What is a good GRE score?

Based on official ETS 2025-2026 data (test-takers from July 2021 to June 2024), the average GRE Verbal Reasoning score is 151.21 and the average GRE Quantitative Reasoning score is 157.58. A score of 160 puts you in the 84th percentile for Verbal but only the 50th percentile for Quant because the Quant pool is significantly more competitive due to STEM-heavy international test-takers. For top European MBA programs: London Business School advises 163V/164Q, INSEAD averages 160V/163Q, HEC Paris and IESE around 159V/162Q. For top US M7 schools: Stanford GSB averages 164V/164Q, Wharton 162V/163Q, MIT Sloan 162V/165Q. For top US PhD programs in STEM fields, 165+ in your relevant section is typical.

How accurate is this GRE score calculator?

Our calculator uses official ETS percentile data from the 2025-2026 reporting window (Table 1B). The raw-to-scaled conversion is an estimate based on documented anchor points and the section-adaptive equating model, with a ±2 point margin consistent with real equating variance across test forms. ETS does not publish the exact equating algorithm, so no calculator (including this one) can produce an exact official score. The only 100 percent accurate scoring tool is the official ETS PowerPrep practice test.

GRE Score Calculator 2026: Raw to Scaled (Free)

Q: What is the GRE section-adaptive scoring?

The GRE adapts at the section level, not the question level. Section 1 of each measure is medium difficulty for everyone. Based on your Section 1 performance, the computer selects an easy, medium, or hard Section 2. Hitting the hard tier unlocks the full 170 scoring ceiling. Hard-section raw scores scale higher than the same raw score earned in a medium or easy section. This is why a raw score of 22/27 might equal 162 on the hard path but only 156 on the easy path.

Q: Does the GRE have a penalty for wrong answers?

No. There is no penalty for wrong answers on the GRE. A blank answer counts exactly the same as a wrong answer. Always guess on questions you cannot solve. Even a random guess on a 5-choice question gives you a 20 percent chance of a free point. Leaving a question blank is strictly worse than guessing.

Enter your raw scores

Section 1 has 12 questions. Section 2 has 15 questions. Your Section 1 performance determines whether Section 2 is easy, medium, or hard.

Verbal Reasoning 27 questions total

Range: 130–170 in 1-point increments. Mean: 151.21 (official ETS 2025-26).

Section 1 correct (of 12)

Medium difficulty for everyone

Section 2 correct (of 15)

Easy / Medium / Hard based on S1

Section 2 difficulty tier

Quantitative Reasoning 27 questions total

Range: 130–170 in 1-point increments. Mean: 157.58 (official ETS 2025-26).

Section 1 correct (of 12)

Medium difficulty for everyone

Section 2 correct (of 15)

Easy / Medium / Hard based on S1

Section 2 difficulty tier

Analytical Writing (optional) 0–6 scale

Half-point increments. Mean: 3.44 (official ETS 2025-26).

AWA score

Your estimated GRE score

260 ± 4

Combined Verbal + Quant (out of 340)

Verbal

130

130–132

1st percentile

Quant

130

130–132

1st percentile

Top Program Fit

Estimates carry a ±2 to ±4 point margin per section, consistent with real ETS equating variance.

What raw score do you need?

Enter your target scaled score. We'll show the raw score you need at each Section 2 difficulty tier.

Target Verbal score

Aim above the mean (151) for competitive programs.

Target Verbal scaled score

Range: 130 to 170

Target Quant score

Quant pool is more competitive; aim higher than you might think.

Target Quant scaled score

Range: 130 to 170

Verbal: raw needed (out of 27)

Approximate correct answers needed by Section 2 tier

Hard S2

–

Maximum ceiling

Medium S2

–

Most common path

Easy S2

–

Limited ceiling

To reach a hard Section 2, you typically need ~9+ correct on the medium Section 1.

Quant: raw needed (out of 27)

Approximate correct answers needed by Section 2 tier

Hard S2

–

Maximum ceiling

Medium S2

–

Most common path

Easy S2

–

Limited ceiling

For top STEM programs target a hard Section 2 path. The ceiling at easy/medium tiers caps around 156–161.

Official ETS GRE Percentile Table

Direct from ETS Table 1B · Based on 927,349 Verbal and 930,062 Quant test-takers who tested between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2024.

Verbal & Quant (130–170)

Score	Verbal %	Quant %

Analytical Writing (0–6)

Score	Percentile

Key insight: A 160 puts you at the 84th percentile in Verbal but only the 50th percentile in Quant. The Quant pool is heavily skewed by STEM-heavy international test-takers, especially from India and China. Quant percentiles have declined year over year as the pool gets quantitatively stronger.

How this calculator works

This calculator uses the official ETS GRE General Test Interpretive Data (Table 1A and Table 1B) for percentile rankings, drawn from 927,349 Verbal and 930,062 Quant test-takers between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2024. The raw-to-scaled conversion model accounts for the section-adaptive structure introduced in the September 2023 GRE redesign.

The section-adaptive model

The GRE adapts at the section level (see our full breakdown: how GRE section-adaptive scoring works). Section 1 of each measure has 12 questions at medium difficulty. Your Section 1 performance determines whether your Section 2 (15 questions) is easy, medium, or hard. This is the most important mechanic in GRE scoring and the reason why the same raw score can produce different scaled scores:

Hard Section 2: full 170 scoring ceiling, achieved with ~9+ correct on Section 1
Medium Section 2: ceiling around 162–165, the most common path
Easy Section 2: ceiling around 156–161, even with all S2 correct

What we cannot tell you

ETS does not publish the exact equating algorithm or the official raw-to-scaled conversion tables. No third-party calculator (including ours) can produce a guaranteed exact score. Our model is anchored on documented test-taker outcomes from the post-2023 format and carries a ±2 to ±4 point margin per section, consistent with real equating variance. The only 100% accurate scoring tool is the official ETS PowerPrep practice test.

About the data

Percentile data: ETS GRE General Test Interpretive Data, Table 1A & 1B (2025 release)
Test structure: ETS Understanding Your GRE General Test Scores
School targets: Official class profiles from INSEAD, HEC Paris, LBS, IESE, Bocconi, Stanford GSB, Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan (2024–2025 cohorts)

Built by Jaclyn Caruana, Co-Founder of Epic Exam Prep. 25+ years coaching students through the GRE and graduate admissions across Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, and Zurich. Last verified June 2026. Also see our GRE Quant Formula Sheet and GRE Calculator simulator.

Free GRE Resource · Built by Test Prep Experts

200+ GRE Quant formulas. In one printable sheet.

The PrepDrills GRE Quant Formula Sheet 2026 covers every formula tested on the GRE Quantitative Reasoning section: fractions, algebra, exponent rules, geometry, statistics, probability, and the 7 Quantitative Comparison traps that cost students the most points. Verified against official ETS materials. Free to download.

Download the Formula Sheet (Free PDF) →

Want a one-to-one GRE teacher? Epic Exam Prep has prepared students for the GRE since 2010, with 15+ years of expertise across Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Zurich, and online worldwide.

What are the most frequently asked questions about GRE scoring?

The GRE General Test scores Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning each on a scale of 130 to 170 in one-point increments, for a total possible score of 260 to 340. Each measure has 27 questions split across 2 sections (12 in Section 1, 15 in Section 2). The test is section-level adaptive: your performance on Section 1 determines whether Section 2 is easy, medium, or hard difficulty. ETS converts your raw score (number correct) to a scaled score through equating, which accounts for the difficulty tier of your Section 2 and minor variations between test forms. Analytical Writing is scored separately on a 0 to 6 scale in half-point increments.

The GRE adapts at the section level, not the question level (unlike the GMAT). Section 1 of each measure is medium difficulty for everyone. Based on your Section 1 performance, the computer selects an easy, medium, or hard Section 2. Hitting the hard tier unlocks the full 170 scoring ceiling. Hard-section raw scores scale higher than the same raw score earned in a medium or easy section. A raw score of 22/27 might equal 162 on the hard path but only 156 on the easy path. This is why your Section 1 performance matters enormously. It determines your scoring ceiling.

Based on official ETS 2025-2026 data (test-takers from July 2021 to June 2024), the average GRE Verbal score is 151.21 and the average GRE Quant score is 157.58. A 160 puts you at the 84th percentile in Verbal but only the 50th percentile in Quant. For top European MBA programs, London Business School advises 163V/164Q, INSEAD averages 160V/163Q, and HEC Paris and IESE land around 159V/162Q. For top US M7 schools, Stanford GSB averages 164V/164Q, Wharton 162V/163Q, and MIT Sloan 162V/165Q. For STEM master's programs (MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon), Quant scores of 167+ are common.

No. There is no penalty for wrong answers on the GRE. A blank answer counts exactly the same as a wrong answer. Always guess on questions you cannot solve. Even a random guess on a 5-choice question gives you a 20% chance of a free point. Leaving a question blank is strictly worse than guessing.

Our calculator uses official ETS percentile data from the 2025-2026 reporting window (Table 1B). The raw-to-scaled conversion is an estimate based on documented anchor points and the section-adaptive equating model, with a ±2 to ±4 point margin per section consistent with real equating variance across test forms. ETS does not publish the exact equating algorithm, so no calculator (including this one) can produce an exact official score. The only 100% accurate scoring tool is the official ETS PowerPrep practice test, available free from ETS.

ETS does not tell you directly. However, you can estimate based on Section 1 performance: 9+ correct on Section 1 typically routes you to a hard Section 2. 4-8 correct usually routes to medium. 0-3 correct usually routes to easy. Use our "Auto-detect" tier setting to let the calculator estimate this for you based on your S1 score. The PowerPrep test will tell you directly which difficulty tier you received.

Average GRE scores for top European MBA programs (most recent cohorts, verified from official class profiles and admissions guidance): London Business School: 163V / 164Q (LBS admissions explicitly advises this target); INSEAD: 160V / 163Q; IESE: ~159V / ~162Q; HEC Paris: ~159V / ~162Q (class average total ~322); SDA Bocconi: ~157V / ~160Q. Most European MBA programs want you at or above the 70-75th percentile on both sections. Quant scores carry slightly more weight because they signal you can handle the program's analytical rigor, but balance matters. A 165Q paired with 145V is weaker than 160/160.

GRE Score Calculator.
Section-adaptive aware.

Enter your raw scores

Verbal Reasoning 27 questions total

Quantitative Reasoning 27 questions total

Analytical Writing (optional) 0–6 scale

What raw score do you need?

Target Verbal score

Target Quant score

Verbal: raw needed (out of 27)

Quant: raw needed (out of 27)

Official ETS GRE Percentile Table

Verbal & Quant (130–170)

Analytical Writing (0–6)

How this calculator works

The section-adaptive model

What we cannot tell you

About the data

200+ GRE Quant formulas. In one printable sheet.

What are the most frequently asked questions about GRE scoring?

Everything you need to dominate the GRE Quant section

GRE Score Calculator.Section-adaptive aware.

Enter your raw scores

Verbal Reasoning 27 questions total

Quantitative Reasoning 27 questions total

Analytical Writing (optional) 0–6 scale

What raw score do you need?

Target Verbal score

Target Quant score

Verbal: raw needed (out of 27)

Quant: raw needed (out of 27)

Official ETS GRE Percentile Table

Verbal & Quant (130–170)

Analytical Writing (0–6)

How this calculator works

The section-adaptive model

What we cannot tell you

About the data

GRE Quant Formula Sheet 2026

GRE On-Screen Calculator

1-on-1 GRE Tutoring

200+ GRE Quant formulas. In one printable sheet.

What are the most frequently asked questions about GRE scoring?

Everything you need to dominate the GRE Quant section

GRE Score Calculator.
Section-adaptive aware.