It can be difficult to understand your GRE total marks. The GRE (Graduation Record Examination) test that you take when applying to colleges in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Education Training Service (ETS) is the company that administers the GRE. Each year, the GRE can be taken up to five times. This exam type has a five-year validity period. GRE scores are based on a scale and are related to GRE total score percentile ratings.
In addition, you have the option of taking the GRE general test or the GRE subject test. Both tests are graded using a different GRE scale. The general test is available in both computer-based test and paper-based modes. The GRE scoring for both types, however, is similar. Subject tests for the GRE are offered in paper-based test locations. Before attempting the exam, you must know many things such as; the total score in GRE, exam essentials, tips, tricks, etc.
Things to Know About GRE Exam Total Marks
1. GRE General Test vs GRE Subject Test
| GRE General Test | GRE Subject Test |
| Three sections are GRE quant, GRE verbal, and GRE AWA | No section |
| It tests analytical knowledge | Tests the knowledge of the specific subject |
| Topics are: Biology Chemistry Literature in English Mathematics Physics Psychology |
|
| Conducted both computer-based tests and paper-delivered test | The exam is only offered in a paper-based format. |
| Conducted all year long | Conducted thrice a year in April, September, and October |
| Fee: US$226-US$255 | Fee: US$150 |
| Question types are MCQ and descriptive or essay questions | Question types: MCQ |
| Number of questions: 82 | Number of questions: 66-230 |
| Duration: 3 hours and 45 minutes | Duration: 2 hours and 50 minutes |
| Score range: 260-340 | Score range: 200-990 |
2. GRE exam pattern
For GRE General Test:
The GRE test syllabus for both tests is extensive, and each test has a different level of difficulty. For example, the GRE General Test, which includes quant, verbal, and AWA sections, assesses candidates' analytical abilities, whereas subject tests assess their specific area knowledge. For the General Test, GRE total Marks are 340.
GRE verbal reasoning, GRE quantitative reasoning, and GRE analytical writing evaluation are the three primary components of the GRE general test. GRE scores are essential entrance requirements for higher education in business, engineering, and many other disciplines. Therefore, the GRE general exam score is accepted in this case. Let us have a look at the GRE exam pattern for the general Test.
| Section name | Number of Sections | Number of questions | Sub-areas | Types of questions |
| GRE quantitative reasoning | 2 | 20+20=40 questions | Ratio and proportion Profit and loss Simple and compound interest Speed, distance, and time Permutation & combination Linear equations Quadratic equations Sets Theory Statistics Powers and roots Probability Pipes, cisterns, work, time Lines and angles Triangles Polygon Quadrilateral Circles Coordinate geometry Order of operations Volume and surface area Percentage Number properties |
Quantitative Comparison Questions Numeric Entry Questions |
| GRE verbal reasoning | 2 | 20+20=40 questions | - | Reading Comprehension Text Completion Sentence Equivalence |
| GRE analytical writing assessment | 2 | 1+1=2 questions | - | Analyzing an Issue Analyzing an Argument |
For GRE Subject Test:
The GRE subject test is a paper-based exam that is only offered three times a year. Students who want to get a master’s degree in a specific subject should take the GRE subject tests. This GRE exam total marks and pattern cover the following topics:
- Mathematics Physics
- Psychology
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Literature in English
Biochemistry was once included in the GRE subject test, but it was removed in December 2016. In the GRE, students can take more than one subject test; they simply have to pay for each subject they want to take. April, September, and October are the months that GRE subject tests are given. Only in October are Indian students permitted to take GRE subject tests. For GRE Subject test GRE total marks are 990.
A useful resource for GRE preparation can be this site.
3. GRE Syllabus
| Section name | Number of Sections | Number of Sections | Sub-areas | Types of questions |
| GRE quantitative reasoning | 2 | 20+20=40 questions | Ratio and proportion Profit and loss Simple and compound interest Speed, distance and time Permutation & combination Linear equations Quadratic equations Sets Theory Statistics Powers and roots Probability Pipes, cisterns, work, time Lines and angles Triangles Polygon Quadrilateral Circles Coordinate geometry Order of operations Volume and surface area Percentage Number properties |
Quantitative Comparison Questions Numeric Entry Questions |
| GRE verbal reasoning | 2 | 20+20=40 questions | - | Reading Comprehension Text Completion Sentence Equivalence |
| GRE analytical writing assessment | 2 | 1+1=2 questions | - | Analyzing an Issue Analyzing an Argument |
GRE Subject Test Syllabus:
| Subjects | Subjects | Sub-sections |
| Biology | 190 | Cellular and Molecular Biology Organismal Biology Ecology and Evolution |
| Chemistry | 130 | Analytical Chemistry Inorganic Chemistry Organic Chemistry Physical Chemistry |
| English | 230 | Literary Analysis Identification Cultural and Historical Contexts History and Theory of Literary Criticism |
| Mathematics | 66 | Calculus Algebra (Linear algebra, abstract algebra, elementary algebra, and number theory) Discrete Mathematics Real Analysis Probability and Statistics Additional Mathematics |
| Physics | 100 | Classical Mechanics Electromagnetism Optics and Wave Phenomena Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics Quantum Mechanics Atomic Physics Special Relativity Laboratory Methods Specialized Topics like Nuclear and Particle Physics etc. |
| Psychology | 205 | Biological Cognitive Social Developmental Clinical Measurement/Methodology/Other |
4. GRE test duration
| GRE Section Name | Duration |
| GRE quantitative reasoning | 1 hour and 10 minutes (35 minutes for each section) |
| GRE verbal reasoning | 1 hour (30 minutes for each section) |
| GRE analytical writing assessment | 1 hour (30 minutes for each section) |
| Total | 3 hours and 10 minutes |
The overall time is 3 hours and 45 minutes, including a 30-35 minute break. After completing the first three sections of the six sections, you may take a break. The GRE subject tests are 2 hours and 50 minutes long. It does not have a break, unlike the GRE general test, total score in GRE/GRE total marks can be increased if you score more in Verbal since this is the scoring section.
5. GRE total scores
Your GRE exam total marks are required for a detailed admissions procedure. In addition, it helps in the standardization of the evaluation of applicants from various backgrounds.
GRE General Test Scores
On the GRE General Test, three scores are reported:
- Scores for Quantitative Reasoning are presented on a range of 130 to 170, with 1-point increments.
- Scores for Verbal Reasoning are presented on a range of 130 to 170, with 1-point increments.
- The Scores for Analytical Writing are graded on a scale of 0 to 6, with half-point increments between 0 and 6.
The total number of correct answers given and the difficulty level of each segment are reflected in their Quantitative and Verbal reasoning scores. The total GRE score is a tough aim to achieve, however, it does not mean you cannot aim for it.
Each essay question is used to determine the score for the analytical writing measure (2 essay questions in total). A skilled reader and a computerized tool are developed by ETS that can recognize essay qualities related to writing proficiency and score your Analytical Writing portion. GRE total Marks can be increased by doing AWA with 95% accuracy.
GRE Subject Test Scores
The subject test is graded on a range of 200 to 990 points, with 10-point increments. It's worth noting that the separate test scales only cover a fraction of the 200-900 point range. Any subject test's actual range is smaller, ranging from 20 to 99 in one-point increments.
| Psychology |
200-990, in 10-point increments. Subscores: 20-99, in one-point increments. |
| Chemistry | 200-990, in 10-point increments. |
| Literature in English | 200-990, in 10-point increments. |
| Physics |
200-990, in 10-point increments. Subscores: 20-99, in one-point increments. |
| Mathematics | 200-990, in 10-point increments. |
| Biology |
200-990 score scale, in 10-point increments. Subscores: 20-99, in one-point increments. |
6. Total score in GRE
The GRE total marks are calculated only based on your Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning section. The maximum GRE score for both the quantitative and verbal reasoning portions is 170, while the lowest GRE score for both sections is 130. As a result, the greatest GRE score you can achieve is 340, while the lowest GRE score you can get is 260.
The subject test has a GRE exam total marks distribution ranging from 200 to 990. Subscores are also reported on a 20-99 score scale, with one-point increments, for Physics, Biology, and Psychology examinations.
However, unlike the SAT and ACT, combining section scores into a single GRE total mark is uncommon. So instead, when submitting your GRE results, you’d publish your three-part scores separately.
What is the purpose of reporting GRE section results separately? It's usually because most graduate schools are more interested in one section score than the others, and they want to see which one you earned quickly. In addition, grad school programs are more specialized than undergraduate programs, and those reviewing your GRE total score are usually only interested in the component that most closely ties to the subject matter of your programs.
7. GRE Total Score in GRE Percentile
The percentage of test-takers who scored lower scores than you is referred to as a percentile. For example, a 94th percentile score indicates that you outperformed 94 out of every 100 test-takers.
| GRE Scores | Quantitative | Verbal | Score levels | Analytical Writing |
| 170 | 96 | 99 | 6.0 | 99 |
| 169 | 94 | 99 | 5.5 | 98 |
| 168 | 92 | 98 | 5.0 | 92 |
| 167 | 89 | 98 | 4.5 | 80 |
| 166 | 87 | 97 | 4.0. | 55 |
| 165 | 85 | 96 | 3.5 | 38 |
| 164 | 83 | 94 | 3.0 | 14 |
| 163 | 80 | 92 | 3.5 | 6 |
| 162 | 78 | 90 | 2.0 | 1 |
| 161 | 75 | 88 | 0.0 1.5 | |
| 160 | 72 | 85 | ||
| 159 | 69 | 82 | ||
| 158 | 65 | 79 | ||
| 157 | 62 | 75 | ||
| 156 | 59 | 72 | ||
| 155 | 55 | 67 | ||
| 154 | 51 | 63 | ; | |
| 153 | 48 | 59 | ||
| 152 | 44 | 53 | ||
| 151 | 40 | 50 | ||
| 150 | 36 | 45 | ||
| 149 | 33 | 40 | ||
| 148 | 29 | 36 | ||
| 147 | 25 | 32 | ||
| 146 | 22 | 28 | ||
| 145 | 18 | 25 | ||
| 144 | 15 | 22 | ||
| 143 | 13 | 19 | ||
| 142 | 11 | 16 | ||
| 141 | 9 | 14 | ||
| 140 | 7 | 11 | ||
| 139 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 138 | 4 | 8 | ||
| 137 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 136 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 135 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 134 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 133 | 1 | 2 | ; | |
| 132 | 2 | |||
| 131 | 1 | |||
| 130 |
8. Total GRE Score percentile; Subject Test
| GRE score | Biology | Literature in English | Physics | Psychology | Chemistry | Mathematics |
| 980 | – | – | 95 | – | – | – |
| 940 | 99 | – | 86 | – | 99 | 97 |
| 900 | 98 | – | 82 | – | 97 | 94 |
| 860 | 94 | – | 76 | – | 92 | 88 |
| 820 | 89 | – | 69 | 99 | 83 | 80 |
| 780 | 80 | – | 62 | 95 | 73 | 73 |
| 740 | 70 | 98 | 55 | 86 | 62 | 66 |
| 700 | 58 | 94 | 48 | 73 | 51 | 58 |
| 660 | 46 | 85 | 40 | 58 | 39 | 50 |
| 620 | 34 | 73 | 32 | 44 | 28 | 41 |
| 580 | 24 | 59 | 23 | 32 | 18 | 32 |
| 540 | 16 | 46 | 16 | 22 | 11 | 23 |
| 500 | 9 | 33 | 9 | 15 | 6 | 14 |
| 460 | 5 | 22 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 8 |
| 420 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| 380 | 1 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 1 |
| 340 | – | 3 | – | 1 | – | – |
| 300 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
9. GRE exam total marks report
The GRE General and Subject tests both have similar score reports.
Your report includes the following information:
- Date of birth
- Contact information (name, phone number, and email)
- Gender
- Aiming for a graduate degree
- Your test results and percentile rankings
- Score receipts from authorized scorers or fellowship sponsors, as well as scores, reported to such institutions
- The total number of points reported in the last five years
- Dates of the tests
- Dates of the tests
Your total GRE score report is not same as official report given to the schools. This report includes you:
- Your GRE results and percentile rank
- Aiming for a graduate degree
- Information about how to contact (name, phone, email, address)
As a result, there are two types of score reports: For the Test-taker and the institutions
10. What to do after receiving your total score in GRE?
After you've completed the test, you'll be asked if you'd like to report (see) or cancel your results. You can see your unofficial quantitative and verbal reasoning results right away if you choose; Report.; You won't be able to change your GRE total marks/GRE total score once you've selected the report option.
Cancel the scores
- You can't have one section of the test's score canceled while the rest of the test's score is published.
- Your scores will no longer be accessible for review online once they have been canceled.
- Your canceled scores will not be shared with anyone else.
- There will be no reimbursement.
- If you want to repeat the test after your results have been canceled, you must register and pay for the test again.
- Finally, keep in mind that ETS offers the ScoreSelect option, which allows you to choose whatever score you wish to send to b-schools.
- You can have your scores reinstated through your ETS account within 60 days of the test date if you change your mind after canceling them. However, there will be a $50 cost.
Reinstate the score
- You can pay the fee by credit card, cheque, or money order.
- If you're paying by money order or paper check, fill out and mail the Score Reinstatement form.
- When you register for score restoration, you get four free score recipients.
- Pay $27 per recipient to have scores emailed to them later. If you do not choose score recipients, it will take two weeks for your results to be reinstated, and they will be delivered to your chosen universities immediately after that.
Conclusion
On the GRE, you can only get a few questions wrong and still achieve a perfect score, but keep in mind that the GRE is only one part of your grad school application. Students should devote their time to developing a strong application in a variety of areas instead of concentrating all of their efforts on achieving a perfect total GRE score. Even if you had the greatest GRE exam total marks imaginable, it wouldn't help you get into grad school if the rest of your application was bad. Similarly, non-perfect GRE scores won't damage you as much if you have strong college grades, letters of recommendation, and other factors.
