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So you’re in Israel for the year, and you need to take the GRE to apply for your select grad school.  What do you do? Where can you take the test, and how can you get there? Good thing I’m here to help.  Last week, I took the GRE, and wanted to lend my experience to help out the countless others who might have questions. Here’s what you need to know. (NOTE: These tips, especially on how to get there, work for any of the tests provided by ETS at this location)

• The first step of taking the GRE is obviously signing up
  • Start by Signing in or Creating an Account
    • NOTE: If you don’t sign in at the start, you’ll have to go through the process again after sign in/account creation, so do it first
  • After signing in, select ‘Register for a General Test’ in the ‘My GRE Home’ page
  • Select Israel from the dropdown
  • Three cities will show up: Ramallah, Ramat Gan, and Tel Aviv
    • You’re probably tempted to select Tel Aviv from the list, so you can go and party afterwards, but there isn’t actually a test center there (but you can check, it will probably say there are no times available)
    • Unless you’re a particularly daring person and wish to go to the West Bank, Ramat Gan is your best (only) option (Ramat Gan is a suburb of Tel Aviv, so you can still go party if you’re up to it)
  • After selecting Ramat Gan, you’ll see information about the test center, like it’s at Ramat Gan college. This is important.  Click on ‘Check Seat Availability’ under Test Dates and Availability.
  • This goes to a page called ‘Test Center Selection’, where you unfortunately have to put in the location again.  Type in Ramat Gan in the search box.  If you’re interested, you can also take the test in Amman, Jordan, or Lebanon, but this tutorial only covers Ramat Gan.
  • Select the first option, site 8150: Tel Aviv (actually Ramat Gan), then click on availability
  • Select a date, and if the time works for you, ‘Schedule an appointment’
  • At this point, you can sign in or create an account if you haven’t already, or finish registering for the test
  • Congrats! You’re registered for the GRE!
• The next step is to study (or not)
  • As part of the confirmation, you’ll receive free software with practice questions and tests, including timed tests
  • You can get this free software here! You’re welcome
• Test Day!
  • Make sure ahead of time you know how you’re getting to the test
    • From Jerusalem, I took the 400 from the Central Bus Station (Tachana Mercazit) to the Ramat Gan – Road 4 Bar Ilan Interchange.  Tell the driver you’re going to Bar Ilan University. I think it was something like 16NIS
    • It’s a little bit of a walk, and hard to find, so leave time
    • When you get off at the bus station, you may have to walk half way up a bridge, down the other side towards another bus stop, then up another bridge that goes left across the highway.
    • Google walking directions. Don’t bother trying to use the address provided on the GRE site.  It says the address is ’87 PINCHAS RUTTENBERG STREET’, but google recognizes it as ‘Pinhas Rutenberg St 87’ (note the spelling). It won’t recognize it otherwise
    • Instead, use Ramat Gan College, and it will get you there faster
    • Using, Ramat Gan College, you’ll take Etsel Street past Arieh Ben Eliezer St, and take the first left down a long driveway past a security officer
    • At the end of the driveway, there will be a building on your left that should be Building 6 (Binyan 6). The office is either 608 or 610 (I can’t remember), but you’ll see it immediately on your left, and it’s on other signs if you miss it. The door has a sign saying it’s the testing station
    • If you choose to go by way of Pinhas Rutenberg, then you’ll go through a long confusing maze of buildings, eventually going through Building 5 to a courtyard that leads to Building 6 and 7
  • The office opens around 1 hour prior to the test, and there are a few places to eat or grab a snack on the campus itself (I went to the little cafe outside of Building 5)
  • If you get there earlier than the test time, they’ll start to process you earlier, and you can start earlier
  • POLICIES
    • You can bring absolutely nothing into the test with you. They’ll give you a locker that locks, and you put everything in it except your passport
    • Make sure you have recent identification that matches your registered name exactly.  See more information on what identification is allowed, but you may need an updated picture on an alternate ID if your passport doesn’t look enough like you
    • They’ll make you empty all pockets and take a metal detector test before entering the testing room
    • They do give you a nifty pair of earplugs though
    • You get a 10 minute break in the middle of the test, but make sure you leave a good couple of minutes to get back into the test, as they have to re-verify your pockets are clear, you don’t have any metal, and you have to resign-in
  • Know what range of score your desired college is looking for going in, because you can choose to send your score at the end after seeing it (minus the writing section) for free.  You have to pay a fee if you send it at a later date

Hopefully this has helped as a guide, and if you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer them if you comment below! Happy testing!