What’s a Good GRE Score?
A good GRE score is subjective and depends on which school you will be applying to. We suggest checking the average GRE scores for top Graduate School Programs to find out the range you will need to score in each section (verbal, quantitative, writing) before determining what a good GRE score is for you.
For starters, though, here is what you need to know about your GRE score. The GRE is scored on a 130-170 scale in the verbal and quantitative sections. The writing section is scored on a scale of 0–6 in half-point increments. But you don’t receive only scores; you also receive a percentile rank, which rates your performance relative to that of a large sample population of other GRE takers. Because there are so few possible overall scores – only 41 – that you can get on the GRE, answering just one more question correctly could be enough to turn an average score into a great score.
GRE Score Ranges: Average, Good, and Highest GRE Scores
GRE Scoring Percentiles
GRE Verbal + Quantitative Scaled Scores and Percentiles
The percentile scores listed below in the verbal, quantitative, and analytical score columns, rate your performance relative to that of a large sample population of other GRE takers. Percentile scores tell graduate schools just what your scaled scores are worth.
As provided by ETS, the creator of the GRE, possible GRE scores and their coinciding percentiles are as follows:
| Scaled Score | Verbal Percentile | Quantitative Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 170 | 99% | 96% |
| 169 | 99% | 95% |
| 168 | 98% | 93% |
| 167 | 98% | 90% |
| 166 | 97% | 89% |
| 165 | 96% | 86% |
| 164 | 94% | 84% |
| 163 | 93% | 82% |
| 162 | 90% | 79% |
| 161 | 88% | 76% |
| 160 | 86% | 73% |
| 159 | 83% | 70% |
| 158 | 80% | 67% |
| 157 | 76% | 64% |
| 156 | 73% | 60% |
| 155 | 68% | 56% |
| 154 | 64% | 53% |
| 153 | 60% | 49% |
| 152 | 54% | 45% |
| 151 | 51% | 41% |
| 150 | 46% | 37% |
| 149 | 41% | 34% |
| 148 | 37% | 30% |
| 147 | 33% | 26% |
| 146 | 29% | 23% |
| 145 | 26% | 19% |
| 144 | 22% | 16% |
| 143 | 19% | 13% |
| 142 | 16% | 11% |
| 141 | 14% | 9% |
| 140 | 11% | 7% |
| 139 | 9% | 6% |
| 138 | 8% | 4% |
| 137 | 6% | 3% |
| 136 | 4% | 2% |
| 135 | 3% | 2% |
| 134 | 2% | 1% |
| 133 | 2% | 1% |
| 132 | 1% | 1% |
| 131 | 1% | 1% |
| 130 | 1% | 1% |
GRE Analytical Writing Score Levels and Percentiles
| Score Levels | Writing Percentile |
|---|---|
| 6.0 | 99% |
| 5.5 | 98% |
| 5.0 | 92% |
| 4.5 | 81% |
| 4.0 | 57% |
| 3.5 | 39% |
| 3.0 | 15% |
| 2.5 | 7% |
| 2.0 | 2% |
| 1.5 | 1% |
| 1.0 | 1% |
| 0.5 | 1% |
| 0.0 | 1% |
[ RELATED: How is the GRE scored? ]
Many factors affect your graduate school or business school application, and each will help decide whether you’re admitted or rejected. Your GRE score is just one part of your candidacy. Your undergraduate GPA, letters of recommendation, research, and personal essays will all contribute to your acceptance into your dream school.
Do you need a plan for the week before the GRE?
Quiz: Verbal Diagnostic GRE Practice Questions
Quiz: Math Diagnostic GRE Practice Questions
GRE / GMAT Score Comparison Table
While it’s impossible to perfectly equate GRE and GMAT scores, since they have different numbers of sections and their scores are reported differently, using your score on one test to predict your score on the other can help you know whether you’re prepared for the graduate programs to which you’re applying.
The GMAT is scored from 200-800, while each GRE section score falls between 130 and 170. Below is our chart of equivalent* GMAT, GRE Verbal, and GRE Quantitative score percentiles. GMAT scores were collected by GMAC between 2015 and 2018. GRE scores were collected by ETS between 2015 and 2018.
| Percentile | GMAT Score | GRE Verbal Score | GRE Quant Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99% | 800 | 169 | — |
| 96-98% | 750 | 165-168 | 170 |
| 88-89% | 700 | 161 | 166 |
| 73% | 650 | 156 | 160 |
| 54-56% | 600 | 152 | 155 |
| 37-38% | 550 | 148 | 150 |
| 26% | 500 | 145 | 147 |
| 16% | 450 | 142 | 144 |
| 9-10% | 400 | 139 | 141 |
| 4-5% | 350 | 136 | 138 |
| 3% | 300 | 135 | 137 |
| 1% | 250 | 130 | 130 |
| 0% | 200 | — | — |
*The percentiles and coinciding scores listed above are approximate, as equivalent data on GMAT and GRE scores were unavailable. For more accurate information on each test’s scoring percentiles, visit the test-makers’ websites: GMAC and ETS.
