GRE Percentile: Score Conversion, Good GRE Score and Tips
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Content Curator | Updated On - Dec 8, 2023
GRE percentile is the score percentage of candidates who scored lower than a certain score in the exam. A candidate’s GRE percentile score of 85%, means that the student scored better than 85% of the test takers. The GRE Percentile depends on the number of questions correctly answers by the candidate. The GRE scores are compared with the scores of other candidates to get the GRE percentile.
The raw scores in GRE score are the number of questions answered correctly. The scaled scores range from 130-170. Scaled scores are evaluated with a process called Equating that is based on the level of difficulty of the attempted question. GRE test is a section-level computer-adaptive test for Quant and Verbal sections. Hence, some questions may have more weightage than others in GRE percentiles ETS.
- Raw score - The number of questions answered correctly.
- Scaled score - The raw score is converted to bring the GRE score range between 130-170
To understand what percentile a candidate can get, understanding the GRE score is very necessary. The score for GRE AWA ranges from 0 to 6 with a half-point increment. GRE Verbal and GRE Quantitative Reasoning score ranges from 130 to 170 with a one-point increment. Once the marks are out, these are converted into GRE percentiles. The GRE percentile conversion are provided below.
GRE Raw Score to Scaled Score Conversion
GRE percentiles ETS uses a method known as equating to make the scaled score precise and balanced for evaluation. Candidates must understand Raw score and scaled score before understanding GRE percentile. The conversion of GRE scores and percentiles are.
| GRE Raw Score Range | GRE Scaled Score |
|---|---|
| 0-5 | 130-135 |
| 6-10 | 135-140 |
| 11-15 | 140-145 |
| 16-20 | 145-150 |
| 21-25 | 150-155 |
| 26-30 | 155-160 |
| 31-35 | 160-165 |
| 36-40 | 165-170 |
GRE Percentiles and Scores Conversion
The GRE score validity is for 5 years. The GRE score percentile helps to understand the competitive scoring with other candidates. The best percentile for GRE is 99% which is a score of 169-170 in one section. Similarly, a GRE score of 320 is considered 80 percentile or above. GRE percentile is a reflection of how well the candidate did as compared to other test takers. The GRE percentile to GRE score conversion as per the various sections are provided.
GRE Quantitative Percentile
The GRE score range of Quantitative section ranges from 130-170. A score of 169 in GRE quantitative is 97th percentile. The GRE Quantitative Score to Percentile conversion are:
| GRE Quantitative Percentile | GRE Quantitative Score |
|---|---|
| 86-96 | 165-170 |
| 73-86 | 160-165 |
| 56-73 | 155-160 |
| 37-56 | 150-155 |
| 19-37 | 145-150 |
| 7-19 | 140-145 |
| 2-7 | 135-140 |
| 1-2 | 130-135 |
GRE Verbal Percentile
The GRE Verbal section also ranges from 10-170. For example, a score of 153 on GRE Verbal is 60 percentiles when converted. The GRE score range percentiles calculations are:
| GRE Verbal Percentile Rank | GRE Verbal Score |
|---|---|
| 96-99 | 165-170 |
| 86-96 | 160-165 |
| 68-86 | 155-160 |
| 46-68 | 150-155 |
| 26-46 | 145-150 |
| 11-26 | 140-145 |
| 3-11 | 135-140 |
| 1-3 | 131-135 |
GRE AWA Percentile
The GRE AWA sections are scored by experienced readers on a scale of 6. The examiner reads the writing of the candidate and gives a mark like 4 or 4.5 depending on the quality of the text. This is then converted to GRE percentile by score. A good score in GRE AWA is 5-6 which means that the candidate has good writing skills. The GRE analytical writing percentiles conversion are:
| GRE AWA Percentile | GRE AWA Score |
|---|---|
| 99 | 6.0 |
| 98 | 5.5 |
| 93 | 5.0 |
| 82 | 4.5 |
| 59 | 4.0 |
| 42 | 3.5 |
| 17 | 3.0 |
| 7 | 2.5 |
| 2 | 2.0 |
| 1 | 1.5 |
| No Rank Available | 1.0 |
| No Rank Available | 0.5 |
GRE Score Range Percentile
A good GRE percentiles scores depends on the GRE requirements of the university applying for. Candidates must check the scores and try to score more than the cutoff score. A good GRE score is anything above 80 percentiles. GRE Verbal Reasoning score of 159 or a Quantitative Reasoning score of 163 would place the candidate around 80th percentiles respectively. Anything above 80th or 90th percentile, candidates can get placed in most global universities.
Most Common GRE Percentiles
The GRE Percentile changes every year as per the results of the test takers. The GRE percentile calculator helps to give the percentile score from scaled scores. Some of the most common average GRE percentiles as per the test takers are as follows.
| GRE Percentiles | Verbal Reasoning | Quantitative Reasoning | Analytical Writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRE 50th percentile | ~151 | ~154 | ~4.0 |
| GRE 60th percentile | ~154 | ~158 | ~4.0 |
| GRE 70th percentile | ~156 | 161 | ~4.0 |
| GRE 80th percentile | ~159 | ~165 | ~5.0 |
| GRE 90th percentile | 162 | 168 | ~5.0 |
| GRE 99th percentile | 170 | – | 6.0 |
Tips to Improve GRE Percentile
Candidates can improve their GRE Score percentiles by following the tips shared below:
- Students must understand the grading system of GRE test
- Time management skills are important to pace up the preparation
- Create a personalized Study Program
- Follow templates to answer AWA essays
- Expand the vocabulary
- Understand the adaptive nature of the test
- Candidates must practice by using GRE sample papers
The GRE score percentile depends on the number of test takers and performance of the candidate. The better the score, they receive more GRE percentile marks. The GRE percentile helps to understand how better a candidate is as compared to others.
FAQs
Ques. What is the 95% percentile for the GRE?
Ans. A score of 165 and above in GRE Verbal and GRE Quantitative is 95% percentile for the GRE exam. The scores might vary as a result of a combination of previous 3 years test results of GRE.
Ques. What percentile is a 340 GRE score?
Ans. The GRE score of 340 is 99th percentile. The highest scores of GRE verbal and GRE Quantitative sections are 170. Candidates receiving the highest score are considered among 99 th percentile.
Ques. What is a good GRE score percentile?
Ans. For most universities, a good GRE score is anything above 75-80 percentile. Scores above 157 in Verbal Reasoning and 162 in Quantitative Reasoning is considered a good score.
Ques. What percentile is 309 on GRE?
Ans. The average score for Quantitative reasoning is 150.37, Verbal reasoning is 153.66, and Analytical writing is 3.60. Thus, the total score will be 303 (45th Percentile). So, a GRE score of 309 is an average score.
Ques. Is 270 a good GRE score?
Ans. A score of 270 in GRE is not a good score. Most universities accept GRE scores of 300 and above. Candidates getting 270 in GRE must prepare well to get a good GRE score.
Ques. Is 307 a good GRE score?
Ans. 307 is considered to be an average GRE score. Candidates have the chance of getting admission to the university. Most colleges accept scores of 300 and above in GRE.
Ques. Is 315 a low GRE score?
Ans. Yes, 315 is considered an average GRE score. In most universities or top-50 schools, a good GRE score is in the mid-to-high 150s on both sections. Hence, anything above 300 is accepted by universities.
Ques. Is 295 a good GRE score?
Ans. A score of 295 is not considered a good GRE score. The top universities require a score of 320 and above. However, candidates can get admission to some universities with a score of 295 in GRE.
Ques. What is a respectable score in GRE?
Ans. A score of 310 and above is considered a respectable score in GRE. Candidates can apply to top colleges and universities with a score of 310.
Ques. Is 80% good on the GRE?
Ans. Yes, 80% is good on GRE because the candidate is better than 80% of the test takers of that year. A score of 75th percentile is a pretty good GRE score, and a 90th percentile is an excellent one.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.