Step 1: Make an ETS Account

First, make an ETS Account. (For those taking the GRE in China, make an NEEA Account instead.) Through this account, you can register for the GRE, view and print all of your GRE scores from the past five years, and make any changes to existing test reservations.

Click the “Create an Account” button located under the “New Users” section.

On the following page, input all of your personal information, including your name, date of birth, gender, contact information, and social security number (optional). As you do so, check that your name and birth date are correct — these must exactly match those on your ID.

Once you’ve finished inputting all of your personal details, you’ll then get to create a username and password.

Finally, review and submit your details, and voila! Your account is ready to go. Now, you can begin the process of registering for the GRE.

Step 2: Find Available Test Centers and Dates

Once your ETS Account is all set up, log on to get to a homepage titled “My GRE Home.” On this page, click “Register / Find Test Centers, Dates” in the top-left corner.

From here, you’ll search for GRE test centers and dates. Start by selecting the test you plan to take from the drop-down list (most people will choose the “GRE General Test” unless registering for a GRE subject test).

Next, look for test centers closest to you by typing in your home address (or, alternatively, your city, state, or country). The more specific you are in terms of location, the better your results will be.

The last thing you’ll do on this page is choose a two-month span for which you’ll be looking for test centers and dates. Note that you can register for the GRE up to a year in advance but no later than two days before your desired test date.

Once finished, click “Find available test centers and dates” to continue to a map of your location and the nearest test centers (for the two-month span you’ve selected). If you were to search for GRE test locations and dates for Los Angeles, for example, your page would look something like this:

On this page, you can browse GRE sessions by date or distance (using the tabs at the top). Clicking a date will reveal all available test centers for that day. You can then click “Show Test Times” to look at individual times and seating availability.

In the end, be sure to select a test center, date, and time that’ll work well for you. Always take into account factors such as time of day (you’ll likely want to avoid rush-hour traffic) and distance from your location so you can plan accordingly.

Additionally, note that seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so the earlier you register, the better chance you’ll have of getting the test session you want!

Step 3: Verify Your Registration Details

Once you click “Register” for a desired test session, you’ll confirm your test center, date, and time before agreeing to the ETS testing policies.

After, you’ll need to click through a bunch of (mostly extraneous) pages before you can pay the GRE application fee. These pages will instruct you to do the following:

• Review your personal information.

• Decide whether you’d like to enroll in the free GRE Search Service.

• Input background information.

• Select any test preparation materials you wish to purchase. 

Step 4: Pay the GRE Application Fee

Almost there! Now that you’ve successfully traversed the bulk of the GRE application process, it’s time to check out and pay the GRE application fee. As a reminder, the GRE costs $205 ($150 per GRE subject test), which most people pay for using a credit or debit card. (ETS lists additional forms of accepted payment methods here.)

Once you’ve paid for the test, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing your exam date, time, test center address, and confirmation number. (You can also access this information by logging on to your ETS Account and viewing your current reservations.) And that’s it — you’re done!