Physics PhD: Which GRE Tests Are Required?

Physics PhD: Which GRE Tests Are Required?

A physics PhD's optional General GRE does not make its Physics Subject GRE optional. Check each exam separately for your entry year. Berkeley and Caltech require the Physics Subject test for Fall 2027 while recommending the General test.

Read the exam name and entry year together

For Fall 2027 admission, Berkeley Physics requires the Physics GRE and strongly recommends, but does not require, the General GRE. Its announced rule for Fall 2028 entry and beyond requires both. Applying in fall 2026 for entry in fall 2027 belongs to the first rule. Berkeley Physics graduate admissions.

Caltech Physics likewise requires the Physics Subject GRE for its Fall 2027 cohort. The General GRE is recommended; applicants may omit it, but submitted General scores will be considered. These are Physics program instructions, so do not extend them automatically to Astronomy or Applied Physics. Caltech Physics applicant information.

Our recommendation: stop using a single “GRE optional” checkbox in your shortlist. That shorthand can hide a missing required examination. A strong result on one test does not satisfy a named requirement for the other.

Build a two-exam application check

For each program, make two rows: General GRE and Physics Subject GRE. Add these fields beside each row:

1. Entry term: Write the intended start year, not just the year you submit. Save the dated departmental instruction beside it.
2. Requirement: Record required, recommended, optional, or not considered using the actual wording. Do not collapse recommended and not considered into the same category.
3. Your evidence: Record whether you have the named result, whether it remains usable under the program's instructions, and which reporting steps remain.
4. Deadline action: Check the accepted test date and score-arrival instruction before booking. Leave an unresolved cell visible until admissions answers it.

If the central graduate-school page and department page appear inconsistent, send admissions both links with your intended degree and entry term. Ask which instruction governs that application. Guessing from an older forum answer is especially risky when the department has already announced a later-cycle change.

Worked example: the wrong completed checkbox

Illustrative case: An applicant has taken only the General GRE and plans to enter Physics in Fall 2027. Their shortlist contains Berkeley and Caltech, both marked “GRE optional.” They have budgeted no further testing time.

The two-row check changes the plan. Their existing result addresses the recommended General test. The required Physics Subject result remains missing at both programs. They should investigate the Subject test schedule and reporting requirements now; submitting their General score would not fill that gap.

If they instead target Fall 2028, Berkeley's currently announced rule makes the General result required too. Caltech's cited announcement is specifically for Fall 2027; it does not establish Caltech's next-cycle policy. This example identifies an application task, not a score target or an admission prediction.

Keep the statement focused on research

Once testing logistics are settled, use your statement to explain preparation, research decisions and the work you want to pursue. If your interests are changing, see our physics research-area transition guide.

The general PhD statement rubric describes how GradPilot reviews that separate essay. You can review your PhD statement or browse the PhD essays hub.

University sources checked September 11, 2026. Recheck both exam rules for your entry cycle.