How do the GRE® Subject Tests work?
It's time to size it up – all about GRE Subject Test scores.
The scores provide common measures for comparing applicants' qualifications and evaluating grades and recommendations. Some Subject Tests yield subscores that can indicate your strengths and weaknesses and may be useful for guidance and placement purposes.
- The way scores are reported:
- One total score is reported on a 200-990 score scale, in 10-point increments, although the score range for any particular Subject Test is usually smaller.
- Subscores are reported for the Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biology; and Psychology Tests on a 20-99 score scale, in one-point increments, although the range for any particular Subject Test subscore is usually smaller.
What you may not know about the GRE Subject Tests.
Schools have different requirements and use admissions tests in different ways. GRE Subject Tests aren't typically required by grad schools, but they may help you get a competitive edge. So if you're wondering what your schools are looking for, contact their admissions department and ask them directly.
How Scores are Determined
- Scoring of the Subject Tests is a two-step process.
- First, a raw score is computed. The raw score is the number of questions you answered correctly minus one-fourth the number of questions you answered incorrectly.
- The raw score is then converted to a scaled score through a process known as equating that accounts for differences in difficulty among the different test editions. Thus, a given scaled score reflects approximately the same level of ability regardless of the edition of the test that was taken.
Learned all you need to know about the GRE Subject Tests?
Go back to the GRE General Test.