Paper-based GRE General TestFor the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the paper-based GRE General Test, a raw score is computed. The raw score is the number of questions for which the best answer choice was given.
The raw score is then converted to a scaled score through a process known as equating. The equating process accounts for differences in difficulty among the different test editions, so a given scaled score reflects approximately the same level of ability, regardless of the edition of the test that was taken.
For the Analytical Writing section, each essay receives a score from two trained readers, using a six-point holistic scale. In holistic scoring, readers are trained to assign scores on the basis of the overall quality of an essay in response to the assigned task. If the two assigned scores differ by more than one point on the scale, the discrepancy is adjudicated by a third GRE® reader.
Otherwise, the scores from the two readings of an essay are averaged. The final scores on the two essays are then averaged and rounded up to the nearest half-point interval. A single score is reported for the Analytical Writing section.
The primary emphasis in scoring the Analytical Writing section is on your critical thinking and analytical writing skills rather than on grammar and mechanics. (Read the "Issue" and "Argument" scoring guides.)
During the scoring process, your essay responses on the Analytical Writing section will be reviewed by ETS essay-similarity-detection software and by experienced essay readers. See Independent Intellectual Activity.