When do I take my GRE?

One of the toughest questions to answer is perhaps: "When do I take my GRE?" There is no answer to this question. Atleast, no appropriate answer. It caries from person to person. For people who do not know about Engineering, most universities follow the Semester system. There are a total of 8 semesters to be completed.

There are two periods considered to be most ideal. But I'll discuss a few other scenarios as well.

Taking the GRE in the first 3 semesters

Don't even think about taking your GRE in the first 3 semesters. Not that there is a loss in taking but its just away from the normal practices. You have better things to do at this stage. Try to raise your percentage at this stage.

Taking the GRE at the end of 4th semester: (June Season)

There are few people who take the GRE at the end of their fourth semester. When asked, they reply saying "I'll have a second chance incase I do not fare well". One piece of advice at this point: Do not think about attempting GRE for the second time even before you finished your first attempt. Hope for the best and give your best shot. Believe me, there is nothing better than faring well in the first attempt. At this stage, instead of taking the GRE, you can as well concentrate on preparing some papers or doing some projects because universities offer a keen eye on your resume as well. Better the resume, better are the chances of getting inside a better university. One of my friends who got a 1320 got into Stanford just because he presented an International paper on his work on some Fluid Mechanics. So give a second thought if you planned to take your test in this semester.

Taking the GRE at the end of 5th semester: (December Season)

Though most people take their test in this semester, it is upto the individual to take the decision. There is a clear cut reason why the test should not be administered in this semester. This is not an academic year break but a semester break. So if you university is like mine, chances are that you'll get only a few holidays. So preparation time would be less. A better strategy would be to use this semester for preparation and ofcourse strengthening your resume. Remember that this will be the last semester where you'll get an opportunity to build your resume. However, there is an advantage too. You can get your score card soon enough to start applying to universities in the rolling period. As far as I've heard rolling period is a special season but I don't want to stress anymore on this. Additionally, you'll get a bonus time period for preparing fo TOEFL iBT. This period can be used by people who are preparing for competitive exams like CAT and GATE. I've listed down the pros and cons so it is upto you to decide whether to take the test in this semester or not.

Taking the GRE at the end of 6th semester: (June season)

I would regard this period as the "heavenly period" not because I've taken the test in this season but because it offers numerous advantages. Firstly, this is an academic year break so lots of holidays are available at your disposal. You can use these holidays effectively to sharpen your skills. Secondly, this is a stress free period. You need not have to concentrate on building your resume during this period. You'll have a one year time before you apply for your VISA. Preparing for VISA is however a different guide altogether. Thirdly, preparing in this season will also equip you with the skills needed to crack most of the Aptitude tests conducted by various MNCs. This season is not, however, for people who are concentrating on competitive exams like CAT and GATE.

Taking the GRE at the end of 7th semester: (December season)

Perhaps the worst season of all. On the one side, you will be facing interviews(if you want to keep a job as a backup) and on the other, you'll be hunting for a final year project. Even if you take the test in this season, it'll be a risk because for some universities, the deadlines would've alrerady passed.

Taking the GRE at the end of 8th semesters: (June season)

Not recommended for the regular students. This season is only for people who've been preparing for GATE or CAT. The student can use this period if, unfortunately, he or she could not get through the competitive exams. Besides that, this period is a lot risky because you cannot apply to the immediate FALL season and you're at the risk of loosing an academic semester or year. The reason is simple. The deadlines for most universities would've been over already so you'll have to apply for the next spring semester. Think twice before considering this semester for your test.