GRE scores are valid for exactly 5 years from your test date. On the day after the 5-year mark, ETS permanently removes them from their system. There is no grace period, no extension process, and no way to retrieve or reinstate scores once they are gone.
This is not a policy that applies variably based on circumstances. It is a fixed rule with no exceptions documented by ETS. If your scores expire before you apply, you test again.
How the 5-Year Window Works
The clock starts on your test date, not the date scores are released, not the date you send them to a school. Test on March 15, 2026, and your scores are valid through March 15, 2031. On March 16, 2031, those scores no longer exist in ETS's records.
This means the window is slightly less than you might assume. Saying scores are "valid for 5 years" means you have those exact 5 years, not 5 years and a semester, not 5 years rounded to the nearest academic cycle.
The validity window applies equally to all three sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. A score from one section cannot be extended or preserved independently of the others. The entire score record from a test sitting expires together.
If you took the GRE multiple times, each sitting has its own 5-year expiration tied to that test date. A score from 2021 expires in 2026. A score from 2023 expires in 2028. The sittings expire independently.
Who This Actually Affects
The 5-year limit is largely irrelevant for most traditional applicants. If you test during junior or senior year of college and apply to graduate programs within a few years, your scores will still be valid.
The window becomes a real planning issue for deferred MBA candidates. Deferred MBA programs accept students during their junior or senior year of college, with admission that defers 2-5 years while the student gains work experience. If you test early in college and your work experience period runs long, scores taken at 20 may expire before you actually start your program.
Consider the math: test at 21, deferral period of 4 years, start your program at 25. Your scores from age 21 are valid through age 26. In that scenario, they survive. But if the deferral runs to 5 years, or if you took the test sophomore year at 19 or 20, you could be applying to start a program just as your scores expire.
The practical advice: if you are a deferred MBA candidate in a long deferral situation, check when your scores expire against the expected start date of your program, not just the application deadline.
What Happens When Scores Expire
ETS deletes them. The record is gone from their system. You cannot access them in your ETS account, you cannot request a copy, and you cannot ask ETS to send them to schools. They simply no longer exist in reportable form.
If a school received your scores before they expired, those scores are in the school's records. The expiration affects ETS's records, not records a school already received and processed. But most programs require current verified scores, so even if a school has an old record, they may require you to test again for a new application cycle.
If you are applying to a program and your scores from a prior sitting expired before you can send them, you have two options: test again, or apply without GRE scores to programs that have made the test optional.
Score Validity in the Context of Multiple Attempts
ETS allows up to 5 GRE attempts in a rolling 12-month period, with a 21-day cooldown between tests. There is no lifetime cap on total attempts.
Multiple attempts spread across years can create a mix of expiration dates. If you tested in your sophomore year and again in your senior year, the sophomore scores expire 5 years after that test date. The senior-year scores expire 5 years after their test date. These are different expiration dates.
When you use ScoreSelect to send scores to schools, you can only send scores that are currently valid and in your ETS account. Expired scores cannot be selected or reported.
Planning Your Test Timeline
For most deferred MBA candidates, the right time to take the GRE is junior or senior year. Testing earlier than that creates unnecessary expiration risk if your application timeline stretches. Testing later limits your window to study and retake before application deadlines.
Our GRE study plan is built around this timing. It assumes you are working within a defined window between test preparation and application submission, with a realistic retake buffer if needed.
If your situation is non-standard, such as a gap year, extended deferral, or a return to applications after time away, check your test dates against the 5-year limit before you start your application. Discovering an expiration problem after you have written your essays is a fixable problem, but it is an avoidable one.
School-Specific Validity Requirements
Some schools have their own requirements that are stricter than ETS's 5-year window. A program might accept scores only from the past 3 or 4 years, regardless of what ETS technically allows. This is uncommon but worth checking directly with programs you are targeting.
Most programs follow ETS's standard. But for any school where you are not certain, read the admissions requirements page directly or contact the admissions office. Confirming this early prevents the scenario where you test, then discover a program wants scores less than 3 years old.
If Your Scores Are About to Expire
If you have scores approaching the 5-year mark and you plan to apply to programs that require them, you have a decision to make.
Option one: send those scores now to the programs you are targeting, before expiration. ETS can only send scores that are valid at the time of the order. Once expired, sending is no longer possible.
Option two: retake the GRE. If your scores are 4 or more years old, your preparation may also be stale. A fresh preparation cycle followed by a new test will give you current scores and may produce a better result than the original attempt.
Use the GRE diagnostic to assess where you stand before committing to a retake. A diagnostic will tell you whether your prep has held up or whether you need a full preparation cycle before testing again.
The Bottom Line
Five years from your test date, your scores are gone. Plan your test date with your application timeline in mind. For most people, this requires no special action. For deferred candidates with long deferral periods, it is worth mapping out explicitly before you start studying.