If you are planning to join grad schools in US, Australia, Canada, etc. then GRE is the exam you must be looking forward to. Just like numerous other students, you will find yourself face to face with the daunting question of when to take the exam. This decision is equally important as taking the exam itself and should not be taken lightly. Many students ignore this factor and end up regretting it later. Don’t make the same mistake, as your level of performance also depends on this factor. It is impossible to narrow down a particular month to take the test, as the perfect month for taking GRE varies from person to person and it can be taken whole year- round, making the decision yet more confusing but a few factors can help you make this decision easily.
When you want to attend the grad school?
Are you in the initial year of your college or final year? Many candidates think that it is better to take GRE in the initial year of undergraduate school because the questions asked in the exam are from the primary schooling and not from your specialized course. But if you want to take a few years off after your school and gain some occupational experience before joining grad school then it is not advisable to book your GRE exam dates in the initial years of college because the score of GRE is valid only for five years and might put you under pressure of joining grad school immediately after college completion.
What is the deadline for applying to your dream colleges?
This is another major factor in deciding when to take GRE. Mostly, international students are admitted to grad schools in fall semesters, so if you are planning on joining a course in autumn semester then it is advisable to take GRE six weeks prior to the deadline of your dream college as it takes almost 16 to 20 days to process your GRE score card and send it to your target universities.
Are you taking any other test?
If you are taking any other test such as TOEFL, etc. for your language proficiency, then your decision of taking GRE should accommodate this factor as well. The reason to maintain a sync between these two exams is because when you are sending your score to target colleges, then you need to send both these scores together.
Keep these points in mind while making your decision, and you will get a proper idea of the best time of the year to register for your GRE Test Dates.
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