Every year, thousands of students take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) as a gateway to graduate programs across the globe. But while most test-takers obsess over achieving a high overall score, admission committees often scrutinize specific sections more closely than others. This raises an important question: Which GRE section is most responsible for rejections?
The surprising answer lies not just in raw numbers, but in how graduate programs evaluate applicants. Let’s break it down.
The Three Sections of the GRE
- Verbal Reasoning (130–170) – Measures critical reading, comprehension, and vocabulary in context.
- Quantitative Reasoning (130–170) – Tests mathematical ability, logical problem-solving, and data interpretation.
- Analytical Writing (0–6) – Assesses the ability to articulate complex ideas, support arguments, and maintain coherent writing.
Each section plays a different role in admissions, depending on the program.
Which Section Hurts the Most?
According to multiple admission trends and graduate school feedback:
- Quantitative Reasoning – The Silent Gatekeeper
- For STEM, business, and economics programs, the Quant section is a deal-breaker.
- Even if applicants shine in Verbal, a weak Quant score often leads to immediate rejection.
- Data suggests that many top programs consider anything below the 75th percentile (~160+) risky.
- Verbal Reasoning – The Humanities Filter
- For programs in literature, law, social sciences, or international relations, Verbal is the top rejection driver.
- Committees worry about students’ ability to handle dense academic texts and produce strong research.
- A Verbal score below 155 often raises red flags in these fields.
- Analytical Writing – The Underestimated Killer
- Surprisingly, Analytical Writing has led to many silent rejections, especially for applicants who otherwise scored high.
- Admissions officers view a poor writing score (<3.5) as a red flag, indicating weak academic writing skills.
- Since graduate programs demand extensive research papers and essays, this section quietly screens out many applicants.
Surprising Insight: It’s Not Just About “The Lowest Score”
What shocks many students is that the most rejected GRE section is not universal—it depends heavily on the program:
- STEM applicants → most rejections due to Quant.
- Humanities applicants → most rejections due to Verbal.
- International applicants → often rejected due to low Analytical Writing, even when other scores are competitive.
In other words, the “weakest link” varies.
What Applicants Should Learn from This
- Know your program’s priority – Check whether your field values Quant, Verbal, or Writing more.
- Avoid lopsided scores – A perfect 170 in one section can’t always cover a weak score in another.
- Don’t ignore Analytical Writing – Many applicants overlook it, but admissions committees don’t.
- Aim for balance – Competitive programs prefer well-rounded applicants who can read, analyze, compute, and write effectively.
Conclusion
The GRE isn’t just about hitting a high composite score—it’s about proving readiness for the type of academic work your program demands. The most rejected GRE section is the one you neglect.
So whether it’s Quant for engineers, Verbal for social scientists, or Writing for international students, the key to avoiding rejection is clear: understand your program’s expectations and prepare accordingly.
