What is a Good GRE Score & How is it Calculated?

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Subhashri Roy
Updated on Jun 02, 2023 06:46 PM IST

Applying to foreign grad schools? With lakhs of students taking the GRE every year, it is the most widely-accepted and competitive graduate admissions test across the world. Check out what a good GRE score is and how it is calculated to determine your target score and get into a leading university.

What is a Good GRE Score & How is it Calculated?

What is a Good GRE Score and How is it Calculated: Good GRE scores can help you if you are planning to pursue graduate studies abroad. You are probably wondering what is a good GRE score. While there is no definite answer to the question, GRE test takers may often find themselves in a quandary while sending scores to grad schools.

A good GRE score is based on several factors including the average GRE score of the previous batch, parts of the GRE that are comparatively more important, and so on. In other words, good GRE scores will depend entirely on you.

With questions evaluating one's readiness to transition to a graduate school, the GRE is the most widely-used and accepted admission test for graduate programs across fields all around the globe. From the structure of the GRE to how GRE scores are calculated, here is a guide for you to have a clear understanding of GRE scores.

What is GRE?

The GRE is an internationally-recognized admissions test for graduate and professional schools including business or law. The GRE General Test is attempted on a computer and conducted at over 1,000 GREtest centres in more than 160 countries. Not only graduate school but also business school applicants from across the globe take the GRE to pursue an MS, MBA, specialised MS in business, J.D or doctoral degree. The test is accepted at thousands of universities by admissions panels to add to your undergraduate records, letter(s) of recommendation along with other qualifications.

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Structure of the GRE

Before we talk about what a good GRE score is and how to calculate a GRE score, check out the GRE test structure to have a better idea of what the test aims to measure:

Part

Total Number of Questions

Total Duration (in minutes)

Verbal Reasoning (Two Sections)

27

41

Analytical Writing (One section with one separately-timed task)

Analyze an Issue task

30

Quantitative Reasoning (Two sections)

27

47

What is a Good GRE Score?

There is no simple answer to this question and certainly no definite answer. What could be a good GRE score for you might not be a good score for another test-taker. The ideal way to determine a good GRE score is to identify your target score depending on the program of your choice, the average GRE scores at universities you are applying to as well as section-wise GRE cutoff scores. The total GRE score is 340. Here are the factors you have to consider while trying to find out what a good GRE score is:

Determine your Target GRE Score

A target GRE score, as mentioned above, is the score that you need to be accepted to a grad school of your choice. While you are at it, check out the university's GRE cutoff for the specific program of study along with their average GRE scores over the past few years.

Find out Which Parts of the GRE are Important

Some admissions panels may care more about your verbal reasoning score than the rest of the GRE parts. On the other hand, some universities depending on the program you are applying for may want to look only at your quantitative reasoning score. So, it is significant that you have a clear understanding of the requirements of the specific program and university.

Check the Average GRE Score

Based on data collected between July 2016 and July 2019, the average GRE score for Verbal Reasoning is 150.37, Analytical Reasoning is 3.58 and Quantitative Reasoning is 153.39. The average total GRE score would, therefore, be 303.

The data also point out that the average score for Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning accounts for 47% and 48% respectively. This means that 53% and 52% respectively of the test takers obtained the same score or performed better than you.

If you are in the 45th percentile, it might get you into a lot of Grad schools abroad but it will not be considered a good score for the highly competitive graduate programs. Usually, being in the 75th percentile is a good enough GRE score. However, a 90th percentile will help you stand out and make it easier for you to get into the top foreign universities.

Figure out if GRE Scores Can Be Used for Something Else Too

International students often look for scholarships when applying for graduate programs. Many universities offer scholarships based on GRE scores and many applicants often regret not learning about it before deciding on their target GRE score. Also, GRE scores may be used for course placement.

Given below is a table that will help you understand within which score range your good GRE score may fall:

GRE Exam Sections/Scores

Best GRE Scores

Better GRE Scores

Good GRE Scores

Below Average GRE Scores

Quantitative Reasoning

165-170

159-164

153-158

152 or lower

Verbal Reasoning

163-170

158-162

152-158

151 or lower

Analytical Writing

5.0-6.0

4.5

4.0

3.5 or lower

How to Calculate a Good GRE Score?

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to calculate a good GRE score:

Step 1: Figure Out the Average GRE Score at the Intended University

To do so, there are two factors you need to remember. These include researching the average GRE score of last year's department batch and last year's class profile. These will give you an idea of the score you want to target.

Step 2: Assess the Competition and Acceptance Rate

This means you need to determine the level of competition you will be at while applying to the university of your choice. For instance, in case you are applying for a popular program like MS in Data Science, you should obtain a slightly higher score than the GRE average at the institution. Likewise, the acceptance rate of the university will also matter because those with a higher acceptance rate will amount to lower competition.

Step 3: Settle on Your Good GRE Score

Now that you have an idea of the average score and level of competition, finding your target/good GRE score is one simple calculation away. To make it easier for you, here is an example:

Section

Supposed Average Score

Verbal Reasoning

150.37

Quantitative Reasoning

153.66

Analytical Writing

3.60

Here, to get into the institution and stand out, you would have to score 160 in each section and be among the top applicants. So, that is what YOUR good GRE score would be.

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Average GRE Scores

Here are the GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test average scores based on the performance of graduates who took the GRE between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2020:

GRE General Test Average Scores for Intended Graduate Major Fields

Graduate Major

Verbal Reasoning

Quantitative Reasoning

Analytical Writing

Education

150

148

3.6

Business

150

148

3.7

Law

155

153

4.1

Engineering

150

160

3.5

Humanities and Arts

156

150

4.1

Social and Behavioural Sciences

151

151

3.0

Physical Sciences

151

160

3.5

Life Sciences

151

151

3.9

GRE Subject Test Average Scores

Subject Test

Average

Chemistry

692

Mathematics

669

Physics

717

Psychology

622

How is the GRE Scored?

It could be a little tricky to understand GRE scores for both General tests and Subject tests. Read on to find out what GRE scores mean for each section and how they are calculated:

Understanding GRE General Test Scores

Section

Score Range

Verbal Reasoning

130-170, in one-point increments

Quantitative Reasoning

130-170, in one-point increments

Analytical Writing

0-6, in half-point increments

GRE Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning

The reported scores for these two measures are based on the number of correct answers to the given questions under the operational sections. Measures here are section-level adaptive which means that the computer picks the second operational section of a measure based on your performance in the first section. All questions in each section will contribute to the final score.

For every section in the two measures, a raw score is generated which refers to the number of correct answers you have. The raw score is then converted to a scaled score by equating- small variations in difficulty among different test editions and differences in difficulty by section-level adaptation.

Eventually, a scaled score for each measure reflects the same level of performance irrespective of which the second section was picked and when the test was attempted.

GRE Analytical Writing

Here, each essay is scored by at least one trained rater on a six-point scale for which raters assign scores based on the quality of the essay in response to the task. An average of the final scores of both essays is then calculated and rounded to the nearest half-point interval on the six-point scale (0-6).

The primary emphasis while scoring this measure is on critical thinking and analytical writing skills instead of grammar and mechanics.

Understanding GRE Subject Test Scores

The total score range of each GRE Subject test is 200-900 in 10-point increments. For the subject tests of Biology, Psychology and Physics, subscores are reported on a 20-90 score, in one-point increments. However, the score range for any particular subject test is generally smaller.

What is the GRE Percentile Ranking?

GRE percentile ranking is the percentage of test-takers who scored lower than a specified score. The higher your percentile rank, the better your GRE score as compared to other test-takers.

For Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning

Score

Verbal Reasoning

Quantitative Reasoning

170

99

96

169

99

94

168

98

92

167

98

89

166

97

87

165

96

85

164

94

83

163

92

80

162

90

78

161

88

75

160

85

72

159

82

69

158

79

65

157

75

62

156

72

59

155

67

55

154

63

51

153

59

48

152

53

44

151

50

40

150

45

36

149

40

33

148

36

29

147

32

25

146

28

22

145

25

18

144

22

15

143

19

13

142

16

11

141

14

9

140

11

7

139

9

6

138

8

4

137

6

3

136

5

2

135

4

2

134

3

1

133

2

1

132

2

-

131

1

-

For Analytical Writing

Score

Analytical Writing

6.0

99

5.5

98

5.0

92

4.5

80

4.0

55

3.5

38

3.0

14

2.5

6

2.0

1

Note: The tables are based on the performance of graduates who took the GRE between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2020.

GRE Score Card

Once your GRE is completed you will receive a GRE scorecard or report. This GRE scorecard can be sent to the institutions directly where you want to take admission. The GRE scorecard consists of the following:

  • Date of Birth

  • Gender

  • Contact Information

  • Intended Graduate Major

  • GRE test scores and percentile ranks

  • Authorized recipients

The GRE score validity is for five years. For more details, refer to GRE Score Calculator, here.

If you wish to pursue your master's abroad and thinking to take the GRE test, get in touch with our study abroad experts to get details about the test. Write to us at abroad@collegedekho.com!

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FAQs

How much GRE score is required for US universities?

As previously stated, a good GRE score is required to be admitted or accepted to one of the universities in the US in your selected programme of your choosing. Any score between 320 and 340 would be considered outstanding. A good GRE score would be 300 or slightly higher than 300.

How hard is it to get a GRE score of 160 on the GRE Quant?

It is extremely difficult to get a GRE score of 160 on the GRE Quant. Because the GRE is an online adaptive exam, it 'adapts' to your degree or the level of competence. That is, the subsequent sections become harder or easier based on your performance in the prior section.

Is 160 in quantitative GRE score good?

Yes, a 160 in quantitative GRE score is good (about a 157 in Verbal and a 160 in Quant). This implies you outperformed the majority of the other test-takers. A 90th percentile score (approximately a 162 in Verbal and a 166 in Quant) is great and will put you in the running for most programs, but not necessarily all.

What GRE score is required for a scholarship?

The ideal GRE score required for scholarships is anything above 300, with a minimum of 160 in both the verbal and quantitative reasoning portions. A score of higher than 5 in analytical writing will increase your eligibility to apply for scholarships to study or pursue your Master’s degree abroad.

What is a good GRE score 2022?

In 2022, a good GRE score would mean being in the 90th percentile or higher, i.e. 162+ Verbal and 164+ Quant. This means you should aim to outperform 90% of test-takers, which is considered an ideal result for any program at any school.

How many questions do you have to get right on the GRE to get a 150?

You have to get a minimum of 20 out of 40 right questions on the GRE to get a GRE score of 150. According to the ETS home website, each accurate question is worth one point. So if you answer at least 20 out of 40 questions correctly, you will undoubtedly score at least 150. You will receive extra if you answer properly. That's all there is to it.

How many points is each GRE question worth?

The math and verbal sections are evaluated on a scale of 130-170, with 20 questions each. In other words, there are 40 questions in the arithmetic part and 40 questions in the verbal section, with a difference of 40 points. This does not, however, imply that each question is worth one point.

How do I calculate my GRE practice score?

To calculate my GRE practice score, you must have an idea that you gain one point for each accurate answer in Verbal or Quant. These scores will be combined together to determine your overall raw score (0-40) for each component. Your raw scores will subsequently be converted to scaled scores (130-170) that take both adaptive testing and equating into consideration.

What is a respectable GRE score?

Generally, a respectable GRE score is 75th percentile as it is a pretty good GRE score and a 90th percentile is an excellent one. Thus, a score of 318 or more is considered good, while a score of 329 is considered great. A score of 300 or higher is regarded as ordinary, while a score of 292 is considered below normal. 

How is the overall GRE score calculated?

On a scale of 260 to 340, the total GRE score is determined. Because both the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections are scored out of 130-170. So, if you score 145 in Verbal Reasoning and 150 in Quantitative Reasoning, your raw score is 295.

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