Even though I am asked this all the time, this is a difficult question to answer, as the computer-based test does not accord exactly with the table of data at the end of the paper-based test PDF. The reason for this is the computer-based test has fewer questions than the paper-based test. Thus, we have to extrapolate a little.
If we look at the end of the paper-based PDF, there is a Score Conversion Table. For Verbal, one can miss at most two questions and still receive a ‘170’. For quantitative, a mere two questions flubbed will drop you to a ‘169.’
I am guessing—though this is just my hunch—that the score table for the computer-based test will reveal the same. After all, the computer-based test is based on a 40-question verbal section and a 40-question math score, whereas the paper-based test has 50 questions each for verbal and quantitative. That is a mere 20% fewer questions, so I don’t think—though I could be wrong—that one can still miss two questions and receive a perfect score.
A legitimate counter to that is there is no ‘168’ on the Verbal section according to the Score Conversion at the end of paper-based PDF. test. Perhaps then, missing two will give you a 169 and missing three will give you a 168 (right now missing three gets you 169).
Of course this level of specificity is moot. Just do your best on the GRE exam, and know that on both the verbal and the math section, missing one question will still leave you with a perfect score. And that’s a pretty amazing achievement.
Also, just some advice: don’t get too hung up on perfection :). A very good score will still be good enough to get you into most of the competitive programs you’re probably interested in!
And if you’re still wondering about specifics of the test, check out our Ultimate GRE Guide!
Hey!
You mentioned about getting a perfect score even on missing one question. Would that be the same case if i get one question wrong, instead of missing it?
Hi Khushoo, the GRE does not differentiate between wrong and skipped questions. By “missing a question,” we are referring to either skipping it or getting it wrong.
Hello,I already took gre 3 times desperately wanting 300 plus .In Princeton mocks I was able to score nearly 300 with 164 in quant and 137 in verbal.But in final ets exam my verbal score was 139 and quant was 144 .Now what do I do? I changed my preparation I prepared for three times practiced whole Manhattan 5lb book but once again I am looking to take the test by Jan ending wether any colleges will be there or not I don’t know.will it be useful if I want to take exam In Jan 15 for fall 2019 intake.How magoosh will guarantee me on my betterment .If IAM looking for one.
Hi Vaishnavi,
Thanks for reaching out to Magoosh! I’m happy to help 🙂
Before taking the exam in January, I highly encourage you to look at the admissions timeline for the schools you wish you apply to. Some schools have rolling application deadlines and may accept applications later in the year. However, many schools have application deadlines in December or January, which means that you would not be able to submit your score before the application closes. If you won’t be able to submit your scores in time, then there is no reason to rush the test. You could either postpone your admission and look for January 2020 admission (some schools allow this), or Fall 2020.These options will give you more time to prepare adequately and reach your target score. So, be sure to do some research about your target schools before making any decisions!
The ETS Powerprep tests provide you with the most accurate score prediction. I know it’s frustrating to get such a great score on one practice test and then see your score drop for another one. However, we know from experience that Princeton materials tend to be easier than the questions on the actual GRE test.
Magoosh can help you out with comprehensive video lessons, expert support, and over 1200 high-quality questions with explanations. I’m not sure how you were studying, so I can’t say for sure what you are missing. However, if you are relying on the Manhattan 5lb book of practice questions, then you may be focusing too much on practice and not enough on methods and strategy. The 5lb book contains a plethora of high-quality practice questions, but you aren’t necessarily learning the methods ands strategies that will allow you to improve. Our comprehensive Magoosh program will provide you with all of this information. You can always sign up for a free trial, and please contact us at gre@magoosh.com if you have any more questions 🙂
I took the GRE twice:
1st time: Verbal 168 (36/40) Quant 168 (38/40)
2nd time: Verbal 169 (36/40) Quant 170 (39/40)
What was your study schedule? What books did you use.
I have the rest about a month ago and managed to score 155 on each section. I was aiming for a 160. Any tips?
That’s quite amazing. Would you please share your 1st power prep score ( Baseline Score )?
I had similar to you:
Verbal 170 (37/40) Quant 168 (38/40)
how you manage to score such a high score in verbal, please share you approach
hi magoosh team,
good job,
i never seen any other prep org. encourages and helps students like you guys. am following everything which you guys keep posting .
i’ve booked slot for GRE on 13th july 2016, still 35 days to go. right now my scores are too low.
i took 6 princeton review tests and one ETS, where i scored constatly between
135 – 145 in verbal, and 153 – 155 in quants. am trying so hard to improve in quants part.
i still dont understand where i miss
I’m glad we’ve been able to help you so much, Rajasekaran. It’s very common for students to have trouble knowing exactly what they’re missing or how they can improve their score. The truth is that GRE Quants is a big wide world with many question types that require many different skills. The trick is to carefully assess your own strengths and weaknesses. As you continue to practice over the next 7 weeks, I recommend keeping a “mistake journal.” Make note of the kinds of problems you’re getting wrong in your practice sessions. Double check to see if you can understand why you’re wrong, and why a different answer is correct. Are you making calculation errors? Are there ways you could change your test strategies? Are certain GRE math areas, such as geometry, stats, etc… especially hard for you? As you do this, also make note of your strengths. You can use your stronger quant skills to boost your overall score; build on your strengths while addressing your weaknesses.
Hey Chris, I have taken this test 2 times and have yet to reach 150 in each section. I got a 148 and 149 on math sections. But my verbal has been horrible, receiving a 143 for my best. What should I do, my grad school is reserving a spot for me if I receive a 300 combined score.
Hi Jeff,
Sorry to hear that you’ve been battling your verbal scores! The best way to approach verbal improvement is to work on building your vocabulary, working out winning strategies that will help you overcome the times when you don’t know all the words you need to know, and strategic guessing in the worst situations. To start you off, I recommend the following strategies and tips:
Shift Words
If specific parts of the verbal section are your Achilles heel, you can look at our verbal blog posts and explore the strategy recommendations for that specific type.
Start making an error log! This Economist post has tons of great tips and explains the error log tool quite well.
I hope that helps get you started! Best luck conquering the verbal section. 🙂
Is there negative scoring in gre 2016? And what is the minimum score I need to get to do MBA in USA through GRE? please assist me
Hi Sauna!
There is no negative scoring in the GRE, so the worst that can happen is you earn 0 points for a question–it will not give you any penalty. (Whew!)
As for MBA programs in the US, you’ll have to do some research and see what programs you want to answer your question. Every program has different entry expectations, and there is not a blanket answer that will tell you everything you want to know, unfortunately. You can get started with this blog post about top business schools and the GRE scores they admit students with, on average. I hope that helps!
Well, I only missed 1 level 4 and 1 level 5 in the second section. But my quantity is only 164. It makes me really confused.
Hey Chris, your content is great.
Just another data point: for the quant portion, I got 1 wrong out of the first set of 20 and two wrong out of the second set of 20. In total, I missed 3 quant questions and got a 166. Seems a bit punitive to me, since this is not like the GMAT wherein the test is question-adaptive. Breaking the 90% has never seemed so difficult 😉
Hi Blaine,
That is pretty punitive! Still not sure exactly how much you were dinged because of the one question wrong in the medium section. A more subtle factor is equating: some tests are not as hard as others. So missing three on an “easier” test could result in a 166, or even lower.
Thanks though for the data! Still trying to wrap my head around exactly how it works 🙂
What is the number of correct responses required to get score of above 160?
Hi Gaurav,
Again, there is no one number. In the case of 160, you could get the medium-level section (and do very well), or get the hard section (and not do very well) and end up with a 160.
Hope that helps!
Hey Chris,
Just a data point for you ( I am not sure how this will correlate to the real test). I just took an ets practice test and missed one question in the first section and 3 in the second quant section and it gave me a 164 for Q. Seems pretty harsh for four questions!
Thanks,
Same, I took the GRE ETS practice test, got perfect on the 1st quant section, and missed 4 in the second. I’m assuming the second section was the Hard version. Also got a 164.
same here! in the ETS practice test,i got all correct on the first quant set and got 2 wrong and 2 unanswered ( so 4 incorrect in all) in the second quant.
Still cannot figure out why i got 164.
Can anyone please explain???
Hi Chris,
What about on the math portion? How many can one miss and still get a 170? or 169….166?
vsn
Hi Vsn,
It depends on the test, to some extent. Meaning that some tests have harder questions, and your score is not just a function of how many questions you get right. In other words, there is a ceiling on some tests of 169 or so. Other tests you may still be able to get one wrong and get 170. Honestly, I’m not sure exactly how it works at this high end since we are still collecting data. Sorry, I couldn’t give you a more direct answer :).
Hey Chris!
I recently took a test from Powerprep II. Although in 1st Quant section, I could solve all questions correctly, second section I struggled doing most. My final score was 150 🙁
Wonder, how are these assessed? CAn you give me an idea about it??
Thanks
I took the PowerPrep II test and received the following scores:
Verbal: 670-770
Quantitative: 750-800
The section-wise scores were:
Verbal 1: 19/20
Math 1: 20/20
Verbal 2: 12/20
Math 2: 19/20
I am slightly confused about the Math score. The given scaled score (750-800) translates to 159-166 on the new range according to the concordance table. These scores seem quite low considering the fact that I got only one question wrong out of the 40.
Any clarifications will be very helpful! Thanks!
Thanks Chris. I have mine coming on next saturday..
Good luck, Santosh! Let me know if you have any last minute questions :).
Hey Chris, I took a practice test and I got only 1 wrong in the math sections and I still got 167 according to the Magoosh software 🙁