GRE Subject Tests: Do Any Programs Still Require Them
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 18, 2026 • Graduate & Professional School
ETS still offers GRE Subject Tests in Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology, but almost no graduate program requires them anymore. ETS discontinued the Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Literature in English subject tests years ago, and most departments that once asked for a subject score now rely on transcripts, coursework, and letters instead.
📩 Three GRE Subject Tests remain active: Mathematics, Physics, Psychology
Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Literature in English were discontinued
Very few programs list a subject test as required on current admissions pages
Physics PhD programs mostly dropped their GRE Physics requirement over the past several years
Check each program's own admissions page, since policy varies department by department
Which GRE Subject Tests still exist
ETS currently administers GRE Subject Tests in three fields: Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology, according to ETS's official GRE Subject Test page . These are separate from the GRE General Test and measure knowledge in one academic field rather than general verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing skills.
ETS discontinued the Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Literature in English Subject Tests over the past decade as fewer programs required them and enrollment dropped. If you studied one of those fields and see an old admissions page mentioning a subject test requirement, treat that page as outdated and confirm directly with the department.
Do programs still require a subject score
Almost none do.
The subject test requirement has faded across graduate admissions the same way the GRE General Test requirement has: many departments made it optional, then dropped it, in the years following 2020. Mathematics PhD programs that once asked for the GRE Math Subject Test increasingly treat it as optional supporting evidence rather than a requirement, and many do not mention it at all.
Physics PhD admissions moved fastest. Professional groups within physics pushed departments to drop the GRE Physics Test after research suggested it correlated weakly with graduate research success and created a barrier for applicants without access to test prep. Most physics PhD programs no longer ask for it.
Psychology programs vary more by subfield. Some clinical and counseling psychology PhD programs still list the GRE Psychology Test as an option applicants submit to strengthen a file, particularly if their undergraduate coursework in psychology was limited. Very few make it mandatory.
What programs ask for instead
Departments that dropped subject test requirements now weigh the same things more heavily: your grades in upper-level coursework in the field, any research experience or an undergraduate thesis, and letters from faculty who speak directly to your preparation for graduate-level work. A strong upper-division transcript in your intended field does the same job a subject score used to do, without the cost or scheduling of an extra exam.
Format and scheduling if you do need one
GRE Subject Tests are paper-based tests taken at limited test centers rather than the computer-based format used for the General Test. Scores take longer to process and reach schools than General Test scores, so factor in extra weeks when a program's deadline is close.
How to check a specific program
Search the program's own graduate admissions page rather than relying on general advice, since requirements differ by department even within the same university. Look for the phrase "GRE Subject Test" or the specific field name on the admissions requirements page, and email the graduate program coordinator directly if the page is unclear or out of date.
If a program does list a subject test as required or recommended, register early. ETS offers these tests on a more limited schedule than the General Test, often just a few dates a year, so plan around the program's application deadline well in advance.