How long ago did you take the GRE? Was it before August of 2011? More or less than five years ago? Your answers to these questions determine if you can still send out your old GRE scores.

In this article, I’ll explain how to get old GRE scores and if they’re still valid. I’ll also cover how to convert scores from the old GRE score range to the new one.

 

What Are Old GRE Scores?

When ETS updated the format of the GRE general test in August of 2011, the scoring for the Verbal and Quantitative sections completely changed as well.

The old GRE score range for the Verbal and Quantitative sections was 200-800. All GRE scores since August 2011, however, range from 130 to 170.

 

Are Old GRE Scores Valid?

The short answer to this question: no, your scores are not valid if you took the GRE before August 2011. However, if you’re looking for results scores from a more recent test, your old GRE scores may still be valid.

Because of the difference between the new and old GRE score range, ETS made the decision to let all scores from the old test expire by July 31, 2016. For tests taken August 2011 and later, on the other hand, it’s a little less black and white. Whether or not your scores are still valid depends on how long ago exactly you took the test.

If you took the GRE before July 1, 2016, your scores are valid for five years after the testing year (July 1-June 30) you tested in. For example, if you took the test August 1, 2011, your testing year was July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012, so your score is valid through through June 30, 2017.

From July 1, 2016 onwards, scores are only valid for 5 years after your test date, which is a little easier to keep track of. For example, if you took the GRE October 21, 2016, your score is valid up through October 20, 2021.

 

 

How To Get Old GRE Scores

The good news: if your scores are from five or fewer years ago, they do still exist! Read more about how to get these scores in our guide on sending GRE scores.

The bad news: unfortunately, if your scores are more than five years old and have expired, there is no way to get them. Once your GRE scores expire, ETS (the company that creates and administers the GRE) purges them from your record completely. I know this because I tried to get my old GRE scores and got the following email response from ETS:

So unless you saved the paper copy of your score report or you attended grad school and they include your now-expired GRE scores on your transcript, you’re out of luck when it comes to getting GRE scores from more than five years ago.

 

 

How to Convert Old GRE Scores to Current GRE Scores

While it’s been a while since the GRE switched over to its new scoring format, many grad programs still provide info about their average GRE scores with scores in the old, out-of-800 format. To figure out how well you’ll have to score to have a good chance of getting into the programs, you’ll need to convert those scores to new GRE scores.

The charts below come from ETS and show concordance between old and new GRE Verbal and Quantitative scores.

Verbal Reasoning Concordance

Old GRE Scale	Current GRE Scale	% Rank*
800	170	99
790	170	99
780	170	99
770	170	99
760	170	99
750	169	99
740	169	99
730	168	98
720	168	98
710	167	97
700	166	96
690	165	95
680	165	95
670	164	94
660	164	94
650	163	92
640	162	90
630	162	90
620	161	87
610	160	85
600	160	85
590	159	81
580	158	79
570	158	79
560	157	74
550	156	71
540	156	71
530	155	67
520	154	63
510	154	63
500	153	59
490	152	54
480	152	54
470	151	50
460	151	50
450	150	45
440	149	41
430	149	41
420	148	37
410	147	33
400	146	29
390	146	29
380	145	25
370	144	22
360	143	18
350	143	18
340	142	16
330	141	13
320	140	10
310	139	8
300	138	7
290	137	5
280	135	3
270	134	2
260	133	1
250	132	1
240	131	1
230	130	–
220	130	–
210	130	–
200	130	–

*Percentiles calculated based on the performance of students who took the new GRE between August 1, 2011 and June 30, 2014.

 

Quantitative Reasoning Concordance

Old GRE Scale	Current Scale	% Rank*
800	166	92
790	164	88
780	163	86
770	161	80
760	160	78
750	159	75
740	158	71
730	157	68
720	156	64
710	155	60
700	155	60
690	154	56
680	153	52
670	152	48
660	152	48
650	151	45
640	151	45
630	150	40
620	149	37
610	149	37
600	148	32
590	148	32
580	147	28
570	147	28
560	146	25
550	146	25
540	145	21
530	145	21
520	144	18
510	144	18
500	144	18
490	143	15
480	143	15
470	142	12
460	142	12
450	141	10
440	141	10
430	141	10
420	140	8
410	140	8
400	140	8
390	139	6
380	139	6
370	138	4
360	138	4
350	138	4
340	137	3
330	137	3
320	136	2
310	136	2
300	136	2
290	135	2
280	135	2
270	134	1
260	134	1
250	133	1
240	133	1
230	132	–
220	132	–
210	131	–
200	131	–

*Percentiles calculated based on the performance of students who took the new GRE between August 1, 2011 and June 30, 2014.

 

 

Review: Can You Get Your Old GRE Scores?

There are three possible scenarios that encompass all test-takers with old GRE scores:

• If you took the GRE before August 1, 2011, your scores have expired.
• If you took the GRE between August 1, 2011 and June 30, 2016, your GRE scores expire five years after June 30th of the testing year in which you took the test (e.g. tests taken October 2014 are good up through June 30, 2020).
• If you took the GRE July 31, 2016 or later, your scores are good for five years after the date you took the test.

 

What’s Next?

Are your old GRE scores invalid or not up to the standards of the grad school you want to attend? Find out if it’s worth it for you to retake the GRE.

Do you really have to take the GRE, or can you achieve your academic aspirations without it? We discuss if you can get into grad school without GRE in this article.

How does your GRE score compare to the scores of other test-takers? Learn what the average GRE score is and what your GRE percentile means with these great guides.