ETS now offers three GRE Subject Tests: Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. Each is a computer-delivered test (2 hours 50 minutes for Math, 2 hours for the others) scored 200–990, given only in two-week windows in September, October and April. The 2026-27 windows end May 2, 2027.
Unlike the General Test, you can't pick any day of the year, and scores post on one fixed date per window. That makes timing the hard part, so the planner below comes first. Every fact on this page comes from ETS's GRE Subject Tests pages and the 2026-27 GRE Information Bulletin, checked November 9, 2026.
Enter the earliest deadline among the programs that want a Subject Test score. The planner lists every published window, marks which ones report in time, and tells you when to register. It only uses dates ETS has published; it never guesses future windows.
Last verified against ETS's GRE Subject Test score reporting dates and the GRE Information Bulletin 2026-27: November 9, 2026. The 7-day buffer is our planning assumption, not an ETS rule.
Only Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. ETS describes them as achievement tests for students with an undergraduate major or extensive background in the field. If you're looking for another subject, it's gone:
If a program's website still asks for a Chemistry or Biology Subject Test, the page is probably out of date. Email the admissions office and ask what they accept instead.
The 2026-27 windows are September 14–27, 2026; October 19–November 1, 2026; and April 19–May 2, 2027. Scores post 8 days after each window closes. Seats are first come, first served.
| Window | Test dates | Score reporting date | Status on Nov 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | September 14–27, 2026 | Monday, October 5, 2026 | Over |
| October 2026 | October 19–November 1, 2026 | Monday, November 9, 2026 | Over |
| April 2027 | April 19–May 2, 2027 | Monday, May 10, 2027 | Upcoming |
ETS hasn't published windows after May 2, 2027. Its registration FAQ says Subject Tests run in September, October and April windows, so a fall 2027 window is likely, but we won't list dates until ETS does. Policies in the current Bulletin run through June 30, 2027.
All three are computer-delivered, with no separately timed sections and no break. Math runs 2 hours 50 minutes; Physics and Psychology run 2 hours each. There's no on-screen calculator on any Subject Test, and personal calculators aren't allowed unless approved as an accommodation.
| Test | Time | Questions | Pace | Subscores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 2 hours 50 minutes | About 66 | About 2.6 minutes per question | None (total score only) |
| Physics | 2 hours | About 70 | About 1.7 minutes per question | 3 percent-correct subscores (0-100): classical mechanics; electromagnetism; quantum mechanics and atomic physics |
| Psychology | 2 hours | About 144 | About 50 seconds per question | 6 percent-correct subscores (0-100), one per content area |
The pace column shows why the three tests feel so different. Psychology is a recall-and-apply sprint where 50 seconds per question leaves little time to deliberate. Physics gives you under two minutes to set up and solve each problem without a calculator, so fast estimation matters. Math gives the most time per question, but many questions take several steps.
Each test follows ETS's published content specifications. ETS's free practice book for each subject includes a full-length practice test, and it's the best single resource for each one.
About half the questions are calculus and its applications, which ETS treats as common ground for almost every math major. About a quarter cover elementary, linear and abstract algebra and number theory. The rest come from other undergraduate topics.
| Content area | Share |
|---|---|
| Calculus | 50% |
| Algebra (elementary, linear, abstract, number theory) | 25% |
| Additional topics | 25% |
ETS says most questions can be answered with a solid grasp of the first three years of undergraduate physics. Expect diagrams, graphs and experimental data, SI units, and a table of physical constants. You'll also need mathematical methods such as multivariable calculus, vector operators, Fourier series, differential equations and complex variables.
| Content area | Share |
|---|---|
| Classical mechanics | 20% |
| Electromagnetism | 18% |
| Quantum mechanics | 13% |
| Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics | 10% |
| Atomic physics | 10% |
| Specialized topics | 9% |
| Optics and wave phenomena | 8% |
| Special relativity | 6% |
| Laboratory methods | 6% |
Questions ask you to recall facts, analyze relationships, apply principles, draw conclusions from data and evaluate research designs. Several questions can share one experiment description or graph. The test follows DSM-5-TR terminology.
| Content area | Approx. questions |
|---|---|
| Biological | 30 questions |
| Cognitive | 29 questions |
| Measurement/methodology/other | 25 questions |
| Clinical | 23 questions |
| Social | 19 questions |
| Developmental | 18 questions |
Every Subject Test gives a total score from 200 to 990 in 10-point steps, though each test uses only part of that range. Physics and Psychology also report percent-correct subscores from 0 to 100. Scores aren't shown on screen when you finish. They post on the window's reporting date.
| Scaled score | Mathematics | Physics | Psychology |
|---|---|---|---|
| 900 | 90 | 77 | Not listed (above 99) |
| 800 | 70 | 60 | 99 |
| 700 | 51 | 43 | 82 |
| 600 | 32 | 25 | 51 |
| 500 | 14 | 8 | 24 |
| Mean (SD) | 688 (162) | 733 (167) | 584 (114) |
| Test takers | 5,770 | 4,760 | 2,278 |
The same number means very different things across tests. A 700 is roughly average on Math, below average on Physics, and better than 82 percent of Psychology test takers. Compare your score only to others on the same test, and look up any score here:
ETS notes that percent-correct subscores aren't equated, so they can't be compared across test editions; only the total scaled score can. Scores stay reportable for five years. For General Test scores, see our guide to what makes a good GRE score and the GRE percentile calculator.
Register in your ETS account at least two calendar days before your test date (two business days by phone). The fee is US$199 worldwide. The two-day minimum is rarely the real constraint: windows are short and seats go first come, first served, so register as soon as you've picked a window.
Fees are those ETS lists as effective August 1, 2026, and can change, so confirm on the Subject Test fees page before you pay.
Both are available. Test centers run the Subject Tests on computer worldwide during each window, and the at-home test is offered in most locations on select dates within the windows. The content and scoring are the same.
If you want an at-home date, check availability as soon as registration opens, because those dates are limited. Our GRE at-home troubleshooting guide covers common at-home setup problems on the General Test.
The General Test measures broad reasoning and writing skills and runs almost every day. A Subject Test measures what you learned in one undergraduate major and runs only in three windows a year. A program may ask for either or both; they're separate tests with separate registrations and score reports.
| General Test | Subject Test | |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Verbal, quantitative and analytical writing skills | Achievement in Mathematics, Physics or Psychology |
| Length | 1 hour 58 minutes | 2 hours 50 minutes (Math) or 2 hours |
| Scores | Verbal and Quant 130–170, Writing 0–6 | Total 200–990; subscores 0–100 on Physics and Psychology |
| When you can test | Year-round; at home around the clock | Three two-week windows (September, October, April) |
| Scores arrive | 8–10 days after the test; unofficial Verbal and Quant on screen | Fixed date per window; nothing on screen |
| Calculator | On-screen calculator in Quant | None |
| Fee | US$249 (US$237.86 in China) | US$199 worldwide |
| Retakes | Every 21 days, up to 5 times in 12 months | Every 14 days |
For the General Test's structure, see our GRE format guide, and for booking it around your deadlines, the GRE test dates planner.
Only applicants whose programs require or recommend one, which you have to check program by program. ETS says admissions and fellowship panels use Subject Test scores alongside your transcript, recommendation letters and other qualifications. Requirements vary between departments at the same university and change between admission cycles.