Quick and Simple Question about the GRE

[BeefyLilTank]

Not sure where to put this, hope this is an alright area.

I'm writing my GRE tomorrow and have a question who wrote it. Before you start the exam, are you given a couple minutes to write anything down? I have a rough template of the essay component in my head and just want to jot it down, so I have something to follow.

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[okramango]

When I took the GRE last June, they told me I could not write anything down on my notes until the test and timer started.

 

[BeefyLilTank]

When I took the GRE last June, they told me I could not write anything down on my notes until the test and timer started.

Damn, okay. People have been telling me different things. So guess I'll just see what happens

 

[okramango]

Yeah, when I took it they were pretty strict. They didn't allow people to write any notes during the time in between sections either. There was a person whose job was just to watch everyone taking the test to make sure all of these rules were enforced.

Good luck on the test!

 

[BeefyLilTank]

One last question then, do you write it alone or is it done with a bunch of people? I would imagine it various though, from testing site to testing site

 

[nicolej5]

when I took it they wouldn't even let me bring a piece of paper that all the gre codes for the schools I wanted to send my scores to. they are extremely strict. you will be in a room full of computers and other testers (how many people are there depends on how many signed up to take it). you have headphones to cancel out others' typing noises. good luck

 

[okramango]

I didn't have headphones but also was in a room with several other people on computers. We were each in a little mini-cubicle space, so it felt private. They wouldn't let me bring my codes for various schools into the testing room, either.

 

[kptnau]

I don't know about the actual rules, but I wrote some notes down. I wrote down a rough outline before I started. There is a point when you have some time to click on the next page before the timer starts counting down and that's when I did it. They didn't watch me do it, I suppose. I took it in a room that had all kinds of cameras watching and other test takers at other computers, but no one really could see what I was doing except the camera.

 

[BeefyLilTank]

Thanks for the help everyone. Though this disappoints me I'm not even allowed to bring in the four digit code for the schools I'm applying too? How the hell do you enter your information then?

 

[nicolej5]

Thanks for the help everyone. Though this disappoints me I'm not even allowed to bring in the four digit code for the schools I'm applying too? How the hell do you enter your information then?

you can search them on the form and they come up, although some don't

 

[okramango]

Thanks for the help everyone. Though this disappoints me I'm not even allowed to bring in the four digit code for the schools I'm applying too? How the hell do you enter your information then?

I wasn't able to send my four free scores on testing day. When I asked the people at the testing center if I could bring in my codes to put them in the computer, since the test was over, they instead had me fill out a paper form after the test, where I could designate programs and codes. However, these were never actually sent, and I ended up having to pay to have them sent from the ETS website later.