How to get a 320 on the GRE.
A 320 puts you near the 77th percentile, comfortably in the top quarter of test takers. It is an above-average target that is genuinely reachable. The trick is choosing the right Verbal and Quant split for your field, then closing the gap where your points are cheapest.
A total score, not a single section.
Your GRE total is Verbal plus Quant, each scored from 130 to 170, so the total runs from 260 to 340. A 320 sits about 11 points above the average total of roughly 309, which works out to around the 77th percentile. We mark that as an estimate, because ETS publishes percentiles for each section but not for the combined total.
The Analytical Writing score (0 to 6) is reported separately and is not part of the 320. It still matters to programs, so do not ignore it, but it is not what this target is about. You can convert any section score to its exact official percentile with our percentile calculator.
There is more than one way to make 320.
A 320 can be a balanced 160 and 160, or it can lean one way. The right split depends on your field, because admissions read your sections against other applicants to your kind of program. Every row below sums to 320, with the official ETS percentile for each section.
| Profile | Verbal | Quant | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | 160 (84th) | 160 (50th) | A general or still-undecided field |
| Quant-leaning | 158 (77th) | 162 (57th) | Economics, data, and most STEM master's |
| Verbal-leaning | 162 (89th) | 158 (45th) | Humanities and many social sciences |
| Quant-heavy | 155 (65th) | 165 (67th) | Engineering, CS, quantitative finance |
The percentile catch: a 160 in Verbal is the 84th percentile, but a 160 in Quant is only the 50th, because so many test takers score high on Quant. For a quantitative program, a balanced 160 and 160 can look Quant-light. Aim a few points higher on Quant, a 162 or 165, to stand out against your actual competition.
A four-step loop to reach your target.
Diagnose with a full mock
Sit one timed, section-adaptive mock to get your real Verbal and Quant scores and their exact percentiles. You cannot plan a 320 without knowing your starting point.
Find your cheapest points
Points are not equal. If your Quant sits at the 50th and your Verbal at the 85th, the easier gains are in Quant. Pour effort where the gap to your target split is widest.
Drill with explanations
At this level the gains come from killing repeat mistakes: the same traps, the same misreads. Review every miss by why it was wrong, then redo similar questions until the pattern sticks.
Re-test under the clock
Retake full mocks to lock in pacing and confirm the number is moving. Accuracy in untimed practice means nothing if it collapses when the timer is running.
Want the gap turned into daily numbers? Feed your current score, your 320 target, and your test date into the score simulator.
Two sections, two different games.
Verbal: vocabulary and logic
Most Verbal points turn on vocabulary in context and sentence logic, the connective cues that tell you where a sentence turns. Build both, in real questions, not flashcards.
Verbal practiceQuant: traps and pacing
The maths is high-school level; the points leak to traps, misreads, and the clock. Learn the recurring traps and a per-question pace, and use the calculator only after a correct setup.
Quant practiceOn Verbal, a steady habit of vocabulary in context is the slow compounding lever. Start early and keep it daily.
Be honest about the runway.
There is no universal answer, because it depends entirely on where you start. As a rough guide, moving 5 to 8 total points usually takes 6 to 10 weeks of consistent, focused study, a few hours most days, with regular timed mocks to convert practice accuracy into real-conditions performance.
If you are starting well below 300, budget more time and rebuild the fundamentals first rather than grinding full tests. If you are already at 313 to 316, you are closer than the score suggests: the last few points are usually pacing and a handful of recurring mistakes, not missing knowledge. Either way, the plan is the same, just over a different number of weeks.
Getting to 320, answered.
Start with your real number.
Sit a free, full-length, section-adaptive GRE mock, see your estimated Verbal and Quant with exact percentiles, and find out how far you are from 320. Free, always.