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    Best Time to Take the GRE Exam: Fall or Spring 2024?

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    Well, not to worry! The Graduate Record Examination or the GRE takes place almost every weekend throughout the year. There are multiple centers in major cities that you can choose as your exam center.

    So, what is the best time to take the GRE? There is no best time! The best time to take the GRE is "whenever you’re ready!" 

    Isn’t it a good thing that the GRE takes place all year long?

    Generally, aspirants who plan to start studying abroad in Fall, take the GRE in March-October of the previous year. This means that if you wish to study abroad in Fall 2024, then you should have taken the GRE by October 2022. The GRE score is valid for five years so it’s alright if you take the GRE a little early.

    Talking about GRE scores, do you have any idea how much you’d score if you were to take the GRE test right now? Take this 30-minute FREE diagnostic test from Yocket Prep to find out! 

    Suggested: Types of GRE Exams 

    Latest Update for GRE Aspirants: The GRE General Test fee will increase by $15 USD and will therefore cost $228 USD for test takers in India from November 1, 2022

    When Should I take the GRE?

    You should take the GRE based on the type of applicant you are. The best time to take GRE is:

    • Penultimate Year for Students: Students should take the GRE in their penultimate year of study. This means that if you plan on studying abroad directly after graduating, then you should take the GRE in the second last year of college.
    • Any Time for Working Professionals: As a working professional, you may not get a lot of time to sit and study for the GRE. You can study during free hours or over the weekends. One piece of advice to you would be to take multiple practice tests. Any time you feel like you’re ready to take the test, you can book the test date. Keep in mind the deadlines though.

    Suggested: GRE Score Validity

    When to Give the GRE Exam for Spring Intake?

    For someone looking to apply for the Spring intake, you should give your GRE at least 12 months prior to the starting date of your program. Meaning, if you wish to enrol in Spring 2024, you should have your GRE scores ready by February 2022!

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    When is the Best Time to Give GRE for Fall 2024?

    For Fall 2024, It is suggested you start preparing now and start giving GRE mock tests. The ideal time for taking both exams (GRE & TOEFL) is in May/June 2024. Start shortlisting your universities in March/April 2022 and complete your SOPs/LORs by Aug which Yocket Premium can assist you with. This is the ideal timeline that should be followed, and not to miss any deadlines.

    The GRE score is valid for 5 years and the TOEFL score is valid for two years from the date of examination. You can give your exams when you feel confident. The dates of the examination are flexible and frequent.

    Additionally, explore this video that talks about the right time to take the GRE with a timeline to apply for MS in US.

    Suggested: What After GRE Exam

    Why Should You Take GRE Much Before Applying?

    Reasons for taking GRE so much before application to universities is as follows:

    • If you’re not happy with your score, you still have plenty of time to study for and retake the test.
    • GRE scorecards take about 2 weeks to be generated. On the test day, your Verbal and Quants score are given to you. However, your AWA score is generated in your final scorecard. You have to submit this official scorecard through ETS during your application process.
    • You need to submit official scores via ETS to universities. ETS takes anywhere between 5 days to 3 weeks to send your official scores to the university. Further, the university may take a week or so to reflect that they have received your score.
    • A lot of priority deadlines are in November or December. Therefore, it is important to have your scores ready and sent to the university before the deadline. Even if the deadline isn’t until later, you can always be an early applicant!
    • You also need time to prepare for and give the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE exam. The report generation and submission to universities also take 2 weeks each.

    What is a Major Problem that I Might Face while Deciding When to Give the GRE?

    A problem that you may face after deciding when to take the GRE is not getting your preferred test centre or your preferred date. Especially during application time, it becomes quite difficult to get a preferred centre for a preferred date. That is why you should book your test date and centre well in advance.

    Tip: You can even reschedule your test date, but you will have to pay a fee of $50 or an additional $190 if you reschedule within 3 days of the exam date.

    Is it Easier if I Take the GRE at the End of the Month?

    This is a common misconception that if you take the test at the end of the month, then the questions are easier or repeated. None of this is true. The GRE exam is a completely adaptive test that generates questions according to your performance. Some questions may get repeated, but that has nothing to do with the time of the month. It’s just luck.

    Therefore, you should book your test date only according to whether you are prepared to take the exam, and not silly and untrue “facts”. However, do keep in mind the deadlines for your course.

    You can ask questions on GRE preparation and clear doubts by discussions!

    Yocket GRE Prep+ for GRE Preparation

    Whatever term you decide to take the GRE test, we will be there for you. 

    With Yocket’s GRE Prep platform you can get hold of a whole lot of things - FREE mock & diagnostic tests, FREE resources, more than 40 personalised difficulty-level subject practice tests with instant performance report and detailed solutions, and much much more! 

    And well, not just that, Yocket Prep will offer you: 

    • Instant solutions and performance analysis based on your diagnostic tests
    • Focussed and prioritised GRE learning and practice schedule, to keep you ahead of time 
    • Custom priority-based study planner, which focuses on the most important & marks-fetching topics practice by volume
    • 7 GRE style tests (which are very difficult to get tbh), 40+ topic-wise tests, access to Priority Dashboard and much more than you can imagine through Yocket Prep+

    To help you with your GRE preparation, we have also launched features such as GRE Flashcards and GRE Prep so that you can ace the GRE. It is completely free and is available on the Yocket mobile app (available for both: Android and iOS). Make sure to check them out!! For more guidance and assistance for your study abroad journey, get in touch with our Yocket professionals.

     

    Frequently Asked Questions about When to Take GRE?

    When should I take the GRE?

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    Is GRE easier when taken at the end of the month?

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    When can I get my GRE scores upon taking the exam?

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    What if I do not book GRE exam in advance?

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    What GRE score should I aim for to get into top universities?

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