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Understanding and interpreting your GRE Scores can get a little tricky. GRE scores are associated with percentile ranks and are scored on a scale. You can take either the GRE general or the subject test. Both the tests are scored on a different GRE score scale. Every GRE score has two components – a percentile rank and a scaled score. The GRE General test is scored on a 130-170 scale in the quantitative and verbal sections. Here are the three scores that are reported on the GRE General Test:

Sections	Minimum GRE Score	Maximum GRE Score
Quantitative Reasoning	130	170
Verbal Reasoning	130	170
Analytical Writing	0	6
Total GRE Score	260	340

On the other hand, the Subject test yields a total score on a 200 to 990 scale, in a 10-points increment. Unlike the general test, the Subject test does not have sectional scores.

This article will help you understand what your GRE scores and percentiles mean, and how to analyze them. Bonus content on GRE scores cancellation and reinstatement policies.

What is a good GRE score?

The average GRE score for all test takers is 150 for verbal and 152 for Math and the highest total GRE score you can get on the general test is 340. But, what is a good GRE score?

A good GRE score is generally 75th percentile and a 90th percentile is an excellent score. The highest total GRE score you can get on the general test is 340. Thus, anything above the average score of 300, can be considered as a perfect GRE score. However, a good GRE score depends on the institution you are targeting.

Read this article where we answer – What is a good GRE score in 2021?

GRE Scores – General Test

Your GRE scores are essential for conducting a holistic admission process. It helps in evaluating applicants from different backgrounds on a standard scale. Three Scores are reported on the GRE General Test:

1. Quantitative Reasoning score reported on a 130-170 score scale, in 1-point increments
2. Verbal Reasoning score reported on a 130-170 score scale, in 1-point increments
3. Analytical Writing score reported on a 0-6 scale, in half-point increments

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:

GRE Section	GRE Score Range
Quantitative Reasoning	130-170, in 1 point increments
Verbal Reasoning	130-170, in 1 point increments
Analytical Reasoning	0-6, in half-point increments

Your scores on the Quantitative and Verbal reasoning measures reflect the number of questions you answer correctly, as well as the difficulty level of each section.  

The score for the analytical writing measure is calculated based on each essay question (2 essay questions in total). Your Analytical Writing section is scored by a trained reader and a computerized program developed by ETS that can identify essay features related to writing proficiency.

Check out the GRE Syllabus 2021 for General test.

Generally, if you want to do an MBA, take the GMAT, and if you are still confused about which master’s degree you want to earn, take the GRE general test. Learn the difference between GMAT and GRE. You can even watch the video below:

GRE scores – Subject Test

The subject test is scored between 200 to 990 score scale, in 10-points increments. You should note that the individual test scales occupy only a portion of the 200 to 900 score range.

The actual range for any subject test is smaller from 20 to 99, in a one-point increment.

There are four disciplines under the subject test:

1. Chemistry
2. Physics
3. Psychology
4. Mathematics

GRE Subject Test	GRE Score Range
Psychology	200 to 990 score scale, in 10-points increments. Subscores: 20-99 score scale, in one-point increment.
Chemistry	200 to 990 score scale, in 10-points increments.
Physics	200 to 990 score scale, in 10-points increments. Subscores: 20-99 score scale, in one-point increment.
Mathematics	200 to 990 score scale, in 10-points increments.

The Physics and Psychology tests also yield subscores on a 20 to 99 score scale, in one-point increments.

Check out the GRE exam pattern 2021 for General and subject test

GRE Total Score – highest and lowest GRE scores

The total GRE score is calculated only based on your Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning section. The max score that you can get on the quantitative and verbal reasoning is 170, whereas the lowest possible GRE score for both sections is 130. Thus, the total highest score you can get is 340, whereas the lowest GRE score is 260:

GRE section-wise scores	Verbal	Quantitative	Total GRE Score
Lowest GRE Score	130	130	260
Highest GRE Score	170	170	340

The total score reported for the subject test is between 200 to 990. Subscores are also reported for Physics, biology, and psychology tests on a 20-99 score scale, in one-point increment.

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Understanding your GRE scores

You should not compare scores from different general test measures directly because each measure is scaled separately. For example, you cannot directly compare your verbal and quantitative reasoning scores.

The same is true for the GRE Subject Test. As the scores are calculated independently for each test, subject test scores should be compared only with other scores on the same subject test. For instance, a score of 670 on the Mathematics test is not equivalent to a 670 on the physics test.

To measure your relative performance among the measures, you can use the percentile ranks.

GRE score Percentiles – What is it?

A percentile describes the percentage of test-takers who scored lower than you. For example, if you scored 94^th percentile, it means that you scored better than 94 out of every 100 test-taker.

GRE General Score Percentile

Here are the GRE score percentiles for Analytical writing, Verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning, based on the performance of all individuals who tested between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2020:

GRE Scores	Quantitative	Verbal	Score levels	Analytical Writing
170	96	99	6.0	99
169	94	99	5.5	98
168	91	98	5.0	91
167	89	98	4.5	80
166	86	97	4.0.	54
165	84	96	3.5	37
164	81	94	3.0	13
163	79	92	3.5	5
162	76	90	2.0	1
161	74	88	0.0    –  1.5
160	70	85
159	67	82
158	64	79
157	61	75
156	57	72
155	54	67
154	50	63
153	46	59
152	43	53
151	39	49
150	35	44
149	32	39
148	28	35
147	25	31
146	21	28
145	18	25
144	15	22
143	13	19
142	11	16
141	9	14
140	7	12
139	6	10
138	4	8
137	3	7
136	2	5
135	2	4
134	1	3
133	1	2
132	1	2
131		1
130

GRE Subject Score Percentile

GRE score	Physics	Psychology	Chemistry	Mathematics
980	95	–	–	–
940	88	–	99	96
900	81	–	96	94
860	74	–	90	87
820	67	99	81	79
780	61	95	71	72
740	54	86	61	64
700	47	72	50	56
660	39	56	39	48
620	32	42	28	40
580	24	31	19	32
540	16	22	12	23
500	9	14	6	15
460	4	8	3	8
420	2	5	1	3
380	1	2	–	1
340	–	1	–	–
300	–	–	–	–

This data is based on the performance of all individuals who tested between July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2020.

How to analyze your performance based on GRE Scores? 

If you have scored low, you can know where you went wrong by availing of the Diagnostic service. You can use this service to help you understand your performance on questions in the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections. The same service can be used for GRE Subject test sources.

It is free of cost and includes the types of questions you answered correctly and incorrectly organized by the difficulty level, skill, and time spent on each question. You can access this service on your ETS account.

Apart from this, you can also review Analytical writing scores for a fee of $60 within 90 days after your Exam.

This fee can be paid online through your ETS account or by paper check or mail order. You will need to fill this form if you are not opting for online payment.

GRE Score Report 2021

The score report for GRE General and Subject tests are similar.

Your report contains

• Date of birth
• Contact information (name, phone number, and email)
• Gender
• Intended graduate major
• Your test scores and the percentile ranks
• Authorized score receipts or fellowship sponsors and scores that is reported to those institutions
• The cumulative record of scores reported within the last five years
• Test dates

Your score report is different from the official report that gets sent to the institutions you select. This report includes your:

• GRE test scores and associated percentile
• Intended graduate major
• Contact information (name, phone, email, address)

Thus, there are two types of score reports – For the Test-taker and the institutions

ETS GRE – Sample of test-taker and official report

Here is the sample of test-taker and official report taken from the ETS official website:

You can send your scores to four institutions for free on the test date. However, if you want to send it to more than four institutions you will be charged $27 per report. Also, if you have taken the GRE multiple times, the Select Score Option allows you to select your scores in the past five years that you want to send to institutions.

Planning to take the GRE? Know the GRE eligibility criteria for 2021.

GRE scores – cancellation and reinstatement Policies

Once you have given the test, you will be asked if you want to report (view) or cancel your scores. If you select “Report,” you will view your unofficial quantitative and verbal reasoning scores right away. Once you have chosen the report option, you cannot cancel your scores.

If you decide to cancel your scores:

• You cannot cancel the score for one section of the test and have the score for the remaining reported
• Once your scores are canceled, they will not be available for your review online
• Your canceled scores will not be reported to any score recipients
• No refund
• If you want to retake the test after canceling your scores, you must register and submit another test payment
• At last, do remember that ETS provides you an option to select your score that you want to send out to b-schools, with the ScoreSelect option

If you are having second thoughts after canceling your scores, you can reinstate them within 60 days after your test date through the ETS account. However, a fee of $50 will be charged.

If you decide to reinstate your score:

• You can pay the fee online or through a paper check or money order
• Complete and mail the Score Reinstatement form if you are paying by money order or paper check
• You get four free score recipients while registering for the score reinstatement,
• Pay $27 per recipient to have scores sent at a later stage, If you do not select score recipients,
• It will take approx. Two weeks for your scores to be reinstated, and shortly afterward it will be sent to your chosen institutions

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GRE Scores- FAQs

So remember, 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. On the other hand, the GRE Subject test yields a total score on a 200 to 990 scale, in a 10-points increment. Unlike the general test, the Subject test does not have sectional scores. Here are some frequently asked questions on the GRE scores: