How many times can you take the GRE?
You can take the GRE General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (accessed 2026-09-10). Both limits apply at the same time: waiting 21 days does not give you a sixth attempt inside the same rolling year.
How often can you take the GRE? Limits and waiting periods
The waiting period and the attempt cap come from ETS registration rules, and the reporting window from ETS score guidance (both accessed 2026-09-10).
| Rule | Limit | What it means for planning |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting period between test dates | 21 days | The earliest you can sit again, not a recommended study gap |
| Attempts per rolling 12 months | 5 | Counted over any continuous 12 months, not a calendar year |
| Lifetime attempts | No lifetime cap published by ETS | The rolling-year cap is the limit you plan around |
| Score reporting window | 5 years after the test date | How long a retake — or an earlier attempt — stays reportable |
Is there a deadline for retaking the GRE?
ETS does not publish a retake deadline tied to university applications. It requires a 21-day wait and no more than five attempts in a rolling year. Your last useful test date depends on when your program needs the scores. ETS says official scores become available 8–10 days after testing, when it also sends reports to recipients selected on test day (accessed 2026-09-10). Leave time for the institution to receive and match the report; a test taken on the application deadline is usually too late if official scores are required then.
What does the GRE 21-day rule mean?
ETS's rule sets 21 days as the minimum spacing between GRE test dates (accessed 2026-09-10). It is a registration limit, not a recommended study plan. If your first result exposed a pacing problem or a content gap, a longer interval may be more useful than booking the first eligible date.
How should you schedule GRE retakes before a deadline?
Work backward from the program's official-score deadline. The following is an illustrative plan for a December 15 deadline, not a published university deadline or a guaranteed delivery schedule. It assumes recipients are selected on test day and that you have attempts remaining.
- November 1: first attempt. Review the result and decide what to change before testing again.
- November 22: earliest retake. This is 21 days after the first test. Choose a later date only if the remaining reporting time still works.
- November 30–December 2: expected official-score availability. This applies ETS's published 8–10-day interval to the November 22 retake.
- Before December 15: confirm receipt. The example leaves 13 days after December 2, but the program must confirm whether that is sufficient for its process.
If you order reports after test day, ETS says additional score-report requests take approximately five business days to process (accessed 2026-09-10). Include that step and the school's processing time. Check whether the program accepts self-reported scores initially or requires the official report by its deadline.
Does ScoreSelect let you choose which GRE attempts to send?
Yes. ETS's ScoreSelect option lets you choose which test administrations to send (accessed 2026-09-10), so a lower retake does not automatically have to appear in every score report. ScoreSelect does not change the 21-day rule or the five-attempt cap, and you should still follow each program's current score-reporting instructions.
How long can you use a GRE retake score?
GRE scores remain reportable for five years (accessed 2026-09-10). A later retake can therefore remain available alongside earlier administrations for much of the same application window; the attempt limits determine when you may test, while the five-year rule determines how long the result remains reportable.
Plan the rest of your test decision
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.
- GRE Test Registration — ETS. Accessed 2026-09-10.
- Sending Your GRE General Test Scores — ETS. Accessed 2026-09-10.
- Getting Your GRE General Test Scores — ETS. Accessed 2026-09-10.
Related guides
Sources and corrections
Sources last checked 2026-09-10Every source cited on this page was checked on the date shown, and we update the page when a source changes. If something looks wrong, tell us and we'll recheck it.