GRE Score Guide

Quantitative and Verbal

The Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning measures are section-level adaptive. Hence, it means the computer selects the second section of a measure based on the performance on the first section. Within each section, all questions contribute equally to the final score. For each of the two measures, a raw score is computed. The raw score is the number of questions answered correctly.

The raw score is converted to a scaled score through a process known as equating. The equating process accounts for minor variations in difficulty among the different test editions as well as differences in difficulty among individuals’ tests introduced by the section-level adaptation. Thus, a given scaled score of a particular measure reflects the same level of performance regardless of which section was selected and when the test was taken.

Analytical Writing

Each essay receives a score from at least one trained reader, using a six-point holistic scale. In holistic scoring, readers are trained to assign scores on the basis of the overall quality of an essay in response to the assigned task. The essay score is then scored by e-rater®, a computerized program developed by ETS that is capable of identifying essay features related to writing proficiency. If the human and e-rater scores closely agree, the average of the two scores is used as the final score. If they disagree, a second human score is obtained, and the final score is the average of the two human scores.

The final scores on the two essays are then averaged and rounded to the nearest half-point interval on the 0–6 score scale. A single score is reported for the Analytical Writing measure. The primary emphasis in scoring the Analytical Writing section is on your critical thinking and analytical writing skills rather than on grammar and mechanics.

If no questions are answered for a specific measure (e.g., Verbal Reasoning), then you will receive a No Score (NS) for that measure.

ETS also makes available test-taker photos and essay responses on the Analytical Writing section of the GRE revised General Test to designated score recipient schools.

ETS makes your GRE score available only to the schools, which you designate as recipients either on the test day or, for a fee, after the test day.

After completing the computer-delivered GRE revised General Test, you will be given the opportunity to Report or Cancel your scores. If you choose Report Scores, you will see your unofficial scores for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning measures at the test center. Because of the Analytical Writing essay scoring process, you will not be able to view your Analytical Writing score at the testing center.

Your test fee entitles you to request that scores be sent to as many as four graduate institutions or fellowship sponsors at no additional cost.

Your official scores will be available in your My GRE Account and sent to your score recipients approximately 10–15 days after your test date.

GRE test scores are valid for five years after the testing year in which you tested (1 July 2018 – 30 June 2023).

In order to understand how you stack up against other GRE test-takers worldwide, you should refer to the Percentile Rank. Percentile Rank is the percent of test-takers that scored less than you.

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