GRE to IQ Conversion: Old vs New GRE Score Charts

6 min read · IQ Tester

A GRE to IQ conversion gives you a rough range, never an exact number. The GRE tests verbal and quantitative reasoning, which overlap heavily with what IQ tests measure, so a high GRE usually means strong reasoning. But ETS publishes no GRE to IQ chart, the scale changed completely in 2011, and GRE takers are already a select group, so treat every estimate as a ballpark.

If you want a clearer picture of how you reason, without stacking guesses on top of an admissions test, IQ Tester measures it directly and shows where you're strongest: Find my weak spots.

Can GRE scores predict IQ?

Loosely, yes. The GRE is basically a grown-up version of the SAT: vocabulary in context, reading comprehension, algebra, data interpretation and word problems. Those skills sit close to what psychologists call verbal and quantitative reasoning.

But "predict" is doing heavy lifting. Here's what gets in the way:

• Prep culture. GRE prep is huge. Months of Magoosh, Manhattan Prep or flashcards can add real points.
• Selection. Almost everyone taking it has a bachelor's degree, so the percentiles compare you to other grads, not to everyone.
• Less research. The SAT and ACT have well-known studies linking them to general intelligence. The GRE has more research on predicting grad school grades than on IQ directly. For example, a large 2001 meta-analysis by Nathan Kuncel and colleagues found the GRE predicts graduate school performance, but that's a different question from "what's my IQ."

So a gre to iq estimate is reasonable for curiosity, and useless for anything official.

Old GRE vs new GRE

This part trips people up constantly, especially on Reddit.

The old GRE (before August 2011)

• Verbal: 200-800
• Quantitative: 200-800
• Combined: up to 1600
• Earlier versions also had an analytical reasoning section, later replaced by an essay-based analytical writing section.

The new GRE (August 2011 onward)

• Verbal: 130-170
• Quantitative: 130-170
• Combined: up to 340
• Analytical writing: 0-6, reported separately

In 2023 the GRE also got shorter, cutting total test time to under two hours. The 130-170 scale stayed the same.

Converting between them

ETS released concordance tables to translate old scores into new ones. The key thing: the old verbal section was brutal at the top, so an old 700 verbal was rarer than an old 700 quant. Always compare section by section, not just totals, when doing an old GRE to IQ conversion.

GRE to IQ conversion chart

These charts line up GRE percentiles with IQ, then adjust for the fact that GRE takers are college grads who average above 100. They're estimates; use ranges.

New GRE (260-340)

Old GRE (400-1600, V+Q)

Note the old GRE to IQ numbers sit slightly higher for similar percentiles because the old verbal scale was so hard to max out.

Quant vs verbal: which one matters more?

Quant scores run high because many test-takers come from math-heavy fields and prep hard for it. That means a 165 quant is less rare than a 165 verbal. If you're estimating a gre iq equivalent, a strong verbal score arguably tells you more about general reasoning than a strong quant score does.

Honestly, splitting a GRE score into "which bit is reasoning and which bit is prep" is impossible to do by yourself. IQ Tester makes it simpler: 20 untimed questions with no study guide to game, harder questions weighted more, and a result that shows your category strengths across number series, verbal analogy, logic and pattern. Find my weak spots

How reliable is the GRE to IQ conversion?

Rate it "okay for vibes, bad for decisions." Here's the reliability checklist:

1. Scale version. Did you take the old or new GRE? Mixing them breaks the estimate.
2. Section balance. A 170Q/150V and a 160Q/160V both total 320 but mean very different things.
3. Prep hours. Heavy prep inflates the score as a measure of raw reasoning.
4. Ceiling. Lots of strong test-takers bunch up at 170 quant, so the top can't separate them.
5. Retakes. Many people send their best score, which is naturally a bit inflated.

If all five line up in your favor, the chart is a fair rough guide. If not, the range gets wider.

Average GRE takers vs general population

This is the part most gre to iq converter sites skip.

GRE test-takers already finished a degree and chose to apply to grad school. That group averages above the general population on reasoning. So when you hit the 50th percentile on the GRE, you're average among grads, which likely means above 100 compared with everyone.

That also explains why charts disagree so much. Some treat GRE percentiles as if they were population percentiles (which inflates scores); others adjust for selection (which lowers them). Neither is official.

Grad school vs undergrad averages

If you're curious how students compare across levels, check out average IQ of college students. The short version: as more people went to university, the average dropped toward the general population. Grad school is more selective again, but less than people think.

Field matters too

GRE scores vary a lot by intended field. Physics and math applicants top the quant section, philosophy and English applicants dominate verbal. We break that down in average IQ by major. And if you took the LSAT instead, see LSAT to IQ.

UK and Canada readers

UK master's programs rarely require the GRE, so most British students never take it; your degree classification (a First, a 2:1) doesn't convert to IQ either. Canadian grad programs ask for the GRE only sometimes, often for US-style programs.

Measure reasoning directly

A GRE score is tuned for grad admissions. If you care about your reasoning itself, go direct:

• Test patterns (visual rules), which the GRE doesn't really touch.
• Test logic separately from reading speed.
• See category strengths so you know whether to work on verbal or numbers.
• Practice the weak one a little every day instead of cramming another prep book.

Swap the gre to iq conversion guesswork for a real breakdown

Converting a GRE to IQ gives you a guess on top of a guess. In the next few minutes, IQ Tester's 20 untimed questions give you a score band and three of your four category strengths, plus guides with a short daily drill for your weak spots. Your answers save if you close the tab mid-test.

Find my weak spots

FAQ

What IQ is a 320 on the GRE?

A 320 on the new GRE roughly suggests an IQ around 117 to 124. It depends a lot on how that 320 splits between verbal and quant, so treat it as a rough range.

Is there an official GRE to IQ calculator?

No. ETS publishes percentiles and old-to-new concordance tables, but no GRE to IQ calculator or chart. Every conversion online is unofficial.

Is the GRE an IQ test?

No. It's a graduate admissions test that overlaps with IQ through verbal and quantitative reasoning. Prep, education and test strategy also move GRE scores a lot.

How do I do an old GRE to IQ conversion?

First find your old verbal and quant scores separately, then use a rough chart built for the 1600 scale, not the 340 scale. Old verbal scores are harder to get at the top end, so they count for a bit more.

What does Reddit say about GRE vs IQ?

Reddit threads often repeat hobby-site charts and debate whether quant or verbal matters more. They're fun to read, but most ignore that GRE takers are a select group, which skews every estimate.