GRE test dates 2026–2027: when to take the GRE for your deadline

When are the GRE test dates for 2026–2027?

There is no fixed calendar for the GRE General Test. ETS offers it year-round on a first-come, first-served basis, and the at-home version is available around the clock, 7 days a week (both accessed 2026-09-24). You pick any open seat. The GRE Subject Tests (Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology) are different: they run only in three two-week testing windows each year.

The rules below come from ETS's 2026–27 GRE Information Bulletin, whose policies apply from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (accessed 2026-09-24), plus the ETS fee pages.

Sources: the 2026–27 Bulletin for windows, score dates, retakes, and booking rules; GRE General Test fees and GRE Subject Test fees for prices (all accessed 2026-09-24).

GRE Subject Test dates 2026–2027

ETS lists the 2026–27 Subject Test windows on its Subject Test schedule page, and the Bulletin gives a fixed score-reporting date for each window (both accessed 2026-09-24). Your scores are available and sent to the schools you chose by that date, whichever day of the window you tested.

For a fall 2027 application, the October 19 – November 1 window is the last one in 2026. The April 2027 window reports on May 10, 2027, which is too late for any deadline before then. ETS allows a Subject Test once every 14 days (accessed 2026-09-24), and each window lasts two weeks, so in practice a retake means waiting for the next window. ETS also offers at-home Subject Test testing in most locations.

When should you take the GRE for your application deadline?

Work backward from the date your program needs official scores. ETS says General Test scores reach you 8–10 days after your test date, and asks you to allow time for delivery of scores and processing by the institution (accessed 2026-09-24). The table below uses the slow end, 10 days, plus a 7-day buffer we add for the school to receive and match your report. The retake column subtracts ETS's 21-day minimum gap between attempts.

These dates are examples, not published university deadlines. If a date lands on a holiday or has no open seat near you, go earlier, never later. They also assume you choose your score recipients on test day. If you send scores later, ETS says additional score reports go out approximately five business days after you order them (accessed 2026-09-24), so add that time. You see your unofficial Verbal and Quantitative scores right after the test, so you can decide on a retake the same day.

Why do people say to take the GRE by August?

It is not an ETS rule. The General Test is open year-round, so August is only a planning habit. For December deadlines, a late-August first attempt leaves about three months. That is enough time to study properly before a retake, rather than just waiting out the 21-day minimum, and still leaves room for a second retake if you need one. If August has already passed, you are not too late: use the table above to find your latest dates.

How far ahead do you need to book the GRE?

The official minimum is short. When you register online, ETS asks you to register at least two calendar days before your preferred test date (two business days by phone; accessed 2026-09-24). But seats are first-come, first-served, and ETS advises you to register early to get your preferred test location and date. How quickly seats fill depends on your city and the season, so check open dates in your ETS account before you build a study plan around one.

Can you reschedule or cancel your GRE date?

Yes, up to four days before. ETS says you must reschedule no later than four days before your test date (10 days in Mainland China) or your test fee will be forfeited (accessed 2026-09-24). Its own example: to move a Saturday test at a US location, the deadline is Tuesday. Rescheduling costs US$55 (US$53.90 in China).

If you cancel by the same deadline, you get a refund of half the original test fee. Two more limits: you cannot reschedule beyond one year of the original appointment date, and General Test and Subject Test registrations cannot be swapped for each other.

Test center or at home: which gets you a date sooner?

If nearby centers are booked, the at-home General Test is the flexible option: it runs around the clock, 7 days a week (accessed 2026-09-24). You need a desktop or laptop computer; tablets, Chromebooks, and mobile devices are not allowed, so check your setup before you pick a date. Scores follow the same 8–10-day timeline either way.

Picked a date? Plan the weeks before it

Sources

Every source below was accessed on the listed date. Pages — especially department admissions pages — change without notice; the links go to the live versions.

1. GRE Information Bulletin 2026–27 (PDF) — ETS. Accessed 2026-09-24.
2. GRE Subject Tests: Test Dates and Testing Windows — ETS. Accessed 2026-09-24.
3. Schedule Your GRE General Test — ETS. Accessed 2026-09-24.
4. Taking the GRE General Test at Home — ETS. Accessed 2026-09-24.
5. GRE General Test Fees — ETS. Accessed 2026-09-24.
6. GRE Subject Tests: Fees — ETS. Accessed 2026-09-24.

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