How is the GRE scored?
On the GRE, you’ll receive an overall scaled GRE score (260 – 340), a combination of scaled scores from the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the test. Verbal and Quantitative scores represent how many questions you answered correctly. The Analytical Writing section gets scored based on how well-written your responses are. The Analytical Writing score is a standalone score that does not impact your overall GRE score.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What is a GRE Percentile Rank
- What is a Raw GRE Score?
- Analytical Writing Section Scoring Process
- Quantitative Section Scoring Process
- Verbal Section Scoring Process
- How Long Are GRE Scores Reportable?
What is a GRE Percentile Rank?
On the GRE, you don’t just get scaled scores; you also receive a percentile rank. This rank indicates how your performance compares to over a million GRE test-takers over a recent 3-year period. Percentile scores indicate how well you did compared to all other test-takers in the sample population. For example, if you’re in the 75th percentile, you scored better than 75% of test-takers. Percentile rankings help graduate schools understand the value of your scaled scores in the context of a broader population.
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What is a Raw GRE Score?
Your GRE raw score represents the number of questions you answered correctly. In the Verbal Reasoning Section, you’ll have 27 questions to answer over two sections. In the Quantitative Section, you’ll also have 27 questions to answer over two sections.
How is the GRE Analytical Writing Section Scored?
The GRE Analytical Writing section is scored on a scale of 0 to 6 in half-point increments, with 6 being the highest. The essay score is rounded up to the nearest half-point.
The essay is scored by two graders, a human reader, and a computerized grader that recognizes features of writing proficiency. If the graders’ scores differ by more than one point, the essay goes to a third grader who also scores it.
The scoring for the essay in the GRE Analytical Writing Section is holistic, which means that graders base scores on the overall quality of your essay in accomplishing the assigned task, rather than deducting specific points for specific errors. However, an essay with many errors will have points deducted
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How the Quantitative Section of the GRE Gets Scored
The GRE Quantitative section is scored between 130-170 in one-point increments, with 170 being the highest possible score. The Quantitative section of the GRE is scored by how many questions you answer correctly and the difficulty of the questions. The first Quantitative section is a routing module, so the number of questions you get right in this section determines the difficulty level of your second section in Quant.
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Quiz: Quantitative GRE Practice Questions
How the Verbal Section of the GRE Gets Scored
The GRE Verbal section is scored between 130-170 in one-point increments, with 170 being the highest possible score. Verbal Scores on the GRE are determined by the number of correctly answered questions and the level of difficulty of those questions. The first Verbal section is a routing module, so the number of questions you get right in this section determines the difficulty level of your second Verbal section.
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Quiz: Verbal GRE Practice Questions
How Long Are GRE Scores Reportable?
You can report your GRE scores for 5 years following your test date. Log in to your ETS account to find out exactly when you last took the GRE.
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Written by Kaplan experts and reviewed by Gordon Spector, GRE Veteran Instructor and Content Developer. Gordon has taught thousands of students how to master the GRE for over 10 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry.
