Understanding Your Scores

Your official GRE^® score report contains your:

• Contact information (name, phone number and email)
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Intended graduate major
• Test date(s)
• GRE test score(s) and the associated percentile ranks
• Authorized score recipients or fellowship sponsors and the scores reported to those institutions
• Cumulative record of scores reported within the last five years

Official score reports sent to the institutions you designate include your:

• Contact information (name, address, phone number, email)
• Intended graduate major
• GRE test score(s) and the associated percentile ranks

Score reports sent to institutions will not include any information concerning the other score recipients you have chosen. Additionally, institution score reports include only the scores that you selected to send to them using the ScoreSelect^® option. There will be no special indication if you have taken additional GRE tests. See a sample institution score report.

ETS also makes available test-taker photos and essay responses on the Analytical Writing section of the GRE^® General Test available to designated score recipients as part of the ETS^® Data Manager. Photos and Analytical Writing essay responses of all individuals who report their scores to institutions on or after July 1, 2014, are included in the ETS Data Manager. The photo and essay responses from each General Test administration you select from your five-year reportable history will be made available in the ETS Data Manager as part of your score record to the institutions you designated to receive your scores on or after July 1, 2014.

Interpretative Data

The following resources will help you gain a better understanding of what your scores mean and how we advise institutions to use them.

• 2016–2017 Interpreting Your GRE^® Scores — Includes information to assist you in interpreting your GRE scores. This publication is available in your ETS Account where you view your scores.
• Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning Interpretive Data Used on Score Reports — Includes Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores on the 130–170 scale in 1-point increments and the corresponding percentile ranks.
• Analytical Writing Interpretative Data Used on Score Reports — Includes Analytical Writing scores on the 0–6 scale in half-point increments and the corresponding percentile ranks.
• GRE^® Guide to the Use of Scores — Provides information about the appropriate use of GRE scores and interpretive data.
• General Test Percentage Distribution of Scores Within Intended Broad Graduate Major Field — Contains Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing data for seniors and nonenrolled college graduates (reported that they earned their college degrees up to two years prior to their test date) who stated that they intended to do graduate work in one of approximately 300 major fields. The score data are summarized by broad graduate major field categories so that applicants can be compared to others likely to be most similar to them in educational goals.
• General Test Percentage Distribution of Scores Within Intended Graduate Major Field — Extended Table (Based on Seniors and Non-enrolled College Graduates)

Score Reporting

For individuals testing on or after July 1, 2016, GRE test scores are valid for five years after your test administration date. For example, scores for a test taken on July 3, 2016, are reportable through July 2, 2021.

For individuals who tested between August 1, 2011, and June 30, 2016, GRE test scores are valid for five years after the testing year in which you tested (as indicated in the GRE^® Information and Registration Bulletin from that testing year). For example, scores for a test taken on May 15, 2015, are reportable through June 30, 2020.

GRE scores earned in August 2011 are reportable until June 30, 2017.

Percentile Rank

Each GRE test score is reported with a corresponding percentile rank. A percentile rank for a score indicates the percentage of examinees who took that test and received a lower score. Regardless of when the reported scores were earned, the percentile ranks for General Test and Subject Test scores are based on the scores of all examinees who tested within a recent time period.

See also:

• Understanding your GRE Subject Test Scores
• GRE Comparison Tool for Business Schools