
Do you want to send out your GRE scores to an institution? How long ago did you take your GRE test? If you don't want to take another GRE test, you should determine whether your old GRE scores are valid. In this piece, I'll explain how you can get your old scores.
3 Facts About GRE Scores

Your GRE score will have an impact on your career and academic goals. Here are three things you should know about GRE scores.
1. Scoring is Done per Section
Compared to other exams, the GRE test is not scored for the entire exam; it is scored per section. Each GRE section has an individual scoring scale, and you are awarded points differently. The GRE test has three major parts:
- Verbal Reasoning
- Analytical Writing
- Quantitative Reasoning
Verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections have a scoring scale of between 130 and 170.
Note that the points are calculated based on one point increment per correct choice.
The analytical writing section has a scoring scale of 0 to 6. This section requires a student to write two essays, and here you can get even half a mark. Therefore scores like 4.5, 5.5 are expected.
Read More: How Long Should a GRE Essay Be?
2. GRE Test Scoring is Moderated for Difficulty
According to the ETS, test takers' GRE scores are awarded based on the correct answers they get in a test [1]. The more correct answers you have, the more scoring points you will get.
ETS keeps a database of the students’ performance, and points awarding may be moderated depending on how students perform on set topics and questions.
If the majority fail in certain areas, their GRE scores might be awarded upward and vice versa. This is to ensure every student has an equal opportunity for applying at their grad school of choice.
3. GRE Scores are Only Valid for Five Years
After taking the GRE test, the ETS retains your scores for up to five years from the test day. Institutions also accept GRE scores no older than five years. If your scores are less than five years old, they are considered a valid GRE scores.
Read More: How to Send Your GRE Scores to Schools?
How to Get Old GRE Scores

You are looking to apply for a graduate school, even though you did GRE some years back. You can still use your old GRE scores and send them to institutions.
Get your old GRE scores by signing up at the ETS website. Once the registration is complete, follow the prompts to order your report. Ensure that you remember the month, year, and a confirmation number from your previous test.
Proceed to send your report to the institutions or individuals that need your scores.
For every report you generate, there's a fee.
Furthermore, you can download a physical report by clicking the 'Additional Score Report Request Form (PDF)' to send old GRE scores physically. When you download the form, it only contains your recent scores and not every other score.
Lastly, if you don't remember the required details, month, year, or confirmation number, make a call to ETS and follow the prompts suggested to obtain the old GRE scores report or send the file online.
3 Steps to Verify Old GRE Scores

Before submitting or sending scores, you can verify them. This is possible using your appointment number from your test day on the ETS website. Follow this step-by-step guide to verify old GRE scores:
1. Register on the ETS Website
Navigate to the ETS website and sign up. During this process, fill in all the relevant information, birthdate, full name, address, and your contact number. To make the process easier, fill in your Social Security Number.
2. Setup Login Information
Type in your login password, then confirm the password by re-entering it. Set up a security question with an answer in case you forget the password next time you need to access your GRE scores.
Accept the ETS’ terms of service by clicking on the check box. And now you are ready to use the site and verify your details.
3. Verify Old GRE Scores
Enter the appointment number or confirmation number on the website, followed by your name, month, and year of GRE test. Hit the 'Submit' button, enter your billing information for verification, and finish by clicking the 'OK' tab.
You will receive your verification, and you can download the report or send online verification details to individuals or institutions.
Are there Preferences on the Old GRE Scores?
There are no preferences on old GRE scores. Provided your scores are within the valid duration, institutions will evaluate the scores on a level scale with new GRE scores.
Read More: How to Convert Old GRE Scores to New
Getting Old GRE Scores
If you took a GRE test some time ago, you may wonder if your scores are still valid. Don’t worry, you don’t have to take the GRE test again as the scores are valid for five years.
Instead, you can get your old GRE scores and send them to institutions.
Make sure to verify your GRE scores before your graduate school application. Once you receive the GRE scores verification, you are ready to apply.
References:
- https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/scores/how/
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