GRE Score/Results 2023: Check Score Validity, Total Marks, Average Score & Score Range (130 - 170)

GRE

Rahul Singha

Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

Updated on Sep 12, 2023 17:07 IST

GRE Scores 2023: A good GRE score is an important admission component for students who are looking to apply to a wide range of graduate school programmes including business studies abroad. Candidates wanting to pursue post-graduate studies in universities abroad are required to provide their GRE total scores as part of the university application process. It is important that candidates take the GRE exam ideally 2 to 3 months prior to their first application deadline, as this would give them enough time to re-take the GRE test a second time. Candidates should note that GRE score validity is 5 years from your GRE test date. 

GRE Scores 2023

In this section, we are going to discuss most of the important aspects of the GRE results for 2023. GRE test takers looking to achieve good GRE scores should note that they would receive three GRE scores on their GRE scorecard. One for Quantitative Reasoning (math) measured on a scale of 130 - 170 with 1-point increments, one for Verbal Reasoning measured on a scale of 130 - 170 with 1-point increments and The GRE Analytical Writing measured on a scale of 0 - 6 in half-point increments. What is a good GRE score? A good GRE score would depend on the programme you are looking to study. However, any GRE score above 310 is a good GRE score. The rest would depend on your preferred university. In this article, we are going to cover all the important aspects revolving around the GRE exam and will discuss GRE total score, GRE scores validity, GRE scorecard, GRE score range, GRE score reporting and GRE results. For the uninformed, the GRE total score is available 10 to 15 days from the day of taking the GRE exam.

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Section-wise GRE Scores Range

GRE score range: In this section, we will know about how the various sections of the GRE general test and the GRE score range they follow. From the table below, we interpret that, the GRE Verbal Reasoning section and the GRE Quantitative Reasoning section have a GRE Score Range of 130 to 170 with 1-point increments and the GRE Analytical Writing Section has a GRE Score Range of 0 to 6 with half-point increments. Read: GRE Scoring

Section

GRE Score Range

Verbal Reasoning

130–170, in 1-point increments

Quantitative Reasoning

130–170, in 1-point increments

Analytical Writing

0–6, in half-point increments

When will I get my GRE total scores?

One of the most asked questions regarding GRE exams is when will the candidates receive their GRE total scores. Candidates should note that GRE total scores would be available to the candidates 10 to 15 days from their GRE test date. Once their GRE scorecard is available on their ETS account, the conducting body would send the candidate an email notification informing them of the same. Candidates who have opted for the GRE at Home test would get their GRE score also available to them 10 to 15 days from their GRE test date.

How to access GRE scores?

As informed to you earlier, once your GRE total scores are available on your ETS account, the conducting body of GRE - ETS would send you an email notification informing you of the same. You will be required to visit the official website, put in your credentials, and go ahead with viewing your GRE scorecard.

Steps to viewing your GRE scorecard:

  • Visit the official GRE website
  • Select Member log-in
  • Enter your GRE account credentials
  • View your GRE Results

What is GRE Score Validity?

GRE score validity: A lot of times, candidates are confused about the validity of their GRE scores. Candidates should note that their GRE score validity is for a total of 5 (five) years following their test date.

When can I appear for the GRE test again?

A lot of times, candidates are unable to achieve their desired scores. and they are left wondering about the next GRE exam and when to take them. Candidates looking to re-appear for their GRE test can do so once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days).

Candidates looking to re-appear should make use of the free GRE Diagnostic Service that is provided by ETS. The GRE Diagnostic Service option is available in the candidate's ETS accounts and this gives them a critical analysis of their performance on questions in the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE test they have earlier taken. And tells them about the questions they answered correctly and incorrectly. This is an excellent tool for self-retrospection.

What is a Good GRE Score?

Good GRE score: A lot of times, candidates are left asking themselves about a good GRE score. As informed earlier, every university would have their required GRE Cut Off. So any score above the cut-off would immediately qualify their application. Students are advised to get higher GRE scores than required as this will only increase their chances of getting admission to their desired university. Hence, a good GRE score is a GRE score range that is sure to qualify them for admission to the top 10% of the top universities. 

Best GRE Score Range

These GRE scores will put you in the top 10% of all GRE test-takers

GRE Verbal Section: 163 - 170

GRE Quantitative Section: 165 - 170

GRE Analytical Writing: 5.0 – 6.0

Competitive GRE Score Range

These GRE scores will put you in a highly competitive place in admissions (top 25% of all GRE test takers)

GRE Verbal Section: 158 - 162

GRE Quantitative Section: 159 - 164

GRE Analytical Writing: 4.5

Good GRE Score Range

These GRE scores put you ahead of the pack (50%+), but won’t be as advantageous when applying to highly competitive programmes

GRE Verbal Section: 152 - 158

GRE Quantitative Section: 153  -158

GRE Analytical Writing: 4.0

What is an average GRE Score?

Average GRE scores: As informed earlier, every university would have their required GRE Cut Off. So any score above the cut-off would immediately qualify their application. An average GRE Score would be a score that is not too high or low. It would be in-between. Candidates should note that getting higher GRE Scores will only increase their chances of admission to their preferred university and also make them eligible for any scholarship or grants being provided by the university. 

Average GRE Score Range

These GRE scores may be enough to get into a wide variety of graduate programmes but will be below average compared to the testing population

GRE Verbal Section: 151 or below

GRE Quantitative Section: 152 or below

GRE Analytical Writing: 3.5 or below

What is a good GRE score out of 340?

Candidates should understand that GRE scores are reported separately. So you would have a scaled score out of 170 for your GRE Verbal Reasoning Section, A scaled score out of 170 for your GRE Quantitative Reasoning section and a score out of 5.0 for your GRE Analytical writing section. So when you ask what is a good GRE score, a score between 152 - 158 in the Verbal Section, a score between 153 - 158 in the Quantitative Section and a score above 4.0 in the Analytical Section is considered a good GRE score out of 340. 

What is GRE max score?

Your GRE exam is divided into three sections. The GRE max score for your Verbal Section is 170, your GRE max score for your Quantitative Section is 170 and the GRE max score for your Analytical writing is 5.0. Hence, the GRE max score is 340 excluding the GRE Analytical section. 

What is GRE minimum score?

Your GRE exam is divided into three sections. The GRE minimum score for your Verbal Section is 130, your GRE minimum score for your Quantitative Section is 130 and the GRE minimum score for your Analytical writing is 0. Hence, the GRE minimum score is 260 excluding the GRE Analytical section. 

What is GRE Score card?

GRE Scorecard: Now that we have compared the important aspect of GRE scores. Let us take a look at how your GRE Scorecard would look with your GRE total scores. When you register for the GRE test you designate four graduate institutions or fellowship sponsors to receive your GRE Scores, this is part of your GRE fee. Candidates who wish to send their GRE scorecards to more universities than the designated four can do so by paying an extra fee to ETS. 

Sample GRE Score card

GRE Scores

GRE Scorecard

GRE scores

NB: the image(s) have been sourced from ETS

What does your GRE Scorecard contain?

First-time candidates appearing for the GRE test are often intrigued about the contents of their GRE scores. GRE scorecards of candidates contain the following information

  • Candidate contact information
  • Candidate's date of birth
  • Candidate gender
  • Intended graduate major of candidate 
  • GRE test date
  • GRE test score(s) and the associated percentile ranks
  • A cumulative record of scores reported within the last five years

GRE Score Reporting to Universities

Candidates should note that while a number of important details are available on the GRE score report. Not all make it to the university. The university GRE Score Report has the following information:

  • Candidate contact information
  • Intended graduate major of candidate 
  • GRE scores the candidate selects to report through the GRE ScoreSelect Option

What is the GRE ScoreSelect Option?

Recently introduced by ETS for the benefit of students, the GRE ScoreSelect option like its name allows students to select their best GRE scores from a series of tests they have earlier taken and send them to their preferred institutions/universities. This way, they are able to show their best performance to the university as part of their admission process. 

Related Reads

GRE Test Centres in India

GRE Exam Syllabus 2023
GRE Exam Eligibility Criteria 2023 GRE Exam Pattern 2023
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Understanding your GRE Scores (Section-wise)

In this segment, we are going to understand how the various sections of the GRE test are scored. We will also study the GRE score range and what is total GRE Score?

GRE Scores (Section-wise)

In this section, we will know about how the various sections of the GRE general test are graded.

GRE Verbal Reasoning Score and GRE Quantitative Reasoning Score are reported based on the number of correct responces provided by the test taker. This is the raw score of the candidate that tells the candidate about the total number of questions answered correctly by him. The GRE raw test score would be later converted to a scaled score called Equating. 

GRE Analytical Writing Score: For the Analytical Writing section, each essay would receive a score from one trained rater and an e-rater developed by ETS. If both the scores are identical in nature, the average of the two scores would be used as the final score. However, if the two scores, one from the trained rater and the other from the ETS developed e-rater are not identical, a third, a human trained rater would be brought in and the final score would be the average of the two human scores.

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Section-wise GRE Score Range

GRE score range: In this section, we will know about how the various sections of the GRE general test and the GRE score range they follow. From the table below, we interpret that, the GRE Verbal Reasoning section and the GRE Quantitative Reasoning section have a GRE Score Range of 130 to 170 with 1 point increments and the GRE Analytical Writing Section has a GRE Score Range of 0 to 6 with half-point increments.

What is GRE total score?

GRE total score: As far as GRE general test is concerned, there is nothing such as a GRE total score. Candidates would have a scaled score for every section and a percentile score for every section that would define the test takers' score as compared to other candidates who have appeared for the test. Candidates should not confuse themselves with terms such as GRE total score or highest GRE score. These are not applicable to the GRE exam.

GRE Score Review

The GRE score calculation is without error. However, candidates who feel they would want to review their GRE Analytical Writing measure can do so with a fee of USD $60 within 90 days of GRE Result declaration. 

Also, Read

GRE scores across Top Universities

Average GRE scores across Top US universities

Check out average GRE scores across popular top universities in the US, here.

University name

GRE Verbal Section Scores

GRE Quantitative Section Scores

GRE Analytical Writing Scores

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

158

159

5.3

Stanford University

159

158

4.8

University of California, Berkeley

153 – 156

167

4.5

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

155

167

5.0

University of Virginia

163

166

4.5

Read: Average GRE Scores for MS in Computer Science from US Universities

GRE Result and Statistics

As informed earlier, the average GRE score requirements differ for every subject. An engineering student would need higher marks in the GRE Quantitative section and arts and humanities students would need higher marks in the GRE Verbal section. Before starting with a preparation strategy, you need to identify what is a good GRE score for your program. Here is a table that will give you a rough idea about good GRE scores which are subject averages.

Subject GRE Quant Score GRE Verbal Score
Business 152 149.5
Education 147.3 150.8
Engineering 158.9 148.7
Humanities and Arts 149.2 156.5
Natural Sciences 153.1 150.8
Social Sciences 150.1 152.9
Other Fields 148.9 149.7
Total 145.8 150.8

GRE Subject Test Scores

Candidates wanting to know about GRE Subject Scores should get in touch with us in the comments below. This article is majorly focused on GRE General Test results and scores. The GRE General Test is the most preferred test among universities abroad. 

GRE Results and Scores FAQs

How many GRE practise tests should I take?

The more the better. Candidates are highly advised to solve as many GRE practise papers as possible. Students can visit the official GRE website for paid and unpaid GRE sample papers and also refer to our website for guidance.

How long do GRE tests take?

The total testing time for the GRE General Test is around three hours and 45 minutes, plus short breaks.

Do you get GRE scores immediately?

Your official GRE test scores will be available in your account on the GRE website 10-15 days after your test date.

What is a good score for the GRE?

There is no good or bad score. Your preferred university would have a set GRE score as part of their admission criteria and you are required to achieve that or higher to be considered for admission to the university. Higher GRE scores would also qualify you for financial grants if the university has any.

How does the GRE score report look like?

Candidates wanting to check out a sample GRE score report can check out our GRE Overview page for the same.

How GRE scores are calculated?

At the end of the test, a raw test score is computed. The raw test score is the number of questions you answered correctly. Through a process called equating, which takes into account the difficulty of the questions, the raw scores for both the sections are converted into scaled scores on the 130–170 scale. 

Is one month enough for GRE?

Candidates are advised to prepare for the GRE exam before booking their GRE test slot. Hence, candidates who have appeared for their GRE before or who are well prepared for the GRE can use the one month for revision and appear for the GRE. Others would definitely need a more substantial amount of time to be well versed in the exam.

Has GRE become tougher over the years?

The test has evolved over the years to stay relevant to the demands of the university and students. However, rest assured the main focus of the GRE test has remained the same – to provide quality education to deserving candidates.

What GRE score do I need for Stanford?

What GRE score do you need for Harvard?

Candidates can check out the  GRE score requirements for Harvard University, here.

How long should I study for GRE?

This is entirely at the discretion of the candidate. While students who have appeared for the GRE test before and are on their second attempt would take lesser time preparation time than first-time test takers. Putting a number would be technically not right.

Comments

(503)

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Reshmi Kadamati

7 months ago

hi i am architectural student so i need to join cullen university of space architecture college , i.e, university of houston , USA .

Reply to Reshmi Kadamati

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Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

6 months ago

Hello Reshmi. If you are looking for assistance with university admissions, do reach out to our team of Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/apply You can know all about the University of Houston, here: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/usa/universities/university-of-hous

...more

A

Akshat Mishra

8 months ago

Hey Studyabroad.shiksha! The dates given for 2023 for gre 2023 are in Jan,Feb,Mar,Apr,May,June. What if I wish to appear in Sep-Oct? Will this be possible? Does ETS reveal new dates as the months pass by?

Reply to Akshat Mishra

R

Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

6 months ago

Hello Akshat. Yes, GRE dates for September to December have been updated on our GRE exam dates page: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/exams/gre/important-dates Please feel free to go ahead with your GRE slot booking.

N

Navneet Kaur

9 months ago

Hie, there.I want to Crack the exam of gre for once so that I can commence my application procedure.I donot want to give the exam twice.I want to know the qualifying mark for the gre ?? I need admission in the university, if I have given the gre exam or attempted it.

Reply to Navneet Kaur

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Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

8 months ago

Hello Navneet. The GRE Cut off would be set by the university you are looking to apply to. However, note that the GRE Cut-off is the minimum score required for submitting your application to the university for admission. This does not guarantee your entry. You will need to score higher than the pres

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Vempati Manasa

11 months ago

Hi is awa score in gre important. I got 1 mark in awa . will i get admission

Reply to Vempati Manasa

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Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

10 months ago

Hello Vempati. Candidates should understand that GRE scores are reported separately. So you would have a scaled score out of 170 for your GRE Verbal Reasoning Section, A scaled score out of 170 for your GRE Quantitative Reasoning section and a score out of 5.0 for your GRE Analytical writing sectio

...more

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Shruti Sharma

11 months ago

Hi, How can I book my gre exam slot for second attempt? And how much I have to pay for the same.

Reply to Shruti Sharma

R

Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

10 months ago

Hello Shruti. You need to visit the official website of the GRE exam and log in to your test taker account and register for the exam. The GRE exam fee would be the current fee of the GRE exam: US $213

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