It depends
The answer to this question, like so many other things in life is – it depends! It depends on the school you are interested in attending and it depends on the programme you are interested in applying to.
With that in mind, the instructors from Kaplan Prep advise applicants to simply do some research on their own. Just look into the schools and programmes that you’re interested in and get a feel for the average GRE score. That average score will give you an idea of the target score that you’re going to need to be competitive.
Check out: Average GRE Scores at the Top US B-Schools
You will notice that the score that you see is going to be in the range from 130 to 170 – 130 being the worst and 170 being the best score you can get. You will also see the quantitative and verbal scores. In the verbal section a 151 is the 50th% time score, so if you want to do better than half the people taking the exam you will have to get a 151 or better. In the quantitative section 152 or 153 is the 50th% tile, so if you want to be in the upper bracket you will have to do better than that.
For the ambitious among you
For those of you who are looking to go into really competitive programmes, you will probably need to be in the 90th% tile. In the quantitative section the 90th% tile is 165 to a 170 perfect score. Regarding the verbal section, in order to be in the 90th% tile, you will need to get at least 162 and anything above that. What really matters though is figuring out the score that is going to make you a competitive applicant at the school and programme that you’re interested in. With that in mind, do your research to figure that out on your own.
Check out: Average GMAT Scores for Top MBA Programmes
