GRE pass rate: there isn’t one. Here’s what your scores mean
The GRE has no pass mark. You get a Verbal and a Quantitative score from 130 to 170 and an Analytical Writing score from 0 to 6, each with a percentile rank. In ETS’s data, the average test-taker scores about 151 in Verbal and 158 in Quant.
Sources: ETS, Getting Your GRE Scores and GRE General Test Interpretive Data (test-takers July 2021 to June 2024), checked October 11, 2026. Percentile examples from a newer ETS table are as reported.
| Measure | Score scale | Mean score | Test-takers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 130-170, 1-point steps | 151.21 | 927,349 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 130-170, 1-point steps | 157.58 | 930,062 |
| Analytical Writing | 0-6, half-point steps | See ETS | — |
Source: ETS, GRE General Test Interpretive Data, Table 1A (tested July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024).
Why the same score means different things
Quant scores run higher than Verbal, so the same number sits at a lower percentile in Quant. Review sites citing ETS’s current table report that 160 is about the 82nd to 84th percentile in Verbal but only about the 50th in Quant, and a perfect 170 Quant is about the 91st percentile.
What counts as a good score
It depends on your programs. Compare your scores with the averages your target programs publish, and focus on the measure your field weighs most: Quant for STEM and business, Verbal for humanities and law.