How long are GRE scores valid?
GRE General Test scores are valid for five years from your test date. After that, ETS can no longer send them to schools, and you would have to retake the test. Some programs ask for a more recent score, so check each one. ScoreSelect lets you choose which scores a school receives.
In more detail
The five years run from the day you took the test, not from the day you registered or the day your scores came out. Scores usually become available about 8 to 10 days after the test. ETS has a score-date tool on its site that shows the exact last day your scores can be sent.
Five years is the ETS limit, not every school's. A program can set a shorter window or simply prefer recent scores, and that rule sits on the program's own admissions page. If your application deadline falls close to the five-year mark, send your scores well before it.
ScoreSelect lets you decide which of your scores from the last five years each school sees. You make that choice when you send the report, so a school does not have to see every attempt.
Five years from the test date, by year
| If you took the GRE in | Scores are reportable until about |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 2027 |
| 2023 | 2028 |
| 2024 | 2029 |
| 2025 | 2030 |
| 2026 | 2031 |
Step by step
- 1
Find your test date on your score report or in your ETS account.
- 2
Add five years and check the exact last day with the score-date tool on the ETS site.
- 3
Open each program's admissions page and look for its own limit on the age of scores.
- 4
Send your scores through ScoreSelect early, well before the deadline, and pick the right scores for each school.
- 5
If your scores will lapse before you apply, plan a retake now and count back from your deadline to set the date.
How StudyPDF helps
StudyPDF helps with the retake, not with the ETS paperwork. Upload your GRE notes, vocabulary lists or textbook chapters and it builds flashcards, quizzes and a timed practice exam from them. Set your test date, daily hours and study days in the Plan tab, and it lays out dated sessions with the weakest topics first. You can start on the free plan.
See also
Do it on your own course
Upload your lectures and ask Bo. Cited answers, plus flashcards, exams, and more built from your material.
More questions
Can I still send a GRE score after five years?
No. ETS keeps scores reportable for five years after the test date. After that it cannot send them to schools, and you need a new test.
Does the five-year limit start when I register?
No. It starts on your test date, not on the day you register and not on the day your scores are released.