GRE Exam Answer Key

Many candidates assume ETS publishes a GRE exam answer key after each test. It does not. ETS, the owner of the GRE, issues no GRE exam answer key for the General Test. You never see the questions again after you finish. Your official scores replace the GRE exam answer key. They come in your ETS account about 8-10 days after the test. The same rule holds for the GRE exam answer key 2027. No key is issued to any candidate testing for 2027 admissions.

ETS keeps test content confidential and allows no part of it to be removed, reproduced or disclosed. So a GRE exam answer key for a real test does not exist. ETS also says a question that looks familiar may have a different answer. Each candidate gets a score, not a marked paper. If you want to know what went right or wrong, ETS offers the free Diagnostic Service, covered below. Practice tests are different, and a GRE practice test answer key does exist for them. You can also read about the GRE results and score report for what the scorecard shows.

The GRE exam answer key 2027 is not issued, because the GRE is a year-round test with no fixed paper. The 2026-27 Information Bulletin applies to tests taken from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.

Does ETS release a GRE exam answer key for the General Test?

No. ETS does not release a GRE exam answer key for the General Test, in 2027 or in any earlier year. A GRE answer key of any kind does not exist for the real test. The test content is confidential, and candidates do not see their questions after the test.

What does ETS give instead of a GRE exam answer key?

ETS gives you three things. The first is your scaled score, which is the only official result of the test. The GRE exam answer key you expected is replaced by this score. The second is the free Diagnostic Service, which shows the question types you got right and wrong. The third is a paid score review for the Analytical Writing essay.

GRE Answer Key: Frequently Asked Questions

There is no GRE exam answer key release date, because ETS never releases one. The date that matters is your score date: official scores arrive about 8-10 days after your test.

When will I get my GRE score if there is no GRE exam answer key?

You get your official score about 8-10 days after the test. That score replaces the GRE exam answer key you may expect. The Analytical Writing score is part of it. Trained raters and ETS's e-rater scoring engine mark the essay in that time.

Can I see my GRE score on test day?

Yes, for Verbal and Quantitative only. At the end of the test you choose to report or cancel. If you report, your unofficial score for each of those two measures shows on screen. Your unofficial score for Analytical Writing does not show. The centre cannot print unofficial scores. Once you view the scores, you cannot cancel them.

You can read the full timeline on the GRE exam dates page.

You cannot download a GRE exam answer key. You can see your score report in your ETS account, and ETS can send it to schools. Follow these steps after your official scores are ready.

1. Skip any search for a GRE exam answer key. Wait for the ETS email that says your scores are ready, about 8-10 days after the test.
2. Log in to your ETS account, the same one you used to book the test.
3. Open your GRE scores and check the Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing results.
4. Note your five-year record. Scores stay reportable for five years from the test date.

How do I check my GRE score online?

Log in to your ETS account. Your Test-taker Score Report shows your test dates, scores and percentile ranks. It lists your authorised recipients and the scores sent to them. It also lists your five-year record.

How do I get the Diagnostic Service report, the nearest thing to a GRE answer sheet?

Log in to your ETS account about 15 days after the test. The service is free for the General Test and stays open for six months. It tells you which question types you answered right or wrong. It also shows how difficult they were and how long you spent on each.

There is no download link for a GRE exam answer key, so beware of any page that offers one. These are the official ETS pages that exist, and each one is open now.

📄Get your GRE scoresHow to view and share your official score report.Open ETS page🧮How GRE scores are understoodETS explanation of raw score, equating and scaled score.Open ETS page📝POWERPREP practice testsFree practice tests with correct answers.Open ETS page

Use the practice material when you need a GRE practice test answer key. For the real test, a GRE exam answer key is never part of the pack. For the real test, only your score report counts. The GRE question papers page lists every official practice option.

ETS gives no response sheet and no GRE answer sheet either. A GRE exam answer key would have nothing to be matched against. You cannot see which questions you marked, what you chose or which answers were correct. ETS shares neither, because test content is confidential. Searchers who type GRE answer sheet usually want one of these two files. A GRE answer sheet with your marked answers is not issued.

The closest thing is the free Diagnostic Service report. The table shows how it differs from a key or response sheet. For official practice tests, the GRE practice test answer key comes inside POWERPREP.

The Diagnostic Service does not show the actual questions. It shows patterns, which is more useful than a GRE answer key would be. If you got many questions of one type wrong, practise that type. If you spent too long on hard questions, work on pacing.

Why does ETS not show me the questions I got wrong?

Because ETS treats test content as confidential. ETS says no part of it may be removed, reproduced or disclosed. It also says a question that looks familiar may be different and may have a different answer. New York test takers have one exception: a Question-and-Answer Review costing US$50, for Verbal and Quantitative questions you missed. It is open only to New York test takers, so it does not apply to candidates in India.

You cannot challenge a GRE exam answer key, because there is none, and you cannot challenge a question or answer. You can ask ETS to review your Analytical Writing score for US$60. This score review is the one review service open to candidates in India.

Know these rules before you apply.

• Request the review within 90 days of your test date.
• Allow about four weeks for the result.
• You cannot report your scores to schools until the review is complete.
• The score can go up or down after review.

Is it worth asking for the GRE essay score review?

Ask for the score review only if your Analytical Writing score is far below what your essay deserves. Your target school should also treat that score as important. The score review can lower your score, and your scores are held during the process. If you are close to an application deadline, think twice.

What else can I do if I am unhappy with my GRE score?

You have two other options. First, you can retake the test after 21 days. You can test up to five times in any rolling 12 months. Second, you can cancel your scores at the end of the test, before you view them. Cancelled scores are not refunded. You can reinstate them within 60 days for US$50. Check the GRE exam fees page for all charges.

How to Challenge the GRE Exam Answer Key: Frequently Asked Questions

You cannot calculate your GRE score from a GRE exam answer key, because there is none. ETS counts the questions you answered correctly in Verbal and Quantitative. It converts that count to a scaled score from 130 to 170. This is the full score calculation that replaces the GRE exam answer key.

How is the GRE raw score calculated?

The raw score is the number of questions you answered correctly. It is worked out separately for Verbal Reasoning and for Quantitative Reasoning. All questions in a section count equally. There is no credit for partially correct answers on multi-answer questions. ETS mentions no penalty for wrong answers, so leaving a question blank gives no advantage.

How does the raw score become a scaled score?

ETS converts the raw score by a process called equating. Equating adjusts for small differences in difficulty between test editions. It also adjusts for the section-level adaptation. The same raw score can therefore give different scaled scores on different editions.

The GRE is adaptive by section. The first Verbal section and the first Quantitative section have average difficulty. How you do on the first section decides the difficulty of the second section.

How is the Analytical Writing score calculated?

Trained raters mark the essay on a 6-point holistic scale. ETS's e-rater scoring engine also scores it. ETS also checks essays with similarity-detection software. A measure with no answers gets No Score (NS). The pages on GRE exam pattern cover the marking in detail.

How do I know what my GRE score means?

Use the official ETS percentile table, not a GRE exam answer key. Percentile rank is the share of test takers who scored lower. For all test takers from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2025, a Verbal 164 sits at the 93rd percentile. A Quantitative 164 sits at the 63rd. The GRE cutoff page shows how schools read these numbers.

How to Calculate Score: Frequently Asked Questions