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Going through all the endeavor of taking the GRE and and then not getting the score you lot want is hard. Y'all're probable to be left with a lot of questions: Should I retake the GRE? Will I be able to enhance my score? Will it make a departure for grad schoolhouse admissions? Deciding whether or not to retake the GRE can be a challenging determination, just, luckily, we're here to walk y'all through it.

In this guide, we'll explicate when you'll exist able to retake the GRE, what grad schools call up of GRE retakes, the questions you should enquire yourself when deciding whether to have the examination once more, and how to ensure you lot'll go a higher score when retaking the GRE.

Can Yous Retake the GRE?

Yes, it is possible to retake the GRE, and many people choose to do so. In fact, ETS released an infographic, based on data nerveless in 2014, that showed that one in four test-takers retook the GRE (and that number is growing each year). Additionally, the majority of people who took the GRE a second time got a higher score.

You lot can take the GRE upwardly to v times within a 12-month period, as long as the concluding time yous took the GRE was at least 21 days ago.

The process of registering for a retake is the aforementioned as registering for the GRE for the offset time, except yous'll already have created an ETS account. If you need a refresher on how to register for the GRE, check out our step-by-footstep guide to GRE registration.

What Do Schools Remember of GRE Retakes?

Will retaking the GRE multiple times crusade grad schools to recollect you're not smart or expert at taking tests, thus pain your chances of admission?Fortunately, the answer is a resounding "no!" Many people take the GRE more than once in social club to get their highest score. Sometimes you but take a bad 24-hour interval at the examination center, or y'all need to take the GRE more than once to learn how to pace yourself, and grad schools are aware of that.

Additionally, ETS recently released a new organization of sending scores called ScoreSelect. With ScoreSelect, each fourth dimension you take the GRE, you tin can choose which scores you'd like to exist sent to schools. This means that, if you've taken the GRE three times, you tin choose to send simply your most recent scores to schools, or only your 2d scores, or all scores etc. Schools won't run across if you're choosing not to send scores from a particular test date, so if you've taken the GRE three times and choose to only ship your best scores, they wouldn't know you've taken the GRE ii other times since they'd only see one fix of scores.

Some schools exercise ask that you lot to send scores from every GRE you've taken, and if you're applying to one of these schools you should comply with those rules. Notwithstanding, the majority of schools don't crave this. This means that, not only are well-nigh schools fine with you taking the GRE multiple times, you lot can also only transport them the scores from your best exam and non worry about the effect of multiple test scores. Basically, when deciding whether or not to take the GRE, how schools volition view this decision shouldn't be a deciding factor.

Should You Retake the GRE?

There are several questions you should inquire yourself while debating retaking the GRE. Below are half-dozen of the most important. Be certain to consider each one thoughtfully before making your determination.

How Far Away Are Application Deadlines?

First things first: Do you have time to retake the GRE and submit those scores earlier admission deadlines?If you cull which schools to send your scores to while you're all the same in the test center, immediately after your complete the GRE and view your unofficial Verbal and Quantitative scores, your scores will be received past schools 10-15 days after y'all take the exam. Y'all'll receive an email telling you that your official scores can be viewed on your My GRE business relationship, and this is as well when the schools you indicated will receive your scores.

And then, in social club to make sure your scores are received in fourth dimension, don't retake the GRE unless you lot take at to the lowest degree three weeks betwixt the exam date and your earliest awarding borderline. This will ensure schools receive your scores in fourth dimension and you didn't retake the GRE for naught.

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How Far Are You From Your Score Goal?

Another major consideration is how far your first GRE score is from your score goal. Your score goal is based on the GRE score requirements/recommendations of the schools yous're applying to. (Check out our guide if yous're not certain how to set up a GRE score goal.)

If you're only a signal or two away from your score goal, that may exist adept enough for nearly schools, peculiarly if you didn't meet your score goal in a less of import section (such every bit the Verbal Reasoning section if you're applying to programs in a math or science field).GRE scores are almost never the nearly of import part of an awarding, so if other parts of your application are strong, such every bit your grades, letters of rec, and extracurriculars/work experience, y'all'll likely be fine.

On the flip side, if you missed your score goal past 15 or more points in either section, you may need to consider drastically irresolute your grooming methods or even irresolute which schools yous should apply to altogether. Check out our guide to go a improve thought of how much y'all tin can look to improve on the GRE. Some schools, however, have students with significantly lower-than-average GRE scores if their overall application is very strong. Contact the admissions office of particular schools directly if you'd like more information.

In general, you have the best chances of meeting your goal score and significantly improving your chances of admission with a GRE retake if your full score is about five-15 points lower than you desire it to be.

How Much Take You Already Prepared?

Did yous written report a lot earlier you took the GRE the commencement time, or did you take the exam without a lot of prior preparation?If you didn't do a lot of studying the starting time time, y'all'll take an easier risk of raising your score on a retake. It'southward during the first few hours of GRE studying that you make the biggest improvements in your score since you can get all the low-hanging fruit: equations you lot were mixing up, careless mistakes you were making, a sure question type you had no experience with etc.

If y'all already put in a lot of preparation time, it'll be more challenging to make major improvements with a GRE retake. Notwithstanding, it can exist done, especially if you make changes to the way yous study and the prep materials y'all apply. See the next section for more details on how to do this. Yous can also check out our guide to learning how long you need to report for the GRE

How Was Exam Day?

Did anything happen during exam day that acquired you to exist distracted and potentially hurt your score? This could include being sick, hearing distracting noises such as construction or someone sniffling during the test, having something else on your mind like another large examination or personal issue that makes it hard to concentrate, or even just being concluding to the exam and feeling anxious and stressed when you sit down.

Annihilation that stopped y'all from being calm and full focused on test twenty-four hour period could have negatively impacted your score. If this happened to you the offset time y'all took the GRE and you feel it won't happen again during the retake (if information technology's something you tin can command), yous may be able to heighten your score only by having a better test 24-hour interval experience the second time around.

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If y'all sit next to someone who has the sniffles on test day, you may find it hard to concentrate and not become the GRE score you'd hoped for.

Will Taking the GRE Again Pose a Financial Hardship?

Each time you register for a GRE test date, information technology volition cost you $205, and that'due south more than than just pocket change. If you lot can afford that amount, and so yous don't need to worry about this factor, but if the test fee would pose a financial hardship on your or your family unit, yous may desire to think more carefully about whether information technology's the all-time choice and if you have a solid plan for how you're going to amend.

You may too consider checking if you are eligible for the GRE Fee Reduction program. If you are, you'll receive a waiver that covers half the price of taking the GRE. Also, if you already received a fee reduction waiver within the past year, yous tin can hands fill out a form to receive another waiver. Learn more nearly the GRE Fee Reduction Plan by reading our guide.

Do You Have a Program For How You Volition Ameliorate?

If, during your studying and on test day the 2d time around,  you do everything the same as you lot did the commencement fourth dimension you took the GRE, your score likely won't change much. In order to run across a meaning improvement in your score (which is probable what you're looking for), you'll have to take a game programme for exactly how you're going to improve during this retake. The following section has several ideas to assist you become started.

Retaking the GRE: four Tips to Improve Your Score

In one case you've decided on retaking the GRE, you lot should aim to do everything y'all can between now and examination twenty-four hours to maximize your score. Use these five tips to assistance raise your GRE score.

Create a Written report Schedule

Once you've committed to a GRE retake, yous should create a study schedule so y'all know when you're supposed to be studying. Setting aside a regular fourth dimension to written report each day or week, such as weekdays from 7:00-8:30pm or Saturdays from 1:00-v:00, will make information technology easier to study because you'll know ahead of time when you should be studying and tin accommodate the rest of your schedule effectually it.

You should likewise include regular goals in your study schedule that you promise to meet, such every bit, "I desire to understand Judgement Equivalence questions by the end of the week," or "I want to have raised my Verbal score 5 points before the end of the calendar month." Setting these goals will assist encourage you lot to study and ensure you are on track to meet your goal scores.

Pinpoint Where Yous Made Mistakes

Ane of the all-time ways to increase the effectiveness of your studying is to accurately pinpoint where you lot need to brand the well-nigh improvements, and and then focus your studying on those areas. Go through the GRE you took, and wait at every question you answered incorrectly. Do yous come across any patterns? Did you lot practise well in Verbal Reasoning only didn't score equally high for Quantitative Reasoning? Then look more specifically. Which Quantitative Reasoning questions did y'all struggle the virtually on? Algebra questions? Geometry questions? Those that included graphs or charts?

Once yous've figured out where your weaknesses are, target those areas with your studying. This will help you focus your studying on the topics you need to improve the well-nigh in, and thus, can get you the biggest increases in score.

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Consider New/Additional Prep Materials

The study materials y'all use have a significant impact on how well yous exercise on the test. A good prep book and good practice tests can be the difference betwixt an average score and a swell score. If you didn't use a prep volume the first time you lot took the GRE, or don't call back the 1 you lot used helped you as much as yous wanted, you lot should consider a new one.

Check out our guide to the all-time GRE prep books to figure out the best one for you. Also, practice tests are an of import part of learning almost the GRE and tracking your progress. Learn more about the best practice GREs to accept.

Attempt Out New Study Methods

If you studied a significant amount earlier your first GRE and didn't go the score you wanted, y'all'll likely as well need to change upwards your study methods before your retake.

One of the near common mistakes people make when studying is to study too passively. This means yous're simply dragging your eyes across the folio without really taking any information in. To avoid this, endeavour different study methods, such every bit using flashcards, including more exercise questions in your studying, and stopping every few pages of notes to ensure you're actually retaining the information you're reading.

If you lot want more than structure or guidance during your preparation, you may as well want to wait into hiring a tutor or enrolling in a GRE prep course. These options price more just buying report materials, but they can help you get big improvements in your score, especially if yous aren't sure how to become about studying on your ain.

Conclusion: Is Retaking the GRE Right for You?

If you didn't get the score you lot were hoping for on the GRE, you make be wondering, "should I retake the GRE?" About a quarter of all people who take the GRE take it more once, and the majority of them get a higher score on their second try.

When deciding whether or not to retake the GRE, consider the post-obit questions:

  • How Far Away Are Application Deadlines?
  • How Far Are You From Your Score Goal?
  • How Much Have You Already Prepared?
  • How Was Exam Day?
  • Will Taking the GRE Again Pose a Financial Hardship?
  • Do You Have a Plan For How You Will Improve?

If you do decide to retake the GRE, you should take steps to maximize your chances of improving your score such equally creating a study schedule, figuring out where you fabricated mistakes, and trying out new study materials and study methods.

What's Next?

How much can y'all expect to improve your score when yous retake the GRE? Larn how to estimate how much you'll enhance your GRE score by reading our guide.

Just how long should you exist studying for the GRE anyhow? Our guide walks y'all through how to summate the number of hours you'll need to ready aside in order to attain your score goals.

Want more information on GRE scoring? Learn exactly how each department of the GRE is scored so yous know how to become every signal possible.

Ready to amend your GRE score by 7 points?

We've written a eBook about the top v strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your GRE score. Download it for costless now:



Christine graduated from Michigan Country Academy with degrees in Ecology Biological science and Geography and received her Principal'south from Duke University. In loftier school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries. View all posts by Christine Sarikas