Recently, Covid-19 has spread around the world . To avoid contagion, governments and other entities have made recommendations that led to a change in daily activities, from confinements at home to temporary closures of companies. In this situation, you may have wondered what you can do if you had planned to present your GRE, but the test centers are closed. Do not worry, because here we will solve your doubts.
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) organization has released a page where they will be posting updates with important information about future tests and support for those interested in taking the exam.
One of the most notable news is that a temporary version of the GRE test has been launched that can be taken at home, which is supervised by a human through the ProctorU software. As of April 2, 2020, the online exam can be taken in ALL geographic regions except mainland China and Iran.
This option is only available to those who meet specific conditions. If you are interested in taking the GRE in this modality, you have to consider that you must have the necessary computer equipment and an appropriate environment in which to take the exam.
On the other hand, in some places the tests have been postponed. If this is the case, you will receive an email notifying you that your exam will be rescheduled and, since ETS has waived all rescheduling fees, you will not incur this expense. It is important that you keep an eye on your email to confirm the status of your appointment.
You will be able to reschedule your exam appointment from one test center to another and reschedule your appointment due to health problems (even if the test center is open) directly from your account and without contacting GRE services. However, if you want to reschedule your appointment to take the exam in a test center to take it at home, you can do it at no cost but by necessarily communicating with GRE services through this online chat, to the email gre-info @ ets.org, or by phone 1 866 473 4373.
Finally, regarding the availability of the Test Centers, only some have closed and most are operating. The countries that have discontinued their activities and therefore postponed the examinations are the following:
Until July 4: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
The countries not mentioned have some test centers operating and, although some of them may be closed, you can take the exam in any other. Centers that are still open are taking steps to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Such measures include frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces and disposable towels are provided so that you can clean the area where you will be taking the exam. Also, you can wear your mask but you will be asked to remove it to take a photo and verify your official identification.
Here we are very concerned about your health and that of your loved ones, so we advise you to take the GRE online. Even when the centers are open, we recommend that you take precautions before taking the exam, or consider postponing it. In addition, most universities, faced with the pandemic, are also making exceptions in their admission process. Those who are still receiving applications for Fall 2020, aware of the situation, are postponing their deadlines, or allowing you to apply without exam. In this article you can find more information about it. If the center in your city is open, but there are already cases of COVID-19 in your city, consider that the most important thing is your health and your social responsibility.