GRE for Pakistani Students: Format, Fees, Dates and Free Prep

The GRE General Test is the graduate admissions test run by ETS. Some PhD and master's programmes ask for it, and Fulbright Pakistan requires it. Plenty of programmes have also stopped asking for it, so the first job is to find out whether you need it at all.

This guide covers who needs the GRE, the current shorter format, what it costs, how to book and sit it from Pakistan, and the free preparation material ETS gives you. Everything here was checked on 17 October 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm the details on ets.org/gre before you pay.

Do you need the GRE?

There is no single answer. Each programme sets its own policy, and some change it from one year to the next. A few examples from official pages:

• Harvard Economics PhD lists the GRE General as required (Harvard GSAS).
• MIT Economics PhD says the GRE is required for the 2026 to 2027 application cycle (MIT Economics). Check again for the next cycle.
• MIT EECS says it does not use GRE scores in graduate admissions, apart from the LGO programme, which requires them (MIT EECS FAQ).
• Business schools: ETS says more than 1,300 business schools accept GRE scores for some or all of their MBA programmes (ETS business school list). Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB both accept either the GRE or the GMAT.

So two programmes at the same university can have opposite rules. Before you spend money or months on preparation, make a list of every programme and scholarship you plan to apply to and note, from each one's own admissions page, whether the GRE is required, optional, recommended or not used. If even one important option requires it, plan to take it.

Which scholarships ask for the GRE?

The biggest one for Pakistani students is the Fulbright Degree Program run by USEFP. It requires the GRE General with at least 145 in each section, and applications without GRE scores are not complete. The last round closed on 1 April 2026, so plan to have your scores well before the next deadline, with time for a retake if you need one.

Other programmes in our catalogue that mention the GRE include:

• GrEnFIn (Erasmus Mundus), which asks for a GRE General Test taken in person within two years of the deadline, so an at-home sitting would not meet its rule.
• Oxford-Pershing Square Graduate Scholarships, which ask for a GMAT or GRE score with no minimum.
• The KP Chief Minister's Educational Endowment Fund, which accepts a GAT or GRE result for postgraduate applicants.

You can filter the whole list on our scholarships page, check where you stand with the eligibility tool, and see what closes soon on the deadlines page.

The current format

Since 22 September 2023, the GRE has been a shorter test of about 1 hour 58 minutes (ETS test structure). It has five sections:

That makes 27 Verbal and 27 Quant questions in total. Analytical Writing always comes first, and the Verbal and Quant sections follow in either order. The old "Analyze an Argument" essay has been dropped. ETS lists no scheduled break in the current format.

You may also see an unscored section that isn't identified, or an identified research section at the end. Treat every section as if it counts.

How the GRE is scored

• Verbal and Quant are each scored from 130 to 170, in one-point steps.
• Analytical Writing is scored from 0 to 6, in half-point steps.
• Scores can be reported for five years after your test date (ETS scoring).
• Official scores appear in your ETS account 8 to 10 days after the test (ETS: get your scores).
• At a test centre, if you choose to report your scores, you see unofficial Verbal and Quant scores on screen. Your writing score comes later.

ETS publishes percentiles for each section separately, not for a combined score. On the latest table (test takers from July 2022 to June 2025), a 160 is the 82nd percentile in Verbal but the 50th in Quant (ETS percentile table). Our article on what a 320 means and a free 10-week study plan explains this in more detail.

What it costs

From 1 August 2026, the GRE General Test costs US$249 in most of the world, including Pakistan (ETS fees). Pakistan isn't listed separately, so the "all other areas" price applies.

A few points to note:

• You may still find older figures online, including $221 for Pakistan. Trust the ETS fees page on the day you book.
• ETS shows one price and no separate at-home fee on its fees page. Confirm the amount at checkout before you pay.
• To reschedule, do it at least four days before your test date. Cancelling at least four days before gets you back half the test fee (GRE Information Bulletin).
• We have left out a rupee figure because the exchange rate and your bank's card charges change the final cost. Check the PKR amount on your card statement or with your bank.

ETS's Fee Reduction Program is only for US citizens and resident aliens, apart from a few named programmes, and ETS lists no general fee reduction for students in Pakistan. One of the named programmes is the EducationUSA Opportunity Fund. If you are an Opportunity Fund student, ask USEFP or EducationUSA directly whether a voucher is possible; we couldn't confirm it.

Paying for the test

According to the 2026 to 2027 Bulletin, ETS accepts major credit and debit cards, PayPal, Alipay+ e-wallets and authorisation vouchers. Pay-by-bank works only with US banks, and cash, cheques and money orders are not accepted.

Before you book, ask your bank whether your debit or credit card is enabled for international online payments in US dollars. Some cards need this switched on first.

At home or at a test centre

At home. ETS offers the at-home GRE wherever the test is normally available, based on your account address, around the clock (ETS at-home testing). Pakistan isn't on the excluded list. The content is identical to the test-centre version. You will need:

• a desktop or laptop (no tablets or Chromebooks) running Windows 11 or later or macOS 11 or later, with Chrome;
• one monitor, a speaker (not a headset) and a microphone;
• a camera that can show the whole room, plus a phone or tablet as a second camera;
• ID verification in the IDVaaS app at least 72 hours before the test.

If your equipment fails on the day, ETS gives no refund. Think honestly about power cuts and internet speed at home before you choose this option.

At a test centre. ETS shows centres only through the search in your account, so we can't give you a confirmed list of cities. USEFP says the GRE is available at its testing centres in Pakistan, and it has offices in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Check current centres and dates when you book in your ETS account. Some programmes, such as GrEnFIn above, want a test-centre sitting.

Dates. There are no fixed national test days. At-home slots run 24/7, and centre dates show when you search in your account. Book early in busy months, and leave enough time before your deadlines for scores to arrive and for a possible retake.

ID: your name must match exactly

The name in your ETS account must match your ID exactly, apart from accents. If it doesn't, you won't be allowed to test and you won't get a refund. Expired IDs aren't accepted (ETS ID requirements).

ETS sets ID rules by country, and we couldn't read the Pakistan page. USEFP says a valid passport or SMART National Identity Card is needed. The safe choice is a valid passport, with your account name typed exactly as it appears on it. Watch for common slips: a missing middle name, "Muhammad" spelled differently, or your father's name added when it isn't on the passport.

Retakes and ScoreSelect

You can take the GRE once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12-month period. This applies even if you cancelled earlier scores (ETS scheduling).

ScoreSelect lets you choose which scores to send. On test day you can send your most recent score or all your scores to up to four institutions free of charge. Later, through a paid Additional Score Report, you can also pick any test from the last five years. Schools see only the scores you send and are not told about the others (ETS scoring).

Have your four free score recipients ready before test day, since you choose them at the end of the test. Sending extra reports later costs $40 each.

Free official prep from ETS

These are all from ETS and are free. POWERPREP and the Test Preview Tool need a free ETS account.

ETS also sells extra practice tests (POWERPREP PLUS, $44.95 each) and other paid products. You don't need to buy anything to start.

Free third-party resources (not official)

These are not from ETS. They can be useful, but they are written by private companies and their questions are not real GRE questions. Use the official material first, and check that anything you use reflects the current shorter test.

Test rules: don't risk your scores

The Bulletin forbids having test questions or answers in advance, using unauthorised aids, sharing test content during or after the test, and copying or disclosing any test content. Penalties include dismissal, cancelled scores, a lost fee, a ban from future ETS tests and possible prosecution.

In practice, that means:

• Avoid anyone selling "real exam" questions, leaked papers or brain dumps. Using them counts as having questions in advance.
• Never let someone else sit the test for you, at home or at a centre, and never use a fake or altered ID.
• Don't post or discuss the questions you saw after your test.

A cancelled GRE can cost you far more than the fee, especially if a scholarship deadline is close.

Your next step

Make your list of programmes and check each one's GRE policy. If you need the test, create your free ETS account, open the Test Preview Tool and try POWERPREP Test 1 to see where you start. Then pick a test date that leaves room for a retake before your earliest deadline. Our 10-week study plan can help you organise the weeks in between, and if you also need an English test, read our guide to IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and Duolingo.

Fees, dates and rules change. Always confirm the current details on ets.org before you book.