• You’ll know exactly how many points you need to gain over your starting score, which will help you determine how many months you need to allot for your GRE prep. Needing to gain 40 points overall is a much different situation than needing to gain 10 points, and knowing how far from your goal you are will allow you to plan accordingly.
• Having a target GRE score will make the entire experience more manageable – while we’d all love to get a perfect 340, none of us actually needs that score in order to be admitted to our dream graduate programs. Remember, admissions committees evaluate many factors (personal statements, recommendations, etc) on top of your GRE score, and you need to give all of them ample attention.
• Last, but certainly not least, the process of setting a target GRE score will give you more opportunity than you’ve likely taken thus far to really research the programs to which you’re applying. How do they look at your scores – do they care about the combined score, the individual scores on each section, or do they really only focus on one section’s score? What is the average score of matriculating students? Is there a baseline score below which you won’t be considered?

As you can see, researching your target schools requires finding a lot of information. Most programs list their incoming class’s average GRE scores (and often the middle 50 or 80% of scores as well) in their class profile, which is easily accessible to you. If you can’t find anything that you’re looking for, call the admissions office – officers are happy to field questions from potential applicants. This also applies to things beyond your GRE score: The more questions you ask, the more informed your application will be, and (here’s that long-term payoff) the more compelling it will be to the admissions committee.

Join Kaplan’s Director of Graduate Programs, Lee Weiss, to get answers to some of our most frequently asked questions from GRE students like you. This video discusses GRE FAQs including the exciting new GRE ScoreSelect option for submitting your best scores to graduate schools. We also address the common question “What is a good score?” It comes down to the best score for you, and for the specific programs you are applying to. Your GRE scores are good for 5 years from the day you test, and you can now retest every 30 days if needed.

If you have additional questions, please visit us on Facebook or Twitter. For more info on the New GRE, visit our GRE Test Info Center. If your GRE Test Taking skills need a boost, check out Kaplan’s GRE Advantage course, specifically designed to focus on essential tools for success on the GRE.

Join Kaplan’s Director of Graduate Programs, Lee Weiss, to get answers to some of our most frequently asked questions from GRE students like you.

This video discusses GRE FAQs including whether there is partial credit on the test and how to stay focused while taking a 4-hour exam.  Only the essay section of the GRE awards, in a sense, partial credit. However, there is not partial credit for any of the Quantitative or Verbal question types. You must select all (and only) the correct answers to get credit.

To stay focused throughout the entire test, you must practice beforehand with timed drills and practice tests. Building mental stamina is key. You can sign up for a free Kaplan practice test to assess your skills.

If you have additional questions, please visit us on Facebook or Twitter. For more info on the New GRE, visit our GRE Test Info Center. If your GRE Test Taking skills need a boost, check out Kaplan’s GRE Advantage course, specifically designed to focus on essential tools for success on the GRE.

Almost every student I have, in every class that I teach, asks, “What is a good score on the GRE?”

Most students don’t understand just how complex that answer can be. Sure, I could tell everyone, “You know, you really want to aim for a 165 or higher on both sections of the GRE.” That would be a completely truthful answer—anything at 165 or higher is an excellent score—but it may not be an appropriate goal for every student. Quite simply, it’s just not that simple.

For starters, here is what you need to know:

The GRE is scored on, essentially, a 41-point scale. That means that small improvements in performance can increase your score quite a bit. It also means that small improvements in your score can make a big difference in your percentile ranking (sometimes, a one point increase in your score can boost your percentile ranking by 5 points—check it out here).

The percentile ranking on the GRE forms a classic Bell curve. Here is a generic Bell curve, in case you’ve forgotten what one looks like:

Because it falls on a Bell curve, your percentile tells the friendly admissions folks how well you did on the GRE compared with the students who have taken it over the last three years. (You can find that information here – But–fair warning–it’s pretty dry reading.)

Also, your GRE score does not stand alone. Whether or not you are admitted into a graduate program (and whether or not you receive scholarship money) depends on several factors, not your GRE score alone.  Do not put all of your eggs in the GRE basket. You can put 4-6 eggs there, but divide the remaining 6-8 between obtaining the best GPA possible, writing a spectacular personal statement, flattering professors and professionals into writing outstanding letters of recommendation, and rounding out your resume.

I imagine you’re a bit frustrated with me. Because you still want me to give you a number and say, “THIS is a good GRE score.” (I did that already, remember? 165….look back to the beginning of this blog entry if you’ve forgotten.)

The absolute best way I can help you is to provide some general guidelines on how to set a good GRE score goal for YOU:

1. Do your research! This is important. What is the average GRE score of accepted students at the schools you’re interested in? What are the average scores for your specific programs? What do the admissions departments have to say about required minimum scores? Once you’ve done your research, use these numbers in your goal-setting process.  Remember also the meaning of an average score—students are accepted with higher AND lower scores than the average. Your entire application is important. Don’t become so focused on one number that you fail to present yourself in the best manner possible.
2. Know that a good GRE score for YOU is the highest score you can possibly achieve after a reasonable amount of prep time (about 100 hours). Take a diagnostic test as you begin your studies (http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/powerprep2). If that diagnostic test places you in the 80^th percentile or higher, you may be good to continue studying on your own. If you’re below the 80^th percentile on either the Quantitative or Verbal section, consider signing up for a prep course. Kaplan has some great ones!
3. When you begin studying, set your goal score at 20 points above your diagnostic score. Try to break that 20 point barrier in your studies. Raise your goal again—depending on how easy the first 20-point improvement was, raise your next goal by 5-20 points. Continue to raise your goal until about 2 weeks before your GRE test date. For those last 2 weeks, focus on holding steady and not losing ground.
4. You want to get a score that places you in the 50^th-99^th percentile range (higher is better, of course). That means that your goal score should be somewhere between 151 and 170 on both portions of the test. (Notice how you could bomb the diagnostic, raise your score by 20 points as you study, and still get into the 50^th percentile? Pretty cool, huh?)

Above all, study hard. Learn the test strategies. And walk out of Test Day knowing that there was no way you could have done any better!