How the GRE to GMAT conversion works
The GRE and GMAT are different tests, built on different content frameworks and taken by different groups of people, so there is no official one-to-one equivalence between them. What does exist is a prediction. ETS, the organisation that runs the GRE, publishes the GRE Comparison Tool for Business Schools, which estimates the GMAT Total score an applicant would most likely earn given their GRE Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores.
ETS built the tool from the real score reports of 472 people who took the GRE (between August 2011 and December 2012) and then took the GMAT within a year. Using multiple linear regression on that sample, ETS found that GRE Verbal and Quant together correlate with GMAT Total at 0.916 — a strong relationship, but not a perfect one. The standard error of the prediction is 54.8 points, which is why ETS describes the predicted score as accurate to roughly ±50 points.
This calculator uses exactly the equation in ETS’s published FAQ for the tool, rounds to the nearest 10 and caps the result at 200–800, just as ETS does.
The ETS GRE to GMAT formula
Formula
GMAT Total = −2080.75 + 6.38 × GRE Verbal + 10.62 × GRE Quant
Notice the weights. Every extra Quant point adds about 10.6 GMAT points, while every extra Verbal point adds about 6.4. That is why two GRE scores with the same 320 total can predict GMAT scores 40 points apart. ETS also publishes section-level predictions for the classic GMAT’s 0–60 section scales:
| Predicted score | ETS equation | Correlation | Standard error |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMAT Total (200–800) | −2080.75 + 6.38 × V + 10.62 × Q | 0.916 | 54.8 |
| GMAT Verbal (0–60) | −109.49 + 0.912 × GRE Verbal | 0.787 | 5.93 |
| GMAT Quant (0–60) | −158.42 + 1.243 × GRE Quant | 0.882 | 5.73 |
Worked example: GRE 160 Verbal, 165 Quant (325)
−2080.75 + (6.38 × 160) + (10.62 × 165)
= −2080.75 + 1020.8 + 1752.3 = 692.35
Rounded to the nearest 10 → GMAT 690 (likely range 640–740). Section predictions: Verbal 36, Quant 47.
What about the GMAT Focus Edition (205–805)?
Since early 2024 the only GMAT you can sit is the GMAT Focus Edition, scored 205–805 with three sections (Quant, Verbal and Data Insights). The ETS comparison tool was built for the older 200–800 exam, and neither ETS nor GMAC publishes a direct GRE → GMAT Focus conversion. GMAC has explicitly said that scores from the two tests cannot be directly equated.
What GMAC does publish is an official concordance table linking 10th-edition (classic) totals to Focus Edition totals by percentile. So this calculator gives you two numbers:
- Predicted classic GMAT — straight from ETS’s regression. This is the figure the ETS tool would show an admissions officer.
- Focus Edition equivalent — the classic prediction translated with GMAC’s July 2025 concordance. Where GMAC links one classic score to several Focus scores, we show the full range.
Treat the Focus figure as an estimate of an estimate
Chaining two official tables does not create an official conversion. The ±50 uncertainty in the ETS prediction carries through, and the GMAC concordance is percentile-based. Use the Focus number to judge where you stand, not as a score to report on an application.
GRE to GMAT conversion chart
Predicted classic GMAT Total for common GRE Verbal (rows) and Quant (columns) scores, generated from the ETS equation:
| Verbal ↓ / Quant → | Q 170 | Q 165 | Q 160 | Q 155 | Q 150 | Q 145 | Q 140 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V 170 | 800 | 760 | 700 | 650 | 600 | 540 | 490 |
| V 165 | 780 | 720 | 670 | 620 | 560 | 510 | 460 |
| V 160 | 750 | 690 | 640 | 590 | 530 | 480 | 430 |
| V 155 | 710 | 660 | 610 | 550 | 500 | 450 | 390 |
| V 150 | 680 | 630 | 580 | 520 | 470 | 420 | 360 |
| V 145 | 650 | 600 | 540 | 490 | 440 | 380 | 330 |
| V 140 | 620 | 560 | 510 | 460 | 410 | 350 | 300 |
Common GRE scores converted to GMAT and GMAT Focus
| GRE V | GRE Q | GRE total | Classic GMAT (ETS) | GMAT Focus (est.) | Focus percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | 170 | 340 | 800 | 805 | >99.9% |
| 165 | 168 | 333 | 760 | 715–735 | 98.8%–99.5% |
| 163 | 167 | 330 | 730 | 675–685 | 94.8%–95.8% |
| 160 | 170 | 330 | 750 | 695–715 | 97.4%–98.8% |
| 165 | 165 | 330 | 720 | 665–675 | 92.1%–94.8% |
| 164 | 164 | 328 | 710 | 655–665 | 90.5%–92.1% |
| 155 | 170 | 325 | 710 | 655–665 | 90.5%–92.1% |
| 160 | 165 | 325 | 690 | 635–645 | 81.9%–86.7% |
| 163 | 162 | 325 | 680 | 615–635 | 76.4%–81.9% |
| 150 | 170 | 320 | 680 | 615–635 | 76.4%–81.9% |
| 155 | 165 | 320 | 660 | 615 | 76.4% |
| 158 | 162 | 320 | 650 | 595–615 | 67.1%–76.4% |
| 160 | 160 | 320 | 640 | 585–595 | 60.6%–67.1% |
| 155 | 160 | 315 | 610 | 565–575 | 50.9%–57.4% |
| 150 | 160 | 310 | 580 | 545–555 | 41.9%–47.8% |
| 155 | 155 | 310 | 550 | 515–525 | 31.5%–34.0% |
| 150 | 155 | 305 | 520 | 495 | 25.1% |
| 150 | 150 | 300 | 470 | 465–475 | 16.6%–19.7% |
Three GRE 320s show why the split matters: 160V/160Q predicts 640, 155V/165Q predicts 660 and 150V/170Q predicts 680. If you are taking the GRE for an MBA, Quant is where extra points move your predicted GMAT the most.
What GRE score equals a 650, 700 or 730 GMAT?
Minimum GRE Quant needed at each Verbal score to reach a target classic GMAT prediction (Focus equivalents in brackets):
| GRE Verbal | GMAT 650 (Focus 595–615) | GMAT 700 (Focus 645–655) | GMAT 730 (Focus 675–685) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | Q 167+ | Not reachable | Not reachable |
| 155 | Q 164+ | Q 169+ | Not reachable |
| 160 | Q 161+ | Q 166+ | Q 169+ |
| 165 | Q 158+ | Q 163+ | Q 166+ |
| 170 | Q 155+ | Q 160+ | Q 163+ |
What GRE scores do top MBA programs report?
Most schools publish GMAT and GRE results separately, and the comparison is revealing. Harvard Business School’s Class of 2027 profile reports a median GMAT Focus score of 685 (middle 80%: 645–735), a median 10th-edition GMAT of 730, and median GRE scores of 164 Verbal and 164 Quant. Put 164/164 through the ETS formula and you get a predicted GMAT of 710 — about 20 points below the GMAT median.
That gap is a useful reminder: admissions teams do not simply convert your GRE and compare it to their GMAT average. They look at GRE scores against their own GRE pool and at GRE percentiles. Wharton’s Class of 2026 profile, for example, reported an average GMAT of 732 alongside average GRE scores of 163 Verbal and 162 Quant. Always check the latest class profile on each school’s own website, as these numbers change every year.
Want to understand your GRE section scores first? Our GRE score calculator shows ETS percentiles for every score, and the GMAT Focus score calculator turns section scores into a total.
Should you take the GRE or the GMAT for an MBA?
- Applying only to MBAs? The GMAT is built for business schools and some programs and recruiters (consulting and banking in particular) still ask for it.
- Applying to MBAs and MS/MiM programs? The GRE keeps both doors open and is accepted by virtually every major business school.
- Stronger in vocabulary and reading? GRE Verbal rewards vocabulary; GMAT Verbal is more about critical reasoning and reading comprehension.
- Stronger in data interpretation? The GMAT Focus Data Insights section counts for a full third of your total.
Whichever test you choose, your undergraduate record is read alongside it. The CGPA to GPA calculator helps you report your grades on the 4.0 scale most US schools expect.
Common mistakes with GRE to GMAT conversion
- Adding Verbal and Quant and converting the total. The formula weights Quant far more heavily, so the split matters as much as the sum.
- Treating the result as exact. ETS’s own standard error is about 55 points. A predicted 700 is really “probably 650–750”.
- Comparing a converted score directly to a Focus Edition average. Classic and Focus scales are different — a 645 Focus is roughly a 690–700 classic.
- Comparing percentiles across tests. GRE and GMAT percentiles come from different test-taker populations, so an 80th-percentile GRE is not the same as an 80th-percentile GMAT.
- Ignoring Analytical Writing. AWA is not part of the prediction, but schools still see it.