Introduction:

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test used by many graduate schools to assess the applicants’ analytical, critical thinking, verbal reasoning, and quantitative skills. Understanding how the GRE score is calculated can be beneficial for test-takers in devising an effective study strategy and setting realistic expectations. In this article, we will delve into the process of calculating GRE scores.

Three Sections of the GRE:

The GRE consists of three sections – Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Each section is scored differently:

1. Verbal Reasoning: The Verbal Reasoning section consists of two scored sub-sections with 20 questions each. The raw score is calculated based on the number of correct answers given. Then, it’s converted to a scaled score ranging from 130 to 170 in one-point increments.

2. Quantitative Reasoning: Similar to Verbal Reasoning, the Quantitative Reasoning section also has two scored sub-sections with 20 questions each. Once again, the raw score is based on the number of correct answers provided, which is subsequently converted to a scaled score between 130 and 170.

3. Analytical Writing: Analytical Writing includes one issue task and one argument task. Each essay is scored by human raters and an e-rater program (an automated software). Both human raters and e-raters use a holistic approach in assessing the essays and assigning scores ranging from 0 to 6 in half-point increments. The final Analytical Writing score is an average of both essay scores rounded to the nearest half-point.

Calculating Total GRE Scores:

The total GRE scores are obtained by adding up the scaled scores of Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections (ranging from 260-340). The Analytical Writing score is reported separately.

Factors Affecting GRE Scores:

The GRE is a section-level adaptive test, meaning that the second sub-section of Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections adapts to the test-taker’s performance in the first sub-section. If a person performs well in the first sub-section, the second one will be more difficult and vice versa. The difficulty level in the second sub-section does not affect the scaled score as raw scores are converted into scaled scores, ensuring precise measurement of a candidate’s skills.

Conclusion:

Understanding how the GRE score is calculated can help test-takers strategize and allocate their preparation time effectively to perform well across all sections. Calculating your score can also help set realistic expectations and provide insights into which areas may need more focus during preparation.