The GRE exam: length, GRE scores and registration
The GRE test takes about 1 hour and 58 minutes. Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each scored from 130 to 170, Analytical Writing from 0 to 6, so the highest GRE score is 170 on each of Verbal and Quant and 6 in writing. Scores arrive about 8 to 10 days after the test, stay reportable for five years, and you schedule the test yourself through your ETS account.
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How long is the GRE test?
About 1 hour and 58 minutes of test time, in five sections. Analytical Writing takes 30 minutes. Verbal Reasoning gives you 41 minutes for 27 questions (18 minutes for 12, then 23 minutes for 15). Quantitative Reasoning gives you 47 minutes for 27 questions (21 minutes for 12, then 26 minutes for 15).
If you have read older guides, note the change: before 22 September 2023 the test ran about 3 hours and 45 minutes in six sections. Anything that describes two essays or 20-question sections refers to the old format.
Source: ETS — GRE General Test Structure. Checked 19 October 2026.
GRE score range and how GRE exam scores are reported
The GRE score range is 130 to 170 for Verbal Reasoning and for Quantitative Reasoning, in 1-point increments, and 0 to 6 for Analytical Writing, in half-point increments. ETS reports the three GRE exam scores separately; the pages we checked show no official total score.
The GRE test score range does not change between test dates, and ETS notes that a given score represents approximately the same level of ability regardless of when it was earned. Verbal and Quant are section-level adaptive, so the difficulty of your second section in each measure depends on how you did in the first.
Source: ETS — Interpreting Your GRE Scores 2026–27. Checked 19 October 2026.
Highest GRE score and GRE max score
The highest GRE score is 170 in Verbal Reasoning, 170 in Quantitative Reasoning and 6.0 in Analytical Writing. That GRE max score is the top of the scale, not a target most programs set; your percentile rank shows how rare a score is.
A percentile rank is the percentage of test takers who scored below you. For 2026–27 the ranks on your score report are based on everyone who tested between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2025, and ETS notes that the same score can carry a different percentile rank against a different group.
Source: ETS — Interpreting Your GRE Scores 2026–27. Checked 19 October 2026.
Average GRE scores
ETS publishes average GRE scores in its Interpreting Your GRE Scores guide. Among all test takers between July 2022 and June 2025, the mean was 151.39 in Verbal Reasoning (about 788,000 test takers), 157.62 in Quantitative Reasoning (about 791,000) and 3.46 in Analytical Writing (about 786,000).
The same guide also lists average GRE exam scores by intended graduate major. Those tables are more useful than the overall means, because the people you compete with for a place usually apply to the same field.
Source: ETS — Interpreting Your GRE Scores 2026–27. Checked 19 October 2026.
What is a good GRE score?
ETS does not define a good score and publishes no passing score on the pages checked. What GRE score is good depends on the programs you apply to: check each program’s published admissions information, and compare with the ETS means for your intended major.
A practical approach: take an official practice test, then compare your result in each measure with the ETS mean for your intended major and with what your programs ask for. The gap tells you where study time pays off most.
Source: ETS — Interpreting Your GRE Scores 2026–27. Checked 19 October 2026.
GRE test registration: how to schedule a GRE test
GRE test registration runs online through your ETS account or by phone. You can schedule a GRE test at home, offered 24 hours a day, or at a test center, offered most days of the week at more than 1,000 centers in more than 160 countries. The test is offered on a continuous basis rather than on a few fixed dates: you search by city or postal code and pick an open slot.
When you register for the GRE test, pick a date that leaves time for scores to reach your programs before their deadlines. ID requirements depend on where you test and your citizenship. You can retake once every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12 months.
Source: ETS — GRE General Test Registration. Checked 19 October 2026.
GRE scores: when they arrive and how long GRE test scores stay valid
GRE scores are available in your ETS account 8 to 10 days after your test date. Four free score recipients are included with your test fee, and with ScoreSelect you choose which scores to send.
If you are wondering how long GRE test results last: ETS keeps them reportable for 5 years after the test date, and if you retake, you can decide which scores from the last 5 years go to each institution.
Source: ETS — GRE General Test Scores. Checked 19 October 2026.
GRE exam: questions people ask
How long is the GRE test?
About 1 hour and 58 minutes: Analytical Writing 30 minutes, Verbal Reasoning 41 minutes, Quantitative Reasoning 47 minutes. Source: ETS, checked 19 October 2026.
What is the GRE score range?
130 to 170 for Verbal and for Quant in 1-point steps; 0 to 6 for Analytical Writing in half-point steps. Source: ETS, checked 19 October 2026.
What is a good GRE score?
ETS does not set one. Compare your scores with your programs’ admissions information and with ETS’s mean scores by intended major.
What are the average GRE scores?
For test takers from July 2022 to June 2025: 151.39 Verbal, 157.62 Quant, 3.46 Analytical Writing. Source: ETS Interpreting Your GRE Scores 2026–27, checked 19 October 2026.
When do I get my GRE scores?
About 8 to 10 days after your test date, in your ETS account. Source: ETS, checked 19 October 2026.
Are there fixed GRE test dates?
No. The test is offered on a continuous basis; you choose an open slot at home (24 hours a day) or at a test center (most days of the week). Source: ETS, checked 19 October 2026.
