Is the Analytical Writing Important in GRE Scoring?

Last Updated on November 14, 2023

Many students starting their GRE prep ask me, “Is the Analytical Writing important in GRE scoring?”

For a variety of reasons, GRE test-takers often have mistaken impressions about whether the Analytical Writing measure matters and how much it matters. So, in this article, we’ll bust some myths about GRE Analytical Writing and answer the most common questions about the Analytical Writing score.

Here are the topics we’ll cover:

What is the gre analytical writing measure, how does analytical writing affect gre scores, consider school ranking, beware the steep drop in the score percentiles, can i skip analytical writing on the gre, a little preparation goes a long way, key takeaways, what’s next.

To start, let’s review what exactly GRE Analytical Writing entails.

The Analytical Writing measure is the first section you’ll see on your GRE . This section contains one essay tasks, which you have 30 minutes to complete.

The Issue task asks you to analyze an issue. The essay prompt presents an opinion about a topic of general interest. You’ll have to craft an essay responding to that opinion, with your own reasoning and examples supporting your stance. Whether your response agrees or disagrees with the presented opinion does not affect your essay score. The point is to pick whatever position allows you to craft as logical, coherent, and convincing an essay as possible.

The Analytical Writing measure does not require you to have particular subject matter knowledge. All of the information you need to write an effective response will appear in the essay prompt, be common knowledge, or be things that you happen to know and can utilize in your essay.

You will write your essays using the basic word processing program provided by the GRE test platform. That program features common functions such as Cut , Paste , Delete , and Undo , but does not feature automated spelling or grammar check.

The Analytical Writing measure contains one essay task, which you have 30 minutes to complete.

Now that we know what to expect in the GRE Analytical Writing measure, let’s discuss how GRE essays are scored.

The Analytical Writing section is scored separately from the rest of your GRE. In fact, you won’t see your Analytical Writing score along with your other scores on test day, because your essay is scored by a trained human reader as well as the computer. So, to allow time for a human to read your essays, you receive your Analytical Writing score once your official scores are posted to your ets.org account. The score you receive is on a 0-6 scale, in half-point increments.

The Analytical Writing section is scored separately from the rest of your GRE.

Now, when test-takers hear that the GRE Analytical Writing score is separate, generally one of the first questions they ask is, is GRE writing a part of the GRE overall score? The simple answer is no. Your GRE total score reflects your performance in the Quant and Verbal sections of the exam. Since you receive your total score immediately upon completion of your exam, before your essay has been scored, it has no effect on your overall GRE score. (You can get a detailed breakdown of how the GRE is scored here .)

Your total GRE score does not include Analytical Writing.

Because the Analytical Writing score is not factored into the total GRE score, and because test-takers don’t receive their Analytical Writing scores on test day, many GRE students assume that the essay score doesn’t really matter. However, depending on the graduate program to which you’re applying, your Analytical Writing score may be an important part of how admissions views your GRE scores. Let’s discuss.

Does the Writing Score Matter to Graduate Schools?

Test-takers often mistakenly assume that graduate schools don’t really care about the GRE essay score. The general thinking is that, since the Analytical Writing score is not part of the total GRE score, it doesn’t matter.

Furthermore, test-takers applying to programs in certain fields may assume that writing skills are unimportant for those programs. Or they may think that as long as their application essays are well-written, admissions will “already know” that they have writing skills.

It’s true that programs in some fields expect higher Analytical Writing scores than others. For instance, even top Engineering programs generally don’t expect Analytical Writing scores as high as those that a good Journalism or English program wants to see. That said, even more math-focused programs may look askance at a very low essay score.

So, this begs the question, what is a good Analytical Writing score for the GRE?

What Is a Good Analytical Writing Score on the GRE?

Analytical Writing is no different from the other GRE sections in that particular section scores matter more for some programs than for others.

Let’s take our earlier example of an Engineering vs. Journalism program. The graduate program in Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon, a top 5 Engineering school, reports that the average Analytical Writing score of admitted students is 4.0. NYU’s master’s in Journalism program, on the other hand, reports that its students have an average Analytical Writing score of 5.0.

Of course, this disparity is no surprise. Advanced writing skills are central to a student’s ability to perform at a high level in a Journalism program. That said, a 4.0 average is still pretty good for a “math-centric” program such as Engineering, right?

In other words, it’s a mistake to assume that, because a program is not centered on verbal or writing skills, any Analytical Writing score will do. Would you feel super confident applying to the Mechanical Engineering program at Carnegie Mellon with a 2.5 Analytical Writing score? A 3.0?

The moral of the story is that it’s always best to research the GRE Analytical Writing score averages at the specific programs you’re interested in. Those averages will tell you how important Analytical Writing is for you. If your field of study is more verbal-focused, chances are the Analytical Writing score will matter more than if your field is more math-focused. However, even if you’re applying to math-focused programs, assuming that the Writing score doesn’t matter at all is a mistake.

Research the Analytical Writing score averages at the programs you’re interested in to determine how much the Writing section matters for admissions.

Highly ranked programs may require pretty impressive scores in every GRE section.

For instance, UC Berkeley’s graduate program in Psychology, ranked #1 by U.S. News , reports that the 2020 cohort of admitted students had the following average GRE scores: 

  • Analytical Writing 4.8

It’s difficult to look at those averages and say that the program cares much more about one GRE section vs. another, or that any of the sections isn’t “important.”

Keep this example in mind when researching score averages at your desired programs, because in some cases, you may find data only on GRE Quant and Verbal scores, not Analytical Writing scores. In those cases, you’ll want to consider the program rankings. Are you looking at very highly ranked programs that will want to see fairly high scores in every GRE section?

Additionally, you can look for Analytical Writing score averages at similarly ranked programs, which will probably have score expectations similar to those of the programs you’re interested in. Furthermore, you can always reach out to admissions at your desired programs to try to get further insight into what kinds of GRE essay scores they look for from applicants.

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If Analytical Writing score averages aren’t available for your desired programs, look at averages at similarly ranked programs and consider contacting admissions for further insight.

Let’s say you’re not applying to a top-ranked school. Or, you’ve determined that Analytical Writing is the least emphasized GRE section for admissions at your desired programs. Even in those cases, you should be aware that there are sharp drops in the percentile rankings associated with Analytical Writing scores below a certain point.

Let’s take a look at the latest Analytical Writing percentile rankings, per ETS , as of this writing. Note that ETS reports that the average Analytical Writing score among all GRE test-takers is 3.6.

Notice that the differences in percentile rankings among the upper scores are not that great. However, as we approach and fall below the average Analytical Writing score, the percentile rankings quickly plummet.

So, while the difference between scoring, say, 3.5 and 3.0 may not seem that significant to many test-takers, going from “around average” to a 13th percentile ranking may seem pretty darn significant to admissions.

Given the steep drops we see in percentile rankings associated with below-average Analytical Writing scores, I think it’s generally wise to aim for an Analytical Writing score of at least 3.5, even for math-focused programs. That way, you avoid those really low percentile rankings.

Remember, you don’t want to give admissions the impression that you didn’t care enough to even try on your GRE essays. And of course, the higher the Analytical Writing averages at your desired programs, the higher you should aim.

Generally speaking, test-takers should try to at least hit the worldwide average Analytical Writing score of 3.5, to avoid very low percentile rankings.

One very common question I hear from GRE students, particularly those applying to programs that emphasize Quant, is whether it’s okay to skip the Analytical Writing section of the GRE.

For most GRE test-takers, the answer to this question will be no. Most graduate schools want applicants submitting GRE scores to have taken the entire GRE, not just parts of it.

So, unless your desired programs explicitly state that they don’t consider GRE Writing scores, you definitely should not skip Analytical Writing. Furthermore, even if a program states on its website that Writing scores are not required or considered, it’s a smart idea to contact admissions directly to confirm that policy. You don’t want an avoidable slip-up such as skipping Analytical Writing to cause any problems with your application.

Do not skip the GRE Writing unless you have confirmed with admissions that Analytical Writing scores are not factored into admissions decisions.

All things considered, most GRE test-takers have to complete the Analytical Writing section. Furthermore, many (if not most) need to aim for an Analytical Writing score that is at least average or better than average.

Fortunately, preparing for Analytical Writing does not have to take a huge chunk out of your GRE prep time. When it comes to the GRE essays, a little preparation goes a long way — even more reason not to neglect Analytical Writing! Just taking a few days to do the following could mean the difference between a mediocre Analytical Writing score and a top-notch one:

  • Review the kinds of prompts you could see on your exam .
  • Solidify a basic outline to follow for your essay.
  • Practice writing an essay or two.

At the end of the day, this relatively small investment of time and effort will be well worth it!

Take a few days to review the GRE essay topic pools that ETS publishes, solidify a basic outline to follow for each essay type, and practice writing an essay or two of each type.

  • The Analytical Writing measure contains one task in which you have 30 minutes to write an essay analyzing an issue.
  • Analytical Writing is scored on a 0-6 scale, in half-point increments.
  • Your Analytical Writing score is not factored into your total GRE score.
  • The average Analytical Writing score among all GRE test-takers is 3.6.
  • Below-average Analytical Writing scores are associated with percentile rankings in the low teens and single digits.
  • It’s a mistake to assume that, because a program is not centered on verbal or writing skills, a low Analytical Writing score will be acceptable.
  • To set your Analytical Writing score goal, research the GRE Analytical Writing score averages at the specific programs you’re interested in, or similarly ranked programs. You’ll want to at least hit those averages or better.
  • Unless your desired programs explicitly state that they don’t consider GRE Writing scores, do not skip the Writing section of your exam.
  • AWA prep doesn’t have to eat up a huge chunk of your GRE prep time. A little goes a long way!

Wondering how much GRE scores matter in general for graduate school? Check out this article for guidance .

You also may be interested in this article about what graduate schools consider a good GRE score . 

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Introduction to GRE AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment)

Introduction to GRE AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment)

GRE AWA | GRE Analytical Writing Assesment

Now these are two different things. One of the two tasks that you have in your GRE AWA section focuses on your ability to build an argument on your own to support a particular idea, the other task will provide an argument and ask you to analyze & evaluate the soundness of the logic of that argument . You need to be able to do both.

Its testing to measure you on both levels, of course. Last but not the least you need to be able to sustain a focused and coherent discussion . Now this discussion is going to be in the form of an essay but these are not the kinds of essays you may be used to writing in school so far or in college.

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These are going to be heavily analytical in nature and you need to be really focused. You need to have an idea of exactly what you’re going to say. It’s going to have to be structured, logical and competent .

We will look into how to write AWA general essays on the GRE so that this can be achieved. Now it’s important to know that just like the rest of the GRE – especially the verbal section – the GRE analytical writing will not try to test you on your knowledge of any particular content .

So don’t worry if you read a GRE analytical writing topic that’s about deer and the Arctic. If you have no idea about deer, if you have no idea about the Arctic or the Antarctic – that is not a problem. These questions are designed for you to be able to tackle them irrespective of your knowledge of these fields.

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The idea here is to test your skill, your ability to analyze not your subject knowledge. That being said those of you who do have subject knowledge – it’s also a good idea to leave that out of  your analyses.

Leave it out of your essays simply because it’s not 100% reliable. Your memory may not be the perfect way to judge whether you know something or you don’t.   For all you know it may not be 100% related to exactly what they’re saying or it could even be outdated information.

Evaluation Criteria for AWA

Alright, let’s go a little bit into the criteria involved in evaluating the GRE essay. When they’re assessing the quality of your writing, the testers – the ones who score your GRE Analytical Writing samples (essays) –  will be taking into account four skills. One, the content of your essay . That is your ability to present a cogent, persuasive relevant essay – Relevant ideas and arguments with sound reasoning and supporting examples.

By that we mean that your reasoning is what’s most important. Your logic has to be in place . Whenever you make a claim, you have to support it with an example. Don’t just  make an open statement saying “I disagree with the claim technology is very bad for us”.

You can’t stop right there. You have to elaborate on why you think technology is bad for you, why you feel that this is not efficient and further you need to support it with irrefutable logic.

Examples are great because they do both at the same time.   You don’t have to use very  complex words in the GRE essays to get a decent score.

The important thing to note when it comes to vocabulary is that if you are under confident about any particular word, don’t use it.

Look into the ways to improve your vocabulary and master in it.

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The standard is any person who is an expert on the language in which you have written the general essay will be able to tell a mistake apart very easily. So even if you’re a little under confident don’t use it.

They are not looking for high vocabulary or complex words, they’re looking for logic, reasoning and clarity in expression . So use the words that you know very well and try to  express ideas in the clearest possible way.

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The next most important thing is organization. Not only do you need to have your reasoning and your examples in place, you need to organize your ideas in a way that builds on your previous ideas well , in a way that naturally takes the reader from point A to point B to Point C and to  your conclusion.

By the time they reach the end they should be nodding their heads and saying “yes, I completely agree.” In order to do that you need to have a good structure in mind. Of course, next on the list is language. 

Yes, you do have to be a little bit a little careful about your language  because they are looking for some sense of fluency with language. Your word choice, your word usage, your sentence structures – these are things that you should get some confidence over before you attempt to write a GRE essay.

GRE analytical writing essay evaluation criteria

This is going to tell them how comfortable you are communicating clearly with the language that you’re going to have use for the next two or more years in their country.

That said if you don’t have a high vocabulary or complex word knowledge , it’s okay if you don’t use a lot of complex sentence structures. You can still get a decent score on the AWA if you’re not too confident.

Don’t unnecessarily make your sentences long-winded or complex because you think  they’re expecting that. Grammar is also something they’re going to look at a little closely.

It’s okay if you make a handful of errors in one essay but the repeat errors of a particular type  will really stand out. If you have a subject verb agreement problem in your first paragraph but they don’t see another one in the rest of the essay, it’s not going to be a real issue they’re not going to mark you down for that.

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If, however, you have subject verb agreement issues throughout your entire essay that’s going to show them that this is a serious grammatical issue in your  language.

We recommend getting a little comfortable with some of the standards of written English. The best way to do this is to read a lot, get a lot of GRE analytical writing practice in. Do this using online tools that  point out mistakes in your writing. Reading GRE Sample essays will also help you understand where you are going wrong in the AWA.

In fact even if you have the latest version of Microsoft Word, it’s going to underline and give you those suggestions for any grammatical or syntactic mistakes so just get some practice writing full sentences and seeing where you go wrong frequently.

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The real important things that they’re looking for here for you to focus on would be content and organization . So for those of you in your very early stages of prep we would advise you to focus  first and foremost on these two. Without content without organization, there’s no use in your language and grammar being excellent because if the content is missing they can’t really give you a score for sounding good.

They need to give you a score for saying the things that are necessary to make this essay substantial. So first focus on understanding the issue or the argument at hand , analyzing  it, writing a clear essay, structuring it in a way that makes logical sense and everything will come together. These are the heaviest and most important things for your AWA section.

[bctt tweet=”GRE AWA section is scored out of 6 and the average of two essays is taken as a final score. Anything above 5 is an excellent GRE AWA score. ” username=”galvanizeprep”]

Why is it on the GRE?

Why is analytical writing gre a thing.

It tells all of the colleges to which you apply that you are capable of critical thinking, of exceptionally good writing and logical reasoning . So much like the GRE verbal reasoning section, this also tests your ability to think and analyze texts but more importantly also your ability to express it  in words of your own.

This is a very very important skill and the reason this is being stressed is because those of you who aspire to write the GRE to get abroad for your masters courses will be expected to write a lot of assignments, to write papers, to work on research and to submit a lot of content throughout your academic career in the US .

Why is the Analytical writing section present in the GRE/

This is a very heavy part of their academics and not just at the college level. This is something that is emphasized right from school. So for those of you who are still uncomfortable  with that you can think of the AWA section as something that prepares you to tackle all of this – to tackle the challenge that a higher education in a country like the US where English is  their first language is going to bring for you.

Time Allocated for the AWA

There are two types of tasks. One is called an ‘analyze an issue’ task and the other is ‘analyze an argument’ task. Together they combine to form the AWA section for each of which you have 30 minutes bringing it to a total of sixty minutes .

GRE Issue Essay:

GRE Issue Essay tests your ability to present your opinion on an issue and support the your argument. Don’t get confused with the GRE Argument Essay. Here you need to support one side of the issue and present it in 30 minutes.To understand the concept better, read a few GRE issue essay samples and then practice the whole AWA.

GRE Argument Essay:

This type of essay tests your ability to criticise the author’s argument with proofs and presents his view with supporting evidences. Finally you need to give evidence to weaken the conclusion without disapproving the author’s conclusion. For this too, look at a few GRE argument essay samples before practicing for the entire AWA.

These are actually the first 60 minutes of your four hour exam. So really build your stamina and come prepared . Be prepared, practice. This kind of thing doesn’t happen beautifully overnight.

Time allocated for GRE AWA section

How are the Essays Scored?

They’re going to look at all of these aspects – the strength of your argument, the relevance of your examples, your grammar and finally combine all of that to get your score. It’s also  important to remember that each GRE essay of the analytical writing section is evaluated twice. Once by a human reader, the other is by a software called an ‘e-rater’ .

This was developed by ETS – the people  who made the GRE exam and it’s actually used to monitor the human reader. So the e-rater  also gives an evaluation and a score and if the two scores agree with one another then the human score is final.

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If they disagree, then a second human score is obtained so there’s a  chance that your essay may even be read a third time and that final score is an average of the two humans.

The e-rater score is never your final score , it’s just to test whether the human score sounds appropriate. They’re going through a lot of trouble to assess how good your essay is.

Now let’s talk about how the GRE essays are scored. Each of these essays are scored in two different ways . One –  it’s evaluated by a trained human reader . There is going to be a real person reading your essays so make it as legible as possible.

Try to avoid grammatical mistakes, spelling errors. They can see it. They’re going to grade each of the essays and   give it a score out of six . The final score is going to be an average of these two scores.

They  don’t give anything in decimal points, it’s always going to be a whole number and the final score may have the decimal point of five at best. That’s how you are scored. So your issue received a score of five and your argument a four, then your AWA score overall would be a 4.5.

How GRE analytical writing is scored?

Note that the scoring is holistic so what they’re looking for is overall quality. The essay as a whole should be quite good for you to receive a reasonably good score like a 4.

It’s okay if you’ve made a few grammatical mistakes , it’s okay if your content is not 100% perfect but say you do averagely well across all of these, then you can get a pretty decent score .

Now if the grammar is really really horrible but you have great content you still have some chances of scoring decently. Content has the highest value . That said, if it’s really hard for them  to even get through one of your sentences, that’s not going to help either. So focus on covering all four of these areas – your content, your organization, your grammar and language .

What is Good GRE Writing score?

Even though GRE Analytical Writing has two different sections, the score you get is a combined which makes it more reliable. One of the important factors that determines your good GRE AWA score is the field of study you wanted to pursue.

Take a look at the table below to know the performance of each score range.

From the below ETS performance reports between 2014 and 2017, you can observe that most of the test takers were able to score above 3.5 in Analytical writing section but only 8 percent of the test-takers were able to score above 5.0, which means you need to practice a lot to score above 5 in GRE writing.

Time Management for the AWA

The next big question that comes to mind is “how do I manage my time?”.  You have 30 minutes each to write both essays. How do you break it up into chunks? How do you deal with each part of this task well? Here are a few GRE analytical writing tips we recommend.

As always, we suggest you spend the first couple of minutes reading your topic   carefully and understanding the prompt.

The reason we say this dedicatedly is because a lot of learners personally tend to read the prompt very quickly and think “oh gosh I have to write an essay” and then rush and start writing. Don’t do this.

We’ve seen students make very big mistakes or errors in their judgment because they rush to try to write the actual essay . It’s important to understand the essay prompt and the argument first. You may even miss a really big key word and completely misunderstand what  the prompt is about.

GRE essay - Utilizing the time

In fact  we’ve seen students miss key words which mean the exact opposite of what they’ve  understood. Take your time to read carefully and spend these couple of minutes being really  focused here.

The next two to four minutes is going to be spent on reading the prompt again. Those of you who don’t like reading again please get that out of your system for the entire GRE AWA. Everything hinges on you reading carefully and reading maybe even multiple times to make sure you really understood what you’re reading.

This is where you begin to jot down your points and examples as they come to your mind. The moment you lay your eyes on any particular topic ideas will  come flooding into your mind. Now is the time you take to quickly note them down.

GRE AWA Tips and Tricks

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It’s okay if you use short forms, whatever you can do as quickly as possible. For those of you who are not comfortable with typing please get a lot of practice as it will be needed for the AWA. The next 15 minutes is the most important. 15 minutes is smack in the middle so that you  have enough time to really wrap it up. This is when you write a draft.

In addition, ETS has published the complete pool of GRE AWA topics which will ever appear on the Analytical Writing section of the test! If you have the time, we recommend checking out the list of topics so you’re not blindsided on test day.

For those of you who are not accustomed to following the proper writing technique every piece of writing that you do has  an all-important drafting stage . This means it is not the final piece.

Type up your draft, use the points and examples you came up with, jot things down, even put new things that hit you at this time but you have to do it within these 15 minutes because next you only have a few more minutes to really develop new points and clean things up.

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Now this is where the most important part of making an essay a finished product actually happens.

This is when you make your draft final. This is when you make it a complete piece of writing. You have to spend time re-arranging and re-organizing your ideas . You need to decide where you want to start talking about the most impactful thing, which is the best concluding note and move things around.

Make sure that there’s logical flow from point A to point B . So if this point B contradicts point A, there’s a space for you to use a transition. Maybe you’ve finished point A on a particular note. Before you start point B you might want to say “however it’s important for us to consider so on..”.

This is the kind of thing that gives your essay flow. It makes the reader aware of your flow of thought, of your flow of reasoning.

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Transitions are a huge part of organizing your essay and we strongly recommend taking a few minutes to get comfortable with these. The reason the last three minutes are especially important is because we really take it seriously as a part of the writing process. You’re not allowed to not do anything additional these last three minutes.

You must read your entire essay, check for mistakes and typos and see if you need to make any quick changes. At this time you make no additions or subtractions, just edit and make sure you  clean it up.

GRE Writing Practice:

Start practising the essays and schedule an hour in a day to write one argument essay and one issue essay. While writing, make yourself and the reader clear on what side of the argument you are standing. Don’t let the reader assume it.

Take up the high score GRE essay samples and compare your essays with them. Go through the differences like number of paragraphs, sentence structure, vocabulary and strong evidences to support your argument. By following these GRE writing tips you can aim for 5+ in GRE analytical writing score.

Summarizing the AWA

About word limits – it’s not the biggest and most important thing of concern here in the GRE analytical writing section. You have half an hour to write a substantial essay . We recommend writing the GRE essay anywhere between three and five paragraphs .

The reason we say this is because you need that much space at least to develop your ideas thoughtfully and substantially. Five paragraphs are good.

An absolute maximum would be seven paragraphs. Do not exceed seven paragraphs , that really means you’re talking a little bit too much and testing the readers ability to  keep up with your thinking.

GRE analytical writing tips

Try to write at least 300 – 400 words or three to five paragraphs.

Practice is absolutely essential for the AWA. You cannot ace these AWA exams on your first try so practice . Try to type at least three to five of these essays.

This means at least three GRE issue essays and at least three GRE argument essays well before your actual GRE. Of course when you practice use a timer. Timing is all essential for organizational clarity .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much time can we spend for GRE AWA? 

  • 60 mins in which you need to write two essays

What is a good GRE Analytical score? 

  • A score of 4-6 is a good GRE analytical score

What is the evaluation criteria for GRE AWA? 

  • Content,  clarity in expressing, organization of ideas and language

What are the two tasks in GRE AWA? 

  • GRE issue essay : Ability to present opinion and support argument
  • GRE Argument Essay : To criticize the argument with proof and present his view with supporting evidence

How is GRE AWA evaluated? 

  • Once evaluated by human reader and once by a software : ‘e-rater’
  • Scored out of 6 and the average of two essays is taken as a final score.  Anything above 5 is an excelling GRE AWA score. 

So Here’s a Quick Summary of GRE AWA Guide:

  • GRE AWA tests thinking, writing and logical reasoning skills
  • Sections of GRE : Verbal, Quant and analytical
  • GRE AWA : 60 mins, 2 essays
  • Good GRE analytical score : 4-6
  • Two tasks : One to build an argument to support an idea. Two : To analyze and evaluate the soundness of the argument
  • Tackle the questions irrespective of your knowledge on that subject : they test skills, not knowledge. 
  • Content : Ability to present relevant and persuasive essay. Use examples to support your argument
  • Clarity in expressing ideas
  • Organization of ideas : structure of essay
  • Language : Your choice of words , sentence structure and the fluency would be taken into account
  • Tip : Don’t make sentences and words complex unnecessarily. 
  • Focus on content and organization first. 
  • Two tasks : To analyze an issue task, To analyze an argument task : 60 mins
  • GRE AWA Evaluation : Once by human reader and once by a software : ‘e-rater’
  • ETS has released the pool of topics : use them

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Structuring & Composing Your GRE AWA Essays!

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Now it's your turn, i'd like to hear from you.

There you have it. Everything you need in order to get your GRE AWA practice started right.

Is writing essays something you enjoy? Or is there an aspect of this you’re nervous about?

Leave a comment below letting us know right away.

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It was informative. And also happy by buying the gre test preparation course by galvanize. Hoping foe good result.

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Informative.

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It was of great help. I got a clear guide abhiut what gre is actually about. I am looking forward to it.

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The part of GRE AWA that scares me is writing an essay.

My only problem is writing a good essay with coherence.

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I read the whole article .. Gives a lot information about the GRE vocab App . I have been using the app since two weeks . Well I can get some new stuff regarding GRE everyday . This article gives information about AWA and GRE app which is important for the students who are not aware about GRE exam .

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I had trouble with essays this was useful.

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nic post thanks for sharing

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This was interesting.

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So helpful and informative. Thanks

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What is a Good GRE Score?

Do GRE test scores really matter? Is your GRE score good enough to get you into the grad school of your choice? 

good GRE scores

A "good" GRE score depends on the the programs you are considering. For comparison, the average score for all GRE test takers is currently a 150 for Verbal and a 152 for Math (Source: ETS ). Because the GRE General Test is used for such a wide range of graduate school programs (including some business schools!), the relative weight it is given will vary from field to field and from school to school. Research the universities where you plan to apply so that you can create the best GRE prep plan for you! 

Guide to GRE Scoring 

You'll receive three GRE scores on your score report, one for Quantitative Reasoning (math), one for Verbal Reasoning, and one for Analytical Writing (the essays).

GRE Scores Range

Read More: Average GRE Scores: How Do Your Scores Compare?

GRE Score Percentiles

Every GRE score has two components: a scaled score (i.e. 130–170) and a percentile rank. Your percentile rank is more important than your scaled score. Your percentile rank indicates how your GRE scores compare to those of other test takers. For example, a scaled Verbal score of 150 on the GRE translates to roughly the 47 th percentile, meaning that you scored better than 47 percent of other test takers—and worse than the other 53 percent of test takers. Here are the most recent GRE percentile ranks , released by ETS.

The essays are scored a little differently than the Verbal and Quantitative sections. The corresponding percentiles are as follows:

In other words, a score of 5 on the essay portion of the GRE means you performed better than 93 percent of test takers.

What are good GRE scores for MY goals?

The first step in figuring out how to prepare for the GRE is figuring out how your scores will be used. The only way to do that is to contact the programs to which you plan to apply. Here are some questions you should be asking.

1. What GRE scores do I need to be accepted?

You need to have a target score so you can figure out how much work you need to put in between now and test day. If the school doesn’t have or won’t quote you a cutoff score, use our grad school search and business school search to find out the average scores for last year’s incoming class. 

2. Will you look at all parts of my GRE score?

Some programs may care about your math score, but not your verbal score, and vice versa. If a program doesn’t care about your math or your essay score, then you know exactly where to put your prep time.

Read More: How to Study for the GRE

3. Are GRE scores used for anything else?

If your scores will used for course placement or for scholarship consideration, it would be good to know that now, while you still have time to prepare.

4. How important are my GRE scores in terms of my entire application?

How much weight a program places on your score is often a function of how competitive admission to the program is. If it is a competitive program, every number will count.

5. What do you do with multiple GRE scores?

You might decide to take the GRE a second time. It would be good to know, however, the importance of that first score. If a school is going to take your highest GRE score, then you can relax a bit on test one, knowing that you can take it again if you need to.

Other Grad School Admission Factors

The reality is that good GRE scores are just one of the factors that can affect your admission chances. Grad and business schools are looking for the whole package, including:

  • Standardized test scores
  • undergraduate coursework
  • professional and hands-on experience
  • letters of recommendation
  • statement of purpose , etc.

Find out exactly how your GRE scores will be used so you can craft the right application strategy for your dream school.

How will you score?

Take a GRE practice test with us under the same conditions as the real thing. You'll get a personalized score report highlighting your strengths and areas of improvement.

Start a Free Practice Test

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GRE Score Range: What’s a Good GRE Score?

Silhouette of mountain range representing GRE Scores Range - magoosh

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), what is the average gre score, what is the gre score range by program, what is a good gre score for grad school, what’s a good gre score for me, what’s a bad gre score, how do i increase my scores.

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:

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 .

back to top

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.

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.

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. For top business schools that accept the GRE , scores range between 157 and 168 for Quant, and 155 to 167 for Verbal.

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.

Data from ETS Worldwide Test Taker Snapshot (PDF)

Improve your GRE score with Magoosh.

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.).

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.

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.

GRE Score Range showing the distribution and percentiles - magoosh

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.

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.

With all of those factors in mind, it’s time to set your target score (or rather, target score s —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!

Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Rachel is one of Magoosh’s Content Creators. She writes and updates content on our High School and GRE Blogs to ensure students are equipped with the best information during their test prep journey. As a test-prep instructor for more than five years in there different countries, Rachel has helped students around the world prepare for various standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT, and she is one of the authors of our Magoosh ACT Prep Book . Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Brown University, an MA in Cinematography from the Université de Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in Film Studies from University College London. For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS , is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin’s Press , while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND , co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House. Her work has appeared in over a dozen online and print publications, including Vanity Fair Hollywood. When she isn’t strategically stringing words together at Magoosh, you can find Rachel riding horses or with her nose in a book. Join her on Twitter , Instagram , or Facebook !

View all posts

More from Magoosh

Top GRE Scores - image by Magoosh

73 responses to “GRE Score Range: What’s a Good GRE Score?”

Praneeth Thota Avatar

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?

Magoosh Expert

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! 😀

Shub Avatar

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!

Sally Avatar

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 🙂

Pranav Seth Avatar

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.

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:

  • What is a Good GRE Score?
  • GRE Scores Infographic
  • GRE Scores for Top Universities
  • GRE Scores by Program Major

If you’d like general advice about graduate programs, this website is also a great place to start your research:

  • Best Grad Schools

We also have an admissions section on our blog where our partner companies often address common student admissions questions:

  • GRE Admissions
  • TOEFL Admissions

I hope this helps at least a little bit! 🙂

NIKHIL REDDY ALETI Avatar

I scored 152 in verbal and 152 in quant is this score good?

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!

Joyal Mathew Avatar

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.

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!

MP Avatar

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!

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!

Rashmi Avatar

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.

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 .

arya Avatar

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 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 a nalyze 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 🙂

HEMASHREE E Avatar

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. 🙂

Harshit Avatar

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!

psyche Avatar

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?

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!

Petria Avatar

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.

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.

Fabiola Avatar

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?

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 🙂

JP Avatar

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.

Stacey Avatar

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?

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!

Rouzbeh Rahai Avatar

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?

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 🙂

Aaditya Avatar

I scored 280 in gre. I completed my BSc in chemistry with 66.8%. I decided to do chemical engineering.

Faez Ahmmed Avatar

In which University, you are studying? please tell me.

Davis Avatar

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 ?

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 🙂

Manish Soni Avatar

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 .

Akil Avatar

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

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!

Ammon Lam Avatar

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.

Opemipo Avatar

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. 🙂

Shailesh Avatar

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.

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! 🙂

Sudipta Avatar

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! 😀

Enrique Avatar

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! 🙂

Dano Avatar

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.

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! 🙂

Yosef Avatar

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 ?

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 .

Chels Avatar

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?

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!

Kartik Avatar

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.

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. 🙂

Harika Reddy P Avatar

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?

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.

Deepank Avatar

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. 🙂

Andy Avatar

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

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!

Ayesha Avatar

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?

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! 🙂

R Vijaykumar Avatar

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.

Sourav Avatar

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

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 😀

KE Avatar

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. 🙂

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What Is a Good GRE Score for Graduate School Admissions?

Experts say what qualifies as a good GRE score depends on the grad school you want to attend.

What Is a Good GRE Score?

gre good writing score

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Grad school hopefuls wondering how well they need to perform on the Graduate Record Exam should understand that programs have varied expectations for standardized tests, admissions experts say.

Admissions officers suggest prospective students look up the GRE score ranges among admitted students at the schools they are considering and check if these schools have GRE score requirements.

Researching grad program admissions statistics can help you determine which GRE scores are good enough to qualify for acceptance at desired programs.

"A good GRE score is relative to the program you’re applying to," Pierre Huguet, CEO and founder of admissions consulting firm H&C Education, wrote in an email. "The best way to assess the value of your GRE score is to look for the latest average GRE data from the program you’re applying to. If these numbers aren’t available online, feel free to contact the department itself, as they are usually very happy to help prospective students with their applications."

People who complete the GRE receive three scores: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Here's how the scoring breaks down, according to the Educational Testing Service, the nonprofit organization that designs and administers the GRE:

GRE Score Ranges

GRE test-takers who are unsure what type of graduate program they would like to attend can use the following data from ETS for guidance on what kind of score to aim for. The chart shows approximate percentiles from those who took the test between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2021.

GRE Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning Percentiles

Analytical writing percentiles, guidelines for setting target gre scores.

According to ETS, the mean verbal reasoning score among all GRE test-takers between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2021 was 150.61. Meanwhile, the mean quantitative score was 154.34 and the mean analytical writing score was 3.6.

A score above a 155 on the quantitative section would typically put a test-taker "in pretty decent shape," especially for programs that are less focused on math, says Ryan Starr, an instructor with Manhattan Prep, a Kaplan test-prep company. He adds that a score near or above 160 is generally good enough to get into most programs, though some top programs with a math focus might still want to see higher scores around 165. For verbal scores, anything in the high 150s or above is a good score, Starr says.

Experts say that math-heavy grad programs tend to desire students with high quantitative scores and put less emphasis on verbal scores. In contrast, grad programs in humanities subjects typically want students with high verbal scores.

"So a low math score, for example, won’t necessarily hurt your chances of acceptance to great humanities and social sciences programs, and a low verbal score won’t necessarily hurt your chances of acceptance to a competitive math-based program," Huguet says.

Andrew Selepak, program coordinator of the graduate program in social media at the University of Florida , says GRE scores that are good enough for someone to qualify for one grad program may not allow them to be a competitive candidate elsewhere.

It is "important for the applicant to learn the minimum score for the program they are applying to," Selepak wrote in an email. "But a few points higher or lower can make all the difference when applying for graduate school and it is important for the applicant to not only keep this in mind, but to also know the minimum score required."

Dozens of law schools in the U.S. and abroad accept the GRE in place of scores from the Law School Admissions Test, known as the LSAT. An EST tool converts GRE results into equivalent LST scores, and law schools can differ from each other in how they view GRE scores.

The Importance of Percentiles

Grad school admissions officers sometimes care as much about a candidate's GRE percentiles, meaning the percent of fellow test-takers who the candidate outperformed on each section of the exam, as they do about actual GRE scores.

"Ultimately, they want to know how you do compared to your peers," says Nellie Gaynor, a graduate school admissions counselor at IvyWise, an admissions consulting company. "A score of 160 on one test and 165 on another test can have two very different percentiles. I think it’s important to understand that in the context."

Anything in the 75th percentile or higher in all three tests will generally be good enough to get into most competitive grad programs, Gaynor says. However, some prestigious programs may want to see higher scores.

U.S. News data reveals that there are some grad programs where admitted students tend to have exceptionally high GRE scores, including the doctoral program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's School of Engineering . The average GRE score among MIT engineering Ph.D. students entering in fall 2022 was 161 out of 170 on the verbal section, 4.4 out of 6 on the writing section and 167 out of 170 on the quantitative section.

How Much GRE Scores Matter

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many grad programs have become test optional. Submitting GRE scores can benefit an application, but it may not always be necessary. Experts suggest weighing the benefits of taking the test alongside the cost and time required for test prep.

For applicants who struggled in their undergraduate programs, strong performance on the GRE can demonstrate academic prowess, Starr says. Further, experts say that grad school applicants with subpar test scores can sometimes compensate by writing compelling admissions essays and submitting a strong resume

"Basically, most schools are considering your GRE score and your academic transcript in the same bucket,” Starr says. “If that bucket’s a little light on the academic transcript, then you top it off with a good GRE score essentially to give the schools some indication that you can handle the rigors of an academic program in a way that the transcript doesn’t show."

Many grad programs offer standardized test waivers for candidates who have high college grades or extensive work experience, so candidates may want to investigate this, experts say.

Grad school applicants who intend to take the GRE and perform well on it should prep for the exam thoroughly. Gaynor says most test-takers typically spend two or three months preparing, though that varies.

However, GRE test-takers who do not perform as well as they hoped should not automatically assume that a low score will prevent them from attending grad school, Huguet says.

"Of course, test takers should try to get the highest score possible on the GRE exam," he says. "However, there’s a misconception among graduate school applications that your GRE score can make or break your application. It is important to understand that the GRE is only one aspect among many others. Things like research or work experience, or published papers, carry much more weight in a grad school application than your GRE score."

Gaynor emphasizes that grad school admissions officers look at applicants' credentials in a holistic way, evaluating GRE scores alongside other information.

"I think you have to understand that it’s one piece of the admissions puzzle," she says. "Ultimately, you can demonstrate your verbal or your quantitative skills in different parts of your application. In a GRE-optional world, there’s lots of different options for applicants to put their best foot forward and still be competitive at top schools."

Searching for a grad school? Access our complete rankings of Best Graduate Schools.

10 Steps to Tackle a Low GRE Score

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What is a Good GRE AWA Essay score?

gre good writing score

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In about the gre.

The AWA section of the GRE is often a confusing score to interpret. AWA is scored separately from the verbal and math sections on a six-point scale. If you are new to GRE, you have probably heard people say that their verbal and quant scores are so so, but you rarely hear people mentioning their AWA score. The mysterious nature of this score makes you wonder if schools even care about it at all.

Meanwhile, it may play a significant role, especially for the students that will have to deal with numerous written assignments like research papers, essays, case studies, and so on. Of course, one can always use an essay service to simplify their academic life. That way, you won’t have to care about the AWA score.

However, depending on the program you are applying to, your AWA score may carry more importance than you think. Since GRE is a test designed to measure your readiness for grad-school, the AWA score reflects your ability to present convincing arguments. This may mean little to an engineering school , but in humanities , your prose’s quality is an essential factor .

Humanities subjects typically include a lot of writing, and so the ability to organize your thoughts on paper and deliver a persuasive argument is lauded.

In this article, I will discuss what a good AWA score is and if it matters.

In this Article

What is a good AWA score?

How would i know what my awa score should be, how can i evaluate my awa skills.

The analytical writing section of the GRE is scored on a 0-6 scale in half-point increments. The obvious answer would be that 5+ points on AWA is a “good” score. However, it is not that simple. As I said previously, it all depends on what area of study you are applying to. STEM programs typically aren’t as picky about your AWA score as humanities. Moreover, we know that students who apply for STEM programs usually have average AWA scores.

According to data published by ETS, students who applied to STEM programs had a mean AWA score lower than humanities and arts.

As you can see, humanities and arts have a higher mean AWA score than other fields. Moreover, ETS has also published extensive data related to scores that give us a better understanding of how test-takers score about each other.

According to GRE’s Guide to the use of scores, we can deduce the following insights from the provided data.

If we compare the two tables, we can see that you only have to score better than 60 percent of test-takers to achieve a 4.0 AWA score, the highest mean score among all the fields.

Whereas for STEM degrees, you can get away with a lower score. Hence, irrespective of the program you are applying to, I would say a good AWA score is 4.5-5.0. An excellent score is 5.5-6.0, and an average score is 3.5-4.0.

When it comes to GRE, nothing is set in stone. Graduate schools take a holistic approach to your application. Things like excellent work experience or research experience may make up for a relatively low GRE score in some instances. That being said, your first concern should be cut-off scores.

Fortunately, not many schools have AWA cut-off scores, but if they do, it’s usually around 3.5-4. An excellent way to determine if the program you are applying to has a GRE cut-off score is to check the program requirements.

You can also request this information from the school by sending them an email. Another way to check the average AWA score of a school is to use websites like  U.S. News . U.S. News has a vast library of data on hundreds of U.S. grad-schools.

Once you know either the cut-off score or your school’s average AWA score, you would know what to aim for.

This is the most tricky part of GRE prep. Unlike quant and verbal sections, AWA doesn’t have an “objective” standard. By objective, I mean that there isn’t a one-word right or wrong answer and hence evaluating your writing is a tricky thing to do.

One thing that you can do is consult essays published and evaluated by ETS on their website. Six essays have been taken out from actual GRE tests and scored accordingly. Read the prompt in the highlighted box first, then write your essay without reading the essays provided there. Once you are done, compare your essay with those published by ETS and read the “rater commentary” too . This will give you an idea of what your essay score would be.

Another lesser know resource is ETS’s own “Analytical Writing Sample Essays and Commentaries” that you can download from here. This is a 70-page document containing a wealth of information and real sample essays taken from GRE tests. You will learn about the scoring system and what the examiners are looking for in an essay.

However, if you want to go all out, you can sign-up for a GRE course such as the ones offered by The Economist , Magoosh , and Manhattan . The courses give you the option to submit your essays to get them evaluated by GRE experts. The only problem is that these courses can cost hundreds of dollars and is not an option for everyone.

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What Is a Good GRE Score? 2023-24

October 11, 2023

what is a good gre score percentiles

You’re writing your statement of purpose, you’re reaching out to mentors for letters of recommendation, you’re navigating universities’ maze-like websites, trying to figure out where on earth to mail your official transcripts. Applying to graduate school is essentially a full-time job, and the GRE is just one more complicated thing to juggle. Of course, you already know that doing well on the exam matters, but what is a good GRE score, how do colleges weigh it, and what exactly are your programs looking for? There’s a lot to consider, but have no fear—we’re here to help you understand the GRE (see GRE score percentiles chart below) and give you tools to help you strategize. Below, we’ll cover all your pressing questions:

  • What Are the GRE Score Ranges?
  • What Are GRE Score Percentiles?
  • Understanding GRE Score Percentiles
  • How Do Schools Use Your Scores?
  • What is a Good GRE Score for Your Program?
  • How Do I Improve My Scores?
  • Additional Resources

The following is an affiliate link for a company that we strongly recommend to our clients. We may earn a small commission when you purchase a program using our links, at no cost to you. 

Need extra support preparing for the GRE? Kaplan offers a variety of GRE preparation programs, including live, on-demand, and in-person courses as well as private tutoring. Click the button below to learn more.

gre good writing score

What Is a Good GRE Score – What Are the GRE Score Ranges?

The GRE is broken down into three parts:

  • Verbal Reasoning (multiple-choice)
  • Quantitative Reasoning (multiple-choice)
  • Analytical Writing (essay)

For the multiple-choice sections, scores range from 130-170 and are distributed in 1-point increments. The maximum combined score for the multiple-choice sections is 340. For the essay section, the minimum score is 0 and the maximum is 6, and scores are distributed in .5-point increments. The table below shows you the average scores of all GRE test-takers between 2019-2022.

Source: ETS

What is a Good GRE Score – What Are GRE Score Percentiles?

When you receive your GRE score, you’ll also receive a corresponding percentile ranking that tells you how well you scored compared to others. These percentile rankings work very differently than the grade percentiles you’re used to in your college classes. With the GREs, scoring in the 90% percentile doesn’t mean you got an A- on the test, it means you scored better than 90% of all other test-takers.

In a nutshell: Your GRE percentile is not your raw score or a grade; it is a reflection of how well you did compared to others. The two tables below break down multiple-choice and essay percentile data from 2019-2022.

Percentile Data Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning

Percentile Data Analytical Writing

What Is a Good GRE Score – Understanding GRE Score Percentiles

We’ve established that GRE score percentiles reflect how well you did in comparison to others. So, what does that mean for your GRE strategy? It means that your job as a GRE test-taker is not necessarily to get a perfect score. Rather, for admission to most graduate programs, you should aim for a higher-than-average score.

Generally speaking, a score above the 75th percentile in either section will make you a competitive applicant. That means aiming for at least a 157 in Verbal Reasoning and at least a 163 in Quantitative Reasoning. For Analytical Writing, where there is a wide percentile gap between a score of 4.0 and 4.5, a 4.5 will ensure you are above the 75th percentile.

If you’re applying to very competitive programs, you’ll likely want to shoot for scores in the 90th percentile or higher. For Verbal, that’s about 162 and above. For Quantitative, that’s about 169 and above.

That said, there’s no single rule to follow when trying to achieve a good GRE score. Target scores will vary from person to person. The score you aim for will depend on the programs you’re applying to and your intended field of study. To determine what makes a good GRE score for you , you’ll need to consider our next topic of conversation: how grad schools use your GRE scores.

What Is a Good GRE Score – How Do Schools Use Your Scores?

Since there’s no way to know how an admissions committee will feel about your statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and writing sample (if applicable), it can be tempting to put the most pressure on the parts of your application packet that are easily quantifiable: your GRE scores and your grades. But that doesn’t mean that the latter two will automatically outshine the other parts of your application.

For most programs, you’ll want to earn a good GRE score, but it’s important to remember that this is just one part of your application. Each person applying to a grad program will have their own unique background and different experiences, so there’s no one measuring stick by which to measure all potential grad students. Many admissions officers will look at your application holistically, taking all pieces of the puzzle into consideration, but some types of programs do highly value the GRE.

To determine a good target GRE score, you’ll need to do some research into what your particular field and programs consider to be a good GRE score.

What Is a Good GRE Score for Your Program?

Different academic disciplines expect you to master different subject matter before beginning graduate studies. It goes without saying that an English graduate program will weigh your Verbal and Analytical Writing scores more heavily than your Quantitative scores, while a STEM program will likely pay closest attention to your Quantitative scores. Our general advice: We recommend you prioritize the part(s) of the test that matters most to your field.

But what about grad programs in fields that require verbal, quantitative, and writing skills? And how do competitive admissions impact a school’s GRE score expectations? While your GRE numerical scores may be cut and dry, what makes a good GRE score is not. To determine your target GRE scores, do your research on the school’s website (don’t forget to do a careful read of their FAQs!) and consider these factors:

Does the program have a minimum GRE score?

Some schools require a minimum score for admission. Be sure to make note of cut-off scores to avoid disqualification.

Does the program post average scores?

Many schools share average scores on their websites. If your scores are lower than average, you won’t necessarily be disqualified, but it may make your chances of admission less likely. Aim for higher than average for that school. If the school doesn’t publish average scores, consider contacting a program administrator to ask what they consider to be a good GRE score.

Does the program specify weight placed on GRE scores?

In recent years, some schools and disciplines have begun placing less weight on GRE scores or removing them as a requirement for admission altogether . This isn’t true of all programs, but your school may provide information on their website about how they weigh each part of your application packet. If they don’t, we encourage you to contact a program administrator to ask.

Is your program test-optional?

Many graduate programs made the GRE optional during the COVID-19 pandemic and haven’t looked back. But just because the test is optional doesn’t mean you should skip it entirely. If you struggled academically in your undergraduate program, for example, a good GRE score can be an alternate way to show academic potential. Still, applying to graduate school can be a full-time job, so taking the GRE may not be the best use of your time. When GRE scores are optional, it is a good idea to contact the program to ask how their program weighs optional scores.

Does your program require a GRE Subject test?

If so, the subject test may carry more significant weight than the general GRE. In this case, it’s again a good idea to contact the program to ask how their program weighs scores.

What Is a Good GRE Score – How Do I Improve My Scores?

Once you’ve determined your target score, we recommend taking the exam more than once. Like any standardized test, half the battle is simply learning how to take the test. The GRE is challenging and can be daunting on your first go-around, so knowing you’ll have multiple chances to do your best will ensure you’re able to head into it with a calm (or calmer) mind.

It’s a great idea to buy test prep books, watch strategy videos, and take practice tests well ahead of your exam date. In part, you’ll boost your mastery of the material. But you’ll also get a better grasp of the particular and sometimes peculiar ways that the GRE phrases their test questions so that you can spend less time reading and digesting the questions on the day of the exam. Taking a practice test as a first step a few months before your exam will help you know what to focus on while you study, allowing you to strategize how you invest your time.

What Is a Good GRE Score – Additional Resources

  • Ready to start studying for the GRE? Take a look at our list of the Top 130 GRE Vocabulary Words and read our Expert Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension .
  • Need help with your Statement of Purpose? Read our round-up of Grad School Statement of Purpose Examples and Advice and follow our guide to Writing a Statement of Purpose in 12 Simple Steps.
  • And for all you need to know about graduate school, read our What is Grad School walkthrough and stay up to date on tips and evolving grad school trends by following the Graduate School Admissions section of our blog.
  • Graduate School Admissions

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Christina Wood

Christina Wood holds a BA in Literature & Writing from UC San Diego, an MFA in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in English at the University of Georgia, where she teaches creative writing and first-year composition courses. Christina has published fiction and nonfiction in numerous publications, including The Paris Review , McSweeney’s , Granta , Virginia Quarterly Review , The Sewanee Review , Mississippi Review , and Puerto del Sol , among others. Her story “The Astronaut” won the 2018 Shirley Jackson Award for short fiction and received a “Distinguished Stories” mention in the 2019 Best American Short Stories anthology.

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As with any test, if you’re taking the GRE, you probably want to know what a good score is. The short answer is, it depends! The long answer is this article.

In this guide we’ll go over what a good GRE score is in terms of the entire GRE test-taking population, what a good GRE score is for you, and how to set a goal score. You’ll be on your way to a good score for you in no time!

What is a Good GRE Score Overall?

It’s hard to say with certainty what a “good” GRE score is in absolute terms, because there is so much variation in program expectations (more on that in the next section).  But if you want to know how a particular score stacks up against all other test-takers, you can check out the official GRE score percentiles . A percentile ranking shows what percent of test-takers you scored better than. For example, if I’m in the 25th percentile, I scored better than only 25% of students.

The average (or 50th percentile) GRE score is a 150 on Verbal and a 152.6 on Quant (152 is a 47th percentile score and 153 is a 51st percentile score). For Analytical Writing, a 3.5 is the average score.

Here’s a general breakdown of some score percentile benchmarks for the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections:

Score Percentiles for Verbal and Quant

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There are a couple of things to note from the above chart. First, that Quant scores tend to be a little bit higher than Verbal scores. How can we tell? Because percentiles for Quant are lower. So while a 165 has you scoring higher than 96% of test-takers on Verbal, you’ve only scored higher than 89% of test-takers on Quant with that score. So, more people scored higher than 165 on Quant than on Verbal (11% versus 4%).

The second thing to note is that test-taker scores tend to cluster around the middle of the scale. A five-point increase from 150 to 155 nets you a 21-point percentile increase on either section! By contrast, a 5-point increase from 165 to 170 only nets you a 3-percentile increase on Verbal or an 8-percentile increase on Quant. Essentially, you get a little more bang for your buck with point increases if you are starting out closer to the middle of the scale than at the ends.

In terms of how your score compares to all test-takers, a 25th percentile score (about a 144 on Verbal and a 146 on Quant) is a low score as it means 75% of test-takers—so, the vast majority—scored better than you. A 50th percentile score (about a 151 on Verbal and a 153 on Quant) is about average—you scored right in the middle of the pack. So not bad, but not awesome either.

A 75th percentile score (about a 157 on Verbal and a 160 on Quant) is pretty good: you’ve scored better than most of the other test-takers. A 90th percentile score (about a 162 on Verbal and a 166 on Quant) is excellent and will be competitive for most programs (but not necessarily all! More on that below).

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The general shape of the score distribution for Analytical Writing is similar, with the most percentile gains coming from the middle of the scale:

Analytical Writing Percentiles

As you can see, the biggest percentile gains occur between 3.0 and 4.5, with the more extreme ends of the scale having smaller percentile changes.

So, while it’s hard to say with certainty what a “good” score is in absolute terms, you can get an idea of how your score stacks up with all the other GRE test-takers. The higher the percentile, the more people you scored higher than.  More important, though, is what a good GRE score is for you personally and what it can do for you.

What Is a Good GRE Score for You?

First and foremost, a good GRE score for you will be one that is high enough to get you into the program(s) you wish to attend —provided you meet the other qualifications the program is looking for.

GRE scores are often used by the admissions committee to rule out the weakest applicants. So a low score may well tank your chances, but a score within or even above program expectations won’t help you a whole lot if you lack some essential component desired by the admissions committee (like research experience or strong recommendations from professors). A high score may shore up a comparatively minor weakness, like a GPA a little below the program average, but it won’t make up for any truly glaring deficits in your application.

As with all advice as concerns the GRE, I’m sure there are exceptions to this, but that’s the common trend: a good GRE score will help you maintain smooth admissions sailing, but it won’t build the boat, so to speak. You have to do that.

Beyond that, a particularly good score can also help you qualify for fellowships and scholarships , particularly ones that are University-wide, where GRE scores and GPA may be the only meaningful ways of comparing applicants across disciplines.

So then, assuming you meet the general program qualifications, what is a good GRE score for you? Read on, friends.

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Determining What GRE Score You Need: 5 Key Factors

Because graduate programs are so different from each other—vastly more so than undergraduate programs—there is no hard-and-fast rule as to what a good GRE score is for a particular type of program or discipline. The important part is that a good GRE score will get you into the programs you want to attend. What a good GRE score is for you depends on a number of factors, which I will review here.

Program Level: Master’s or PhD

In general, successful PhD candidates are going to have higher GRE scores than master’s candidates. This is simple logic; there are far fewer spots available in PhD programs than in master’s programs, and the applicant quality is usually higher. So because the competition for PhD spots is steeper, a higher GRE score is necessary to separate yourself from the pack.

For example, if you check out the average GRE scores for all graduate programs at Clemson , you can see that most PhD programs have higher GRE average scores than the corresponding master’s programs, particularly in the more relevant section. For example:

  • Bioengineering MS students had  153.5 Verbal/ 158.5  Quant averages, while PhD students had 157  Verbal/ 161  Quant averages.
  • Forest Resource MS students had 145  Verbal/ 149.5  Quant averages, while PhD students had 153  Verbal and 154.5  Quant averages.
  • Mathematical Sciences MS students had a 155 Verbal/ 158.5 Quant averages, while PhD students had 155 Verbal/ 164 Quant averages.

Of course there are exceptions to this trend, but we can see that in general, even across a variety of disciplines, there are higher average GRE scores among admitted PhDs as compared to admitted Masters candidates.

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Program Discipline

Different disciplines will tend to have different good GRE score expectations, particularly as concerns the different sections. Engineering, physics, and chemistry programs, for example, tend to expect relatively high Quantitative scores , with even decidedly mid-tier programs having average scores of 160+ for admitted applicants. (A 160 is a 76th-percentile score, by the way.) By contrast, they have lower expectations for Verbal scores.

The reverse is true of humanities-focused programs, which generally expect relatively high Verbal scores and may have fairly low average Quant scores for admitted students. So a good score for a Computer Science program won’t be the same as a good score for an Art History program, and vice-versa.

Programs of all types generally care the least about your Analytical Writing scores. Don’t just totally wing it with no prep or leave it blank, but you’ll generally get the lowest return-on-investment with score gains in this area.

How Important the Program Considers GRE Scores

Not all programs, even within the same discipline, consider GRE scores to have the same importance. Some place great stock in them, while others only see them as an ancillary or supportive piece in the application.

For example, the Aerospace Engineering program at Texas A&M says , “Significant consideration is given to GRE scores for student admission.  The minimum GRE for consideration is a Verbal minimum of 152 and a Quantitative minimum of 160.  The average GRE score of students admitted to our department is 321 (GRE V+Q) and most funded students are substantially higher.” So if you’re applying to this program, your GRE score is very important, particularly if you are hoping for funding.

Similarly, the Stanford Statistics Department writes , “We do not have minimums required for application, but do expect students to have earned high GPA and GRE scores….Average General GRE scores (in percentiles) of admitted applicants: Verbal 83%, Quantitative 91%, Analytical Writing 52%.” If a program explicitly states that they expect high scores or that scores are important, you know that outstanding scores are something to focus on as you put effort into your application.

By contrast, other programs take a more measured approach to the GRE: The Stanford Graduate School of Education states , for example, “The Graduate School of Education does not have a cutoff GRE score requirement. The evaluation of each applicant is based on all the materials in the file and is not exclusively based on test scores. The Graduate School of Education does not provide average GRE score information of previous applicants or current students.” They emphasize, then, a holistic approach to applications that takes into account all parts of the file. They take pains to downplay the GRE by emphasizing that they don’t have a cutoff score and that they don’t provide GRE average scores.

The Computer Science program at University of Washington reports , “The average GRE scores of recent applicants were: Verbal 83% (including international applicants), Quantitative 93%, and Analytical 61%. While grades and test scores form an important component of an applicant’s case for admission, letters of recommendation and other factors—such as undergraduate research projects or unusual experience that would predict excellence in graduate school—all enter into admission decisions in a significant way. No component in isolation will guarantee or preclude admission.” This program also emphasizes  the holistic nature of its evaluation process, which implicitly downplays the GRE.

However, just because a school doesn’t seem to overly emphasize the importance of the GRE or GRE scores on their website, that doesn’t mean you can blow off the GRE and assume any score is fine. If they ask for the scores, they are going to use them to evaluate candidates on some level. It may just be that working on another aspect of your application—say, a portfolio or recommendation letters—will give you a higher return-on-time-investment than studying for a two-point GRE score increase, or that they will be more impressed by an all-around strong application than an overall weaker application with a GRE score 5 points higher.

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And keep in mind that even though schools say they don’t have a GRE score cutoff, the reality is that you’re always being compared to other applicants. If your GRE score is significantly lower than most applicants, your academic preparation will be seriously in doubt. After all, there will be MANY students who think the GRE is fairly easy – if your score doesn’t reflect this, then they may doubt your academic preparation for a tough graduate program.

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Program Competitiveness

Regardless of how important the admissions committee says that GRE scores are (or not), the more selective the program, the higher your GRE score needs to be. Top-ranked programs want students at the very top of the pack, so a good GRE score for those schools will be much higher than a good GRE score at a mid-range or less selective school. For example, a 160 (on the more relevant section) might be phenomenal for a master’s at your local public university, but it will be almost certainly be pretty far below average for the #1 and #2-ranked programs in your field.

The Rest of Your Application

Another thing to consider: how strong is the rest of your application? If you have super-strong recommendations from luminaries in the field and tons of relevant research/work experience, you can probably afford a somewhat lower GRE score than someone whose other qualifications are just decent. But again, it’s worth noting that even a phenomenal GRE score won’t really help you get admitted if you don’t meet the other qualifications for admission or the rest of your application is weak.

An Aside: What If the GRE Is Optional?

Some programs are GRE-optional. This may be truly optional—you can send the scores if you wish—in which case, only send if you are taking the GRE anyways and you get a high score. An amazing GRE score will be a mark in your favor, but a mediocre one won’t help you at all.

Other programs only require the GRE if you did not meet a certain undergraduate GPA threshold. If this applies to you, performing well on the GRE is of critical importance to prevent your application from being immediately tossed aside.  Since your academic record is weaker, you need to demonstrate that you have the capacity for difficult work through your good GRE scores. And of course, the more competitive the program, the higher your GRE scores should be.

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I’ve given some general guidelines on what makes a good GRE score. But how do you set a specific goal score? Read on.

How Do I Set a Goal GRE Score?

There are two ways to set a goal score—one method for if the programs you are interested in give any kind of GRE score guidelines, and one for if they don’t.

Scenario 1: Programs Provide GRE Information

If the programs you are interested in provide the GRE score information of applicants, it’s fairly easy to set a goal score. Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Find Information

The first thing to do is to look up all of the GRE information available for your programs of interest. If this information is available, you can usually find this somewhere in the web page for prospective program applicants—either right in the section about test scores or in the FAQ (questions like “What’s the minimum GRE score for admission?” often provide this information).

Step 2: Assemble Information

Once you have all of this information together, it’s time to assemble it into a chart. Let’s go through an example.

Let’s say Amina is applying to computer science master’s degree programs. First, she’ll note down her programs of interest in this chart:

Now we’ll go through the list and note down the information we can find online, and what score that corresponds to. We’ll start with Columbia : “Most admitted applicants, however, have scores of 750 or higher on the Quantitative section of the test.”

Wait a second—750?? That score is on the old scoring scale, out of 800. Luckily, we can check the GRE concordance chart to see that a 750 on the old scale corresponds to a 169 on the new scale. Also note that they say “most” applicants have a score at this level or above, so you should aim higher if possible. Let’s write all this down in the chart.

Now we can move on to Portland State . They say, “The minimum for acceptance as an MS student is 60th percentile in Quantitative and 25th percentile in Verbal.” Checking out our percentile chart, we can see that this corresponds to a 156 in Quant and a 145 on Verbal. Note that this is a minimum, not an average, so if you want to be a truly competitive applicant you should score 2+ points above this. Let’s note that down.

Moving on to the University of Washington , they say that “Average GRE scores for applicants accepted into the PMP are: Quantitative 83%…and Verbal 60%.” This corresponds to a 163 on Quant and a 153 on Verbal (let’s round up to be safe).

Finally, let’s check out University of Illinois at Chicago . They say that they require “A total score of 308 or above on the official GRE exam (153+ verbal, 155+ quantitative).” Again, this is a minimum. Let’s note it down.

We’ve got all of our information. What’s next?

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Step 3: Determine Your Goal Score

Once you have all of your information from your programs noted down in your chart, look to find the highest scores in each column. Then aim for 2 points higher than that score —this is high enough to put you squarely in the acceptable score range for that school (even if the number given is a minimum), but not so high that you’ll be wasting energy trying to get an unnecessarily high score when you could use that energy on other parts of your application. (Remember, a GRE score is mostly to get you in the door—a super-high score won’t necessarily be a huge additional boost to your application).

This is what we consider your Good GRE Score.  This is the score YOU need to get into the schools of your choice. That’s why everyone has a different good GRE score target!

Let’s look back at our sample chart for Amina. We can see that the highest scores in each column are 154 for Verbal and 169 for Quant. Her goal scores, then, should be 156 for Verbal and 169-170 for Quant. She’s got her work cut out for her!

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Here’s a blank printable chart for you to use in your own goal-setting (click for PDF).

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Scenario 2: Programs Do Not Provide GRE Information

It can be frustrating when schools don’t provide information on GRE scores of applicants. You can of course call the admissions office of the program to see if they’ll give you any more concrete information, although it’s unlikely that they’ll give you specific numbers if that information is not available on the website. So if you can’t get numbers, how are you supposed to know what scores you need?

While it’s difficult to get an exact number, here is a process that will give you an idea.

Step 1: Check Program Rankings and Selectivity

This first thing to do is check the program rankings for the programs you are interested in at places like US News , and also look up the acceptance rate if available. The higher the program ranking and the lower the program acceptance rate compared to other programs in the discipline, the steeper the competition to get in is going to be. So assume that you will need a perfect or near-perfect score on the most relevant section to get into the top programs in a given discipline (a possible exception being those programs that require a portfolio, audition, etc).

Some fields (like engineering and education) even have GRE averages or ranges of admitted students published in US News .

Note down the ranking /selectivity of all of the programs you are interested in. Note down whether it’s very selective, selective, average, or less selective. It’s hard to give a hard guideline as to what ranking corresponds to these designations exactly, because different disciplines have different numbers of programs—the playing field is very different in a discipline with 20 ranked graduate programs versus one with 100 ranked graduate programs. As a pretty loose guideline, you can consider the top 10% of ranked programs most competitive, the top 30% of ranked selective, the top 60% of ranked programs average, and the rest less selective (you can consider programs where the ranking is not published or unranked less selective).

Let’s say that Hortense is applying to get a master’s in Education. US News has publicly ranked 180 graduate programs listed for Education . She’s interested in the Teacher’s College at Columbia University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and BYU-Provo’s McKay school.

Looking at program rankings, Columbia is ranked 7th. As #7 out of 180 ranked programs, it’s in the top 10%, and we can consider it a top-tier/most competitive school. Let’s note this down in a chart.

University of Illinois is ranked 24/180. This place it in the top 30% and makes it selective. University of Kentucky is ranked 62nd. This places it in the top 60% of programs and puts it at an average selectivity. Let’s note this in our chart.

Now we can move on to step two.

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Step 2: Check Your Score Distribution for Applicants in Your Field

So, you’ve noted down the selectivity of you desired programs. Next, you’ll want to check the ETS data for prospective graduate students in your area . The linked document includes score distributions on Verbal, Quant, and Analytical Writing scores for test-takers who stated they were interested in pursuing specific fields. Using this document, you can look up the score distribution for students in your prospective graduate area.

Continuing with our Hortense example, let’s look at the score distribution for students going into Education. She’s interested in going into Curriculum and Instruction, so we’ll check those numbers. We can see what percentage of prospective students in this field scored in different score ranges.

Here’s the data for Verbal and Quant:

A very competitive score for a given discipline would be within the top 5% of applicants (remember, this is applicants, not people who’ve been accepted). A competitive score would be in the top 20%. An average score would be in the top 40%. A less competitive score would be anything below the 50% mark.

So, for education, a very competitive Verbal score would be somewhere within the 160-165 range (select the top number to be safe, so, 165.) We know this because the top 1% of applicants score in the 165-169 range and the next 9.1% score in the 160-165 range, so the top 5% score has to be somewhere in the 160-165 range.

A competitive score—top 20%—would be in the 155-159 range, so we’ll make 159 our competitive score benchmark. An average score—top 40%—would be in the 150-154 range (so we’ll make 154 our average benchmark). Scores below 151, the average Verbal score, would be less selective.

Now, we need to align this information with the selectivity rankings we had for our schools. You’ll need a very competitive score for the most selective schools, a competitive score for selective schools, an average score for average schools, and a less competitive score for less competitive schools.

So, returning to Hortense, let’s note down these Verbal score benchmarks in our chart.

Now let’s check Quant scores. The top 5% of scores is again somewhere in the 160-165 range, so we’ll note 165 as our target for most competitive schools. A top 20% score is in the 155-159 range, so we’ll note 159 again for selective schools. A top 40% score is in the 150-154 range, so 154 is our target again there. A 149 is the average, so anything below that would be a less selective score.

Let’s note this all down in our chart.

To get a preliminary goal score, take the top score from each column in your chart. This should put comfortably in the appropriate score range for all of your given schools. So for Hortense, she should be aiming for a 165 on Verbal and a 165 on Quant for her top Education programs.

This process gives you a preliminary number to work with—but because we got this number through a lot of MacGyvering and circumstantial reasoning, there are a couple other things we should consider and strategies we can use to try to verify.

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Here’s a blank, printable chart for you to fill out (click for PDF):

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Step 3: Consider Which Section Is Most Relevant

In setting goal scores for Verbal vs. Quant, consider which section is more relevant to the program. For example, if you’re applying to engineering or physics programs, the most important section is Quant. If you’re applying to Comparative Literature or English, Verbal is more important.

For the most part, the score distributions released by ETS you used to set your preliminary benchmark will reflect this already—prospective applicants to more quantitative programs will have higher Quant averages, and prospective students to more verbal-heavy programs will have higher Verbal scores.

Even so, you can probably afford to get a couple points lower than your preliminary score in the less important section—especially if your score on the more important section is particularly strong. Returning to our Hortense example, if she got a 167 on Verbal and a 162 on Quant, she probably doesn’t need to retake her test for a higher Quant score and is still a competitive applicant.

That said, there are some programs where both sections are highly relevant— say, science writing or business school. In this case, sorry, you’ll have a little less wiggle room and will really need to aim for the benchmark scores on both sections.

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Step 4: Use Message Boards for Verification

As a final step, I recommend checking Reddit or GradCafe to see if you can get guidance from current students or recent alumni of your program of interest on the necessary GRE scores. They may be able to tell you their own scores and credentials, which will help you get a slightly more precise idea of what GRE score it takes to be a successful applicant. If you notice that successful applicants to your program seem to consistently report higher or lower scores than your preliminary benchmark scores, you can adjust accordingly.

With these guidelines and the magic of program rankings and ETS scoring statistics, you can get at least a general idea of what goal score is appropriate for you.

A Good GRE Score: The Final Word

Many people talk about a “good” GRE score as though this is an absolute concept. While it’s true that your GRE score can be compared to all other test-takers via the GRE percentile chart , the most important thing about your score is that it sets you up to be a viable candidate at the programs you are interested in.

Here are some things to consider when trying to figure out what’s a good GRE score for you:

  • Program level: Master’s or PhD—In general, GRE score for PhD applicants are higher than those for Master’s applicants. This makes sense as PhDs are more competitive.
  • Program discipline: Different disciplines will have different score expectations, particularly in which section they consider more important. Verbal scores are more important for humanities graduate programs, while Quant is more important for science and math programs.
  • How important the program considers GRE scores: Even within the same discipline, some programs will emphasize GRE scores more than others. You can typically get an idea of this from admissions websites.
  • Program competitiveness: The more competitive the program, the higher your GRE score needs to be!
  • The rest of your application: If you are hoping that your GRE shores up a weakness in your application (like a low GPA), it’s important to get a high score to show that you are ready for graduate-level work.

Ultimately, you’ll want to set a goal score before you take the GRE. There are two ways to set a goal score, based on whether or not the programs you are interested in provide GRE information:

If the program provides GRE information:

  • Find any available GRE information online.
  • Record it in a table.
  • Identify the highest score in your table for each section and then add 2 points. That’s your goal score!

If the program does not provide GRE information:

  • Check program rankings and selectivity: the most highly-ranked and selective programs in a given discipline will expect a near-perfect or perfect score on the most relevant section.
  • Cross-reference program selectivity/ranking information with ETS data on discipline-specific student GRE score data to get a preliminary benchmark goal score.
  • Consider which section is more important—you can generally afford to have your goal score on the “weak” section be a little under the preliminary benchmark, particularly if your score on the more important section is on the higher side.
  • Finally, check sites like Reddit and GradCafe to see if you can get guidance from current and recent students on their GRE scores, which will help you verify and/or refine your preliminary goal score.

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What’s Next?

Learn more about how the GRE is scored .  Then check out our complete guide to the score range of the GRE . And get more details on the  lowest possible GRE score and the highest possible GRE score .

Wondering more about GRE score percentiles? See our guide . Or maybe you want to know more about GRE average scores . We also have guides to average GRE scores by major and average GRE scores by school .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

gre good writing score

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

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gre good writing score

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Graduate Admissions

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We are looking to enroll a diverse group of students from around the world who are comfortable working in innovative ways and seek to push the boundaries of the discipline.

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Master of Advanced Architectural Design

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Master of Architecture

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Architecture–Engineering–Construction Management

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Building Performance & Diagnostics

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Master of Science in Sustainable Design

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Overview & timeline.

Applicants are responsible for completing and submitting all required application materials on time. We will begin to review application materials received on January 15 . Applications and all supporting documents, including letters of recommendation and test scores, must be received by the final deadline of February 1 . We strongly recommend applicants begin the application process early and request letters of recommendation well in advance of the deadline. You will need to complete an application to each program for which you wish to be considered for admission.

Admission Timeline

early November - Graduate Program applications open in SlideRoom

Jan. 15, 2024 - We will begin to review application materials received.

Feb. 1, 2024 - Application Deadline - the application system will close on February 1 at 11:59pm EST . Applicants will receive confirmation of receipt of admission materials no later than February 10.

February - The graduate admission committee will review Graduate Program candidate applications in February.

March - Admission decisions will be sent to master’s program candidates in early March and PhD applicants in mid-March. Candidates offered admission will have the opportunity to participate in admitted student programming to get to know the school.

April 15, 2024 - Deposit Deadline - Applicants will need to accept their admission offer no later than April 15 to secure their place in the Graduate Program and to begin the initial enrollment process.

Application Requirements

Because our graduate programs are highly specialized, each program has unique application requirements. The chart below outlines the application requirements for the program that interests you with detailed information to follow.

Chart displaying application requirements for the different graduate programs

Applicants are required to pay the $75 application fee. 

Complete the Personal Information, Demographic Information, and Academic Information forms in your SlideRoom application. 

Submit a Personal Statement that describes why CMU is a good fit for you at this point in your career, what specific focus areas you may want to explore in the Graduate Program, and your aspirations and plans for the future after leaving CMU, including how you hope to position yourself in design, research, and/or practice. 

Upload to your application, a 30-second introductory video that tells us something about you and your personal interests in architecture or the built environment. 

We are interested in getting to know you in the context of your application and portfolio submission. The short 30-second video will feature you and needs no staging or post-production - just be yourself.

Upload to your application as a PDF document , your resume/CV summarizing your education, employment experience, professional qualifications, and any noteworthy achievements. 

Upload to SlideRoom a 25-30 page portfolio formatted in single spreads (landscape or portrait) and saved as a single PDF document (maximum file size of 20MB with a maximum resolution of 150dpi).*

* M.Arch, MAAD, MUD, MSSD, and MSCD applicants are required to submit portfolios. Please reference the media section of your SlideRoom application for program-specific content and instructions. 

Upload a PDF document copy of your unofficial college transcript(s). If you have attended more than one institution of higher education, please merge all transcripts into a single PDF document for upload.

Hard copies of complete official transcripts for all degrees received will be requested as a requirement for enrollment.

For the 2023-2024 admission cycle, the GRE will be required for PhD program applicants and test optional for Master’s program applicants.

To provide your GRE score, contact Education Testing Services (ETS) to send your GRE scores directly to our department using the institution code: 2074 , GRE department code 4401 . Official scores must be reported to Carnegie Mellon by February 1 . 

We require proof of English language proficiency from all applicants whose native language/mother tongue is not English. If English is not your native language and you are not a U.S. citizen you must submit one valid English proficiency score from one of the following: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language); IELTS (International English Language Testing System); or DET (Duolingo English Test). 

TOEFL/IELTS/DET scores must be less than two years old from the start of our admission cycle (September 2023). If you are interested in the online Duolingo test, please verify that you are administered a 2020 or later version on the 160-point scale with subsection scoring.

TOEFL - Self-report your scores by uploading a copy of your score report to the application and report your scores directly to us through Educational Testing Service (ETS) using the following institution code: 2074 and the TOEFL department code: 12 . The minimum required TOEFL-iBT total score is 100, with subscores no lower than 22. 

IELTS - Self-report your scores via the application and send your scores to us using the IELTS E-Delivery Service. The minimum required IELTS total score is 7.0, with no score lower than 6.5.  We verify all IELTS exam scores electronically. Send scores for e-delivery to:

Account Name: Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture Department: School of Architecture, Graduate Admissions Address: 4119 Frew Street City: Pittsburgh State: PA Zip Code: 15213 Country: United States 

Duolingo - Self-report your scores via the application and have your official scores sent to us by Duolingo electronically to “Carnegie Mellon University - School of Architecture Graduate Programs.” The minimum required total Duolingo score is 105. Minimum subscores are: Literacy: 105; Comprehension: 115; Production: 90; and Conversation: 95.

Applicants are required to report their official scores by the application deadline. Applicants whose scores do not meet the minimum requirements are strongly advised to retest in advance of the Feb. 1 application deadline to ensure that the scores meet our standards for English language proficiency. 

If you have a personal/professional website that you would like to share with the admission committee, then you may include the link in the program application form. 

If you would like to attach any other documents (e.g. research papers, professional writing, etc.) to your application you may add them to the application under “Optional Supporting Documents.”

Ask three individuals their permission to serve as references. We recommend selecting a variety of individuals who are familiar with your work and can speak to your qualifications for graduate studies. 

Assign three references to your application in SlideRoom. Once you have saved the recommendation request, your reference will receive an email from SlideRoom requesting them to submit a letter of recommendation and complete an evaluative recommendation form on your behalf. We recommend you advise your recommender to look for this important email in their email inbox as well as their spam and junk folders as sometimes these requests get filtered out.

To ensure that your application receives priority evaluation, please give your references ample time to complete and submit their recommendation on your behalf in advance of the application review beginning January 15 and no later than the February 1 application deadline. Your application will not be reviewed until all reference letter forms have been received for your application. 

Master’s applicants may be granted a virtual interview at the request of the program Track Chair. Applicants will be notified of interview invitations by email in early March.

PhD applicants are required to complete a virtual interview.  Applicants will be contacted by the program Track Chair in early March.

If you have any questions about your application, please refer to the Graduate Program Application FAQ . For more information, contact Carnegie Mellon Architecture Graduate Admissions .

Statement of Assurance: Policy Statement

Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, ancestry, belief, veteran status, or genetic information. Furthermore, Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and is required not to discriminate in violation of federal, state or local laws or executive orders.

Inquiries concerning the application of and compliance with this statement should be directed to the university ombudsman, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, telephone 412-268-3930.

Obtain general information about Carnegie Mellon University by calling 412-268-2000.

The Carnegie Mellon University Statement of Assurance is available on the CMU website. 

The GRE ® Tests

Completing your view of applicant strengths

Select any step to learn more about how the GRE ® tests can help your institution.

GRE scores are a proven measure of an applicant's readiness for graduate-level work and indicate their potential for success. Backed by extensive research and ETS's steadfast commitment to fairness, validity and security, the GRE General Test can help you get a more complete view of applicant strengths. 

GRE scores are used to make decisions that affect people's educational and career paths. In recognizing these high stakes, ETS provides score users with guidelines, interpretive data and resources to assist them in using scores appropriately in graduate admissions decision making.

Not a score user yet?

Join the thousands of schools worldwide that use GRE scores to complete their view of applicant strengths and build a diverse student body.

Receiving Scores

Learn about the convenient, free ETS ® Data Manager and other ways you can receive GRE scores.

Using Scores

Review guidelines and other information to ensure that your institution uses GRE scores appropriately and effectively.

Score Interpretation Resources

Find interpretive data, score comparison tools and other resources to assist you in using scores.

IMAGES

  1. What is a Good GRE Score?

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  3. What's Up with the GRE Analytical Writing Assessment?

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  4. What Is a Good GRE Score?

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  5. What Is A Good GRE Score? Find Out In These 5 Easy Steps

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  6. What is the Average GRE Score?

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COMMENTS

  1. What's A Good GRE Writing Score? A Bad GRE Score?

    Do schools care about it at all? In this article, we'll clarify all of that and explain how you can figure out what a good GRE Writing score is for you. We'll go over percentiles for the GRE Writing as a whole as well as average and cut-off scores for grad programs and how you can use all this information to choose a target GRE Writing score.

  2. GRE General Test Analytical Writing Scoring

    Prepare for the Test Check & Use Scores Analytical Writing Measure Scoring Score level descriptions for the Analytical Writing measure "Analyze an Issue" task scoring guide "Analyze an Argument" task scoring guide (for General Tests administered before September 22, 2023)

  3. Is a GRE Analytical Writing Score Important?

    Marty Murray November 8, 2022 Last Updated on November 14, 2023 Many students starting their GRE prep ask me, "Is the Analytical Writing important in GRE scoring?" For a variety of reasons, GRE test-takers often have mistaken impressions about whether the Analytical Writing measure matters and how much it matters.

  4. GRE AWA: A Killer Guide to GRE Analytical Writing Section (2020)

    GRE Writing Score. Getting a really good GRE Analytical Writing score - anywhere from 4 to 6 - can boost your profile. It tells all of the colleges to which you apply that you are capable of critical thinking, of exceptionally good writing and logical reasoning. This is a very heavy part of their academics and not just at the college level.

  5. GRE General Test Analytical Writing Overview

    The Analytical Writing measure of the GRE General Test administered before September 22, 2023, assesses your critical thinking and analytical writing skills by assessing your ability to: articulate and support complex ideas. construct and evaluate arguments. sustain a focused and coherent discussion. It doesn't assess specific content knowledge.

  6. What's a Good GRE Score?

    A 4.0, 4.5 or 5.0 is a good GRE writing score, and a 5.5 or 6.0 is exceptionally good. Even a slightly lower score might not seriously affect your applications, as long as you can demonstrate your writing skills in another way. What's a good GRE score and how do I get it? | GRE FAQ How Common is a Good GRE Score?

  7. How Much Does GRE Writing Score Matter?

    Each task is scored on a scale of 0 to 6, with 6 being the highest score. The two task format will be offered for another month, but students who take the GRE after September 22, 2023 will not be required to write the Argument essay. These changes will make the test-taking experience less exhausting and anxiety inducing.

  8. What is a Good GRE Score?

    A "good" GRE score depends on the the programs you are considering. For comparison, the average score for all GRE test takers is currently a 150 for Verbal and a 152 for Math (Source: ETS ). Because the GRE General Test is used for such a wide range of graduate school programs (including some business schools!), the relative weight it is given ...

  9. GRE Score Range: What's a Good GRE Score?

    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.

  10. What's a Good GRE Score?

    The GRE is scored on a 130-170 scale in the verbal and quantitative sections. The writing section is scored on a scale of 0-6 in half-point increments. But you don't receive only scores; you also receive a percentile rank, which rates your performance relative to that of a large sample population of other GRE takers.

  11. What Is a Good GRE Score for Graduate School Admissions?

    People who complete the GRE receive three scores: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Here's how the scoring breaks down, according to the Educational Testing...

  12. How Is the GRE Essay Scored? • PrepScholar GRE

    Your GRE Writing score is a kind of cyborg measurement that averages together both human and machine ratings and melds them into an Analytical Writing score on a scale of 0-6. But how does a human grade the essay? Is the computer grader trustworthy?

  13. What is a Good GRE AWA Essay score?

    An excellent score is 5.5-6.0, and an average score is 3.5-4.0. How Would I know what my AWA Score should be? When it comes to GRE, nothing is set in stone. Graduate schools take a holistic approach to your application.

  14. What Is a Good GRE Score? 2023-24

    Christina Wood. Christina Wood holds a BA in Literature & Writing from UC San Diego, an MFA in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in English at the University of Georgia, where she teaches creative writing and first-year composition courses. Christina has published fiction and ...

  15. Understanding GRE General Test Scores

    GRE® Guide to the Use of Scores (PDF) — Provides information for institutions about the appropriate use of GRE scores and interpretive data. General Test Percentage Distribution of Scores Within Intended Broad Graduate Major Field (PDF) — Contains Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing data for seniors and non ...

  16. What Is A Good GRE Score?

    The average GRE score is 151.3 for Verbal Reasoning, 157 for Quantitative Reasoning, and 3.4 for Analytical Writing. However, these scores vary depending on the graduate program you're applying to. For example, a STEM program may have a higher average GRE score than a liberal arts program. It's essential to research the average GRE scores of ...

  17. Analytical Writing Score Level Descriptions

    "Analyze an Issue" task scoring guide "Analyze an Argument" task scoring guide (for General Tests administered before September 22, 2023) Find score level descriptions and scoring guides for the GRE General Test Analytical Writing measure.

  18. What Is a Good GRE Score?

    The Verbal and Quant sections are scored in 1-point increments on a scale of 130-170, whereas the AW section is scored in half-point increments on a scale of 0-6. Here are the median scores for each GRE section based on 2017-20 test-taking data: Verbal Reasoning: 151/170. Quantitative Reasoning: 154/170. Analytical Writing: 4.0/6.0.

  19. What Is a Good GRE Score? A Bad One? An Excellent One?

    The average (or 50th percentile) GRE score is a 150 on Verbal and a 152.6 on Quant (152 is a 47th percentile score and 153 is a 51st percentile score). For Analytical Writing, a 3.5 is the average score. Here's a general breakdown of some score percentile benchmarks for the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections:

  20. Graduate Admissions

    For the 2023-2024 admission cycle, the GRE will be required for PhD program applicants and test optional for Master's program applicants.. To provide your GRE score, contact Education Testing Services (ETS) to send your GRE scores directly to our department using the institution code: 2074, GRE department code 4401.Official scores must be reported to Carnegie Mellon by February 1.

  21. Getting Your GRE General Test Scores

    Schedule Your Test Prepare for the Test Check & Use Scores Getting Your GRE General Test Scores What scores are reported? If no questions are answered for a specific measure (e.g., Verbal Reasoning), then you will receive a No Score (NS) for that measure. When will I get my scores?

  22. GRE Scores

    GRE Scores. GRE scores are a proven measure of an applicant's readiness for graduate-level work and indicate their potential for success. Backed by extensive research and ETS's steadfast commitment to fairness, validity and security, the GRE General Test can help you get a more complete view of applicant strengths.