{"id":5622,"date":"2013-07-24T09:42:33","date_gmt":"2013-07-24T13:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/blog\/?p=5622"},"modified":"2019-08-30T16:41:43","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T16:41:43","slug":"what-to-expect-on-test-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/blog\/what-to-expect-on-test-day\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Expect on Test Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ManhattanDid you know that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GRE\u00a0courses absolutely free? We\u2019re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve talked to a ton of students recently who were surprised by some detail of test day\u2014and that detail affected their performance. In most of these cases, the \u201csurprising\u201d detail was actually exactly what should have happened, according to the official rules. So let\u2019s talk about what\u2019s going to happen when you finally get in there to take the test.<\/p>\n

When You Arrive on Test Day<\/h4>\n

There will be some kind of outer waiting area, followed by an inner office where you\u2019ll go through various security procedures, and finally the \u201cinner sanctum\u201d: the testing room. There are video cameras everywhere and you will be filmed the entire time you\u2019re in the testing room.<\/p>\n

When you first arrive, you\u2019ll be asked to read (and sign) a bunch of legalese. Basically, you\u2019ll promise that you\u2019re really you and that you won\u2019t share anything that you see with anyone else. You have to sign this document or you won\u2019t be allowed to take the test.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also be asked for your ID. Check the guidelines<\/a> to determine what kind of ID you must bring. Further, when you\u2019re registering for the test, make sure that the name and birthdate you enter into the registration system match exactly<\/i> what\u2019s written on the piece of ID you\u2019ll use to enter the test center.<\/p>\n

But wait! You\u2019re not done with security yet. They\u2019ll take a digital photo of you as well as a digital fingerprint or thumbprint. They\u2019ll ask you to take off your watch and place it (along with all of your other belongings) in a locker. They\u2019ll even ask you to pull out your pockets to show that you are not taking any cheat sheets or other notes into the testing center.<\/p>\n

A note on that locker: everything<\/i> goes in, including your wallet or purse, your money, your mobile phone, your keys. Everything. Do not bring any study notes into the test center with you; your test will be cancelled immediately even if you simply leave these in your locker! Don\u2019t use any electronic devices at any time, even on the breaks. On the one break for which you\u2019re allowed to leave the testing room, don\u2019t write anything down, even if you\u2019re just writing down your grocery list. Don\u2019t give them any reason to think that you might be cheating.<\/p>\n

Starting the Test<\/h4>\n

You\u2019ll be given scrap paper to use during the test. The official website does not specify a precise number of pages; I was given 5 sheets the last time I took the test. If you use up the paper, raise your hand and a proctor will come to see what you need. He or she will give you new paper and take away the used sheets. You have to use all of the given sheets before you can request fresh scrap paper.<\/p>\n

During the test, you will have one 10-minute break after the third section, during which you can leave the testing room. After that, you\u2019ll have just a one-minute break after each section\u2014not enough time to leave your desk. Try to plan your scrap paper usage so that you can ask for more at the end of a section, when you have a short break.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re ill (or suffer from allergies, as I do), you\u2019ll be allowed to take some tissues into the room with you, but not your own tissues. You\u2019ll have to use the tissues provided by the test center. If you need more, raise your hand and the proctor will bring you more. Note that you aren\u2019t allowed to have an unlimited supply; someone could conceivably write information on tissues and conceal them.<\/p>\n

Other people will be in the testing room with you, and they will not be on the same schedule as you. People will be entering, exiting, and moving around the room, so expect these minor disruptions. Your little section will have short walls that rise up a couple of feet from the desk\u2014sort of a mini-cubicle. If you find yourself distracted by movement around you, sit forward enough that the mini-walls block you from seeing others in your peripheral vision.<\/p>\n

Now, here\u2019s one of the things that I\u2019ve heard surprised some recent test-takers: you are not permitted to write down notes or set up your scrap paper before the test starts. When you sit down, the proctor will start up the test. There is a short sequence at the beginning where you read some test instructions and select the schools to which you plan to send your scores.<\/p>\n

You can try to jot down some timing benchmarks or a few formulas while these pre-test sections are up, but the proctors may tell you to stop. If so, listen to what they say. Don\u2019t plan to be able to spend any time at all writing things down ahead of time. Strip your desired notes down to the bare minimum needed\u2014and practice writing efficiently!<\/p>\n

Breaks<\/h4>\n

When break-time rolls around, you have a choice: you can take the break or you can continue on with the test. (I strongly recommend that you take the break.) And here\u2019s the second item that I\u2019ve heard people express a lot of surprise about lately: you cannot stay in your seat during the 10-minute break. You either take the break, in which case you must leave the room, or you keep going with the test.<\/p>\n

This \u201cbig\u201d break occurs after the third section\u2014that is, after the two essays and the first of the multiple-choice sections. Annoyingly, you can\u2019t look at your watch! It\u2019s in your locker. The testing center is required to have a clock on the wall in every room; when you first arrive, check for a clock in the outer waiting area. If no clock is visible or if the clock has stopped working, say something to the proctors right away!<\/p>\n

As soon as you get out to the waiting room, look at the clock. Plan for about 7 to 8 minutes (because the security procedures eat up about a minute in getting out of the room and another minute on the way back in).<\/p>\n

When you get to the waiting area, open up your locker and have something to eat and drink. Walk around. Stretch. Touch your toes and do a few jumping jacks. Use the restroom. Don\u2019t sit down, don\u2019t start reading a magazine, and don\u2019t start thinking about\u2026well, anything really. Not the test, or how you\u2019re doing on the test, or what you\u2019re going to do after the test is over. Just try to empty your brain and think only about what you\u2019re actually doing: stretching, eating, drinking. If you have a favorite song, play it in your head. (Don\u2019t pull out your iPod, or any electronic device.)<\/p>\n

For the remaining breaks (one minute after each section), you won\u2019t leave the room. Use the time to stretch (while sitting in your chair), roll your neck around, close your eyes, play your favorite song in your head, and otherwise clear your brain before the next section starts.<\/p>\n

If you have an urgent need to go to the bathroom, you are allowed to leave the room, but the clock will continue to count down on your current section. If you become ill, you can leave the room at any time and cancel your test.<\/p>\n

How Else Can I Get Ready?<\/h4>\n

ETS has posted information<\/a> about test center procedures, identification requirements, and policies; take a look through the information to minimize surprises.<\/p>\n

If you are even a little bit nervous about the test (and most of us are!), read through everything. The more you know about what to expect, the better prepared you\u2019ll be to handle your nerves on test day.<\/p>\n

Good luck!\u00a0?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Want more guidance from our GRE gurus? You can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GRE\u00a0courses absolutely free! We\u2019re not kidding.\u00a0Check out our upcoming courses here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"stacey-koprince\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Stacey Koprince<\/a> is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.<\/strong> Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT \u00a0for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you know that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GRE\u00a0courses absolutely free? We\u2019re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here. I\u2019ve talked to a ton of students recently who were surprised by some detail of test day\u2014and that detail affected their performance. In most of these […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1362426,321],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-5622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to-study","tag-gre-test-day","tag-test-day"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5622"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10394,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5622\/revisions\/10394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5622"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=5622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}