GRE® Score Range and Percentiles

The GRE® reports three separate scores: Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning, each on a 130 to 170 scale in one-point increments, and Analytical Writing on a 0 to 6 scale in half-point increments. There’s no combined total score, and the sections are never added together.

That scale doesn’t compare you to other test-takers, instead, the percentile scale does. Interestingly, a 160 on Verbal and a 160 on Quant are nowhere near the same percentile.

Here are the official numbers and how to read them.

If you’re looking for a definitive overview of the GRE®, visit our complete guide on GRE® basics

The GRE® Score Range

• Verbal Reasoning: 130 to 170, one-point increments
• Quantitative Reasoning: 130 to 170, one-point increments
• Analytical Writing: 0 to 6, half-point increments

Average performance, according to ETS’s most recent published data, looks like this:

Based on 788,021 verbal, 790,864 quant, and 785,720 writing test takers between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2025.

You’ll notice the quant mean sits about six points above the verbal mean. That gap is the reason the percentile tables below look so different from one another. It’s worth keeping that in mind as you review the table below.

GRE® Percentile Chart: Verbal and Quantitative

A percentile rank tells you the percentage of test takers who scored lower than you did. Scoring in the 75th percentile means you outperformed 75% of the people who took the exam.

Source: ETS GRE® General Test Interpretive Data, Table 1B. Based on all test takers between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2025. ETS updates these tables annually.

Analytical Writing Percentiles

The writing section uses a much shorter scale. A half-point swing moves your percentile score significantly.

Source: ETS GRE® General Test Interpretive Data, Table 1C.

Notice that the jump from 3.5 to 4.0 moves you from the 40th percentile to the 63rd, which is the single biggest step on the scale. That said, before you invest heavily in the essay, it’s worth reading how much programs actually weigh this score. For most applicants, admissions committees won’t bat an eye at your AWA score, within reason.

How to Use Your Percentiles

Here’s what the percentile and scaled scores of the GRE® are useful for:

Setting a realistic target. Your target should come from your programs’ published ranges rather than from a percentile you like the sound of. Always work backward from your target programs’ scale score to make sure you’re aiming for the right number. Our guide on what counts as a good GRE® score is a good starting place for that discussion.

Judging which of your scores needs improvement. Programs weigh verbal and quant differently depending on the field, so knowing that your 158Q sits at the 45th percentile while your 158V sits at the 76th tells you something your scaled scores alone don’t.

Deciding whether a retake is worth it. Before scheduling a retake, figure out what scaled and percentile scores your target programs require of you. Once you’ve done that, be aware that your percentile score will increase less and less as you climb the scaled score ladder. Once you’re at a respectably high percentile score, you may see diminishing returns of your time and effort from trying to climb even higher.

One thing to remember: percentile ranks shift as the testing population changes. A given scaled score represents about the same level of ability from year to year, but the percentile attached to it can drift, so tables from a few years ago won’t match the ones above.