Why Taking the GRE at A Test Centre Is Better Than Taking It At Home
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test students need to pass when seeking to enroll in graduate schools in the United States and Canada. The GRE is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to test whether the candidate’s academic abilities are fit for the graduate program or not. A variety of Classes for GRE preparation are available if you are planning to attempt the test.
In this blogs, the topics covered will be
Modes and criteria
Change post covid
GRE home-based test
Home centre test be benefit
Reasons why centre tests are better
Conclusion
Modes and criteria
The GRE is conducted mostly throughout the working year and the test has two modes – paper-based and computer-based. You can attempt the computer-based GRE, a total of 5 times a year and the paper-base as often as it is available. The computer-based GRE can be taken once every 21 days from the last attempt.
Change post covid
Due to the 2020 pandemic outbreak that imposed mandatory restrictions on social gatherings, every interaction in the world shifted to the virtual landscape. Education, work, and other such parameters became entirely digital and remained so for a good two years. Naturally, students were unable to attend the GRE test. Firstly with the unavailability of test centres and secondly the gathering of people having been banned. Operations had to be ceased as a necessary measure but the student’s career would be shouldering this damage later on. So, ETS came up with an idea to solve these issues altogether, through the introduction of at-home GRE tests.
Not many drastic differences from the regular test centre computer-based exam, the at-home GRE is identical in pattern, structure, format, content and on-screen presence. No exceptions in the preparation for GRE exam or the scoring either.
GRE Home-Based Test
The GRE at Home Centre is a convenient and comfortable alternative to the designated centre-based test. This facility can be availed from any part of the world, this feature being the biggest advantage this mode offers. ETS has confirmed that this feature is permanent and here to stay, regardless of COVID-19 and has been adopted as one of GRE’s key features.
A program called Proctor U is enabled in the home tests, and it monitors your at-home GRE. This facility is available 24/7.
Home Centre Test Benefit
Home centre testing has been very important and impactful while dealing with the pandemic crisis and it’s still popular among candidates even post-lockdown. The following are the pros of the home centre test.
- Convenient
No need for travel, or worry about missing the test or being late to it. It saves you a few resources like the fare and the commute.
- Flexible booking
In the case of regular GRE, you may find that the dates may not be available as immediately as you would have preferred because the centre slots are occupied. Due to this limitation but high demands, GRE in-person is a hit-or-miss situation sometimes and that may cause a problem if you have a deadline to meet. With home tests, you have a much higher chance of being able to take it whenever you want.
- Comfort
Many people perform much better when they are in a calm state of mind. People opt for home tests because the familiar environment makes them comfortable and allows them to be relaxed and channel focus onto the test. If the person tends to be anxious, then it will help that they are not surrounded by people.
Reasons Why Centre Tests Are Better
Now that we’ve discussed the pros it’s time to understand why despite having these advantages, in-person tests are the better of the two.
No chance of mishaps
A centre is a regulated environment with professionals who are monitoring you and you can rely on them for immediate assistance or help. They shoulder the responsibility of your test going smoothly. At home, you are doing it on your own and if a difficulty beyond your capacity or comprehension arises, you’ll be at a disadvantage of botching the test. Like for example in case of technical issues, at a centre you will readily be provided aid, but the same is not true for at-home tests.
Equipment pre-prepared by the centre
At designated centres, everything will be provided by the centre. Technical equipment, rough sheets anything the test requires are all prepared for you. At home though, you need to manage your resources like speakers, a good internet connection, webcam etc. You need to have a setup equivalent to the regular centre which can be a hassle to produce.
Professional environment
Like people who perform better from home, some people can concentrate and work well when they are in a professional ambience. From home, they may not be able to focus correctly because the room lacks a conducive environment.
Technical issues
One of the most important things to consider is the technical difficulties that may occur. In a centre, even if such a problem crops up, you won’t be at a loss. At home, however, you may not have the skill to deal with it. Some examples of such problems are –
Load shedding of light happens, one of your equipment malfunctions, your internet connection loses stability and so on.
Disturbance
At home, you may face the possibility of being interrupted or disturbed. If a separate room for you to be isolated in is available then you might avoid this issue but then again there’s a chance noises from the vicinity may disturb you. For people with a big family, noisy roommates, infants in their house, loud pets etc. it’s better to go to a centre.
No need to be cautious
At home, since you’re being monitored via a webcam that covers a limited frame, you need to be wary of how you are appearing. You cannot be out of frame, or fidgety or do something that may come across as an attempt to cheat or similar. You may feel nervous throughout the test because of this. But in-person tests are monitored by live people so you don’t need to worry about these problems.
Conclusion
It is highly advisable that you opt for the in-person test because it’s the low-risk option of the two. With at home tests, you cannot rule out the possibility of problems that may hinder your performance and the results. Forgo convenience and comfort when it comes to serious matters that your future is dependent on.
Jamboree India not only offers academic-based methodologies and counselling but also offers tried-and-tested tips and advice that prepare you for in every way possible for the GRE. So head over to our site and talk to an expert about everything you might want to know or should know about the test. Book a session today!