TL;DR: Unofficial Verbal and Quant scores appear on screen immediately after your test. Official scores, including AWA, appear in your ETS account 8 to 10 days later. Schools designated on test day receive scores in 10 to 15 days. Plan your test date at least 15 days before any application deadline to avoid scores arriving late.
GRE score delivery happens in stages. You get part of the picture immediately and the rest over the following two weeks. Knowing the timeline helps you plan your application schedule so you are not waiting on scores when a deadline is approaching.
What You See on Test Day
After you finish the last section of the GRE, you have a brief window to decide whether to keep or cancel your scores. This decision happens before you see any numbers. Once you choose to keep them, the unofficial scores for Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning appear on the testing center screen.
These unofficial scores are accurate in practice. ETS will confirm them when official scores are released, and they rarely differ. Treat the on-screen numbers as real and begin planning accordingly.
Analytical Writing scores do not appear on screen. The AWA essays require human review by trained raters, which is why they take longer to process. You will not know your writing score until the official report is released.
If you are testing at home through remote proctoring, the same rules apply. Unofficial V and Q scores display on screen at the end of the test. AWA is not included.
The Official Score Timeline
Official scores are available in your ETS account 8-10 days after your test date. ETS does not release them on a fixed day within that window. Some test-takers see their scores on day 8, others on day 10. The variation is normal.
When scores are ready, ETS sends an email notification to the address on your account. Log in to your ETS account at that point to view the complete score report, including your AWA score, your V and Q scores with percentile ranks, and your ScoreSelect options.
Schools designated as free recipients on test day receive your scores 10-15 days after your test date. Additional score reports sent after test day via your ETS account take approximately 5 business days to reach the recipient.
How Should You Plan Around Application Deadlines?
The gap between test date and school receipt matters for deadline planning. If a school has a rolling review process or a hard deadline, you need to account for the delivery window, not just the test date.
Work backward from your earliest application deadline. If you need scores at a school by a specific date, your test date should be at least 15 days before that deadline, ideally more. A test taken 10 days before a deadline creates a real risk of scores arriving after the window closes.
If you are taking the GRE for the first time, build in buffer for a potential retake. The 21-day cooldown between attempts means that if your first test date is too late to allow a retake, you are committed to whatever score that sitting produces. The GRE study plan covers how to structure your timeline from test registration through application submission.
When to Expect Scores After a Retake
The same timeline applies to retakes. Official scores appear 8-10 days after the test date, regardless of whether it is your first attempt or a subsequent one. ETS does not expedite processing for returning test-takers.
The 21-day cooldown between attempts affects scheduling. If you test on a given date, your earliest possible retake is 21 days later. Factor the 8-10 day score release window into that math. If your first test produces a score you want to improve, your retake needs to happen far enough in advance that the second round of official scores reaches your schools before their deadlines.
If you took the test and cancelled your scores, that cancellation is immediate. Scores that are cancelled do not appear in your ETS account and are not reportable. You can reinstate cancelled scores within 60 days by paying the reinstatement fee, at which point the standard processing timeline applies.
Score Validity and the 5-Year Window
Official scores are valid for 5 years from your test date. This applies to the full score record: V, Q, and AWA. After 5 years, ETS permanently removes the scores from their system. They cannot be retrieved, reinstated, or reported to schools. There are no extensions.
For deferred MBA candidates who test during junior or senior year and begin their full-time work period before applying to graduate programs, this window matters. If you test at 21 and do not apply until 26, your scores will be gone. Plan your test date with the 5-year limit in mind if you expect your application timeline to be long.
How Do Schools Receive Scores?
ETS delivers scores electronically to institutions. There is no physical document to track. Once scores are sent, the receiving program will process them on their own timeline, which varies by school and application period.
On test day, you can designate up to 4 free score recipients. These are locked in immediately after your test. You cannot change or revoke these designations after you leave the testing center. Choose your recipients carefully before you finish the test.
Additional reports requested after test day cost $40 per report and deliver in approximately 5 business days. The ScoreSelect guide covers which scores to send and how to decide.
Checking Your Score Status
Log in to your ETS account to check score status. ETS does not provide a real-time tracker with progress updates. The report either appears or it does not. Checking daily starting around day 7 is the most practical approach.
If 10 days pass without scores appearing, contact ETS directly. Delays beyond the stated window are rare but occasionally occur, particularly if there was an irregularity during your test session.
Once you have your official scores, take the GRE diagnostic to see how your performance breaks down and whether your preparation has any remaining gaps before a retake.
What to Do Next
- Count backward from your earliest application deadline. Your test date must be at least 15 days before that deadline to ensure scores arrive in time. If it is not, register for an earlier date now.
- If you are planning a retake, remember the 21-day cooldown between attempts. Build your timeline so the second round of official scores reaches schools before deadlines close.
- Designate your free score recipients on test day, not after. You have 4 free sends at the time of testing; additional reports cost $40 each and take 5 business days.
- After receiving official scores, check your Verbal and Quant performance against your target programs' averages. Then take the GRE diagnostic to pinpoint any remaining prep gaps before deciding whether to retake.
The GRE course is $25 per month and includes the free diagnostic to find your baseline before a retake. For help building a full application strategy around your score and deadlines, coaching covers the complete picture.
