What Is A Good GRE Score In 2024 (Tips To Improve)

GRE, or Graduate record examination developed by Education Testing Service (ETS), is a standardized test for graduate school admission conducted in the United States, Canada, and some other countries. 

The expectations of Good GRE scores vary depending on the institution you are willing to get in and the type of program.

If you are planning to take the GRE examination or want to determine a Good GRE score, here you are. 

In this article, you will get a complete overview of the GRE score; I have also added some tips and tricks to help you improve your score. 

What is a Good GRE score?

A good GRE score is quite subjective and mainly depends upon the program you are taking into consideration and the schools to which you are applying. 

A GRE score of 318 and above is considered a good and competitive GRE score and can help you get into top colleges.

The below data represents the mean GRE scores and their standard deviations. 

Sections.	Number of Test Takers.	Mean score.	Standard deviation.
Verbal Section	1,373,468	150.61	8.57
Quantitative Section	1,376,158	154.34	9.58
Analytical writing section.	1,369,829	3.60	0.86

Source: ETS. 

Structure Of GRE

The GRE general test comprises different sections, i.e., Verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills. 

Verbal Reasoning: The section on verbal reasoning is designed to evaluate the test taker’s ability to draw conclusions and understand different levels of meaning, like figurative, literal, and author’s intent. 

It also evaluates students’ ability to understand text structure and determine relationships between different words and concepts.  

Quantitative reasoning Section: This section assesses the student’s ability to understand, interpret and analyze the quantitative information.

It also measures the ability of the test taker to solve problems by using different mathematical models, such as algebraic concepts, geometric concepts, data analysis, etc. 

Analytical Writing skills: The  section of analytical writing evaluates the test taker’s critical thinking and analytical writing ability. 

It assesses students’ ability to articulate and support complex ideas, examine claims, etc. 

Sections	No. of Questions	Time
Verbal Reasoning (comprises two sections)	20 questions in each section	30 minutes for each section
Quantitative Reasoning (comprises two sections)	20 questions in each section	35 minutes for each section
Analytical Writing skill (one section with two tasks)	Analyze an issue task. Analyze an argument task.	30 minutes for each task

How Is GRE Scored? 

The GRE scores are calculated based on the summation of scores from the three sections, i.e., the section on verbal reasoning, the section of quantitative reasoning, and the analytical writing section. 

The verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning are calculated on a scale of 130 to 170 in one-point increments, whereas the section analytical writing is calculated on a scale of 0 to 6 in half-point increments. 

The scores from verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning are calculated on the basis of correct answers to the questions. A raw score is calculated, which is then converted to a scaled score by equating. 

An average score of GRE as per Majors 

Variation is seen in the GRE scores depending on the college degree program. The below table demonstrates the average GRE scores depending on the college majors. 

Intended college majors.	Verbal Reasoning	Quantitative Reasoning	Analytical Writing
Arts and Humanities	156	150	4.1
Business	151	156	3.6
Education	150	148	3.7
Engineering	150	160	3.5
Law	155	153	4.1
Life Sciences	151	151	3.8
Physical Sciences	151	160	3.6
Social and Behavioral Sciences	151	152	3.9

Source: ETS.

Tips to improve GRE score

Don’t stress if your preparation test scores are less than the baseline scores or if you find it challenging to acquire the target scores, don’t stress. 

Here are some of the tips and tricks that may help to improve your GRE scores. 

Develop a study schedule

Before preparing for GRE, make sure you determine your strengths and weaknesses and plan your study schedule accordingly. Allot more time to practice the areas where you are weak.

Study and practice more. 

After planning a study schedule, stick to it, devote more time, and focus on the weak areas. Explore different study materials. 

Spend atleast 4 to 5 hours on GRE preparation each day. 

Keep track of your progress

Take preparation tests and monitor your score to keep track of your progress in order to achieve your desired GRE score. 

Brush up on basic mathematics concepts

Focus more on brushing up on your basic mathematical skills, such as probability, mean, median, and mode. Memorize basic equations that will help you to solve the section on quantitative reasoning.

Proof your work

Save some time after the test to prove your work, especially for the section of quantitative reasoning that comprises some confusing, complex questions. 

Related Read:

• Becker CPA Review
• Best ACT Prep Courses
• What is an Average ACT Score (Tips To Improve)
•  What Is The Average SAT Score

Conclusion: What Is A Good GRE Score

The GRE scores play a vital role in admission to top graduate schools, and the admission committees evaluate these scores to compare students’ abilities and their preparedness. 

You can take the Graduate record examination (GRE) every 21 days and five times in a period of 12 months. 

Although the GRE examination might seem intimidating, taking it can prove to be a beneficial one, especially if you want to get into your dream university or institution. 

That’s all about GRE scores. Go through the article carefully and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

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