What is a good GRE score?
A good GRE score is one at or above the average of the programs you apply to. As a general guide, 158 in Verbal and 167 in Quant each put you near the 75th percentile, and 4.5 in Analytical Writing beats more than 80 percent of test takers. The average test taker scores about 151 in Verbal, 158 in Quant and 3.5 in Writing (ETS, July 2022 to June 2025).
Verbal and Quant are each scored from 130 to 170, Analytical Writing from 0 to 6 in half points. Since September 2023 the test takes about 1 hour 58 minutes: one 30-minute essay, then two Verbal sections (27 questions in 41 minutes) and two Quant sections (27 questions in 47 minutes). The second section of each measure adapts to how you did on the first.
Percentiles matter more than the raw number, and the two measures are very different. A 160 in Verbal beats 82 percent of test takers, while a 160 in Quant beats only 50 percent, because so many test takers come from math-heavy fields. That is why STEM programs read Quant closely and humanities programs read Verbal and Writing. The best target is the average score a program publishes for admitted students, often in its class profile.
You can take the GRE once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12-month period, and ScoreSelect lets you choose which scores from the last five years each school sees.
| Score | Verbal percentile | Quant percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 170 | 99 | 89 |
| 167 | 97 | 75 |
| 165 | 95 | 67 |
| 160 | 82 | 50 |
| 155 | 64 | 37 |
| 150 | 39 | 23 |
- 1List 5 to 10 programs and note the average or median GRE scores they publish for admitted students.
- 2Take a timed official practice test from ETS to get your starting scores.
- 3Set your target a few points above the program averages, above all on the measure your field cares about most.
- 4Plan your prep around the bigger gap: vocabulary and reading for Verbal, content review and timed sets for Quant.
- 5Practice the essay with timed 30-minute Issue tasks if your programs read Analytical Writing.
- 6Retake if needed and send only the scores you choose.