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ACT Score Calculator
The ACT Score Calculator computes your composite score from English, Math, and Reading section scores (each 1-36) under the 2025 enhanced ACT format, looks up your national percentile rank, classifies your score tier, and shows the college admission context. If you enter an optional Science score, it also calculates your STEM score (average of Math and Science).
GMAT Score Calculator
Calculates your GMAT Focus Edition total score (205-805) using the official formula (Q + V + DI - 180) * (20/3) + 205. Shows per-section percentiles for Quantitative, Verbal, and Data Insights - which differ significantly from one another - plus total percentile, school tier context, and a Superscore simulation for retake planning. Also supports Classic GMAT section percentile lookup.
IELTS Score Calculator
The IELTS Score Calculator averages your four section scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking - each 1.0-9.0 in 0.5 steps), applies the official IELTS rounding rules (decimal <0.25 rounds down; 0.25-0.74 rounds to .5; >=0.75 rounds up to next whole band), and returns your overall band score, CEFR level, band descriptor, and what the band unlocks for study, work, and immigration. It also flags the weakest section if it is pulling the average down by 1.0 or more.
GRE Score Calculator Logic
The GRE General Test scores Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning each on a 130-170 scale and Analytical Writing separately on a 0-6 scale. Many test-takers struggle to figure out whether their scores are competitive, particularly now that Quantitative percentiles have shifted since 2023. This calculator uses 2025-2026 ETS tables to work out your composite and section-level standings.
How the GRE Is Scored
The GRE General Test uses section-adaptive scoring. Your first Verbal or Quant section is medium difficulty; your performance on it determines whether you receive an easier or harder second section. The final scaled score is set through statistical equating, which adjusts for difficulty variation. Two test-takers who both answer the same number of questions correctly may receive different scaled scores if one faced a harder section. Consistently getting harder second sections means the test is working in your favour, but to build up a truly competitive score you still need to answer the harder questions accurately.
The Analytical Writing score is delivered by one trained human rater and one automated scoring system called e-rater. If the two scores differ by more than one point, a second human rater is brought in. The AWA score is reported on a 0-6 scale in 0.5-point increments and does not factor into the 260-340 composite score. On top of that, AWA is the section most commonly underestimated during preparation, yet a score below 4.0 can raise concerns at programmes that emphasise research writing, such as humanities and social science PhD programmes.
GRE Percentile Tables: 2025-2026 Data
GRE percentile tables are updated annually by ETS using a three-year rolling window of test-taker data. The table below shows key benchmarks for Verbal and Quantitative from the current 2025-2026 reporting period. Given that the test-taking pool has become more quantitatively advanced due to growth in international applicants, Quant percentiles have declined sharply. A 160Q that ranked at the 61st percentile in 2023 now ranks at only the 50th percentile in 2025. That said, Verbal percentiles have remained relatively stable across the same period.
| Score | Verbal Percentile | Quant Percentile | AWA Score | AWA Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | 99th | 91st | 6.0 | 99th |
| 167 | 98th | 83rd | 5.5 | 98th |
| 165 | 95th | 67th | 5.0 | 93rd |
| 162 | 89th | 59th | 4.5 | 83rd |
| 160 | 84th | 50th | 4.0 | 59th |
| 157 | 70th | 44th | 3.5 | 41st |
| 155 | 64th | 43rd | 3.0 | 18th |
| 152 | 52nd | 37th | 2.5 | 9th |
| 150 | 46th | 37th | 2.0 | 4th |
A 165V ranks at the 95th percentile; a 165Q ranks at only the 67th. This helps narrow down which section to prioritise when planning a retake. Full tables are available in the ETS GRE score interpretation guide.
What Is a Good GRE Score?
A good GRE score depends entirely on the field and programme tier. The mean Verbal score is approximately 151 and the mean Quantitative score is approximately 155, giving a mean composite of around 306. With that in mind, a composite of 310 already places a test-taker above the average across all test-takers. However, the relevant comparison is not the general population of test-takers but the applicant pool for your specific programme.
For STEM PhD programmes, the typical benchmark is 155V and 165Q or above. Humanities PhD programmes emphasise Verbal (160+) over Quant. For top MBA programmes that accept the GRE in place of the GMAT, 160V and 163Q or higher is competitive. The Kaplan average GRE scores by programme guide provides school-specific data to carry out a more detailed comparison.
AWA: The Most Overlooked Section
The Analytical Writing section changed in September 2023 when ETS removed the Issue essay and kept only the Argument essay. The AWA now consists of a single 30-minute Argument essay. Test-takers must analyse a given argument, identify its logical flaws, and explain how those flaws weaken the argument's conclusion. The test no longer asks for your own position on an issue.
Given that AWA does not count toward the composite, many test-takers neglect it. A 4.0 (59th percentile) is adequate for most programmes. Scores below 3.5 can raise concerns at research-focused PhD programmes that emphasise writing. The average AWA is approximately 3.56.
ScoreSelect: Choosing Which Scores to Send
The GRE ScoreSelect option lets you choose which test date scores to send per programme. As a result, you can retake the GRE strategically and send only your best result. Programmes see only the dates you select. For a full admissions picture, our GPA Calculator helps you see how undergraduate grades factor into the overall profile. If you are also evaluating the GMAT for MBA applications, our GMAT Score Calculator lets you compare both tests side by side.
Muhammad Shahbaz Siddiqui
Founder, TheCalculatorsHub
How a 160Q score looked strong but ranked only 50th percentile — and what a PhD applicant did about it
In October 2025, a biology PhD applicant from Nigeria contacted me after receiving her GRE General Test results. She had scored Verbal 161, Quantitative 160, and AWA 4.0. Her composite was 321. She had been aiming for a 320 composite and assumed a 160Q was a strong Quantitative score. When she looked up PhD programs in molecular biology at MIT, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins, she noticed the average admitted Quant score listed for those programs was 167 or higher. She contacted me to figure out whether her 321 was competitive or whether she needed to retake.
When we ran her scores through the calculator, the picture that came back was more nuanced than she expected. Her Verbal 161 ranked at the 87th percentile, which was strong. Her AWA 4.0 placed her at the 59th percentile, which was adequate but not distinctive for a research-focused PhD. The score that surprised her was Quantitative. Her 160Q, which she had assumed was competitive, now ranked at only the 50th percentile. As a result of the growth in quantitatively strong international test-takers since 2022, a 160 in Quantitative had dropped from the 61st percentile in 2023 to the 50th percentile in 2025. Half of all GRE test-takers were scoring 160 or higher in Quant. For STEM PhD programmes, a 165Q or above is the typical threshold for competitive applicants, representing the 67th percentile.
The program context panel flagged her current scores as meeting the Humanities PhD and Social Science PhD benchmarks, but not the STEM PhD benchmark, which requires Verbal 155+ and Quant 165+ to carry out a competitive application. Her Verbal was well above threshold, but Quant was 5 points short. Given that her section imbalance was significant, Quant was the clear priority. We worked out a six-week preparation plan focused entirely on Quantitative, using official ETS practice tests and building up her speed on data analysis and problem-solving questions, which are the two GRE Quant categories with the most room for improvement for candidates already scoring in the 155-160 range.
In her December 2025 retake she improved her Quantitative from 160 to 166. Her Verbal held at 160 and her AWA improved to 4.5. Her new composite was 326, and her 166Q placed her at the 75th percentile. She sent her December scores to MIT, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins using ScoreSelect, choosing to send only the December sitting rather than both dates. With that in mind, the programs saw only her best result. She received three interview invitations in February 2026 and accepted an offer from Johns Hopkins in April 2026.