Is your GMAT score good enough to get you into the business school of your choice? Read on  to understand GMAT scoring and learn how MBA programs evaluate your scores during the admission process.

GMAT scores

On test day, as soon as you've finished taking the  GMAT , the testing computer will calculate and display your unofficial results (everything except your essay score). You will have two minutes to decide whether to report your results to business schools, or to cancel them. Here's what you need to know to put your GMAT score into perspective. 

Average GMAT Scores

Total GMAT scores range from 200 to 800, and the average total GMAT score is currently 565. According to GMAC—the organization that administers the GMAT exam—two-thirds of test takers score between 400 and 600!

Check out the average GMAT scores for all test-takers from the three year period 2020–2022:

SectionAverage GMAT Score
Verbal 27.8
Quantitative 42.07
Integrated Reasoning 4.67
Analytical Writing Assessment 4.42
TOTAL SCORE 582.34

Source:  GMAC

Understanding GMAT Scoring

The GMAT Scores That Matter

Your official GMAT score report will feature five different numbers, but here are the scores that matter most to business schools.

  • Total Score
  • Quantitative Score
  • Verbal Score

Read More: 6 GMAT Tips to Follow on Test Day

How the GMAT is Scored

Here's a quick breakdown of how your GMAT score is calculated:

 Score Range How It's Calculated
Total Score
  • 200–800
  • Reported in 10-point increments

Based on Math and Verbal section results
Quantitative Score
  • 0–60
  • Reported in 1-point increments

Based on:

  • the number of questions you get right
  • levels of difficulty for questions you get right
  • the number of questions you answer
Verbal Score
  • 0–60
  • Reported in 1-point increments

Based on:

  • the number of questions you get right
  • levels of difficulty for questions you get right
  • the number of questions you answer
Integrated Reasoning
  • 1–8
  • Reported in 1-point increments

Based on number of questions answered correctly
Analytical Writing Assessment
  • 0–6
  • Reported in half-point increments

Average of scores assigned by two readers

GMAT Percentiles

Next to all five scores you’ll see your GMAT score percentile, which is another way for you to compare your scores to other GMAT test-takers. For example, if you see a percentile of 72 next to your Verbal score, it means that 72 percent of the people who took this test scored lower than you did on the Verbal section. These percentiles are calculated annually using GMAT scores from the previous three years.

Read More: Should You Retake the GMAT?

What is a good GMAT Score for YOUR Goals?

A good GMAT score is one that fits within the range of scores your MBA program usually looks for or accepts. You can find average GMAT scores and other statistics on the “Admissions” tab of our business school profiles . Compare your scores to the schools on your list to see how you compete.

Sample MBA Profile

Test Scores

GMAT (25th and 75th percentiles)
550 - 600
GPA
3.0 - 3.7

Many business schools tend to focus on the GMAT total score, which means that you may make up for weakness in one area by being strong in another. For example, if your quantitative skills are better than your verbal skills, they’ll help pull up your total score—although some of the more selective schools say they prefer to see math and verbal sub-scores that are balanced.

Practice for the GMAT

Take a GMAT practice test with us under the same conditions as the real thing. You'll get a personalized score report highlighting your strengths and areas of improvement.

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