How GRE General Test scores work

The GRE General Test does not provide a single combined total. Instead, your performance is reported across three distinct measures:

• Verbal Reasoning: 130 to 170, in 1-point steps
• Quantitative Reasoning: 130 to 170, in 1-point steps
• Analytical Writing: 0 to 6, in half-point steps

Because Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are scaled separately, a Verbal score and a Quantitative score cannot be compared directly with one another. According to ETS, the appropriate way to compare performance across these measures is by using the percentile ranks on your score report. Those percentile ranks are calculated using the testing population from 1 July 2022 through 30 June 2025.

If you answer no questions on a given measure, that section is recorded as No Score (NS).

Your scores in Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning depend on the total number of questions answered correctly across both sections, as well as the difficulty level of those sections. For Analytical Writing, your essay receives a holistic score on a 6-point scale, and ETS notes that the essay also receives a score from the e-rater scoring engine.

Section times are on the GRE guide. Subject Tests are a different exam, covered on the GRE dates page.

At the end of your test, the computer asks whether you wish to report or cancel your scores.

If you choose to report them, you immediately see unofficial scores for Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning on your screen. You will not see an Analytical Writing score at this stage because the essay is still undergoing scoring. Test center staff cannot print this unofficial result for you.

Once you view your unofficial scores, they are locked. You cannot cancel them after seeing them, and you cannot choose to cancel one individual measure while reporting the others.

If you cancel before you view the scores, they are not added to your reportable history, they are not shown in your account later, and they are not sent to any school. ETS does not refund a score you cancel at the end of the test.

Your official scores, including Analytical Writing, appear in your ETS account about 8 to 10 days after your test date. ETS notifies you by email when they are ready.

Official delivery timing to institutions contains a discrepancy across ETS sources. The ETS schedule page states that electronic scores are delivered to institutions twice a week. In contrast, ETS score-user documentation indicates that electronic scores are delivered through the ETS Data Manager, which updates on weekdays. Both schedules are published by ETS, so confirm receipt directly with your university departments.

Scores remain reportable for five years following your test date. As outlined in the GRE Information Bulletin 2026-27, a test taken on 3 July 2022 remains reportable through 2 July 2027.

On test day, immediately after viewing your unofficial scores, you may choose up to four score recipients, or you may decide not to send any yet. For each recipient, you can choose:

• Most Recent: sends your scores from this current test administration only.
• All: sends your scores from every General Test administration you completed in the past five years.

If you request score reports after test day, you can choose Most Recent, All, or Any (which allows you to select one or more specific administrations from the past five years). When previously reported scores are ordered, delivery takes about five business days from the date of your request.

Whenever a test administration is sent, the sitting is delivered in full. Institutions do not see any notation or flag indicating that you took other GRE tests. However, some graduate programmes specifically require applicants to submit all prior sittings, so make sure to review individual programme instructions carefully.

The test itself is on the GRE guide.