The 12-Step Checklist for Managing Your GRE Scores (From Test Day to Application Submission)

Why Score Management Matters Right After the Test

Most students think the hard part ends when they click “Submit.” But the most sensitive part of the GRE scoring process happens in the next 10 minutes: you see unofficial scores, you decide to report or cancel, and you pick four recipients that would otherwise cost you money. Right at the test center you can view your Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning scores on the screen; you won’t see them again until your official scores post 8–10 days later. [ Source: ETS – Getting Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]

If you get those 3–4 micro-decisions right, your universities receive scores on time, you save the fee for extra reports, and you avoid reporting a score you didn’t want to send. If you get them wrong, you can still fix things, but it usually costs you money and time.

This page is laid out for the people who answer questions all day—study abroad counselors, university career centers, grad admission mentors. Forward it to a student once, and they can follow steps 1 to 12 without more calls.

What you will do in 12 steps

1. Capture the unofficial scores that appear on your screen.
2. Make the report-or-cancel decision using a simple rule.
3. Enter your 4 free score recipients (the part many students rush).
4. Wait for your official score posting email (8–10 days after test date). [ Source: ETS – Getting Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]
5. Download the PDF score report and store it in your application folder.
6. Check your Analytical Writing score, which is not shown on test day.
7. Compare your scores with your program’s benchmarks.
8. Use ScoreSelect to send “Most Recent,” “All,” or later “Any” scores. [ Source: ETS – Sending Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]
9. Order additional score reports when a university is not in the free list.
10. Track deliveries, because some schools ingest scores only twice a week. [ Source: ETS – Receiving GRE Scores. (ETS) ]
11. Match the right score to the right application deadline.
12. Keep this checklist for retakes (scores stay valid 5 years). [ Source: ETS – Score Validity. (ETS) ]

Phase 1: Minutes After Your GRE – See, Decide, Protect

This is the most time-sensitive phase. You are still at the test center (or finishing an at-home test), your heart rate is high, and the system gives you a one-time look at part of your scores. You must slow down and follow the sequence below.

Step 1 – Capture the on-screen unofficial scores

At the end of the test, the system displays your unofficial Verbal and Quantitative scores. Take a picture, write it down, or store it in your notes. You will not see the unofficial screen again inside ETS later, so this is your only instant record. [ Source: Yocket – How to check unofficial GRE scores. (Yocket) ]

Write the two numbers in this pattern:

1. Verbal Reasoning: ___
2. Quantitative Reasoning: ___
3. Total target range you had in mind (for example, 320+): ___
4. Programs you want to send scores to immediately: ___

Step 2 – Use the 2-minute “Report or Cancel” rule

Immediately after showing you the scores, ETS asks if you want to report or cancel. If you cancel, no score is reported, and you cannot see it in your ETS account later. If you report, it will become part of your record and can be sent to schools. [ Source: ETS – Sending Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]

Use this simple rule:

1. If both Verbal and Quant scores are within 3–4 points of your realistic practice test average → Report.
2. If one section collapsed unusually (for example, 10+ points lower than 3 recent practice tests) and you have time to retake → Cancel.
3. If you are unsure and your deadlines are far away → it is safer to Report because ScoreSelect later lets you send only the best test to schools. [ Source: ETS – ScoreSelect option. (ETS) ]

This rule makes sense because schools will not see tests you do not send, and ScoreSelect lets you hide weaker administrations from future reports.

Step 3 – Add your 4 free score recipients carefully

ETS includes up to four free score recipients in your test fee, but you must pick them on test day. If you forget or skip this, sending scores later will cost around US$27 per recipient (or ₹ 2,900 in India). [ Source: ETS – GRE Fees India. (ETS) ] [ Source: ETS – Sending Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]

Before test day, prepare a mini-list of 5–6 universities ranked by application deadline. On the test-day screen, enter the first four. If you are an advisor, give your students a printed “four-university selector” beforehand.

While choosing, you will also see two options for each recipient:

1. Most Recent – send scores from today’s test only.
2. All – send all GRE General Tests from the last 5 years. [ Source: ETS – ScoreSelect option. (ETS) ]

If this is your first GRE, “Most Recent” and “All” are identical. If you have previous tests, pick the one that shows your best combination.

Step 4 – Save a confirmation note

After you submit the recipients, write down:

1. Test date
2. Unofficial V/Q
3. 4 recipients you added
4. Whether you chose “Most Recent” or “All”

Put this in the same folder where you keep your GRE syllabus 2026, score goals, and application checklist. That way, when the 8–10 day email comes in, you can check that scores went to the right places.

Common mistakes to avoid in Phase 1

1. Not noting the score screen. You walk out and forget exact numbers; later you can’t compare to practice tests.
2. Leaving recipients blank. You lose your free reports and must pay for every university. [ Source: Reddit user reply quoting ETS on 4 free reports only on test day. (Reddit) ]
3. Sending “All” when old scores are weaker. Most students should send “Most Recent” on test day and later use ScoreSelect to customize. [ Source: ETS – ScoreSelect option. (ETS) ]

Phase 2: 8–10 Days Later – Read Your Official Report

ETS sends you an email when your official scores are ready. For the current GRE, they typically post in your ETS account 8–10 days after your test date. The same time, ETS also sends the official institution reports to the four recipients you chose on test day. [ Source: ETS – Getting Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]

Step 5 – Log in and download the PDF

Go to your ETS account, open “Scores,” and download the official PDF. Save it in a folder named “GRE – YourName – 2025.” This is the version you will attach or reference if a university asks you to upload a score copy while they wait for the official feed from ETS.

Step 6 – Check your Analytical Writing score

The test-center screen never shows AWA, so this is your first look at it. Many programs—especially in engineering, policy, and business—want to see a stable writing score even if they care more about Quant. If the AWA is lower than 3.0 and your target school expects higher, note it now. [ Source: ETS – Understanding Your Scores. (ETS) ]

Step 7 – Compare against program expectations

Open your list of target universities. For each one, note whether they publish typical GRE scores or just say “competitive scores preferred.” If they publish numbers, compare right away. If they don’t, look up average GRE scores by program field on a neutral resource (for example, an advising blog) and build your own target, then link that phrase inside your own site like this: “students can also check GRE score percentiles to understand where they stand.”

Step 8 – Decide if a retake is strategic

Because GRE scores are valid for 5 years, you can take the test again and later send only your best performance to schools using ScoreSelect. If your current score is clearly below what your field expects, mark a retake date now and pair this page with a 30-day GRE study plan so the second attempt is stronger. [ Source: Menlo Coaching – GRE scores valid 5 years. (Menlo Coaching) ]

Checklist: what should be in your folder now

1. Unofficial V/Q noted on test day
2. Official ETS PDF downloaded
3. AWA verified
4. List of 4 free recipients you used
5. Notes on which schools still need reports

Phase 3: Using ScoreSelect the Smart Way

This is the part that admissions offices wish every applicant understood. ETS gives you a tool called ScoreSelect that lets you choose which GRE scores to send. You can send only your most recent test, or you can send all tests from the last 5 years, or—when sending after test day—you can pick any test administration. This flexibility is what makes it safe to report on test day. [ Source: ETS – ScoreSelect Option. (ETS) ]

In this phase you will match each target school with the best “view” of your scores and decide if you need to buy extra reports.

Step 9 – Map your test history

Before sending anything else, make a tiny table of every GRE you have taken in the last 5 years. ETS keeps those scores for 5 years, and ScoreSelect can send any of them. [ Source: ETS – Score Reporting Period. (ETS) ]

1. Date of test (e.g., 14 Oct 2025)
2. Verbal score
3. Quant score
4. AWA score
5. Notes (e.g., “Quant strong,” “first attempt,” “for business analytics”)

Now you can see which attempt is your “marketing score.” If you have a 161V/168Q attempt and a 154V/160Q attempt, the first one is obviously what you want to show to most schools.

How ScoreSelect choices work

1. Most Recent: sends only the scores from your latest test date.
2. All: sends all GRE General Test scores from the last 5 years.
3. Any (additional score reports only): when you order scores after test day, you can pick any test date to send to a school. That’s where the real flexibility is. [ Source: ETS – ScoreSelect Option Details. (ETS) ]

When to use “Most Recent”

Use “Most Recent” when your latest performance is clearly your best or when it is the most balanced (for example, 158V and 164Q vs. an older 165Q but 150V). Some programs, especially generalist master’s programs, prefer a balanced profile.

1. You prepped hard for this attempt.
2. It matches or beats the score guidelines from your target department.
3. You are applying to schools soon and don’t want to confuse them with multiple lines. [ Source: Purdue Grad School – GRE Policy for Applicants. (Purdue) ]

When to use “All”

Send “All” when your scores are consistently strong or when the school has told you they prefer to see your full record. This happens for competitive programs that value persistence and for some funding committees that want to see every official test score. [ Source: ETS – Score Users Information. (ETS) ]

1. All your attempts are 160+ in both sections.
2. You don’t have any outlier attempt that could raise questions.
3. You want to show an early decent score and a later excellent score to prove progression.

When to use “Any” through additional reports

This is where advisors save students money. Suppose a student took the GRE in Aug 2024 (good Quant) and again in Nov 2025 (better Verbal). A data science program may want the stronger Quant attempt. A humanities program may want the stronger Verbal attempt. Instead of sending “All” everywhere, you order two additional score reports and pick the best attempt for each program. [ Source: Kaplan – GRE ScoreSelect Explained. (Kaplan) ]

1. List the universities that care more about Quant.
2. List the universities that care more about Verbal or AWA.
3. Order reports with the exact test date that best fits each list.

As this is a pillar page, anchor it to related prep content. After choosing which score to send, many students ask “What do I study to improve this by 3 points?” so link right inside the sentence to your own GRE verbal strategy or GRE quant shortcuts article without adding meta notes.

Phase 4: Sending Extra Reports & Meeting Deadlines

By now you have used your 4 free recipients, downloaded your official score report, and mapped which attempt is best for which school. What’s left is every university that was not in your free 4 or that you decided to apply to later. For those, you order Additional Score Reports from ETS. As of late 2025, ETS lists this as a separate fee per recipient. Always check the current fee table before paying. [ Source: ETS – GRE Fees. (ETS) ]

Step 10 – Order additional score reports from inside your ETS account

Log in, go to your scores, and choose to send scores. Pick the university, then pick the exact test date (that’s the “Any” power from the previous phase). Review carefully before paying. [ Source: ETS – Sending Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]

1. Check the university’s receiving method. Some use automated ETS feeds, others give you a department code.
2. Enter department/program code exactly if the school lists one on its grad admission page.
3. Pay the fee and save the confirmation screen or email.

Put the confirmation PDF next to your official score report. This makes it very easy for a counselor to check which schools have already been sent.

How long does it take schools to receive scores?

ETS says it sends scores to recipients you designated on test day immediately after your official scores are reported, typically 8–10 days after the test date. Additional score reports ordered later are sent in a few days, but your school may take extra days to match them to your application. [ Source: ETS – Getting Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]

So if your university deadline is very close, tell the admissions office you have ordered scores through ETS and upload your PDF as a temporary proof.

Fees and budget planning

Extra score reports can add up fast, especially if you are applying to 10–12 programs. That’s why your day-of-test free 4 should always be the earliest deadlines or the programs you most want. For every extra program, budget the ETS additional score report fee plus any currency conversion. [ Source: ETS – GRE Fees. (ETS) ]

1. List all remaining universities.
2. Write deadline, dept code, and whether they were in the free 4.
3. Multiply number of remaining schools by current ETS ASR fee.

What if a university can’t find my score?

Sometimes the name in the application and the name on the GRE report differ slightly, or the date of birth is different. In those cases, admissions can’t auto-match the report. Email them with your full name, date of birth, ETS ID, and test date so they can match it manually. Keep the ETS receipt attached.

Here’s where an internal link fits naturally: when telling students to check how many schools they’re applying to, guide them to a resource like GRE application timeline so they align testing, reporting, and document uploads.

Phase 5: Sync with Applications & Scholarships

Score management is complete only when the right university says “We have your score.” That means aligning ETS’s sending schedule with your application deadlines and scholarship cycles.

Step 11 – Match each application deadline to a score arrival window

For every university, write these two dates side by side:

1. Application deadline (e.g., 1 Dec 2025)
2. Latest safe score-send date (8–10 business days before, to allow ETS + university time)

Many schools will consider your application “on time” if the application is submitted by the deadline and the GRE arrives a bit later, but some are strict. Check the wording on the grad admissions page. [ Source: MIT Graduate Admissions – Test scores. (MIT) ]

Step 12 – Store everything in one application folder

Put your ETS PDF, extra report receipts, application login info, and your personal notes in one folder. If you are retaking the GRE, keep the same folder and add the new test date. Because scores stay valid for 5 years and ScoreSelect lets you send any test later, having this folder makes second and third applications much easier. [ Source: ETS – GRE Scores Valid for 5 Years. (ETS) ]

Special case – scholarships and assistantships

Some assistantships and funding committees want the report sent to a different code or department than the main grad school. Treat them like separate recipients and order additional score reports for them. Mark them in red in your planner so you don’t forget.

At this point, tell students to review GRE test day rules if they are planning a retake, so their next score arrives smoothly and doesn’t get delayed because of ID issues.

Final Recap & Printable Pack

You now have a 12-step sequence that starts with the test-center screen and ends with “every university got the right version of my GRE.” That is the whole GRE scoring process in action form.

1. Note your unofficial V/Q on test day.
2. Decide to report or cancel.
3. Use your 4 free recipients.
4. Wait for official scores (8–10 days) and download the PDF. [ Source: ETS – Getting Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]
5. Check AWA and compare to target programs.
6. Map out all your test dates.
7. Apply ScoreSelect: Most Recent / All / Any.
8. Order additional reports for late or extra schools.
9. Match score arrival with application deadlines.
10. File everything in one folder.
11. Retake if a program demands higher scores.
12. Re-use the same checklist for every future GRE send.

Print this section and staple your ETS receipts to it. Counselors can add their logo on top and hand it to every GRE student who asks, “What do I do with my score now?”

FAQs

Quick answers to the six score questions that keep coming up.

1. How long are GRE scores valid?

GRE General Test scores are valid for 5 years from the test date. You can send any of those tests through ScoreSelect during that period. [ Source: ETS – GRE Scores. (ETS) ]

2. When will my official GRE scores be available?

For the GRE General Test, official scores are typically available in your ETS account 8–10 days after your test date. That’s also when ETS sends your scores to the 4 free recipients you picked on test day. [ Source: ETS – Getting Your GRE General Test Scores. (ETS) ]

3. Can I send only my best GRE score to a university?

Yes. With ScoreSelect, when you order scores after test day, you can choose which test date to send to each school, so you can send only your highest-scoring test. [ Source: ETS – ScoreSelect Option. (ETS) ]

4. What if I forget to use the 4 free score recipients on test day?

Then you must order additional score reports from ETS and pay the fee per recipient. That’s why this checklist makes you write the four universities down before test day. [ Source: ETS – Sending Scores. (ETS) ]

5. Do universities see that I canceled a score?

No. If you cancel a score on test day, ETS does not report that score to institutions, and they will not see a score for that test date. [ Source: ETS – Canceling Scores. (ETS) ]

6. How do I know a university received my score?

First, check your ETS account to confirm the score report was sent. Then check your university application portal. If it still shows “awaiting test scores” after several days, email admissions with your ETS ID, test date, and the receipt you saved. [ Source: ETS – Receiving GRE Scores. (ETS) ]

Content Integrity Note:

This guide was created from official ETS score-handling rules published online in 2025 and then structured for advisors and test takers by Andrew Williams (10 years of helping GRE students reach target programs). Inline links above point to ETS pages for rules that can change. Internal structuring ideas were adapted from internal training material provided to the assistant.