Introduction
This GRE score calculator turns your raw answers into an estimated GRE score. You type in how many questions you got right in each Verbal and Quant section, pick the difficulty of your second section, and choose your Analytical Writing score. The calculator then shows your scaled scores, your total score, and your percentile rank.
The GRE has three parts. Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each scored from 130 to 170. Together they make a total score from 260 to 340. Analytical Writing is scored from 0 to 6 in half-point steps.
The GRE is section-adaptive. That means how well you do on the first section decides how hard your second section is. A harder second section can lead to a higher score, so this calculator lets you pick Easy, Medium, or Hard to match your test.
There is also a target score tool. Set the scores you want, and the calculator shows how many points you still need. Charts, a step-by-step breakdown, program benchmarks, and full ETS percentile tables show where you stand and what to study next.
How to use our GRE Score Calculator
Enter how many questions you got right on each GRE section, pick your essay score, and set your target scores. The calculator shows your estimated GRE Verbal, Quant, and total scores, your percentile ranks, and how close you are to your goal.
Verbal Section 1 (Correct Answers): Type or slide the number of Verbal questions you got right in the first section. The range is 0 to 12.
Verbal Second-Section Difficulty: Choose Easy, Medium, or Hard. This is the difficulty level the test gave you for your second Verbal section. Better work in Section 1 sends you to a harder section that scores higher.
Verbal Section 2 (Correct Answers): Enter how many Verbal questions you got right in the second section, from 0 to 15.
Quant Section 1 (Correct Answers): Enter how many math questions you got right in the first Quant section, from 0 to 12.
Quant Second-Section Difficulty: Pick Easy, Medium, or Hard for the second Quant section you were given.
Quant Section 2 (Correct Answers): Enter how many math questions you got right in the second Quant section, from 0 to 15.
Analytical Writing Score: Choose your essay score from 0.0 to 6.0. It moves in half points.
Target Verbal Score: Set the Verbal score you want, from 130 to 170.
Target Quant Score: Set the Quant score you want, from 130 to 170.
Target Analytical Writing Score: Pick the essay score you are aiming for, from 0.0 to 6.0.
Calculate and Reset: Click Calculate to see your scores, percentiles, charts, and step-by-step math. Click Reset All to start over with the default values.
Understanding GRE Scores
The GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) is a test many grad schools, business schools, and some law schools use to compare applicants. It has three scored parts: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Each part is scored on its own scale, so there is no single "total" GRE score, though most schools add Verbal and Quant together.
The GRE Score Scales
- Verbal Reasoning: 130 to 170, in 1-point steps
- Quantitative Reasoning: 130 to 170, in 1-point steps
- Verbal + Quant combined: 260 to 340
- Analytical Writing: 0 to 6, in half-point steps
Raw Score vs. Scaled Score
Your raw score is just the number of questions you got right. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so guessing never hurts you. ETS then changes that raw score into a scaled score between 130 and 170. This step keeps scores fair across different test days and different sets of questions.
How the Adaptive Test Works
The current GRE has two Verbal sections (12 and 15 questions) and two Quant sections (12 and 15 questions). The test is section-level adaptive. How well you do on the first section decides how hard the second section will be. Doing well sends you to a harder second section, which lets you reach a higher score. If you land in an easier second section, your top possible score is lower. Even a perfect run on an easy section will not reach 170. That is why the same number of correct answers can lead to different scaled scores.
What Percentiles Mean
A percentile rank shows how you did compared to other test takers over the past few years. A 75th percentile score means you did better than 75% of them. Percentiles matter because the same number can mean very different things in each section. Quant scores are usually higher, since many test takers come from math-heavy fields. For example, a 160 in Verbal is a stronger standing than a 160 in Quant.
Score Ranges by Section (Rough Guide)
| Score | Verbal Standing | Quant Standing |
|---|---|---|
| 130 to 144 | Below average | Below average |
| 145 to 152 | Average | Below average |
| 153 to 158 | Above average | Average |
| 159 to 164 | Competitive | Above average |
| 165 to 170 | Excellent | Competitive to excellent |
Analytical Writing
The Analytical Writing part has one "Analyze an Issue" essay. It is graded by a trained reader and a computer program on a 0 to 6 scale, in half points. This part is not adaptive. Most test takers score between 3.0 and 4.5. A 4.5 or higher stands out, and a 4.0 is enough for many programs.
What Score Do You Need?
The right target depends on your program, not on some magic number. Engineering and computer science programs look hard at Quant. Humanities, law, and psychology programs care more about Verbal and writing. Check the average scores that your schools publish, then aim a few points above them. Scores are valid for five years from your test date.
Why Score Estimates Are Ranges
ETS does not publish exact raw-to-scaled tables for every test, and the tables shift a little with each version. So read any estimate as a range of a few points, not one exact number. Use estimates to track progress on practice tests and to spot which section needs the most work.