GRE Score Calculator: Overall & Section-Wise Calculator

GRE Score Overview

Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing are the three main sections of the GRE exam. Scores for both verbal and quantitative reasoning range from 130 to 170, with each point increment being worth one more. On the other hand, the scoring range for analytical writing is 0 to 6, with each half-point increment increasing the score. The Verbal and Quantitative components combine to form the GRE score. The calculation of the Analytical writing scores varies between these two due to the difference in the scoring range. You will obtain a No Score (NS) for a section if no questions from that section are tried. 

GRE Score Calculation and Percentile

GRE score and percentile are the means used to interpret the overall GRE test performance of a test taker. The GRE score is the final score derived after converting the raw scores into scaled scores for each section. 

On the other hand, the GRE percentile is the depiction of scaled GRE scores in comparison to other test takers. ETS recommends the percentile method to compare the score of a test taker with the scores of other test takers. It shows how many test takers have scored higher or lower than the candidate. 

For instance, the 95 GRE percentile at a scaled GRE verbal score of 165, shows that 95% of test takers scored below 165 in GRE verbal section for the relevant period, and only 5% of test takers scored above 165. Hence, the candidate scoring 165 will be considered among the top 5% scorers of the GRE test of the relevant period. The percentile represents the quality of the actual performance of the test taker.

The GRE score report presents both the overall GRE score and the GRE percentile of the test taker. This is to ensure that candidates and foreign universities properly assess the qualitative, quantitative, and competitive performance of the test taker.

How is the GRE Scored?

The GRE scoring process follows the following steps:

Step 1: The GRE exam is first scored for each section. In the case of the GRE General Test, verbal, quant, and analytical writing sections are checked for raw scores.

Step 2: The raw scores are then converted to a scaled score using a process called equating.

Step 3: The Overall GRE score is an average of the scaled GRE scores of the verbal and quant sections. The GRE scaled score of analytical writing is shown separately on the GRE score report as it has different scaling measures.

GRE Score Conversion Chart

Let's see how the verbal and quantitative portions of raw results are transformed into individually scaled scores. The following is a chart of the raw GRE scores based on the correct answers:

Note: As you can see from the above table, you should expect a score between 165 and 170 if you receive a 40 in each of the parts. Your GRE score will range from 330 to 340 when these scores are added together.  

GRE Score Calculator for Verbal and Quant Sections

GRE verbal and GRE quant sections are scored on a 130-170 scale, with one-point increments. There are a total of two sections asked in both GRE verbal and quant. Each section consists of 20 questions. Hence, there are overall 40 questions asked in each of the GRE verbal and GRE quant sections.

GRE score calculator for Verbal and Quant Sections works based on the following steps:

• Step 1: Raw scores are calculated by marking the 40 questions as attempted by the test taker. There is no negative marking during this process, and each correct answer is scored by one point. Hence, the maximum possible raw score in each section is 40.
• Step 2: The raw scores are compared in percentile. The GRE percentile of verbal and quant sections shows the percentage of test takers who have scored lower than the test taker.
• Step 3: The percentile is converted into a GRE-scaled score (marked between 130-170) according to the conversion table.

GRE Score Calculator for Analytical Writing

GRE analytical writing is marked on a different scaling measure. The scaled scores for the section range from 0-6, awarded in half-point increments.

The GRE score calculator follows the below steps to calculate the GRE analytical writing score:

• Step 1: The text is scored by an expert reader on a scale of 0-6.
• Step 2: The text is then scored by an e-rater, which is a computerised program of ETS to rate texts.
• Step 3: If the scores awarded by the human reader and program are similar, they are averaged for a final GRE score for the analytical writing section.
• OR, if the scores awarded by the human reader and program are in extreme variation, a second human reader is approached. The scores awarded by two human readers are then averaged for the final GRE score of the test taker in the analytical writing section.
• Step 4: A candidate’s GRE percentile is decided by the conversion table of GRE analytical writing scores and relevant percentiles.

GRE Score Calculator for Subject Tests

The GRE Subject Tests focus on individual fields of study including Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. Scores are awarded for each subject on a scale of 200-990, with 10-point increments. The GRE score calculator for subject tests works in the same way as the verbal and quantitative sections.

GRE Subject Tests scores are calculated in the following manner:

Step 1: The raw scores are calculated and the GRE percentile is calculated.

Step 2: The scores are scaled according to percentile. The GRE scores depicted in the GRE score certificate are the scaled scores.

Note: GRE Subjects Tests raw scores are determined based on the number of correct answers. Incorrect answers, the ones left unanswered or those with multiple marked answers are counted as incorrect. However, no score is deducted in case of an incorrect answer.

Section-wise GRE Percentile

GRE percentile for each section has a conversion table. This conversion table shows the relevant GRE percentile for GRE scaled scores awarded in respective sections.

GRE Percentile for Verbal Section

GRE verbal is awarded scaled scores on a scale of 130-170, in one-point increments:

GRE Percentile for Quant Section

GRE quant is also scored on a scale of 130-170 in one-point increments. Here is the relevant GRE percentile of each GRE quant scaled score:

GRE Percentile for Analytical Writing Section

GRE analytical writing section is scored on a scale of 0-6 in half-point increments. The relevant GRE percentiles are given below:

GRE Performance Statistics

Given below is the performance of candidates who take the GRE General Test between June 1, 2018 and June 30, 2021. 

How to Calculate My GRE Percentile?

To calculate the GRE percentile, test takers can refer to the conversion tables above. They can predict their section-wise raw scores to calculate their GRE percentile. Some of the facts they need to know while calculating the GRE percentile is:

• The GRE percentile shows the competitive standing of the candidate in relation to the other test takers.

• The higher the GRE percentile, the higher the chances of getting admitted to a university of their choice.

• The minimum GRE score requirements shall be asked by the universities in section-based scores.

• The GRE percentile calculated by the test taker before the announcement of results is not the final percentile.

• The GRE percentile for a particular year is derived from the recommended GRE percentile chart.

• GRE percentile can be finally declared only by ETS on their official website or score report.

When Will I Get My GRE Total Scores?

One of the most often requested GRE exam questions is when students will get their GRE total scores. Candidates should be aware that their GRE total results will be accessible 10 to 15 days after their GRE exam date. The conducting organisation would give the candidate an email notification once their GRE scoring was accessible on their ETS account. Candidates who opt for the GRE At Home test will receive their GRE score 10 to 15 days after their GRE test date.

What is a Good GRE Score Out of 340?

Candidates are frequently left wondering what a decent GRE score is. As previously said, each university will have its own GRE cut-off. As a result, any score above the cut-off would automatically qualify their application. Students are recommended to obtain better GRE scores than necessary because this will only boost their chances of admission to their preferred university. As a result, a good GRE score is a GRE score range that guarantees admission to the top 10% of top-ranked colleges. Candidates should be aware that GRE scores are reported independently. 

As a result, your GRE Verbal Reasoning section score would be scaled to 170, your GRE Quantitative Reasoning section score would be scaled to 170, and your GRE Analytical Writing section score would be 5.0. So, if you are wondering what a good GRE score is out of 340, a verbal section score between 152 and 158, a quantitative section score between 153 and 158, and an analytical section score above 4.0 are all considered good GRE scores.