GRE: My Test Centre Experience
The use of the GRE for graduate admission in STEM is dwindling. However, it is still widely required by many universities around the globe. Giving the exam often requires dedicated time for preparation. Exam nerves can definitely set in a few days before the actual day of the test. In these moments, it makes sense to be aware of procedures before you actually give the exam.
For those who plan to give the test soon, here is a written account of my test centre experience and things you should be aware of before taking the exam. This article is lucid enough to fit into a diary and covers everything from the very beginning to the very end of the exam experience.
Hope you find it helpful!
The Day Prior
A few days before my exam, I started getting worried about the date of registration. Is the date of my exam in local time? ETS is not an Indian company, and it could have been possible that they were using a different time zone. A day before the exam, I received a call from the testing centre. They asked me why I didn’t turn up for the exam😶.
Just kidding XD, it was just a regular check-up call reminding me that my exam was the next day and that I needed to carry my passport and wear a mask that does not have ventilators. The date and time for the exam are always in your local time zone, so no worries there. However, there are a lot of things that might not be evident from the check-up call. So read on!
Exam Day
The lofty $200 fee for the exam becomes crystal clear once you set foot inside a Prometric testing centre. The entire environment changes where anyone you speak to, be it the proctor or the security guard, converse in pure English! Anyone associated with the testing centre blatantly refuse to talk in the local language (at least until my exam ended :P).
The Locker
Upon entering the centre, all COVID precautions such as sanitization and temperature checks are carried out. You are given a locker (with a single access key) to store all of your belongings — your bag, food items and water bottle. The only things allowed inside the exam room are yourself, your ID proof (passport, maybe Aadhar), mask (COVID), and your clothes. Anything that doesn’t fall on this list belongs in the locker. If you were thinking about using your own pen and pencil, that isn’t allowed either — they provide you with everything you need to take the exam. I was also instructed to switch off my mobile phone and keep any food/water outside the bag and inside the locker. This ensures that you don’t access your bag/unauthorized materials when grabbing a bite during the break.
Security Checks :(
After storing your belongings in a locker, you are made to sign a declaration signifying your acceptance of the rules dictated by the testing centre — mostly just nominal instructions. Once this is done, you are escorted into the security room, where you are subject to an extensive security detail that is more stringent than those carried out at an airport. This check includes manual verification of your photo ID, checking pockets, frisking, and passing through a metal detector — I found this exorbitant for an exam, but ETS takes its security very strictly. A key point to note is that this security check will happen every time you go outside to get some water or take a break. Hence, you should account for the time it takes to get all of this done (conservatively, 2 minutes per security check) when leaving the room for your breaks. I had to take the security check over 4 times during my exam.
On a quick digression, reading the above paragraph might have increased your anxiety. Still, I found that the elaborate procedures (paradoxically) diverted my mind from the nervousness of giving the exam and helped me enter a zone of focus. Bear in mind that this may not be the case for everyone, so it is better to be prepared for anything!
After the security check is complete, your identity is confirmed, and a photo is taken. Apart from general instructions, you are given some scratch paper (2 pages, 2 sides) and 2 pencils to write with. To my surprise, even though there were ~20 minutes left to my exam start time after my entry procedures were complete, I was immediately escorted to a cubicle asking me to start writing!
The Exam Cubicle
Upon entering the exam room, I noticed a poster that said that the room temperature was maintained between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius. Honestly? It felt more like 28 degrees, not really sure what was going on.
Anyway, the test centre is very well equipped with perfectly functioning electronics. The floor is carpeted, and the cubicle is completely distraction-free — you can only see your own monitor.
My cubicle had a monitor which was about 27" wide — with a font size abnormally large for my liking. The keyboards were freshly sanitized (slightly wet) and super tactile (I could easily reach my max typing speed). I was also given a 3M passive noise cancellation earmuff, which is usually used by people operating heavy machinery like chainsaws. They were indeed a godsend. Initially, I had no intention of using them, but the loud clacking noise created by the keyboard of other people writing their exam was very distracting, and the muffs completely drained these noises out.
Generally, I use a blue light filter when working on my PC, but since the test centre had nothing of that sort, combined with the high screen brightness, eye fatigue set in earlier than I anticipated. Staring at a screen for 4 hours takes its toll. I highly recommend taking short breaks whenever possible, between sections, at the instructions screen and otherwise. You can also take unscheduled breaks to have water/use the washroom, but these would be at the cost of exam time. If you have any other queries, always feel free to raise your hand. The exam room has a webcam right above every cubicle — they always know what you’re up to and can see you raising your hand even if they are in an entirely different room.
During the break, it served me well to have some cashews and raisins. Apart from just giving me time to collect myself from the stresses of the exam, I could just walk around and pace myself. Don’t forget the security check upon entering the lab room again — I realized I had accidentally taken more time than was available for the break as a result.
Completing the Exam
The exam itself was a relatively smooth ride with no hiccups. Immediately after the timer expires, your unofficial score pops up once you choose to report your scores! Congrats, you probably did well :)
But for me, this is the point where disaster struck. I realized that to send my scores to the universities of my interest, I either needed to remember the code or the state in which my universities are located. Being the poor geographer I am, had absolutely no idea where some of the universities were located and had to painfully scroll through all 52 states in the USA to find the schools where I wanted to send my score. I was unable to find some universities and ended up sending my score to universities that I had not planned before giving the exam (I didn’t even know if these uni’s required the GRE or not :/)
After this is done, you are free to leave! Hopefully, everything from here on would have reduced one aspect of your grad applications process — your GRE is complete!
Concluding Thoughts
I am not sure what thoughts would have run through my mind if I had read this article before the exam. I really felt the need to share this experience, as it was a bit peculiar in that it was exceptionally well proctored and heavy on the security.
All the best, and be confident in your abilities — you will ace the GRE!
