How to Set Up for the Online GRE

How to Set Up for the Online GRE

November 24, 2025

Understanding which testing environment is best for you is important, as your surroundings can play a part in helping you achieve a top score on the GRE. You believe you'll do best if you sit for it in the familiar comfort of your home instead of at a test center, so you've registered to take the online exam. 

People who plan to take the GRE at a test center don't have to worry about doing anything after registering except continue their studies to prepare. Online test takers, however, have to set up the computer they'll use for the exam, and make sure the room where they'll take it conforms to the standards required by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the creator and administrator of the GRE. 

You don't want to have to stress about being barred from taking the GRE on test day because of a mistake in setting up for the exam. In this article, we'll provide all the information you need to keep that from happening, sharing the rules and regulations for your computer, work space, identification, and test security. 

Online GRE: Readying Your Computer

Making sure test center computers are prepared is the responsibility of ETS, but it falls on test takers when they sit for the GRE at home. The system requirements and set-up process that we'll detail can also be found on ETS' website. After following the steps and going through the checks, your computer will be ready for the GRE. Consider doing this soon after registering for the exam so it's taken care of early and won't be in the back of your mind as something you need to get done before the test. That way you can give you full attention to studying as your work toward getting your best possible score. 

You're only allowed to take the GRE on a desktop or laptop computer, and multiple monitors or keyboards aren't permitted. For the best internet connection during the exam, and to lower the risk of possible problems, ask that anyone else in your home stay offline for the duration of the test. 

You will need to download the ETS Secure Browser, which comes in separate versions for Windows and Mac, then run it to complete the installation. It will automatically do an equipment check to see if the GRE can be taken on your computer, and will alert you to any problems. Any issues must be fixed before exam day, when you should do a final systems check again before signing in to begin the test. 

You must have a Chrome browser and a Windows operating system for PCs, with Windows 11 recommended, or a Mac OS X 11 or higher. The computer must also have a working microphone and speakers, as well as a built-in or separate webcam that can be moved to show a full view of the room. No headsets or earphones are allowed. 

Online GRE: Preparing Your Work Space

ETS has strict rules about your GRE work space and what you're allowed to have in it, just as it does for the exam room at test centers. Review what they in more detail are on the ETS website and prepare the room where you'll be taking the test a couple of days ahead of time, so you're not rushing around on exam day to get it ready.

You must take the exam in a private room with a door that closes and blinds or curtains on the windows so you can't see anyone outside. The computer and keyboard are required to be on a desk or tabletop with a standard chair, and both must be positioned so the proctor who will be monitoring you can see the door. No one else can come in the room at any time during the test. 

Nothing is permitted to be in the area surrounding the desk or table, including food, drinks, cellphones, notes, study materials, calculators, pens, pencils, or paper. You are only allowed to have an erasable marker and either a small whiteboard or one sheet of paper inside a transparent sheet protector for notes during the exam. There will be an online calculator if you need one for the Quantitative Reasoning section. 

Online GRE: Test Day – Verifying Your I.D.

The I.D. requirements are the same for the online GRE as they are for taking it at a test center. The proctor will need to verify your identification as part of the check-in process before you can begin. Make sure you know what you'll need to provide and have it ready so there won't be any problems that could prevent you from taking the test. 

Driver's licenses and passports are the main forms of I.D. accepted, with government-issued national/state/province identity cards and military I.D. cards also allowed. The name on the I.D. must exactly match the name you registered with, and it has to include a recent photo and your signature. It must also be an original, physical document that hasn't expired. 

Online GRE: Test Day – Room Inspection and Security

After the proctor has verified your identity, they will carry out an inspection of your work area. You will be asked to use a handheld mirror or your cellphone to show them your computer screen. This is the only time during the exam that you're permitted to have your phone near you. The proctor will also have you use your webcam to do a 360-degree room scan to make sure no banned items are in the area around you and that the room is set up according to ETS' rules. Once this is completed, the test will begin. 

The GRE is one hour and 58 minutes long with no breaks, and unscheduled breaks are not allowed for the online test. That means you cannot step away from the computer at any time during the exam. The proctor will be monitoring you throughout the test with the webcam and microphone, and the testing session will be recorded. You must always be in view of the camera, and avoid looking away from the screen for an extended time or speaking out loud. At the end of the test, you'll have to show the proctor that you erased anything you wrote on the whiteboard or sheet protector. 

Online GRE: The Night Before the Exam

After all the hours you put in studying for the GRE, it's finally the night before the exam, and you want this time to be calm and low-key. You should have already installed the ETS browser on your computer and done a systems check well in advance, set up the room where you'll be taking the exam a day or two earlier, and learned the security procedures and guidelines to expect the following day. With all that taken care of, there isn't anything else you need to do, and we believe it's important to keep things simple at this time: 

  • Turn in an hour or two earlier than usual to make sure you get a good night's sleep. You won't be able to do your best if you're exhausted.
  • Set out your essential items for the next day. Put your I.D. at your work space, along with a mirror if you'll be using it to show the proctor your computer screen. If you plan to use a whiteboard or paper in a sheet protector to take notes, place it and your dry erase marker and eraser by your computer as well.
  • Don't do any last-minute cramming. It won't do anything to improve your score and will just make you anxious. Believe in all the study and preparation you put in, and spend the evening doing something relaxing that you enjoy. 

Online GRE: The Rules

ETS has other rules and regulations for exam day in addition to its strict guidelines about your work space for the GRE. Below are some of the important ones for the online test: 

  • You're not allowed to communicate with anyone about the GRE's content either during the exam or after it's over, or reproduce any part of it.
  • The proctor can immediately end your test session for the following reasons: providing false information; attempting to take the test for someone else or another person attempting to take it for you; not providing acceptable identification; possessing or accessing unauthorized personal items or testing aids; giving or receiving unauthorized help; tampering with the computer; creating a disturbance; enabling screen sharing and remote access software during the test; refusing to follow directions; and failing to adhere to other procedures, policies, and rules. 

The consequences for violating ETS policies could include immediately ending the test, score cancellation, being barred from taking the GRE in the future, and even referral to law enforcement if appropriate. Make sure you clearly understand the rules and regulations so you can best follow them.

Online GRE: Takeaway

We'll wrap things up with a few tips for when exam day has arrived and you'll be taking the GRE in a few hours.

  • Get up early to give yourself time to fully wake up so you won't be groggy for the exam. Achieving the high GRE score you worked for requires that you be alert and ready to perform at your best.
  • Make sure you eat breakfast, even if you usually skip it. Healthy foods with protein will help fuel you and provide energy for the test ahead.
  • Have an optimistic attitude, as negativity can affect how you well you do. Expect that you will face tough questions, and don't get upset with yourself if you have trouble answering some of them. Optimism leads to confidence, which contributes to GRE success. Keep a positive outlook so you can do your absolute best!