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What to Bring to the GRE
What to carry in, what to leave in the locker, and what to confirm with the test center first.
A real, editable checklist below — tick, tap a line to rewrite, drag to reorder.
Tick the circles, tap any line to change it, drag the dots to reorder.
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Bring your ETS authorization voucher and photo ID, plus a route to the center and comfortable layered clothes. Proctors are strict about what comes in, so decide what stays in the locker or at home before test day. Format details have changed: older accounts describe a four-hour test with a 10-minute break, while a 2026 guide lists about 1 hour 58 minutes and no scheduled break. Confirm with ETS whether your test has a break before you pack water and a snack. This list assumes a test center and leaves out study planning.
Why these items are on the list
- ETS authorization voucher. Proof you booked this date, time and location if the center loses your reservation.
- Photo ID. Name must match your registration. ID rules vary by location and citizenship, so review ETS requirements.
- ETS test-day instructions. Review your confirmation so you know what to bring and what procedures apply.
- Map or directions to center. Keep the drive easy, especially for a morning test in rush-hour traffic.
- Scout the route and parking. A McNair adviser drove to the testing building first. Finding parking ahead is worth the trip too.
- Dress in long-sleeve layers. Dummies advises two long-sleeve layers because testing centers tend to run cold. Remove one if you're warm.
- Clothes without pockets. A McNair adviser says you must show every pocket, on video, each time you re-enter.
- Water and a snack. Older accounts describe a 10-minute break; ApplyBoard's 2026 guide lists none, so ask the center.
- Luggage plan if traveling. Ask the center whether it takes luggage and offers a locker. One test-taker's did.
- Phone and smartwatch stay out. ETS website wording, as quoted by a test-taker, bars phones and smartwatches. Some centers have lockers, so call ahead.
- Wallet goes in the locker. It stays there for the whole test.
- Study notes and textbooks at home. A student nearly had scores cancelled for taking a textbook out during the break.
- Own calculator stays home. The test provides an on-screen calculator for Quantitative Reasoning.
- Own scratch paper stays home. Proctors take away anything you bring and supply their own.
Tick the carry-in items the night before, then run the leave-behind items again at the door. It keeps the locker decision made before you arrive.
When to use it
Use it the week before your test date, then again the night before.