🎓 GRE Test Score Calculator
Estimate your scaled GRE scores for Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning & Analytical Writing
| Scaled Score | Verbal Percentile | Quant Percentile | Combined | Competitiveness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | 99th | 96th | 340 | Exceptional |
| 168 | 98th | 93rd | 336 | Exceptional |
| 165 | 96th | 87th | 330 | Very Strong |
| 163 | 93rd | 82nd | 326 | Very Strong |
| 160 | 86th | 76th | 320 | Strong |
| 158 | 80th | 70th | 316 | Strong |
| 155 | 68th | 59th | 310 | Competitive |
| 153 | 59th | 50th | 306 | Competitive |
| 151 | 50th | 40th | 302 | Average |
| 148 | 38th | 29th | 296 | Below Average |
| 145 | 26th | 20th | 290 | Below Average |
| 140 | 12th | 11th | 280 | Weak |
| 135 | 4th | 4th | 270 | Very Weak |
| 130 | <1st | <1st | 260 | Lowest |
| Program Type | Min Verbal | Min Quant | Min Writing | Competitive Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top MBA Programs | 155+ | 158+ | 4.5+ | 320+ |
| STEM PhD | 150+ | 163+ | 4.0+ | 320+ |
| Humanities PhD | 160+ | 148+ | 5.0+ | 315+ |
| Law / Policy | 158+ | 152+ | 4.5+ | 315+ |
| Medicine / Health | 153+ | 155+ | 4.0+ | 310+ |
| Education | 150+ | 148+ | 4.0+ | 300+ |
| Psychology | 153+ | 150+ | 4.0+ | 305+ |
| Social Sciences | 155+ | 150+ | 4.5+ | 310+ |
| Raw Correct (of 40) | Approx Verbal Scaled | Approx Quant Scaled | Percentile (V) | Percentile (Q) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 (100%) | 170 | 170 | 99th | 96th |
| 38 (95%) | 168 | 168 | 98th | 93rd |
| 36 (90%) | 165 | 166 | 96th | 89th |
| 34 (85%) | 163 | 164 | 93rd | 85th |
| 32 (80%) | 161 | 162 | 88th | 80th |
| 30 (75%) | 159 | 160 | 82nd | 76th |
| 28 (70%) | 157 | 158 | 75th | 70th |
| 25 (62%) | 154 | 155 | 63rd | 58th |
| 22 (55%) | 152 | 153 | 54th | 49th |
| 20 (50%) | 150 | 151 | 44th | 40th |
| 17 (42%) | 147 | 148 | 33rd | 28th |
| 14 (35%) | 144 | 145 | 21st | 18th |
| 10 (25%) | 140 | 141 | 11th | 11th |
| 5 (12%) | 135 | 136 | 4th | 4th |
| 0 (0%) | 130 | 130 | <1st | <1st |
The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is a standardized test for entry to graduate and business programs in United States and worldwide. It is made up of three parts: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. In the verbal and quantitative sections the points range from 130 to 170 The analytical writing is separate in a scale of 0 to 6, where 6 is the maximum.
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The best total for verbal and quantitative parts reach 340.
What GRE Scores Mean
The score used to be 200 to 800, but after a big review of the GRE the scale changed to 130; 170. That helped to avoid confuson, because 170 minus 130 is 40, just as the 40 questions for verbal and quantitative sections in the old version. Because of that every question was worth almost one point.
Every GRE score has two parts: the scaled point and the percentile. The percentile matters more than the scaled point. It shows how you compare with other test takers.
For instance, 80th percentile means that you beat 80 percent of test takers globally. Those ranks are based on points of people that tested during three years. All values are also calculated from the last three years of test takers.
Perfect points in verbal section happen less often than in quantitative. Only 1% reach 169 or 170 verbally, while 4% receive 166 or more. The percentiles change based on section.
160 verbally does not match 160 quantitative. Quantitative points are usually higher among test takers, especially for STEM candidates.
Currently the averages for all test takers are 151.29 for verbal reasoning, 156.93 for quantitative reasoning and 3.49 for analytical writing. 320 points are a good result, but it depends on other things. For the top 20 schools the middle amount stays between 318 and 330, with the average in 323, 327.
Candidates accepted to top business schools, that take GRE scores, have 161, 168 quantitative and 156… 167 verbal.
Doing well in the first section matters a lot. 16 out of 20 in the first and 12 out of 20 in the second does not match 12 out of 20 first and 16 second. Some universities require a minimum GRE score, and high points help to stand out in competitive programs.
For top level universities the averages commonly surpass the 90th percentile.

