The GRE is not primarily an American test. It feels that way from the outside, but 69% of the roughly 206,000 people who take it each year are not U.S. citizens. India sends the most test takers at around 113,000 per year. China sends about 58,000. The U.S. itself contributes around 97,000.
If you're an international student preparing for the GRE, the process is mostly identical to what U.S. test-takers experience. But there are specific things to get right, particularly around identification, the TOEFL question, and understanding what your score means in context of your applicant pool.
Registration: Same Process, One Key Difference
You register through ETS at ets.org. The process is the same regardless of where you live. You create an account, select a test date and location, pay the fee, and you're registered.
The fee is $220 worldwide. ETS does not charge more for international locations or add currency conversion fees on their end.
The one major difference for international students is identification. If you are testing outside your home country, a passport is required. A national ID, driver's license, or student card will not be accepted. The test center will turn you away if your ID doesn't match requirements, and ETS will not refund the fee.
If you are testing within your home country, requirements vary by country. Check the ETS website for the ID policy that applies to your testing location specifically. Do not assume the requirements are the same as what a friend used in a different country.
At-Home Testing
The GRE offers an at-home testing option in most countries. This lets you take the test at your desk using ETS's ProctorU system, which monitors you remotely via webcam and screen sharing.
At-home testing is available globally with one significant exception: Mainland China. If you are based in Mainland China, you must test at an authorized test center. This also affects some other specific locations. Check ETS's current list of countries where at-home testing is available before assuming this option applies to you.
For most international students, at-home testing is a legitimate option that removes the logistics of traveling to a test center. The test itself is identical in content and scoring. The practical requirements are a quiet room, a reliable internet connection, a webcam, and the ability to show your testing environment to the proctor before the session starts.
Score Differences by Country: What the Data Shows
ETS publishes aggregate score data by country of citizenship. The patterns are significant if you understand what they mean.
India: average Verbal 150.1, average Quant 161.5 China: average Verbal 153.8, average Quant 166.2 United States: average Verbal 151.8, average Quant approximately 156
The Quant difference is the most striking. Chinese test takers average around 10 points higher on Quant than U.S. test takers. Indian test takers average 5 points higher. These differences reflect years of rigorous mathematics education and selection effects in who chooses to pursue graduate study abroad.
What this means for you practically depends on your field and target schools. If you're an Indian engineering student applying to a top STEM program where the applicant pool is largely Indian and Chinese, scoring 161 on Quant doesn't differentiate you the way it might for a U.S. applicant. Adcoms see hundreds of applicants from your country with similar Quant scores. Your Verbal score and the overall strength of your application carry more weight in that context.
If you're an Indian student applying to an MBA program, the same logic applies. A 165 Quant score is expected. What will stand out is Verbal performance, writing quality, and everything else in the application.
This is not a reason to sandbag on Quant. A strong Quant score is table stakes. It's a reason to not treat a high Quant score as a substitute for Verbal development.
TOEFL: What Most Programs Require on Top of the GRE
This is the point where international applicants most commonly misunderstand the process: the GRE and TOEFL are separate tests that measure different things. Doing well on GRE Verbal does not substitute for a TOEFL score.
The GRE measures reasoning ability. It tests how you read arguments, identify logical gaps, understand word meanings in context, and work through quantitative problems. It is a reasoning aptitude test.
The TOEFL measures English language proficiency. It tests whether you can listen to academic lectures, read academic texts, speak in English, and write in English at a level appropriate for graduate coursework. It is a language proficiency test.
Most U.S. graduate programs require both for non-native English speakers. The GRE requirement and the TOEFL requirement are separate, parallel requirements. Submitting one does not fulfill the other.
The exception: many programs waive the TOEFL requirement if your undergraduate degree was taught entirely in English. "Taught in English" means the instruction was in English, not simply that your university is in an English-speaking country. Programs vary on this. Some accept a letter from your registrar. Some require that the university be in a recognized English-medium country. Read each program's specific policy.
A practical difference between the two tests: the GRE is valid for five years. The TOEFL is valid for two years. If you take both and then defer enrollment or take a gap year, the TOEFL may expire before you matriculate while the GRE remains valid.
Sending Scores to International Schools
ETS will send GRE scores to any institution that has an ETS code, regardless of where that institution is located. If you're applying to programs in the U.K., Germany, Australia, Canada, or anywhere else that accepts GRE scores, the process is identical to sending scores to U.S. programs.
On test day, you can designate four free score recipients. Additional score reports cost $40 each. This is a detail worth thinking about before your test day, not after.
Building Your Prep Plan
The study process for international students is not fundamentally different from what anyone else goes through. The GRE tests the same content regardless of where you sit for it.
What does differ is starting point. If your undergraduate coursework was in a language other than English, Verbal preparation will require more time because vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension in a second language take longer to develop. If your background is heavily quantitative, Quant may come more naturally but still needs systematic review for specific question types.
Start with a diagnostic before building any study timeline. Your baseline tells you where the gaps are. Two students from the same country with the same major can have very different GRE starting points.
Take the diagnostic here to see your baseline score before committing to a prep timeline.
Then build a structured study plan around what the diagnostic reveals. Verbal-heavy gaps require a different approach than Quant gaps, and both require different approaches than AWA development.
See the study plan options here for a structured approach organized around your test date and available prep time.
Application Timelines and Test Dates
One practical note on timing: GRE test dates fill up in many international cities, particularly in India, during peak application seasons (September through November for U.S. programs with January deadlines). Book your test date earlier than you think you need to.
If you're applying to programs with November or December deadlines, you want your scores in hand by October at the latest to allow time for a potential retake. That means testing in August or September. Register in May or June to guarantee your preferred test center and date.
At-home testing solves some of this, but not entirely. ProctorU slots also fill during peak periods.