Format at a glance
| Section | Questions | Time | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing ("Analyze an Issue") | 1 task | 30 min | 0–6 |
| Verbal Reasoning, section 1 | 12 | 18 min | 130–170 |
| Verbal Reasoning, section 2 | 15 | 23 min | |
| Quantitative Reasoning, section 1 | 12 | 21 min | 130–170 |
| Quantitative Reasoning, section 2 | 15 | 26 min | |
| Total | 54 + essay | 1 h 58 min |
The essay always comes first; the four reasoning sections follow in any order. The test is section-level adaptive: your result on the first Verbal and first Quantitative section sets the difficulty of the second. An on-screen calculator is available throughout Quant. There is no penalty for wrong answers and no partial credit on multi-answer questions.
Fees and policies (ETS, September 2026)
- Test fee: US$249 at a test center or at home. Paid in USD on ets.org by international card or PayPal.
- Rescheduling / center change: US$55, at least four days before the test.
- Score reports: four recipients free on test day, US$40 each afterwards. ScoreSelect lets you send only the attempts you choose.
- Retakes: once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12-month period.
- Scores: available in your ETS account 8–10 days after the test; valid for five years.
Where to take it in Mexico
Authorized centers have been listed in Mexico City (Prometric, Col. Juárez; Harmon Hall Lindavista), Guadalajara (Executrain), Monterrey (IMNARC) and Puebla (UDLAP, UPAEP). Seats are usually available two to four weeks out. From any other city, the practical route is GRE at Home: same test, same fee, same score report, proctored live through your webcam. You need a Windows or macOS computer that passes the ETS system check, a private room, a small whiteboard for scratch work and a valid passport. Details, in Spanish, on GRE en México.
Preparing: the short version
Start with the free POWERPREP test from ETS to get a real baseline. Most candidates need 8–12 weeks at 8–10 hours a week to gain 5–8 points per section. For Spanish speakers, Verbal is almost always the harder section, because of academic vocabulary rather than grammar; Quant is usually a matter of rusty fundamentals plus unfamiliar formats such as Quantitative Comparison. Use ETS material (POWERPREP, the Official Guide) to measure progress, whatever else you study with.
Live GRE course: 40 hours on Zoom, US$620
Seeking English runs a live GRE prep course for candidates in Mexico and Latin America: 40 hours of live Zoom classes with an instructor, plus a platform with an initial diagnostic, practice tests and a 1,000-exercise bank across Verbal, Quantitative and Writing. Everything is included in the US$620 fee; there are no extra charges for materials or platform access. Strategy is explained in Spanish, all practice is in English.
Seeking English is an ICEF-certified admissions agency that has spent more than 15 years preparing Latin American students for the GRE, GMAT, SAT, TOEFL and IELTS and supporting their applications to universities in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.
To ask about the next group, schedules or payment, message Sandy on WhatsApp. She replies Monday to Saturday, in English or Spanish, at no cost and with no commitment.