities never see the sittings you leave out.[5]
You can take the GRE General Test once every 21 days, and no more than five times in any rolling 12-month period. A sitting counts even if you cancelled its scores. ETS cancels a booking that breaks the rule and keeps the fee, and if it finds the breach after scores go out, it cancels the scores and tells the universities.[7]
ETS does not publish two things for India on the pages we could read. One is the rupee price, which appears only at booking. The other is the refund rule: the 2026-27 Bulletin gives half the test fee back if you cancel no later than 4 days before the test, but says Indian test takers should read the refund terms on the ETS India site, which carried none on 31 October 2026. On 31 October 2026 ETS's fee page and its score-sending page both gave US$40 for an extra score report after test day.[3]
Tips and tricks
- Check your passport before you register. ETS accepts only a passport from an Indian citizen testing in India, and the first and last name on your ETS account must match it letter for letter.[8]
- Name your four free score recipients on test day. Each university you add later costs an Additional Score Report fee and takes about 5 business days to process.[6]
- Count 21 days before booking a second attempt. A first sitting in early October leaves room for one more before a December deadline, but only if you book soon after the first.[7]
- If you take it at home, finish the IDVaaS identity check at least 72 hours before the test and keep a whiteboard or transparency sheet ready. Headsets are not allowed.[9]
- Send all your scores if a programme asks for every attempt. ETS notes that some programmes require applicants who tested more than once to report every GRE sitting.[6]
Questions people ask
What is the GRE exam fee in India in 2026?
ETS lists US$249 for most countries from 1 August 2026 and says India costs slightly more. It does not publish the rupee figure on its fee page; you see the exact amount in your ETS account before you pay.[2]
Is Aadhaar accepted as ID for the GRE?
No. ETS lists the Aadhaar card among IDs it never accepts. An Indian citizen testing in India must show a passport with name, photo and signature.[8]
How many days does the GRE result take?
Official scores are in your ETS account 8 to 10 days after the test. At a test centre you see unofficial Verbal and Quant scores right after you finish.[5]
How long is a GRE score valid?
Five years from the test date. You can send it to universities at any time in those five years.[5]
How many times can I take the GRE?
Once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12 months. Cancelled scores still count toward the limit.[7]
Can I take the GRE at home in India?
ETS offers the at-home GRE General Test with a live online proctor. You need the ETS Secure Browser, an identity check in the IDVaaS app at least 72 hours before, a private room and an erasable whiteboard or transparency sheet.[9]
Connected pages
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Official and partner links
- Official bodyETS (official GRE site)
Sources
- Fees for GRE Tests and Related Services (effective 1 August 2026), ETS. Accessed 31 October 2026.
- What You Need to Know About the GRE General Test (PDF), ETS. Accessed 31 October 2026.
- GRE Information Bulletin 2026-27 (rescheduling, cancelling, refunds, payment), ETS. Accessed 31 October 2026.
- GRE General Test Structure, ETS. Accessed 31 October 2026.
- Getting Your GRE General Test Scores, ETS. Accessed 31 October 2026.
- Sending Your GRE General Test Scores, ETS. Accessed 31 October 2026.
- GRE General Test Registration (retaking the test), ETS. Accessed 31 October 2026.
- Identification Requirements for the GRE General Test (India), ETS. Accessed 31 October 2026.
- GRE General Test at home and test centre test day, ETS. Accessed 31 October 2026.
Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us through the corrections page. Updated 31 October 2026.