The Scoring Process

The processes for calculating reported scores for adaptive tests and traditional paper-and-pencil tests are similar, in that the number of questions answered correctly is adjusted according to the difficulty level of the questions on the test form. Thus, the same number of correct responses on different test forms will not necessarily result in the same reported score.
In paper-and-pencil tests, the differences in difficulty among test forms are relatively small and are adjusted through a process known as score equating. The number of questions answered is also figured into the calculation of the reported score because it limits the number that can be answered correctly.
With adaptive testing, an examinee is administered a set of questions with a difficulty level that is specifically designed to match the examinee's ability level. The mathematical process for calculating a score in this situation incorporates the statistical properties of the questions, the examinee's performance on the questions, and the number of questions that are answered.
How the Sections of the General Test Are Scored

Analytical Writing Section

• The primary emphasis in scoring the analytical writing section is on your critical thinking and analytical writing skills rather than on grammar and mechanics.
• You'll receive a single score for your performance on the analytical writing section.
• Your essay score usually is the average of scores from two trained readers, using a 6-point holistic scale. The scale reflects the overall quality of an essay in response to the assigned task.
• If the two assigned scores differ by more than one point on the scale, the discrepancy is adjudicated by a third GRE reader. Otherwise, the scores from the two readings of an essay are averaged and rounded up to the nearest half-point interval (e.g., 3.0, 3.5).
• You'll receive an NS (No Score) if you do not write a response for either of the two tasks in the analytical writing section. If you write an essay for only one of the two tasks, you'll receive a score of zero on the task for which no response was provided.Â
• During the scoring process, your essay responses on the analytical writing section will be reviewed by ETS essay-similarity-detection software and by experienced essay readers.

Verbal and Quantitative Sections

Computer-Based Test:

• Your verbal and quantitative scores will depend on your performance on the questions given and on the number of questions answered in the time allotted.
• Both sections are computer adaptive, meaning that the computer selects questions based on your performance on preceding questions and on the requirements of the test design. Test design factors that influence which questions are presented to you include
  • the statistical characteristics (including difficulty level) of the questions already answered
  • the required variety of question types
  • the appropriate coverage of content.

Paper-Based Test: Scoring of the verbal and quantitative sections of the paper-based General Test is a two-step process.

• First, a raw score is computed. The raw score is the number of questions you answered correctly.
• The raw score is then converted to a scaled score through a process known as equating. Equating accounts for differences in difficulty among the different test editions. Thus, a given scaled score reflects approximately the same level of ability regardless of the edition of the test that was taken.

GRE General Test Score Scales

Three scores are reported on the General Test:

• a verbal reasoning score reported on a 200-800 score scale, in 10-point increments
• a quantitative reasoning score reported on a 200-800 score scale, in 10-point increments
• an analytical writing score reported on a 0-6 score scale, in half-point increments

Any section in which you answer no questions at all will be reported as a No Score (NS).

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