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GMAT vs. GRE Score Converter for MBA Applications



In the MBA world, there is a perception that the GRE is the “easier” option than the GMAT, but there’s no concrete evidence to support this.


Content-wise, the GRE and GMAT are pretty similar. However, the structure and scoring algorithms set them apart.


  • GRE: Section-adaptive (difficulty adjusts between sections).

  • GMAT: Question-adaptive (difficulty adjusts with every question).


This difference matters. The GMAT’s question-adaptive nature is what makes it a tougher nut to crack. It’s also what makes it more relevant to the analytical and decision-making skills you’ll need in business school, compared to the more generalist GRE.


If you’re not sure which test you should take, check out our GMAT vs GRE blog here.


Applicants who choose to take the GRE often have questions about benchmarking their scores against their GMAT counterparts. How do you compare a GRE score to a GMAT score?


Back in the day, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the creators of the GRE, tried to help applicants compare their GRE scores to GMAT scores using an official conversion tool. But the tool was discontinued in recent years, and ETS has removed it from their site. That’s because the demographics of GRE test-takers and GMAT test-takers are different. For instance, the GMAT is specifically used for business schools, while the GRE is used by applicants to postgraduate programs in multiple disciplines (eg. Economics, Engineering, Public Policy). Now, with the introduction of the new GMAT Focus Edition test, the ETS tool would need a major overhaul.


But that doesn’t stop applicants from wondering what their score equivalent for the other test would be. So we decided to create a tool using GMAT and GRE percentiles to roughly benchmark your score and see where you stand in comparison to other applicants.


Our Methodology: Using Percentiles


The percentile (%ile) is the percentage of applicants that your score was better than. We use this to compare GMAT and GRE. For example, if your GMAT Focus Edition score is 615, that places you in the 77.70% percentile, or better than 77.70% of test takers. For the GRE, the equivalent percentile range (70-79th) would be a score of V156-158 and Q160-163.


Disclaimer: As we’ve discussed above, the GRE and GMAT differ significantly in their content and scoring metrics because they test different skills. The following percentile rankings will compare you only to other candidates who have taken the same test. It’s not a bulletproof conversion methodology, but it’s a good place to start.


GRE Vs GMAT Score Converter Percentile Chart


GMAT (Classic)

GMAT (Focus)

GMAT (%ile)

GMAT (%ile range)

GRE (%ile range)

GRE Verbal

GRE Quant

800

805

100.00%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

790

805

100.00%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

790

795

100.00%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

790

785

100.00%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

780

785

100.00%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

780

775

100.00%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

780

765

99.90%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

780

755

99.90%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

770

755

99.90%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

770

745

99.70%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

770

735

99.60%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

760

735

99.60%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

760

725

99.20%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

760

715

99.00%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

750

715

99.00%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

750

705

98.20%

>98%

>98%

163-170

168-170

750

695

97.70%

95-98%

95-98%

163-170

168-170

740

695

97.70%

95-98%

95-98%

163-170

168-170

740

685

96.20%

95-98%

95-98%

163-170

168-170

730

685

96.20%

95-98%

95-98%

163-170

168-170

730

675

95.30%

95-98%

95-98%

163-170

168-170

720

675

95.30%

95-98%

95-98%

163-170

168-170

720

665

92.90%

90-95%

90-95%

163-170

168-170

710

665

92.90%

90-95%

90-95%

163-170

168-170

710

655

91.30%

90-95%

90-95%

163-170

168-170

700

655

91.30%

90-95%

90-95%

163-170

168-170

700

645

87.70%

80-89%

80-89%

159-162

164-167

690

645

87.70%

80-89%

80-89%

159-162

164-167

690

635

83.10%

80-89%

80-89%

159-162

164-167

680

625

80.50%

80-89%

80-89%

159-162

164-167

680

615

77.70%

70-79%

70-79%

156-158

160-163

670

615

77.70%

70-79%

70-79%

156-158

160-163

660

615

77.70%

70-79%

70-79%

156-158

160-163

650

615

77.70%

70-79%

70-79%

156-158

160-163

650

605

71.70%

70-79%

70-79%

156-158

160-163

650

595

68.50%

60-69%

60-69%

154-155

157-159

640

595

68.50%

60-69%

60-69%

154-155

157-159

640

585

62.00%

60-69%

60-69%

154-155

157-159

630

585

62.00%

60-69%

60-69%

154-155

157-159

620

585

62.00%

60-69%

60-69%

154-155

157-159

620

575

58.70%

50-59%

50-59%

152-153

154-156

610

575

58.70%

50-59%

50-59%

152-153

154-156

610

565

52.10%

50-59%

50-59%

152-153

154-156

600

565

52.10%

50-59%

50-59%

152-153

154-156

600

555

49.00%

49.00%

<50%

<152

<154

590

555

49.00%

49.00%

<50%

<152

<154

580

555

49.00%

49.00%

<50%

<152

<154

580

545

43.00%

43.00%

<50%

<152

<154

570

545

43.00%

43.00%

<50%

<152

<154

570

535

40.10%

40.10%

<50%

<152

<154

560

535

40.10%

40.10%

<50%

<152

<154

560

525

34.70%

34.70%

<50%

<152

<154

550

525

34.70%

34.70%

<50%

<152

<154

550

515

32.20%

32.20%

<50%

<152

<154

540

515

32.20%

32.20%

<50%

<152

<154

530

515

32.20%

32.20%

<50%

<152

<154

530

505

27.60%

27.60%

<50%

<152

<154

530

495

25.40%

25.40%

<50%

<152

<154

510

495

25.40%

25.40%

<50%

<152

<154

500

495

25.40%

25.40%

<50%

<152

<154

500

485

21.50%

21.50%

<50%

<152

<154

490

485

21.50%

21.50%

<50%

<152

<154

490

475

19.80%

19.80%

<50%

<152

<154

480

475

19.80%

19.80%

<50%

<152

<154

470

475

19.80%

19.80%

<50%

<152

<154

470

465

16.60%

16.60%

<50%

<152

<154

460

465

16.60%

16.60%

<50%

<152

<154

460

455

15.10%

15.10%

<50%

<152

<154

450

455

15.10%

15.10%

<50%

<152

<154

450

445

12.40%

12.40%

<50%

<152

<154

440

445

12.40%

12.40%

<50%

<152

<154

440

435

11.30%

11.30%

<50%

<152

<154

430

435

11.30%

11.30%

<50%

<152

<154

420

435

11.30%

11.30%

<50%

<152

<154

410

435

11.30%

11.30%

<50%

<152

<154

410

425

9.20%

9.20%

<50%

<152

<154

400

425

9.20%

9.20%

<50%

<152

<154

400

415

8.30%

8.30%

<50%

<152

<154

390

415

8.30%

8.30%

<50%

<152

<154

380

415

8.30%

8.30%

<50%

<152

<154

380

405

6.70%

6.70%

<50%

<152

<154

370

405

6.70%

6.70%

<50%

<152

<154

370

395

6.00%

6.00%

<50%

<152

<154

360

395

6.00%

6.00%

<50%

<152

<154

350

395

6.00%

6.00%

<50%

<152

<154

350

385

4.80%

4.80%

<50%

<152

<154

350

375

4.30%

4.30%

<50%

<152

<154

340

375

4.30%

4.30%

<50%

<152

<154

330

375

4.30%

4.30%

<50%

<152

<154

320

375

4.30%

4.30%

<50%

<152

<154

320

365

3.40%

3.40%

<50%

<152

<154

310

365

3.40%

3.40%

<50%

<152

<154

310

355

3.00%

3.00%

<50%

<152

<154

300

355

3.00%

3.00%

<50%

<152

<154

300

345

2.30%

2.30%

<50%

<152

<154

290

345

2.30%

2.30%

<50%

<152

<154

280

345

2.30%

2.30%

<50%

<152

<154

280

335

2.00%

2.00%

<50%

<152

<154

270

335

2.00%

2.00%

<50%

<152

<154

260

335

2.00%

2.00%

<50%

<152

<154

250

335

2.00%

2.00%

<50%

<152

<154

250

325

1.50%

1.50%

<50%

<152

<154

250

315

1.30%

1.30%

<50%

<152

<154

240

315

1.30%

1.30%

<50%

<152

<154

240

305

1.00%

1.00%

<50%

<152

<154

230

305

1.00%

1.00%

<50%

<152

<154

230

295

0.80%

0.80%

<50%

<152

<154

220

295

0.80%

0.80%

<50%

<152

<154

220

285

0.60%

0.60%

<50%

<152

<154

210

285

0.60%

0.60%

<50%

<152

<154

210

275

0.50%

0.50%

<50%

<152

<154

210

265

0.40%

0.40%

<50%

<152

<154

210

255

0.30%

0.30%

<50%

<152

<154

200

255

0.30%

0.30%

<50%

<152

<154

200

245

0.20%

0.20%

<50%

<152

<154

200

235

0.20%

0.20%

<50%

<152

<154

200

225

0.10%

0.10%

<50%

<152

<154

200

215

0.10%

0.10%

<50%

<152

<154

200

205

0.10%

0.10%

<50%

<152

<154


Ranges

Percentiles

GRE Verbal

GRE Quantitative

GMAT (classic)

GMAT (focus)

>98%

168-170

169-170

750-800

705-805

95-98%

165-167

168-169

720-750

675-695

90-95%

163-164

167-168

700-720

655-665

80-89%

159-162

164-167

680-700

625-645

70-79%

156-158

160-163

650-680

605-615

60-69%

154-155

157-159

620-650

585-595

50-59%

152-153

154-156

600-620

565-575

<50%

<152

<154

<600

<555


What’s the Bottom Line?


If you’re applying to business school, take the GMAT first. It’s designed for MBA candidates, and you won’t have to explain your choice to the AdCom or worry about conversion charts. 


Do you feel the GRE is a better fit instead? You’re not alone. A growing number of MBA applicants are choosing to opt for the GRE, which means that the GRE score averages at business schools are going up every year. With a wider range of GRE applicants to choose from, schools will choose to benchmark your GRE score against others, rather than find its GMAT equivalent. 


Just remember: the fact that someone can score a perfect 340 on the GRE but not hit 800 on the GMAT doesn’t mean the GRE is easier. It’s just different—and not necessarily aligned with what b-schools value.


So, save yourself the speculation. Focus on what matters: acing the test that best aligns with your strengths and goals. 


 

We can offer diagnostic tests that will help you predict which test you’ll score more highly on. Book a chat with our in-house GMAT/GRE tutor, Rowan Hand.

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Hi, I'm Sam.  I'm the founder of Sam Weeks Consulting. Our clients get admitted to top MBA and EMBA programs.

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