The 24Fall application season is about to begin, and Columbia suddenly announced it will no longer accept GRE at-home test scores!
Recently, Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) updated its 24Fall application requirements, clearly stating that neither TOEFL nor GRE at-home test scores are accepted.
This sent a chill through students who already have GRE at-home scores — is the era of GRE at-home testing really coming to an end?
CMU and UIUC Already Updated 24Fall At-Home Test Policies
In fact, months ago, Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science updated its 24Fall GRE policy.
Some programs, like the popular MIIS (Intelligent Information Systems), have explicitly stated they generally do not accept GRE at-home scores.
The highly sought-after CS program also states that GRE at-home scores will not be accepted unless test dates fall between January 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021, or between August 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.
Additionally, although many master’s programs still accept GRE at-home scores, the schools have noted “recommend taking the GRE at a test center.”
UIUC’s Economics Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences also specially marked in its updated 24Fall application requirements that GRE and TOEFL at-home scores are no longer accepted.
From this, it’s clear that the declining acceptance of GRE at-home scores has been signaling for some time, and the trend is becoming increasingly evident.
As the 24Fall application cycle begins, universities will likely further update their requirements, and standards for at-home test scores may become even stricter.
Stricter Scrutiny: Try to Test In-Person
However, many students have questioned this, thinking that GRE at-home and in-person score reports look the same—how would schools tell the difference?
Don’t underestimate schools and admissions officers. Universities can easily see the test type and location through ETS; if they want to check, they can know where you took the test in an instant.
Of course, students who already have GRE at-home scores need not panic too much—after all, most programs still accept them for now.
For those currently preparing for GRE or any language tests, it’s recommended to take the test at an in-person center whenever possible—play it safe.
Universities are not only tightening scrutiny on GRE at-home tests but are also becoming stricter in reviewing scores from various exams.
UK and Australia Recheck PTE Scores, Revoking Offers for Many International Students
Recently, the massive revocation of PTE scores in the UK and Australia has caused an uproar in the study-abroad community, affecting many students.
The trigger was that the University of Southampton discovered several applicants who submitted PTE Online scores had clearly cheated, so they rechecked all PTE applicants’ scores.
Subsequently, the score lock expanded to more people, turning into almost an “indiscriminate purge.”
Essentially, all language scores submitted via PTE Online, whether cheating or not, were cancelled in this large-scale crackdown.
Students whose scores were cancelled face issues such as being unable to convert to unconditional offers, unable to obtain CAS, unable to apply for visas... Many Chinese international students had their offers revoked, with some even facing deportation.
Social media is flooded with posts crying for help after scores were cancelled; indeed, this move swept up a large number of innocent students.
PTE’s official explanation is that the cancellation of PTE Online scores is final because they cannot confirm whether test-takers used proxy test-takers, so they adopted a blanket approach.
For innocent students caught in the crossfire, PTE stated that the PTE Online test fee is non-refundable, but they will offer a voucher for one in-person test as compensation, with 7 days to decide whether to accept.
Due to the massive impact of the PTE scrutiny, UK and Australian universities responded one after another:
UCL stated that for applicants using PTE, their scores will only be valid after re-verification by PTE.
University of Edinburgh declared that if PTE scores are cancelled, even if the student has entered the UK, they face deportation within 60 days.
Imperial College London requires retaking the language test to meet the conditions on the offer, in order to obtain an unconditional offer and new CAS.
University of Leeds stated that if PTE scores are cancelled, the offer becomes conditional, and as of July 28, PTE Online scores will no longer be accepted;
The University of Melbourne also announced that if PTE scores are cancelled, offers will be withdrawn and visas cancelled. Furthermore, from July 14, no PTE or TOEFL online test scores will be accepted.
Although it’s an undeserved disaster, affected students have no choice but to obtain authentic, valid, and accepted language scores before the school’s deadline to avoid delaying their enrollment.
After thinking they could happily prepare for enrollment with an offer in hand, they now have to face retaking exams—truly full of grievances with nowhere to appeal...
Severe Consequences for Cheating: Applications Go Beyond Standardized Tests
Moreover, this crackdown once again demonstrates overseas institutions’ zero-tolerance policy toward academic misconduct. Any form of cheating, once detected, leads to extremely serious consequences.
During the pandemic, many exploited loopholes in at-home testing; proxy test agencies ran rampant, inflating students’ scores.
This prompted ETS to step in multiple times, sending warning shots, and intensifying detection of TOEFL and GRE cheating.
ETS has issued multiple statements warning that if cheating is detected, scores will be cancelled and the universities you applied to will be notified; even if you have already submitted scores, ETS will inform the schools of the cheating. Severe cheaters may even face a lifetime ban from the test!
As in-person testing fully resumes, the credibility of online tests declines, and official scrutiny will inevitably become tighter.
Therefore, we remind everyone: do not take chances! Any cheating will leave a record in the exam, and this record will be retained by testing agencies and in university files.
The applicant’s integrity and reputation will be severely damaged, directly impacting university applications and even future job searches!
For graduate school applications, evaluation goes beyond standardized test scores. While GRE is important, it is not the sole factor in admissions. From school selection to essays, resume, recommendation letters… every component matters.
If you’re struggling to achieve a GRE score, you might as well put more effort into other application materials. Never let a moment of opportunistic cheating ruin all the hard work of your application season!
Finally, we wish everyone a smooth application cycle in the upcoming season, and may you receive your dream school offer!
