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How Soon are GRE Scores Available?

When preparing for any exam, especially the GRE, most worry is centred on passing, while the other is the wait for the result. This worry brings up questions like how long you have to wait to get your exam score.

Worrying about what the result is going to increase exponentially after writing the exam. The same goes for the GREs, after the battle of writing the exam, the wait for the result ensues. So one of the questions many have in mind before taking the exam is how soon the GRE scores are available? How long do I have to take the torture of waiting for my scores? Worry not, for the answers await you!

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When you get your GRE scores depends entirely on what type of GRE you take. You see, there are two types of GREs out there, depending on the circumstances surrounding the test. These two types of GRE tests are further explored below.

Types of GRE Tests

  • Computer-Delivered GRE

This is the most commonly carried out type of GRE test. The test is done in one of the ETS test approved centres, and questions are gotten and answered on a provided computer screen. Immediately after the last question on your test is responded to, the computer will ask if you would like to ‘report your scores’. Now note that reporting your score doesn’t necessarily mean you will have to send it out to schools, it simply means that your test scores from that day become part of your reportable history. So, in case you think you already failed the test, reporting your scores doesn’t send them anywhere. It will only show you how well you did, and it wouldn’t hurt to know how you did, right?

When you choose to report your scores instead of cancelling them, you will see your unofficial (more on this later) Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning score. These scores are always between 130 and 170.

After viewing your unofficial scores, you will be asked to choose your score recipients. Here you can choose to send your score to at most four graduate institutions or fellowship sponsors for no extra charge, as it is included in the cost of the GRE. But deciding not to send your score right then will attract an additional charge of about $27 per score report/recipient.

Your official GRE scores will later be made available on your ETS account and sent to your chosen score recipients between 10 and 15 days after the date of the test. You will also receive an email advising you of the availability of your official GRE score.

This all means that it takes around two (2) weeks for you and your recipients to receive your GRE score, which is why it is highly advised that you take the computer-delivered exam at least a month before the deadline of your application.

  • Paper-Delivered GRE

This is a relatively rare form of the GRE, and it is usually taken either because the computer-based GRE is not available in your area or because you received approval for special test conditions. The test process is different from that of the computer-based.

During registration, the student will be asked to choose up to four graduate institutions or fellowship sponsors that the scores will be sent to, at no additional cost. This means you will have to commit before you even know what your unofficial scores will be and whatever the outcome of the exam is will be sent to the designated institutions. But just like the computer-based exam, if you choose to send the test scores, later on, you will be charged for it.

The official score report for your Paper-Delivered GRE will appear on your ETS account and will be sent to your recipients five (5) weeks after your test date. The official score will consist of your Verbal Reasoning (130-170), Quantitative Reasoning (130-170), and Analytical Writing (0-6).

Unlike the computer-based exam, it is advised to sit for your Paper-Delivered GRE at least two months before the deadline of your application.

Everything your score recipients will see is:

  • Your official section test scores.
  • Corresponding percentiles for each score.
  • Some background info on your chosen field of study.

Now that you know how long it will take for your GRE scores to be made available, and that it depends on what type of exam you’re writing. I hope this will help ease the tension associated with the wait, and also help you make well-informed decisions in the future in your GRE journey.

But before finishing this article, it would be unfair not to explain what the difference between an Unofficial and an Official GRE score is, seeing as I’ve used it a lot in the course of this article.

  • Unofficial GRE Score

The unofficial GRE score is what you see immediately after finishing your GRE. It consists of your Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores. These scores are always between the numbers 130 and 170. The Analytical Writing section is not still given in the unofficial GRE score because it involves essay writing, which has to be graded by a human after the computer is done grading your two essays.

  • Official GRE Score

The official GRE score is what you get after either two (2) weeks or five (5) weeks, depending on the type of GRE you write. It is also the GRE score that is sent to your designated recipients. It consists of the already seen scores of your Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical writing which is scored between 0 and 6, unlike the other sections of the exam.

It consists of reports on your percentile for each score so that you can see how well you did compare to the other test-takers, as well as your previous GRE scores if you have taken the exam before. It also comes with the GRE Diagnostic Service which gives you a description of the types of questions you answered correctly and the ones you answered incorrectly, as well as the difficulty level of each question, and the time spent on each question. This diagnostic information can help you determine your strength and weaknesses should you chose to retake the GRE.

Indu Singh

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