GRE Score Validity: Check for How Many Years is GRE Score Valid
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GRE Score Validity: Check for How Many Years is GRE Score Valid

Shubhankar Das logo

Shubhankar Das

Content Writer - Study Abroad | Updated On - Jun 27, 2024

Highlights:

  • Your GRE score will be valid for 5 years after your test date.
  • Use ETS data manager to submit your score to universities within GRE marks validity time frame.
  • Your score will be available on ETS account as long as your GRE scores are valid.
  • If your GRE score validity expires, you need to retake the test with a full registration fee.

The score requirement for your desired university may vary and depends on the program you are applying for. The top universities require a 320+ GRE score for their MS and MBA programs. You will receive the score report within 8 to 10 days after taking GRE. One thing you need to remember is that GRE score validity is 5 years. You can take GRE 5 times in a year, but most of the universities will require only your recent score. Universities will not accept your expired GRE score report. Make sure to submit your score report within GRE test validity time frame.

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For How Many Years is GRE Score Valid 

GRE score validity is 5 years. Alongside this, a few vital pieces of information about validity for GRE score need to be noted:

  • If you have taken the exam on/before July 2019, then GRE scores will no longer valid
  • From 1st July 2019 onwards - If the candidate has taken or is about to take the exam after the mentioned GRE exam date, then the validity is for 5 years after the day of the administration of the test. Again to simplify it, if the test was taken on 6th July 2019, it is valid till 5th July 2024.

Getting Your GRE Score

The official test scores can be obtained within 10–15 days after your GRE test date, and the result will be available in your ETS Account. Though, you can see your GRE verbal and quant scores after taking the exam on the date itself. Once you complete your GRE General test, you will be provided with an option to report or cancel your GRE mean score. In case, you choose to report your GRE scores, you will see your unofficial GRE verbal and quant scores. And for the GRE essay scoring rule, you need a person to correct, as you are unable to see your GRE AWA writing score at that time. Only when your GRE official scores are ready, you will get an email notification from ETS.

Hence, you will get your official GRE subject test scores around 4–5 weeks after the actual test dateTo get the GRE scores in the fastest way possible, to connect through the ETS Data Manager. Before that, you can access your GRE general and subject test scores via online, only once you receive a mail from ETS. The official GRE score report includes:

  • Personal Information
  • Date of Birth
  • Intended graduate major
  • Test date(s)
  • Detailed GRE test score 
  • GRE Test Type (GRE general test or GRE subject test)
  • Authorized score recipients

Why do GRE Scores Expire? 

The main reason behind the formation of the GRE score validity and hence it is expiring after 5 years is, the test-takers don’t possess the fresh knowledge of what they studied. In fact, most of the candidates become distanced from the academic sphere, which also adds to forgetting the topics they learned. The universities demand students who are proficient in the preliminary knowledge of the program they are supposed to pursue – and an age-old GRE score range of a candidate whose innate skills are washed away is of no use to them. Though, there are times when candidates hone their skills after completion of their GRE exam and indeed gather more knowledge. They grind on their quant skills and practice hard. They learn vocabulary and ace up their verbal skills and writing too. But this is not the case with everyone and in most cases, the 5 years’ time is long enough for the candidates to be oblivious of what they took in the exam.

All the GRE scores which have passed their validity time are deleted by ETS. The candidates will not be able to trace their scores after that specific GRE score validity time, let alone GRE scores sending them to the schools. You can be clever by sending the GRE scores just when it is on the verge of expiring its GRE score validity. Most of the schools accept those scores, but there are certain schools that only accept recent GRE scores (like a 2 or 3 years old score) and in scenes like these, the candidate has to abide by that and try for some other school.

GRE Score Validity Rules

Here are a few GRE score report validity rules that one must keep in mind before taking the test:

  • Plan the Timing: You need to plan the timing of your GRE exam. In case you want to do multiple-degrees that each needs the GRE score.
  • GRE Score Expiry: You need to be aware of if your GRE scores will expire by the time you apply for the second program.
  • GRE for College: A situation may appear wherein you might need to take the GRE while all of your college/university knowledge is fresh in your mind. For that, you have to be a more flexible with your class schedule that makes finding GRE prep time easier. Also, remember the GRE validity period and to complete your graduation within the next five years after taking the test.
  • Time: The period you’re taking the GRE test is extremely important. If you take the GRE in April 2019, then your score would be valid through the fall application 2024 application cycle. It would expire before the 2025 application cycle began. On the other hand, if take it in October or November 2019, then you could send the scores for the fall 2025 application cycle before they expired.  

GRE Score Sending

Candidates often inquire “how to send GRE scores?” Well, you can send GRE test scores to your desired universities by following simple steps given below:

  • To begin with, first log into your ETS account.
  • Then On the My GRE Home page, you need to select "Send Additional Score Reports" under Scores.
  • You will see On-screen: Test Registration,
  • Finally, you can Send Additional Score Reports.

ETS send GRE scores, offering you the option to select the Most Recent (Send your scores from your current test administration) option or All (Send your scores from all administrations in the last five years) option for up to four institutions for free.

The GRE score validity is 5 years. However, few programs prefer scores that are not more than, 2 or 3 years. In case you are applying to business schools using a GRE score, go through their rules to calculate GRE expiration based on their own application deadlines, rather than use the ETS calculation based on your test date. So, what business schools may consider a valid GRE score may change depending on the school you’re applying to and what round you’re applying in. Also, go through the individual graduate program websites to check GRE requirements also, whether programs have stricter “age limits” for scores or validity based on their own application deadlines.

FAQs 

Ques: Do GRE scores expire?

Ans: GRE scores will expire after years of your test date. You can retake the exam by paying a full registration fee once your scores expires.

Ques: How long are GRE scores valid for?

Ans: GRE score validity is 5 years after your exam date. You need to send your score report to the universities within this valid time frame.

Ques: Do universities accept old GRE scores?

Ans: GRE scores are valid for 5 years, and once the validity of your expires it’s not accepted by the universities. If your scores expire you need to retake the exam.

Ques: Why are GRE scores only good for 5 years?

Ans: GRE exam pattern can be updated, and sometimes there can be some major changes in the exam pattern and skills assessments. Submitting recent GRE scores will describe your proficiency on the current academic scenarios.

Ques: Is it OK to retake GRE?

Ans: You can retake GRE if you are not satisfied with your overall score. Most universities will accept your recent scores, so make sure to be prepared before retaking GRE.

Ques: What is the time gap between GRE attempts?

Ans: You can take GRE 5 times in a year. You need to maintain 21 21-day gap between your GRE attempts.

Ques: How many months is GRE score valid?

Ans: GRE scores are valid for 60 months after your test date. The admission process may require longer time, so make sure to apply to universities at least one year before your GRE score validity expires.

Ques: Is a GRE score of 327 good?

Ans: GRE total score ranges on a scale of 260 to 340, and achieving a score 327 is considered a god score. You can easily get admission in the top-ranked universities MS and MBA programs with a 327 GRE score.

Ques: Which US university does not require GRE?

Ans: The University of California, the University of Arizona, and the University of Michigan are some of the best US universities that do not require GRE.

Ques: Is it easy to get admission for MS in USA?

Ans: Most of the USA universities require GRE scores for their MS programs. To get admission for MS in USA without GRE, you need to maintain a high GPA with a perfect LOR and SOP. 

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.

Comments


2 Comments
S
sourajit mukherjee
How long does it take to get GRE Subject test score report?
R
rubab

Your official scores on the GRE Subject Tests are available approximately five weeks after the test date and are reportable for five years following your test date. You will receive an email notification from ETS when they are available. ETS will also send an official Institution Score Report to the score recipients you designated during the registration at that time.

U
uma goenka
Can we take GRE test before the last GRE score expires?
R
rubab

You can take the test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). If you did take the test after July 1, 2016, the GRE score validity period is 5 years after the day your test was administered. For instance, a July 6, 2017 score is valid until July 5, 2022. When your scores expire, ETS deletes them and you can never get them back.


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