GRE · Guides · November 6, 2026 · 7 min read

GRE scores explained: 130–170 and 0–6, percentiles, good scores and ScoreSelect

The GRE gives you three separate scores. Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each reported on a 130–170 scale in one-point steps, and Analytical Writing on a 0–6 scale in half-point steps. A Verbal 160 puts you ahead of about 82% of recent test takers, but a Quant 160 puts you ahead of only about 50%. That gap is the first thing to understand about GRE scores: the same number means different things on different measures. This guide explains how the scores are built, how to read the official percentiles, how to set a target for your programs, and how to control which scores schools see. Figures are from ETS’s 2026–27 materials, as of November 2026.

How the scores are calculated

Verbal and Quant. Each measure has two sections. Your raw score is the number of questions you answered correctly across both, and every question in a section counts equally. ETS then converts the raw score to the 130–170 scale through equating, a process that accounts for the difficulty of the test edition and of the second section you received. The second section is easier or harder depending on how you did on the first, which is why the same number of correct answers can give different scaled scores. The GRE format guide explains the adaptive design in more detail.

ETS describes no penalty for wrong answers. A guess can only help, so answer every question.

Analytical Writing. Your Issue essay is scored holistically on a 6-point scale. The scoring includes ETS’s automated e-rater engine, and a single score from 0 to 6 in half-point steps is reported. Trained raters judge the quality of your reasoning, not your position. Every essay is also checked with similarity-detection software, so memorized templates and copied text are a real risk.

ETS reports the three scores separately. A “total out of 340” is just Verbal plus Quant added together, which applicants and some programs use informally. It is not an official score.

GRE percentiles

A percentile is the share of test takers who scored lower than you. ETS’s current tables are based on everyone who tested between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2025, about 790,000 people per measure.

The mean scores in the same group were Verbal 151.4, Quant 157.6 and Analytical Writing 3.46.

Three things stand out:

• Quant percentiles are much lower than Verbal ones for the same score. Many test takers come from engineering and science backgrounds, so a perfect 170 in Quant is only the 89th percentile. Programs know this. A 165 in Quant is a solid score, not a weak one.
• Near the top, each Verbal point is worth fewer percentile points. Moving from 165 to 170 gains 4 percentile points; moving from 150 to 155 gains 25.
• The AW scale bunches up at 4.0 and 4.5. Going from 3.5 to 4.0 moves you from the 40th to the 63rd percentile, which makes it the most valuable half point on the whole writing scale.

What is a good GRE score?

There is no single good score. A good score is one that sits comfortably within the range of the programs you are applying to. Here is a practical way to set your target:

1. List the programs you are serious about, usually six to ten.
2. Look up what each one publishes. Some list the average or median GRE scores of admitted students in a class profile. Others give a minimum, or say the GRE is optional or not considered. Policies change from year to year, so use the current admissions page, not a forum post.
3. Target at or above the published average of your most competitive program, measure by measure. Where a program gives only a minimum, aim several points above it.
4. Weight the measure your field cares about. Engineering, economics and physical sciences look hard at Quant, while humanities, law and many social sciences look hard at Verbal and Writing.

If a program publishes nothing, ETS’s averages by intended field of study are a reasonable reference point:

These are the average scores of everyone who intended to study the field, not the scores of admitted students. Competitive programs usually expect more than the average.

A worked example

Lena plans to apply for master’s programs in civil engineering. On a practice test she scores Verbal 156, Quant 161 and AW 3.5. Is her profile balanced?

• Quant 161 is the 53rd percentile. That is only just above the engineering mean of 160, and Quant is the measure engineering programs weigh most. It is her priority.
• Verbal 156 is the 68th percentile and five points above the engineering mean. It is not a weakness.
• AW 3.5 is the 40th percentile. Reaching 4.0 would move her to the 63rd, and for an international applicant a weak writing score can raise questions about academic English.

A sensible plan is to spend most of her remaining study time on Quant and a smaller, regular share on timed essays. More Verbal work would raise her total but not fix her weakest point.

Which scores schools see: ScoreSelect

On test day, after the test, you decide whether to report or cancel your scores. If you report them, you see your unofficial Verbal and Quant scores on screen and can name up to four score recipients free of charge. For each one you choose:

• Most Recent: only today’s scores, or
• All: every GRE General Test you took in the last five years.

After test day, each additional score report costs $40 (as of November 2026), and ScoreSelect adds a third option, Any: you pick the specific test dates to send. Schools receive whole test dates, never your best Verbal from one date paired with your best Quant from another. A few programs ask applicants to send all scores, so check each program’s rules before choosing.

If you cancel your scores, you can reinstate them later for a fee. The cancelled test still counts toward the retake limit.

When scores arrive and how long they last

• Official scores appear in your ETS account 8–10 days after the test, and recipients you chose on test day receive them at the same time. The Analytical Writing score is not shown at the test because the essay has to be scored first.
• Validity: GRE scores can be reported for five years after the test date. If you might apply for a PhD a few years after a master’s, a score from now may still be usable.
• Retakes: you can test once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12-month period.
• AW score review: if you believe your essay was misgraded, ETS offers a rescoring service for $60.

How to estimate your score before test day

Use full-length, timed tests with the real section order: the essay first, then Verbal and Quant in mixed order, with no break. ETS’s POWERPREP Online gives you two free official practice tests. Save one for the last two weeks before your exam.

Between official tests, Nomto’s GRE practice test uses the same five-section structure, with the second section of each measure adapting to the first. It reports estimated Verbal and Quant scores on 130–170 with a range, an AW estimate on 0–6, and percentiles from the ETS tables above. These are estimates from our own question bank, not official scores. Nomto is not affiliated with ETS. GRE is a registered trademark of ETS. For how to fit practice tests into your study weeks, see the GRE preparation plan. If you are also considering business school, the GRE vs GMAT guide compares how the two scores are used.

Also in Español, Português (Brasil), Русский