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GMAT Score Guide
How is the GMAT Scored?
It is a well-known fact that getting a satisfactory GMAT score is tough. But did you know that the technique of scoring your paper is even harder to understand? Not anymore, for we have simplified the process for you.
The GMAT questionnaire contains 4 sections – Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning (IR), Quantitative Analysis, and Verbal Reasoning.
| Section | Scoring | How the Section is Scored |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) | 0.0 - 6.0 (in intervals of 0.5) | This section is about writing an essay on a simple, argumentative topic. It tests your command of the English language. It is a fail-safe to ensure that you will understand the questions asked in the other sections. They will rate your essay from 0-6 in half-point increments. Thus, unless you completely skip this section, they will score you anywhere between 0.5 and 6. As long as you don’t score below 3.5, you will be fine. And let us assure you that it is quite easy for even non-native/ESL students to go beyond that threshold. Both human professionals and a computer-generated algorithm will check your essay. If there is a discrepancy between these two entities, then a higher human authority will determine the outcome. |
| Integrated Reasoning (IR) | 1 - 8 (in intervals of 1) | This section is all about reasoning out the most viable solutions to complicated problems based on the available data. Each question may have more than one answer. You need to record all possible answers to receive credit for that question. Partial credits are NOT given out. Scoring is from 1-8 in one-point increments. A 5+ score is acceptable for most schools. While IR wasn’t a critical component a few years ago, top schools will pay attention to this part today. Your application won’t be considered at such schools if you don’t have a minimum score of 7. |
| Quantitative and Verbal | 0 - 60 | Quantitative analysis judges your capability to reason out possible conclusions to the given situation by assessing the available data. Verbal reasoning is more like the Comprehension section in a school examination on the English language. You need to read and understand the given write-up, detail the required arguments, and make the necessary edits to it. The scoring here is from 0-60. Unless you have no knowledge whatsoever of the English language, you won’t score lower than 6. And unless you are a top-level, genius wordsmith, you won’t go beyond 51. |
The Total score range for GMAT is, according to experts, between 200-800. In reality, candidates generally score around 400-750.
Anything over 750 will put you above the 99th percentile.
Score Reporting
When you complete your exam, you will be shown your unofficial GMAT scores (Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, and Total).
GMAC makes your GMAT score available only to the schools that you designate as recipients either on the test day or, for a fee, after the test day.
After completing the GMAT, you will be given the opportunity to Report or Cancel your scores. Your test fee entitles you to request that scores be sent to as many as five schools at no additional cost.
Score Longevity
GMAT scores are valid for five years, and are available for reporting for up to 10 years.
Understanding GMAT scores
Your GMAT score includes a percentile ranking that compares your skill level with other test takers from the past three years.
| Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 710 - 800 | 92 - 99 |
| 610 - 700 | 64 - 89 |
| 510 - 600 | 34 - 61 |
| 410 - 500 | 13 -31 |
| 310 - 400 | 4 - 12 |
| 210 - 300 | 0 - 3 |
| 200 | 0 |
What Does a Computer-Adaptive Test Mean to Your Score?
The Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT) is exclusive to only the Quantitative and Verbal reasoning sections. CAT is a process or an algorithm that will adapt to your ability to tackle a series of questions.
For instance, answering a hard question correctly will lead you to an even harder question. But answering it incorrectly will bring you down to an easier question.
Easier questions are worth very few points, whereas harder ones are worth a lot more.
Correctly answering an easy question won’t change your score much. But answer it wrong, and your score will drop considerably.
Conversely, get a hard question right, and your score will take a big leap upward. Get it wrong, and it won’t affect your score much.
In essence, you should keep climbing up the ladder. Answer as many harder questions right as you can to score well in the Quantitative and Verbal reasoning sections.
An important point to note – only the Quantitative and Verbal reasoning sections contribute to your total GMAT score – out of 800. The IR and AWA sections are separately marked.
What is a Good GMAT Score?
A good GMAT score varies from country to country. For example, GMAT is far more competitive in China and India than in other nations.
Hence, if you are from either of those countries, then you should aim to score above 750 (99 percentile) to get selected in a reputable management school.
Singapore residents need a score in the range of 720-740 to qualify in a good enough school.
Students from countries like Croatia and Kazakstan can make do with an average GMAT score of around 620.
Management schools in the UK need a score of around 700 or more. Schools in the US usually ask for more than 730.
That said, the top-rated MBA institutions around the world need a GMAT score of more than 740.
| Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 710 - 800 | 92 - 99 |
| 610 - 700 | 64 - 89 |
| 510 - 600 | 34 - 61 |
| 410 - 500 | 13 -31 |
| 310 - 400 | 4 - 12 |
| 210 - 300 | 0 - 3 |
| 200 | 0 |
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