The three scores
| Score | Range | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 130–170 | 1 point |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 130–170 | 1 point |
| Analytical Writing | 0–6 | 0.5 point |
ETS reports Verbal and Quant separately. You will often see them added together into a figure between 260 and 340, and many students and some programs talk about scores that way, but programs usually look at the two sections individually — a quantitative program cares more about your Quant score than about the sum.
The test since September 2023
The GRE was shortened on 22 September 2023. It now takes about 1 hour 58 minutes, in five sections:
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing | One "Analyze an Issue" task | 30 min |
| Verbal Reasoning — section 1 | 12 | 18 min |
| Verbal Reasoning — section 2 | 15 | 23 min |
| Quantitative Reasoning — section 1 | 12 | 21 min |
| Quantitative Reasoning — section 2 | 15 | 26 min |
Analytical Writing always comes first. The Verbal and Quant sections can then appear in any order. The "Analyze an Argument" essay was removed in the 2023 change, so older prep material that practises two essays is preparing you for a test that no longer exists.
How section-level adaptation works
The GRE does not adapt question by question. Within a section you can skip questions, mark them and change answers freely before time runs out. What adapts is the second section of each measure: how well you do on the first Verbal section determines the difficulty of the second, and the same for Quant.
ETS converts the number of questions you answer correctly into a scaled score through equating, which accounts both for small differences between test editions and for the difficulty of the second section you were given. In practice this means a strong first section matters: it opens the harder second section, which is where the top of the scale lives.
How Analytical Writing is scored
Your Issue essay is scored on a 0–6 scale for how well you develop a position, support it with reasons and examples, and control the language. It is read by a trained human rater and by an automated scoring engine, with a second human reader brought in when the two disagree.
Length alone does not earn a high score. A focused, well-organized argument with specific support beats a long essay that restates the prompt.
Using your scores
- Unofficial Verbal and Quant scores are shown at the end of the test; the Analytical Writing score comes with the official report.
- GRE scores remain valid for five years.
- ETS's ScoreSelect option lets you choose which set of scores from the past five years to send to a program.
- Percentile ranks are published by ETS and change over time; use the current ETS table.
Common questions
- Is the GRE out of 340?
- Not officially. ETS reports Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning separately, each on a 130–170 scale. Adding them gives 260–340, which is a common shorthand, but programs usually look at each section on its own.
- How long is the GRE now?
- About 1 hour 58 minutes since 22 September 2023: one 30-minute Issue essay, two Verbal sections and two Quant sections, with no scheduled break.
- Can I go back to questions on the GRE?
- Yes. Within a section you can skip, mark and return to questions and change your answers until the section's time runs out.
- How long are GRE scores valid?
- Five years from the test date.
Sources
Test owners change formats and policies. Where this guide and the owner’s own page disagree, the owner’s page is right — and we would like to know, at contact.