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GRE Score Calculator
Use this free GRE score calculator to convert old GRE scores to the new scale, check percentile estimates, and see your total score. The GRE changed its scoring in August 2011: Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning moved from the old 200–800 scale to the current 130–170 scale, while Analytical Writing stayed on its 0–6 scale. Enter your old scores below and the calculator converts each section, estimates its percentile, and adds Verbal and Quantitative together for your total out of 340.
Old scores were reported in 10-point steps (200, 210, … 800). New scores are whole points from 130 to 170. Analytical Writing is unchanged by the 2011 rescaling and is scored in half-point steps.
| Section | Converted | Percentile (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 157 | ~76th |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 161 | ~78th |
| Analytical Writing | 4.5 | ~82nd |
How the GRE score conversion works
Before August 2011, the GRE General Test scored Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning on a 200–800 scale in 10-point steps. The revised test scores the same two sections on a 130–170 scale in 1-point steps. The change was made because the old scale bunched most test takers into a narrow band: a 10-point difference on the old scale often meant very little, while the new scale spreads scores out so that a 1-point difference is a meaningful step. Analytical Writing did not change at all; it is still scored from 0 to 6 in half-point steps.
Because the two scales measure the same abilities, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) published concordance tables that map every old score to the new score earned by test takers of the same ability. The mapping is not a straight line. At the top of the scale, old scores are packed tightly — the difference between an old 790 and an old 800 is tiny — while in the middle of the scale the mapping stretches out. That is why a simple formula such as dividing by 15 does not work: it would put an old Verbal 700 at about 163, well above the concordance value of about 157.
This calculator uses an approximation of the ETS concordance tables, built from anchor points across the full range and straight-line interpolation between them. For Verbal Reasoning, the anchors run from 200 → 130 up through 700 → 157 and 800 → 170; for Quantitative Reasoning they run from 200 → 130 through 750 → 161 and 800 → 170. Enter any old score and the calculator finds where it falls between two anchors and interpolates. The result is rounded to a whole point, which is how the new scale is reported.
Total score = new Verbal + new Quantitative (out of 340)
Percentiles are estimated the same way. A percentile tells you what share of test takers scored at or below a given score: a 76th-percentile Verbal score means you scored at or above about 76 percent of test takers. The percentile tables differ between sections. Quantitative scores run higher overall — many test takers score 160 or above in Quant — so a Quant 161 sits near the 78th percentile, while the same number in Verbal would be higher. Writing percentiles come from the 0–6 scale: a 4.0 is near the 59th percentile, a 4.5 near the 82nd, and a 5.0 near the 93rd.
The reverse direction works by inverting the same anchors: a new score of 157 in Verbal maps back to about 700 on the old scale, and a new Quant score of 161 maps back to about 750. This is useful if you are reading an old guidebook, a university page, or a forum post that quotes scores in the old format and want to know what they mean today. Remember that the old scale only had 10-point steps, so reverse conversions are rounded to the nearest 10.
One warning matters more than the arithmetic. Converted scores are estimates, and percentiles shift a little every year as the testing population changes. No calculator can give you an official ETS score. If a university asks for your GRE score, report the score ETS actually gave you, and use this tool only to compare old and new numbers, to set a target, or to understand a score report from before 2011.
Worked example
Suppose you took the GRE before 2011 and scored Verbal 700, Quantitative 750, and Analytical Writing 4.5. What does that mean on the current scale?
Step 1: Verbal — the concordance anchor for old 700 is 157 on the new scale, at about the 76th percentile.
Step 2: Quantitative — the anchor for old 750 is 161 on the new scale, at about the 78th percentile.
Step 3: Writing — 4.5 needs no conversion; it is about the 82nd percentile.
Step 4: Total — 157 + 161 = 318 out of 340.
A total of 318 is strong for most graduate programs: both sections sit near the 75th to 80th percentile, and the writing score is above 80 percent of test takers. Enter your own scores above to see your converted total.
FAQ
How do I convert an old GRE score to the new scale?
Use the ETS concordance tables, which map each old 200–800 score to the closest new 130–170 score. For example, an old Verbal score of 700 converts to about 157 on the new scale, and an old Quantitative score of 750 converts to about 161. This calculator applies an approximation of those tables, so treat the result as an estimate, not an official ETS conversion.
What is a good GRE score on the new 130–170 scale?
There is no single good score, because it depends on the program. As a rough guide, a score around 150 is near the middle of all test takers, 155 is roughly the 60th to 70th percentile, 160 is around the 80th percentile, and 165 or above is around the 90th percentile or higher. Competitive programs often look for a combined Verbal plus Quantitative total of 310 to 320 or more.
Are the percentiles on this calculator exact?
No. The percentiles shown here are estimates based on published ETS concordance and percentile data, rounded to whole numbers. Exact percentiles change slightly from year to year as the testing population changes, and ETS is the only source of official figures. Use these numbers to judge roughly where a score stands, not as a precise ranking.
Does the Analytical Writing score convert too?
No conversion is needed. Analytical Writing has always been scored on a 0–6 scale in half-point steps, so a 4.0 on the old test is still a 4.0 on the current test. A score of 4.0 is around the 59th percentile, 4.5 is around the 82nd percentile, and 5.0 is around the 93rd percentile.
What is the highest possible GRE total score?
The highest combined Verbal and Quantitative total is 340, from 170 plus 170. Analytical Writing is scored separately on its own 0–6 scale and is not added to the 340 total. A total of 320 or above is strong for most programs, while a total near 300 is around average.