Every GRE test center is booked full for the next three months?

[g1668334]

I'm looking to take the GRE some time in October, I live in San Francisco. I can only take it on weekends. However, it looks like every test center in San Francisco in October and November is already booked on the weekends -- there are a few in the city, one in San Bruno, a few in San Jose -- nope, all full. So I'd have to travel to Sacramento to take it.

Is this normal? This is my first time taking the GRE, and I didn't anticipate registering for the test to be so competitive. How far in advance do you typically need to register?

Also, I noticed the website is quite buggy. When I click on a test center that's supposed to be available on a date, and try to show the times available, it tells me no seats are available.

[audre.bored]

The system is down now.  I was having the same issues and called ETS to register.  They were doing some site maintenance and apparently they are still having issues.  They couldn't even register me through their systems.  I was told that Thursday would be the best time to try to register and that calling would be best.

Hopefully this eases some of your worries.

[TakeruK]

I remember that when I lived in Canada (fewer testing centers), you had to book your General GRE test months in advance if you are taking it during the busy season (Fall) and if you have specific requirements on when you could take the test (e.g. weekends only). I also had to travel to a different city via a 3-4 hour bus ride to take the test! I would be surprised to find out that you, living in a place like SF, would have to travel far, but it might be not that strange that all the weekends for the busiest months are booked up by now! However, given that there are reported issues, I'd second the recommendation of calling ETS now and seeing if you can book a test over the phone for SF first and if not, then maybe book the Sacramento location now before it fills up too. I think you can cancel for a $50 fee if a SF location opens up later (might be worth it if that is how much it would cost for you to get to Sacramento!)

[Crucial BBQ]

You don't mention why you cannot take the test during the week, but with at least it being one month out would you be able to make arrangements to take that day off?  Or at least half a day off?  If you are worried about missing a day of school, I am confident your profs would consider this an excused absence.

Having to drive to Sacramento just to take this test would suck.

Have you looked in Monterey/Salinas?  How about in the East Bay?  Concord?  Ironically, it might take you longer to drive to Monterey than it would to Sacramento.  

[g1668334]

I don't want to take it on a weekday because I have work and no paid vacation, so taking a day off would cost several hundred dollars of income. As unpleasant as it seems, it's cheaper (time and money wise) to take the 2 hour trip to Sacramento.

However, right now I'm inclined to believe that the test centers are not actually fully booked, it's just a technical glitch that's showing most of them as fully booked. If I search for tests 5-6 months in the future, the system still reports them as almost fully booked; this is absurd, so my results are almost certainly because of the glitch. That being said, the system glitch has persisted for 3 days now, and I don't have any information about the true availability of the testing centers, not even by calling them. It's really unacceptable that a function central to the system, registering for the GRE, remains completely broken for 3 days, but hey, what can you do.

For now, I'll have to wait for the system to fix itself before committing to a suboptimal test date / location.

[ellieotter]

If anyone is still having trouble scheduling a test, like myself, just called prometric ten minutes ago and the system is still having issues. It would be great to take the test, you know, before application season is over...sigh. Anyone else have any luck?

side note: some seats of availability popped up for me but the woman I spoke with said don't even bother, trying to reserve it could mess up and not even go through with all the problems they're having.

[p-Erk]

I'm sorry! I'm surprised that the testing centers for the GRE can be all booked; I also signed up for the MCAT and that was a fight to find a slot. I'm over in Baltimore and our local center has testing sessions almost every day. If you feel like making a cross-country trip, you're welcome to our couch. 

[Nozistin]

Same issue man. Also from the East Bay and I am willing to take it during the week and any local location yet nothing. Thinking about just reserving a spot in Sacramento, driving out the night before, and getting a cheap hotel or staying with a friend. It bloody f-ing sucks. I hoped calling would be the solution but it seems you didn't have any luck with that right?

[g1668334]

Update: after about two weeks of trying over internet and phone, I've finally managed to register on a Saturday in October. Right now, the site is still not working, but the phone registration is (I called early in the morning and got a 30 minute wait). If you're looking online and the date you want is not available, it's probably available if you call. The utterly broken system is still not showing all the dates.