What is a good GRE score? For most programs, it’s 75th percentile or above: 157+ in Verbal Reasoning and 162+ in Quantitative Reasoning. For top programs, it’s a 90th percentile score or higher: 162+ in Verbal and 168+ in Quant. However, finding the score you need for a particular program within the GRE scores range is slightly more complicated than that!
In this post, I’ll look at the factors that go into a good GRE score, from the GRE score range to the average score per section. With this information under your belt, you’ll be better able to set the GRE goals that make sense for you—and make the most of your studies!
GRE Score Range: What are the GRE scores?
GRE scores range from 130 to 170 in the multiple-choice sections, in 10-point increments. The GRE max score is 340 (the GRE total score ranges from 260-340). The essay/analytical writing score (AWA) runs from 0.0-6.0 in half-point increments. The GRE exam score range for different graduate schools, and even different programs at the same school, varies widely. All in all, several factors will affect what good GRE scores are for you.
Table of Contents
What are the GRE scores ranges (Quant, Verbal, Combined)?
The GRE score range total runs from 260 to 340. Perfect GRE scores are 170 in each section, 340 combined. The table below shows the Verbal, Quantitative, and combined scores:
| Score Range | Perfect Scores | Competitive Scores | Average Scores | Below Average Scores | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal | 130-170 | 170 | 157+ | 151 | 145 |
| Quantitative | 130-170 | 170 | 162+ | 154 | 147 |
| Combined Multiple Choice Scores | 260-340 | 340 | NA | NA | NA |
| AWA | 0.0-6.0 | 6.0 | 4.5+ | 4.0 | 3.5 |
GRE In-Section Scores
In-section scores are basically your score for the Verbal section and your score for the Quant section. It can definitely be confusing to contextualize your scores, especially because comparing Verbal scores to Quant scores can feel like comparing apples to oranges (even the raw score to scaled score conversions are different!).
Keep in mind that, depending on your program, your scores in one section may be weighted much more strongly in admissions. Of course, scoring high in both sections is a definite plus! We’ll cover more about in-section scores by program later.
Understanding GRE Percentiles
Score percentiles describe the percentage of test-takers who scored lower than you. If you scored in the 75th percentile, for example, that means that you scored better than 75 out of every 100 GRE test-takers. In terms of percentile ranks, most people would consider scoring within the top 10% of all test-takers pretty good!
In short, finding out GRE scoring percentiles for your target programs can help you set your goals. Find out more about GRE percentiles here.
What is the average GRE score?
Rounded to the nearest point, the average Verbal Reasoning score is 150, and the average Quant score is around 154. The AWA (analytical writing section) average is 3.6.
| Average Score | Percentile | |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal | 150.37 | 49th (151) - 53rd (152) |
| Quantitative | 153.66 | 50th (154) |
| AWA | 3.60 | 37th (3.5) - 54th (4.0) |
A lot of students aim for the skies and think of their goals in terms of a perfect score—a 170. But the reality is that many of us don’t need to attain such a lofty score. If you’re still wondering how to evaluate your scores in terms of the general pool of test-takers, looking at average GRE scores can help. How? By providing a bigger picture of everyone taking the test and showing you where that middle point is.
What is the GRE score range by program?
A good score on the GRE varies significantly by program. Very generally, life sciences, mathematics, and physical sciences programs tend to value Quant scores more. For instance, applicants admitted to the top 10 Computer Science programs in 2020/2021 had an average GRE Quant score of 167. That score is at the 89th percentile on the GRE.
However, the humanities and arts programs tend to value high Verbal scores more. Applicants admitted to the top 10 English programs had an average GRE Quant score of 157, in the 61st percentile on the GRE. That’s quite a difference!
Improve your GRE scores with Magoosh GRE, you can choose between a live cohorted class with an instructor (which includes all our lessons and practice questions) or access to the self-study option by itself.
More Average GRE Test Scores by Intended Graduate Major Field
As you’re applying to graduate programs, the average score of all test-takers is irrelevant. For you, the average GRE score for your particular program at your target school is much more important—this is the score you need to exceed.
The table below provides a helpful baseline, but note that these are average scores for all schools. To find the competitive GRE scores you need, I highly recommend doing research for the specific colleges and universities that you are targeting.
| Intended Graduate Major Field | Average Verbal Score | Average Quant Score |
|---|---|---|
| Business | 150 | 156 |
| Education | 150 | 147 |
| Engineering | 149 | 160 |
| Humanities and Arts | 156 | 150 |
| Life Sciences | 151 | 151 |
| Physical Sciences | 150 | 160 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 153 | 152 |
| Other Fields | 151 | 151 |
| Undecided | 148 | 154 |
| No Major Provided (or not listed) | 149 | 151 |
Data from ETS Worldwide Test Taker Snapshot (PDF)
What is a good GRE score for grad school?
Of course, which school you’re applying to will also have a lot to do with your target GRE score—programs may be more competitive at certain schools. First step? Look up the stats for the programs you’ll be applying to in our post on GRE Scores for Top Universities. Then, talk to current students and the admissions committee.
You can also go to schools’ websites and find a contact to email. Let them know you are a prospective student and provide some background about yourself; they may be able to connect you to a current student who has a similar background to you. They can give you a better idea of the types of students that the program is looking for (GRE scores, educational background, work experience, future goals, etc.).
What’s a good GRE score for me?
I can’t say it enough: “good” scores depend on your particular target school and program. But if you’re going to push me for an answer…
In very general terms, above the 75th percentile in either section is good. That’s about a 161 or higher in Quant and a 157 or higher in Verbal. To get about 160+ on each section, you can miss a little over a dozen questions in Verbal and about 8-9 in Quant (which is curved a little harder). So there is a little room for error.
Why is the 75th percentile and up important? Click here to learn more
There are two main reasons to aim for above the 75th percentile:
- First, you want to give yourself some wiggle room in case you can’t quite reach your goal score. If you fall a bit short, then you can decide whether or not it’s worth retaking the GRE. Admitted students with below-average GRE scores usually have an incredible application to make up for this deficit – impressive work/research experience, a compelling story, a strong college GPA, etc. Always consider your application as a whole when determining whether your GRE score is good enough.
- Second, you want to improve your odds of acceptance by impressing the admissions committee with a higher-than-expected GRE score. If the average Math score for your program is 153, and you score a 158, then you automatically have a leg up on the competition. Admissions committees like to see that students can excel at standardized tests, in addition to having excellent, well-rounded applications.
These scores are at least one standard deviation from the mean. And scores two standard deviations from the mean put you near the top 5%, 169 in Quant and 165 in Verbal, at which point your GRE score will certainly not be an impediment.
What’s a bad GRE score?
A bad GRE score is one that excludes you from the program that you want to attend. That’s all! But, for more context, the bottom 10% of test-takers score below 139 in Verbal and 141 in Quant. Again—very generally!—a good goal is to score better than average on the GRE.
What should I do if I don’t have a good score?
No matter what the case, don’t despair! If you have taken the test and were, say, a 145 scorer in both sections (that works out to the 25th percentile in Verbal and the 18th percentile in Quant), then your road to improvement is pretty steep, but very doable.
By prepping hard for a month or two, you should be able to jump from the lowly teens and 20s to the respectable 44th and 35th percentiles, respectively: a mere five points, but you never know! This small number of questions could be the difference between getting into a program and not getting into a program.
How do I increase my scores?
With all of those factors in mind, it’s time to set your target score (or rather, target scores—one for each section).
Why? The GRE general test is a tough exam (in terms of both content and psychology) that’s meant to separate strong applicants from the rest of the pack. Succeeding on the GRE is a matter of determining what score you need well before your test date in order to make sure that your application is noticed and considered by your target programs.
Once you know your goal score, you can use a GRE practice test to help you determine how far you are from your target score and the type of GRE prep course that can help you get there. Then, to help you get there, check out Mason’s advice in Magoosh’s livestream for how to get a top score on the GRE!
Beyond grades and test scores, though, there are a few things that grad schools look for in applicants that can change how they see your application. Primary among these is your interest in—and demonstrated passion for—the field and your subject. Close behind these are how good a match you are for that particular program in terms of your goals and history and how they align with the program of study offered. Emphasizing these elements can go a long way towards getting you into the program of your dreams!
Hello!
I took my GRE recently and secured 320 (153V and 167Q). I have a good GPA too(9.84/10), in the university which is in the top 100 univs of India. I’m planning to apply for Masters in Machine Learning in US. I know there are many factors at play which ultimately determine my admission processes. But assuming everything else constant, could you tell me if my GRE score is good enough to get into top 50 Univs in the US?
Hi Praneeth,
I’d suggest reading over our article GRE Scores For Top Universities. Check out the Computer Science scores for the schools we have listed there. Your scores are very close to most of those, although your verbal is a bit lower and your Quant is on the minimum end. However, keep in mind that the scores we list there are the average scores for those schools. I’d recommend that you contact the schools/programs that you want to apply to directly, as they will be able to give you the precise GRE score minimums they’re looking for.
I hope this helps, and best of luck to you! 😀
Hi,
My gre score is
quants: 156,
verbal: 159.
I am aiming for engineering programs and have 4 years of relevant work exp as well.
Just wanted to understand if my quants score will limit my options.
We recommend checking out the post on GRE Scores for Engineering Programs to see the average Quant scores for specific programs and majors. Keep in mind that these are just averages, so there are definitely admitted students with lower and higher scores. Hope this helps!
Hello,
I recently scored a 324 after using Magoosh.
V – 165
Q – 159
AWA – 5.5
My Q score is just shy of the 70th percentile (1 percentage point) and I am contemplating whether a retake would be worth it. I aspire to get my MPP or attend law school, and I want to be competitive for top programs.
Hi Sally, I sent this question to our team of test prep experts, you’ll get a response to your email 🙂
Hello
I took my gre last week and got a score of 318 (verbal 152, quant 166). I am planning to give toefel next week. I am currentle studying at NIT Jalandhar with CGPA of 8.00.
I want to do MS in Computer Science From US. What are the colleges that I can get admission in? Is there any link from where I can see what were the scores at which students got admission in Computer Science at various universities.
Hi Pranav!
Unfortunately, we don’t have nearly as much expertise and experience in graduate school admissions as we do with GRE prep, so I’m afraid we can’t be of much help. Here are a few blog posts to help you evaluate your scores:
If you’d like general advice about graduate programs, this website is also a great place to start your research:
We also have an admissions section on our blog where our partner companies often address common student admissions questions:
I hope this helps at least a little bit! 🙂
I scored 152 in verbal and 152 in quant is this score good?
Hi Nikhil,
This entirely depends on your target schools and program requirements! I would recommend doing some research on or getting in touch with admissions counselors at your target schools to find out more 🙂
Congrats on taking the GRE!
Hello !
I have taken GRE twice and my score has been stagnant at 302. During mocks I had scored 316-321. I really do not know what happened and where I went wrong. I need to score 325+ and I know it is achievable but I just need the right guidance. Dear magoosh team I really need your help in achieving the same. Please guide me as soon as possible.
Hi Joyal,
Thanks for reaching out to Magoosh! There are a few potential things that could be going on here. First, it’s important to recognize that your practice test score can change depending on the quality of the test. The most authentic practice tests are the ETS Powerprep tests, and you can see our book reviews for information on other resources. Another thing to keep in mind is that things like test stress and testing environment can have outsized effects on your score. It’s important to have a plan to deal with test stress and any situation that may come up at the testing center.
You are looking for quite a large score increase. It’s not impossible, but it will take hard work and high quality materials! I highly recommend that you check out our Premium GRE Program. Our study schedules, lesson videos, questions and expert support can definitely help you achieve your goals!
Hi!
I was wondering how important the Analytical Writing part was in the assessment of GRE scores (to be more precise, I scored a 4.5, which I feel might too low to be aiming for a top humanities program?).
Thanks in advance!
Hi MP,
Our expertise is in test prep, not admissions advice, so I’m afraid that we are not the right people to answer this question. I recommend that you reach out to people from your your target schools (admissions counselors, current and former students, and professors) to ask them more about how they analyze GRE scores. Good luck!
I Scored 139 in verbal and 147 in Quant please tell me is it a good score ? or I need to re-appear in the exam to get better score.
Hi Rashmi!
Whether your score is a good score or not depends on the programs you’re trying to get into. 🙂 For some programs, it may be enough. For others, you might need to retake the exam. I recommend reaching out to the school’s you’re interested in to get a sense of their requirements.
If you’d like to prepare for a retake, we can absolutely help! You can try a free 7-day trial here.
Hello,
I took my GRE twice. In my first attempt I scored 291 – quant – 152, verbal – 139 and awa – 4.0 ..
In my second attempt i scored 296. Quant – 152, Verbal – 144 and awa – 4.5.
I felt there is not much improvement. I would like to retake my GRE again and my target score is 320. For my dream university and course they expect a minimum of 158 in quant. So, i feel it’s safer to have 320 score. I am planning to give it in September 2019.
This time, I really want that score. Any useful tips from your side?
Thanks..
Hi Arya,
Thanks for reaching out to Magoosh! You are looking for quite a large improvement in both verbal and math. Luckily, you’ve given yourself plenty of time to achieve this goal. The most important thing that you can do is to use high-quality study sources, follow a good study plan, and make sure that you consistently analyze your progress to build on your strengths and correct your weaknesses.
Have you looked at our Magoosh Premium Program? We take you through everything you need to know for the GRE, and our team of tutors can guide you through the study process. You can get started with a free trial to see if it’s right for you 🙂
Hii.. i scored 270 in GRE.. is there any good college for this score please suggest me
Hi Hemashree,
With a 270, it will be hard to meet minimum requirements for most schools that expect a GRE score to be submitted. If you are in a position to re-study and take it again, I suggest doing so. You are well prepared to tackle it a second time now that you are familiar with the demands of the GRE! Wishing you the best. 🙂
I scored 298 in GRE (157-Q and 141-V) , I have a strong gpa, 4 publication and good sop.
Please suggest if I should retake my GRE or should apply with this score.
I am focusing on University of Texas at Dallas .
Hi Harshit,
Our expertise is in test prep, not admissions advice, so I”m afraid we aren’t the best people to answer this question! I recommend that you do some research on the school or contact an admissions counselor to ask about their admissions preferences. This varies widely by school and department, so it’s really best to get the information straight from the source!
Hi, I am applying to Univ of Springfield, for Msc in public health. I had 147QR and 145VB in GRE. Do I stand a chance getting admitted?
Hi there,
Our expertise is in test prep, not admissions advice, so I’m afraid we aren’t the best people to answer your question! I recommend that you reach out to an admissions counselor at the school to determine their GRE requirements, and even talk to current students to get their thoughts on the issue 🙂 Good luck!
Hello,
I scored a 144 on quant and a 136 on verbal the first time I took the GRE, I kind of went in lukewarm with the thought that I knew I had to prepare longer. I did the Kaplan book first, which obviously did not help me much…I just purchased the Magoosh 6 month study lesson and hope to increase my Quant to a 150 and verbal at least a 145…I was thinking of giving myself about 8 more weeks to study and take it again. Do you think the score I want to achieve are realistic after scoring so low the first time? I would be spending about 30 hours a week practicing and going over lessons.
Hi Petria,
At roughly 2 months of study, 30 hours a week, a 6 point boost in Quant and a 9 point boost in Verbal could be possible, for certain. Given the unusually high amount of hours per week that you have for studies, you may want to modify one of Magoosh’s GRE study plans, allowing for more study time than the 15-20 hours that most of our plans require. 🙂 And since you’re a GRE Premium subscriber, feel free to use the “Help” tab to contact our email support tutors if you need advice on how to put together your study plan.
Hi! This answer was really helpful, but I also have a few further questions.
I scored 144-verbal and 150-quantitative. I need to score aprox. 154-verbal and 160-quantitative. Do you think it is possible to have a 10 point jump on each section with 6 hours of study per day for two months? Is it possible to get support on putting together a study plan when a 6-month GRE Premium subscription is ordered?
Thanks!
Hi Fabiola,
I’m going to forward your message on to our team of test prep experts. Someone will get back to you soon, in a separate email 🙂
Hi,
My GRE score is 292. Can you please suggest some best universities for me to pursue data analytics? I m planning for this spring.
That score is a little bit on the lower end. Based just on what you’ve told me, though, it’s honestly a little hard to say exactly which schools might take you. Data analytics programs tend to emphasize Quant much more than Verbal, so if the Quant component of your 292 is higher than 150 (the higher the better), your chances of getting accepted at a respectable school are greater. If you can tell me your individual Quant and verbal section scores, I might be able to give you a more specific answer.
I’ve been studying for the GRE for 3.5 months now with test prep and only saw a 1 point increase in my quant and 4 point increase in verbal. I focused mainly on quant and only 11 hours on verbal. The school I am trying to get into has a median GRE quant score in the 85th percentile. I’ve done well in my math subjects (career changer here from clinician to programmer) with a B+ in Calc 3 and an A in Linear Algebra and Differential Equations but can’t seem to show a stronger quant score! The school uses a holistic approach to the app review process and I’ve opted to submit my application early. They are waiting on my GRE scores now. With a quant of 150 and verbal of 155, and putting hours toward quant in studying, what do you think I should do?
Hi Stacey,
I understand how nerve-wracking this decision is, and how frustrating it is to study so much without seeing an improvement! Our expertise is in test prep, so I”m not sure if we’re in the best position to give you advice here, but I can certainly try to help you think through this decision. First, it’s important to realize that the GRE isn’t about super difficult and high-level math…it’s really all about critical thinking and creative problem-solving. It’s not uncommon to see people who are successful in advanced math classes struggle with GRE math–it’s just a different approach and mindset.
I recommend that you contact the school and ask for their thoughts on your GRE scores. If the school takes a holistic look at the application, then you may be able to make up for poor GRE scores with the other components of your application, and explain the scores on your essay.
Finally, you can consider pushing your application for regular consideration (if that is possible in your case), or submit the application as is and still study for a retake in case you don’t get in. If you decide to study for a retake, I recommend that you take a good look at your study materials and approach, because it’s apparent that something isn’t working for you! This blog post can help you think through some of those things.
I know that this is a difficult decision, and I wish I had a more concrete answer for you! You’ll have to do whatever you think is best. Good luck!
Hello,
I applied to programs in Education and the Social Sciences. My target schools have average scores of 158 Verbal, 152 Quant, and 4.5 AW. My best GRE Scores are 154 Verbal, 160 Quant, and 5 AW. Would my lower than average Verbal score be a limiting factor despite my strengths (relative to the target average scores) in the other two categories? Or would a committee compare my overall score?
Thank You!
Hi Rouzbeh,
Unfortunately, this is a difficult call to make! Our expertise is in test prep, not admissions advice, so take anything I say with a grain of salt 🙂
Grad admissions committees have a lot of different factors to consider, including work experience, academic standing, and all of the other components of your application. It’s important to remember that this is an average score and not a required score, which means that they do accept students with lower scores. I don’t think that your lower verbal score will be a huge red flag for the admissions committee, but they are also not necessarily transparent about their process and requirements. In situations like this, you just have to trust that you are a strong candidate and that your application can speak for itself 🙂
I scored 280 in gre. I completed my BSc in chemistry with 66.8%. I decided to do chemical engineering.
In which University, you are studying? please tell me.
I just took the gre and I scored a 155 in both sections . Looking to apply for a masters degree at the university of south Florida. The required scores are 155 for quant and 149 for verbal. Tho I met the requirements, I’m still not too confident. Should I retake the test ?
Hi Davis,
This depends on a lot of different factors, and unfortunately there is no easy answer! Different schools analyze GRE schools in different ways. USF might like to see stronger GRE scores, or they might just be looking for minimum scores which you already reached. A higher GRE score might help to offset a poor GPA, lack of work experience or other weak spot in your application, but studying for a retake can be an unnecessary distraction that keeps you from crafting a strong application. I recommend that you do some more research about the school and ask current students or send an email to an admissions counselor. Try to get a sense about how USF analyzes GRE scores and what they are looking for in their applicants. Good luck 🙂
Hi, I want to pursue Masters in Computer Science.I have GRE scores Quant:156 and Verbal:145.Can I make into top 50 colleges in the US?Can you give some suggestions?
Your GRE scores are in relatively low percentiles, with your Verbal score below the 50th percentile, and your QUant score in the low 60s for percentile. So on the strength of your GRE score alone, you probably couldn’t get into a top 50 college. While I do recommend that you retake the exam to get into a top school, it’s also important to remember that top schools seldom accept you on the strength of your GRE score alone. If you ahve strong work experience, published research or papers, or other noteworthy accomplishments, top schools may still consider you.
For more information on where your current scores lie, see our posts on GRE score percentiles and GRE scores for top universities.
Hi,
I am a PhD aspirant and have started preparing for my GRE now. My target schools are the Ivy League business schools. Please help me understand what would be a good score (section wise) for me considering my specialization would be in Strategy/Management
Hi Akil,
Our expertise is in test prep, not admissions advice–so I can’t answer your question with 100% certainty, but I can direct you to some resources that can help 🙂 You can get a good sense of what Ivy league schools look for in this blog post: https://magoosh.com/gre/2013/gre-scores-for-business-schools/. I also encourage you to check out the schools’ website and make sure that they accept the GRE–if you aren’t sure, you can consider the GMAT test: https://magoosh.com/gre/2014/gre-vs-gmat/ I hope this helps!
Hi Akil,
You should remember that to get into an Ivy League school for a PhD, GRE score is less important when compared to your recommendation letter or research experience.
Having said that almost everyone in those program have a perfect quant score anyway.
Ammom, while what you’ve said is often true of Ivy League schools (and other hghly competitive non-Ivies), it’s also important to remember that every school and individual program has their own GRE preferences and requirements. So the GRE can be more important in some top degree programs than in others.
Hi, my Cgpa is 3.75/5.0. I want to apply for aerospace engineering in a Canadian university. Although I have not applied for GRE, can I write GRE now and still apply for 2019 session
Hi Opemipo! GRE scores are valid for 5 years, so you can take it when it best suits you. 🙂
Hi,
I got a score of 165 in quant, 145 in verbal, and 4 in AWA. What are my chances of getting into a good university? Can you please name a few universities as well.
Thanks!
Hi Shailesh,
We cannot provide you a list of suitable universities because we are not admissions consultants and we know nothing about you and your career goals. I recommend looking into top programs in the field you want to enter and see what they require for admissions. There are probably schools that would happily admit you with this score, but you have to decide if those are the schools you’re aiming for. Good luck! 🙂
Hi. I took gre in october,2022. I scored 299. Verbal 146, Quant 153. I retook the exam in November, but there wasn’t any improvement with the overall score. I scored 299 again. Verbal 142, Quant 157. My Bachelor’s degree cgpa is 3.24 in Statistics. I have done a Ms in Statistics, result yet to publish. I have done a project research in my Master’s program. I also earned a certificate from udemy on”Statistics for Data Science and Business Analysis”. I took the TOEFL test. And scored 105. I want to apply for Data science in Master’s program in USA. With my current gre score, do you think i have any chance to get into any grad school in my targeted program?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Sudipta!
Here’s what I suggest. Take a look at this website from NYU, for example. They give the average scores students receive (which you are close to), but they note that they don’t have a hard minimum score requirement, and that they look at the application as a whole. So, what you will want to do is to look into each school you’d like to apply to to find out their individual requirements. Additionally, note that we do have Admissions plans, that will help you through all stages of the process. Right now, we’re encouraging students to direct all admissions-specific questions to the free Discord community we’ve created for Graduate Admissions students! You can join for free here: Magoosh Admissions: Discord
Best of luck to you! 😀
Hello, I took GRE yesterday and got 165 for verbal and 163 for quantitative. Since I plan to apply for PhD in computer science, I’m a bit worried that my quantitative score is not up to the requirements. Do you think I need to give GRE another try to get a better score?
Hi Enrique,
There are most definitely schools that will admit you, but you have to decide if they are the schools you want to attend. Have you done some research to see what your dream programs expect? In the end, if you believe you can improve upon your score and you have the resources to prepare for a retake, it would behoove you to do so. Good luck! 🙂
Hey,
I scored a 155 in my Quantitative and a 149 in Verbal. My exam center had network connectivity issues that made me stop the test after my quant which came immediately after my essays, only after to continue after an hour and a half of being idle. I believe I can score up to a 155 in Verbal and a 166 in quantitative and I my CGPA is 4.87/5.0. Should I retake the GRE? I want to apply to engineering graduate school.
Hi Dano,
If you believe you can improve your score, it is well worth resitting the exam. Your scores right now are not as competitive as the scores you told me you think you can get. Good luck! 🙂
Well , just got out of the test centre ,
am an architectural technologist working in a top 20 firm with around 3 years of work Exp .
Had prepared, pretty rigorously I must say , for the past 3 months . Self study with a lot of focus on math and minimal practice on the verbal section .
The score I saw at the end of the session was verbal -165 and quant – 160 .( strange, considering I spent about four hours in total on verbal )
Think I got a brain fade of sorts during the quants section and screwed up a couple of easy ones .
So considering , I got an average quant score . Do you reckon it would be worth my time (and energy ) to give it another go ?
Iam looking at 165 in quant , and I know where I messed up .
Or is a 160 in quant won’t be a hindrance come admission time ( my program of interest is a hybrid one , a bit of engineering with design )
Any input would be great .
And if I were to invest in your self study program , do I get a money back guarantee if I don’t improve in the next attemp as advertised ?, do I qualify ?
Hi Yosef,
Sorry to hear that your GRE score wasn’t quite what you’d hoped in Quant. That sounds disappointing. Based on what you’ve told me, this sounds like a minor slip-up on your part, and it does sound like you can get more than 160 in Quant. It also sounds like you may have a chance at 165 or higher if you retake the test. So I’d say a retake is worth it, provided you have time for one. 🙂
And yes, with a previous GRE score in hand, you meet the basic qualifications for our refund guarantee. If you decide sign up, just be sure to read and follow our Score Guarantee instructions.
I have a question about the scoring of the GRE..so I took an ETS practice test, and I got a 149 (35 percentile) on my Quantitative score. I checked my answers throughout the whole test and I found out I got half of the math questions wrong and half of them right. So, how did I get a 35 percentile score if I got half of the math questions right?
Hi Chels,
The percentile is how you rank against other test takers, so you performed better than 35% of the test takers with the score you got. It has nothing to do with the percent correct you got (other than how this helps you compare to all other students). I hope that clarifies!
Hi I scored 170 in quant and 146 in verbal. I am planning to apply for colleges in US. Is a low verbal score going to hurt me. I am planning to pursue data analysis as a major field.
Hi Kartik,
There is no definitive answer, so you will have to see how individual schools treat the verbal score. Any school that doesn’t have a minimum verbal score will be fine with what you earned. 🙂
I scored 315 on GRE ( V-155, Q-160) but 3.0 in AWA. Is my AWA score bad to apply for Master’s in Biological sciences, esp. Molecular biology in the top #15-30 universities?
Should I retake the test?
Hi Harika,
That depends on the program. Have you done some research to see how they handle AWA scores? You may be lucky and not need them, but you may also find they require a minimum of 4.0 for admission.
I have 160 QA and 152 VA. I am looking for MS in CS from USA. Should i reconsider giving GRE again for higher quant score or can i get admit from Good clges.
I have 32 mnth exp with Accenture. 66.7% in grad
Hi Deepank,
The answer to this depends heavily on the schools you want to attend. Have you researched admission requirements for programs you are interested in? Seeing how you stack up to real requirements can be super helpful as you determine what to do next. 🙂
Hello,
I’m thinking about applying to Political Science/Public Policy graduate programs. I got a 170 V and a 159 Q. Given my intended field of graduate study, does it make sense at all to retake to try to get a higher Q score? While I’ll probably only apply to the top 10-15 programs, I don’t think I’ll apply for at least a few cycles and should thus have enough time to retake, if it makes sense to do so.
In other words, how much do graduate programs related to political science and policy care about the GRE Q score?
Thanks in advance for your response,
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
First of all, congrats on such a stellar GRE score! I can tell that you worked hard and it showed 🙂
Our expertise is in test prep, not admissions advice, so I’m afraid that I can only give you general advice on this question. According to this blog post on Social Science GRE scores, you are well within the score range for top Political Science Schools. However, you may want to do some research to narrow down your target schools before you decide to re-take the GRE. We also have this handy flowchart to help you make this decision: Retaking the GRE. Best of luck as you make your decision, and congrats again on an amazing score!
HI,
I’m planning on doing Master’s in Applied Nutrition from Canada or Usa. I’d like to know if GRE subject exams are necessary and if so- Do I have to necessarily write all subjects or I can select specific subjects (like eliminate maths?) or is GRE General exam enough?
Hi Ayesha,
Unfortunately, we don’t have nearly as much expertise and experience in graduate school admissions as we do with test prep, so I’m afraid we can’t be of much help. However, for your specific program question, I would recommend that you reach out to a few of your target programs and ask about admission requirements. This will be the best source for an accurate and immediate response. I hope this helps, and I’m sorry we could not be of more help in this regard. Best of luck! 🙂
Your acceptance will depend on the subject and the school. Wharton gets much better scores and a great deal will now depend on your statement of interest given the low scores. For State College and social science subjects, you might do better but again, recommendations matter a great deal. Finally, of course, luck on student representation from different regions and your ability to bear your course costs might work to your advantage. This is from my experience but I got much better scores – maxed, but there were other issues involved in my case. Best of luck.
hey i want to take admission in Math PHD ,can you tell me whether GRE subject test is enough or i have to take GRE general test?
also please tell me TOEFL or IELTS will be better for getting chance
thank you
Hi Sourav,
Happy to help 🙂 While the exact application requirements vary based on the program, most US-based programs require the GRE General Test as well as the GRE Mathematics Subject Test. Additionally, typically programs will accept both TOEFL or IELTS scores, without a preference as to which exam you take. However, and as I mentioned, these requirements are specific to individual programs and universities. So, you will want to check the requirements of the programs you’re interested in to make sure you take the correct exams. 🙂 I hope this helps! Happy studying 😀
Hello!
I took the GRE last August and scored 152 quantitative and 156 verbal. I retook the GRE (and admittedly did not do my best) receiving scores of 154 quantitative and 154 verbal.
I am applying to PA school, and most of the minimum scores are pretty average where verbal scores are expected to be slightly higher than quantitative.
I was hoping you could give me advice on which scores I should send to programs or if I should send both. Because I did not do as well as I wanted to, I am planning on retaking the GRE, but it may not be in time for early consideration for admission.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I think it would not be bad to send both scores; they show relative stability in ability and neither one shows you in a particularly bad light. Of course, if you could get a substantially higher score, I would support that one and not the others, but if you run out of time to get a new score, the ones you have work together fine. 🙂