This post has been updated for the New Shorter GRE that was launched in September 2023.
Summary: Achieving a Good GRE Score
To achieve a good GRE score, it’s important to understand how the adaptive test format influences the weight of correct answers in each section. Here’s a simplified guide on the approximate number of correct answers needed in each section to reach specific score ranges:
Quantitative Section:
- To score between 165-170: Aim for at least 10-12 correct answers in the first section and 12-15 correct answers in the second section.
- To score between 160-165: Aim for at least 8-9 correct answers in the first section and 9-14 correct answers in the second section.
Verbal Section:
- To score between 165-170: Aim for at least 9-11 correct answers in the first section and 10-15 correct answers in the second section.
- To score between 160-165: Aim for at least 8-10 correct answers in the first section and 7-14 correct answers in the second section.
Please Note: The numbers above are estimates and can vary slightly due to the GRE’s adaptive scoring system. Your performance in the first section determines the difficulty of the second section, and consequently, the scoring weight of each question answered correctly. Excelling in the first section leads to a more challenging second section, which can allow you to achieve a higher score with fewer total correct answers compared to someone who answers more questions correctly in an easier second section.
Remember, the GRE does not penalize for incorrect answers, so it’s in your best interest to answer every question.
Now let’s get into the details.
Recently, someone preparing for the GRE asked me, “I took the GRE exam recently. In the first verbal section, I answered 8 out of 12 questions correctly, and in the second, I got 5 out of 15 right. This gave me a total of 13 correct answers out of 27, resulting in a score of 154. On the other hand, my friend scored 2 out of 12 in the first verbal section and 11 out of 15 in the second, also achieving 13 correct answers out of 27. However, his score was only 146. How can this be, considering we both got the same number of questions right?”
To address this question, it’s essential to grasp several key aspects of the GRE exam structure.
The GRE consists of two math sections, two verbal sections, and one analytical writing section, all of which are graded. The scoring for both math and verbal sections ranges from 130 to 170. Each begins with a section comprising 12 questions, followed by a second section with 15 questions, totaling 27 questions for each subject area. This results in a scoring span of 40 points (from 130 to 170).
The GRE exam structure is designed to adapt to the test taker’s performance, particularly between its two math and two verbal sections. Initially, every test taker encounters a first section of medium difficulty in both the verbal and quantitative areas. The performance in this first section is crucial as it determines the difficulty level of the subsequent second section, which is not uniform across all test takers.
Here’s a detailed breakdown:
- Uniform Starting Point: The initial section for both the verbal and quantitative parts of the GRE is set at a medium difficulty level for all test takers. This ensures a standardized starting point for evaluating performance.
- Performance-Based Difficulty Adjustment: The difficulty level of the second section varies based on how well you perform in the first section. Excelling in the first section leads to a more challenging second section, while average performance maintains the medium difficulty, and below-average performance results in an easier second section.
- Varied Second Section Weight: The second section’s difficulty level adjustment is critical because it carries a significant weight in the scoring process. This is due to a combination of a higher question count and the GRE’s scoring algorithm. Therefore, being presented with and performing well in a harder second section can enable a test taker to achieve a higher score, even with fewer correct answers, compared to someone who answers more questions correctly in an easier second section.
This adaptive testing approach ensures that the GRE accurately measures a test taker’s abilities by adjusting to their performance level, making it a more personalized assessment. The key takeaway is that the difficulty level of the second section, influenced by your performance in the first, plays a crucial role in determining your overall score.
Each math and verbal section is categorized into three difficulty levels:
- Easy Section
- Medium Section
- Hard Section
Furthermore, each question is assigned a difficulty level, ranging from 1 to 5:
- Level 1 corresponds to Very Easy questions.
- Level 2 to Easy questions.
- Level 3 to Medium questions.
- Level 4 to Hard questions.
- Level 5 to Very Hard questions.
Let’s now examine the approximate distribution of questions per section based on their difficulty levels.
In this Article
Approximate percentage of Questions per section per level
Quant Easy Section
Level 1 = 25% Questions
Level 2 = 40% Questions
Level 3 = 30% Questions
Level 4 = 5% Questions
Level 5 = 0% Question
This means: for the Quant Easy Section there are approximately 25% questions of difficulty level 1 (Very easy), 40% questions of difficulty level 2 (easy), 30% questions of difficulty level 3 (medium), 5% questions of difficulty level 4 (hard) and 0% question of difficulty level 5 (Very hard).
Quant Medium Section
Level 1 = 10% Questions
Level 2 = 20% Questions
Level 3 = 50% Questions
Level 4 = 10% Questions
Level 5 = 10% Question
Quant Hard Section
Level 1 = 0% Question
Level 2 = 5% Questions
Level 3 = 25% Questions
Level 4 = 40% Questions
Level 5 = 30% Question
Verbal Easy Section
Level 1 = 30% Questons
Level 2 = 40% Questons
Level 3 = 20% Questions
Level 4 = 10% Questions
Level 5 = 0% Question
Verbal Medium Section
Level 1 = 10% Question
Level 2 = 30% Questions
Level 3 = 30% Questions
Level 4 = 20% Questions
Level 5 = 10% Question
Verbal Hard Section
Level 1 = 0% Question
Level 2 = 10% Question
Level 3 = 20% Questions
Level 4 = 40% Questions
Level 5 = 30% Question
On the GRE exam, both the initial math and the initial verbal sections are set at a Medium difficulty level.
It’s important to remember that the first quantitative and the first verbal sections each have 12 questions, while the second quantitative and the second verbal sections contain 15 questions each.
How does the GRE Test Adapt?
For Quant: If you get 8 or more questions correct on the first section, then the second section is a Hard difficulty level. If you score 4 or more but less than 8 questions correct on the first section, then the second section is a Medium difficulty level (same level as the first section). And lastly, if you score less than 4 questions correct on the first section, then the second section is of an Easy difficulty level.
For Verbal: If you get 9 or more questions correct on the first section, then the second section is a Hard difficulty level. If you score 5 or more but less than 9 questions correct on the first section, then the second section is a Medium difficulty level (same level as the first section). And lastly if you score less than 5 questions correct on the first section, then the second section is of an Easy difficulty level.
Do note that ETS keeps on tweaking their algorithm from time to time. So there is definitely be some room for error.
How much Does a Section Weigh
A hard section weighs nearly 3 times as much as an easy section, which means that getting 5 questions correct on a hard section section is equivalent to getting all questions correct on an easier section. Hence, if you screw your first section, the next section will be easy and therefore carry less weight and even if you get all questions correct on the easier second section, you will not be able to get a higher score.
Actual GRE score reports
Here are some sample scores of actual GRE test takers that have been excerpted from their official test reports:
Sample 1
Quant first section: 7/12
Quant second section: 14/15
You score: 158 (view score report here)
Verbal first section: 5/12
Verbal second section: 6/15
You score: 149 (view score report here)
Sample 2
Quant first section: 12/12
Quant second section: 13/15
Final score: 168 (view score report here)
Verbal first section: 4/12
Verbal second section: 14/15
Final score: 151 (view score report here)
Sample 3
Quant first section: 10/12
Quant second section: 5/15
Final score: 155 (view score report here)
Verbal first section: 1/12
Verbal second section: 4/15
Final score: 135 (view score report here)
Sample 4
Quant first section: 12/12
Quant second section: 15/15
Final score: 170 (view score report here)
Verbal first section: 11/12
Verbal second section: 11/15
Final score: 164 (view score report here)
Sample 5
Quant first section: 9/12
Quant second section: 12/15
Final score: 163 (view score report here)
Verbal first section: 11/12
Verbal second section: 10/15
Final score: 163 (view score report here)
Sample 6
Quant first section: 12/12
Quant second section: 11/15
Final score: 165 (view score report here)
Verbal first section: 10/12
Verbal second section: 9/15
Final score: 161 (view score report here)
Some observations
Comparing the quantitative scores from Example 1 and Example 2 reveals an interesting observation. Although the student in Example 1 answered more questions correctly in the second section (14 out of 15) than the student in Example 2 (13 out of 15), they received a lower overall score. This discrepancy can be attributed to the level of difficulty of the second section each student faced. In Example 2, by answering all 12 questions correctly in the first section, the student was presented with a second section of higher difficulty. In contrast, the student in Example 1, with only 7 correct answers in the first section, faced a second section of medium difficulty. Achieving fewer correct answers (13) on a more challenging section can result in a higher score than obtaining more correct answers (14) on a section of medium difficulty.
Thus, to achieve a score of 160 or higher in the quantitative section, it is crucial to answer at least 8 questions correctly in the first section. This performance ensures that you are presented with a second section of higher difficulty, offering the potential for a higher overall score.
How many questions do I need to get right to get a particular score?
- Quant 165-170 at least 10-12 correct on section 1 and 12-15 correct on section 2
- Verbal 165-170 at least 9-12 correct on section 1 and 10-15 correct on section 2
- Quant 160-165 at least 8-12 correct on section 1 and 9-15 correct on section 2
- Verbal 160-165 at least 8-12 correct on section 1 and 7-15 correct on section 2
*GRE Scoring Algorithm: Here is a link to the GRE Scoring Grid that will give you all the permutations of the GRE score.