GRE to GMAT Conversion – What you need to know

The GRE and GMAT exams are imperative to get admission to most of the graduate courses across the world. The GMAT exam was designed specifically for management, business, and finance courses, while GRE was designed for all other courses and advanced degrees. Business schools only accept students on the basis of the GMAT exam. However, now with rising GRE aspirants and test-takers, business schools have also added GRE scores as criteria for admission. To establish common ground between both GRE and GMAT test takers, schools usually opt for a GRE to GMAT conversion of scores.

Keep reading to learn what is the scoring format for these exams and how you can compare and convert your score!

What is the reporting format for GRE and GMAT scores? 

Before we get into how to convert GRE to GMAT, it’s important to understand how the GRE and GMAT exams differ and how the results are reported. 

Both the GRE and GMAT are standardized examinations used by colleges in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and more foreign countries to admit students to graduate programs. In terms of structure and score reporting, there are a few basic differences between the examinations. 

Differences between the GRE and GMAT

Parameter	GRE	GMAT
Number of sections	3	4
Format	– Quantitative ability  (130-170) – Verbal ability (130-170)  – Analytical writing (0-6 in 0.5-point increments)	– Quantitative reasoning (6-51)  – Verbal reasoning (6-51) – Analytical writing assessment (0-6 in 0.5-point increments) – Integrated reasoning (1-8)
Adaptiveness	Section Adaptive	Question Adaptive
Duration	3 Hours 45 Minutes	3 Hours 7 Minutes

Comparison of Raw and Scaled scores 

Quantitative and verbal scores on the GRE are presented separately and vary from 130 to 170. Your total GRE score is just the sum of these scores. However, on the GMAT, your Verbal and Quantitative scores are presented individually and then scaled to determine your total GMAT score. The scaled total score spans from 200 to 800, with quant and verbal values ranging from 6-51. 

Percentile Conversions 

Knowing your estimated percentile post-conversion is just as important as knowing your expected score. 

What are percentiles, and what do they mean? 

Percentile numbers from other universities, based on their study body, might help you figure out how competitive you are. Keep in mind that these are general conversions with a one- or two-point margin of error, but they are designed to give you an idea of where you stand in comparison to your peers during the admission process.

Percentile Comparison 

Verbal Reasoning Percentile Comparison

Percentile	GMAT (0-60)	GRE (130-170)
99	51-60	169-170
0	0-6	130

Quantitative Reasoning (Quant) Percentile Comparison 

Percentile	GMAT (0-60)	GRE (130-170)
97	51	170
0	6	132

GRE to GMAT score conversion table

GRE Verbal Reasoning  score	GMAT  Verbal scaled score	GMAT  Verbal Range	GRE Quant Score	GMAT  Quant scaled score	GMAT Quant Range	GRE Score	GMAT  Score
151	28	22 – 34	151	29	24 – 35	302	490
152	29	23 – 35	152	31	25 – 36	304	500
153	30	24 – 36	153	32	26 – 38	306	520
154	31	25 – 37	154	33	27 – 39	308	540
155	32	26 – 38	155	34	29 – 40	310	560
156	33	27 – 39	156	36	30 – 41	312	570
157	34	28 – 40	157	37	31 – 43	314	590
158	35	29 – 41	158	38	32 – 44	316	610
159	35	30 – 41	159	39	34 – 45	318	620
160	36	30 – 42	160	41	35 – 46	320	640
161	37	31 – 43	161	42	36 – 47	322	660
162	38	32 – 44	162	43	37 – 49	324	670
163	39	33 – 45	163	44	39 – 50	326	690
164	40	34 – 46	164	45	40 – 51	328	710
165	41	35 – 47	165	47	41 – 52	330	730
166	42	36 – 48	166	48	42 – 54	332	740
167	43	37 – 49	167	49	44 – 55	334	760
168	44	38 – 50	168	50	45 – 56	336	780
169	45	39 – 51	169	52	46 – 57	338	790
170	46	40 – 51	170	53	47 – 59	340	800

Last thoughts

With advanced academic paths, you may not always be able to control which examinations you must take and when. While taking the GMAT may seem like a good idea when applying to business schools, the GRE is a requirement for most graduate and Ph.D. programs. You will need to decide whether taking the GRE or GMAT exam serves your best interests.

For doctorate schools, a test like the GRE is a requirement that cannot be neglected. Set high expectations for your GRE score, even if you smashed the GMAT. Nothing beats a hard course of study, and while the two examinations are similar, they differ in many ways, making preparing for them a whole different experience. Consider this: the GRE for your doctorate program might be your final big standardized test. So go out on a high note! 

Liked this blog? Read How to prepare for GRE | 6 best strategies

FAQs 

Q1. What is the difference between a GMAT score and a percentile? 

Answer – The GMAT score assesses your exam performance, whereas a percentile indicates the proportion of people you outperformed. A 95 percentile score indicates that you outperformed 95% of those who took the test. 

Q2. What is the primary distinction between the GMAT and the GRE, and which should I take? 

Answer – The difference between the GMAT and the GRE is that the GMAT is largely used for business school admissions, whereas the GRE is used for admissions to a variety of graduate schools.

Q3. Is it possible to skip any questions on the GMAT and GRE? 

Answer – The GMAT does not allow you to skip questions. However, you can skip questions on the GRE.

Feel free to check out our for more information on the GRE and GMAT exams!

All the best!