Use the GMAT™ exam to compare and contrast candidates during admissions.
Measure the skills candidates need to succeed in your graduate management program.
In repeated research studies, GMAT™ scores have been found to be an extremely accurate predictor of academic success in graduate management education programs. Unlike grade point averages, which vary according to the grading standards of each school, GMAT scores are based on the same standard for all test takers. So you can compare your applicants' GMAT scores directly with each other regardless of where they came from or what they studied. GMAT scores are admissions criteria that are consistent across time and across borders.
This means you can rely on GMAT scores to help you:
- Select the best applicants for your graduate study program
- Help approve financial aid applicants based on their academic potential
- Easily and consistently assess candidates from different countries and their educational and work experiences
GMAT test takers receive five scores:
- Verbal
- Quantitative
- Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)
- Integrated Reasoning
- Total
An Official GMAT Score Report shows each of these scores; in cases of repeat testing, the score report will show all of the test taker's GMAT scores for the past five years.
Test takers may print an unofficial score report after they finish the exam, but this does not include the AWA score or Integrated Reasoning and should not be accepted in lieu of an Official Score Report.
Verbal, and Quantitative Scores
The Verbal and Quantitative scores range from 6 to 51 in single-digit intervals. Scores below 6 and above 51 are rare.
The Verbal and Quantitative scores measure different constructs and are not comparable to each other.
Analytical Writing Assessment Score
The AWA score is an average of the two independent ratings for the Analysis of an Argument essay. These average scores can range from 0 to 6 in half point intervals.
AWA scores are computed separately from the scores for the other sections of the test and have no effect on the Verbal, Quantitative, or Total scores.
Integrated Reasoning Score
Integrated Reasoning scores range from 1-8 in single-digit intervals. Like the AWA, IR scores are computed separately and have no effect on the Total score.
Total GMAT Score
Total GMAT scores range from 200 to 800. Two-thirds of test takers score between 400 and 600.
The Score Report
GMAT score reports include all test results achieved in the past five years, the most recent AWA essay responses, and the following background information:
- Country of citizenship
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Telephone number
- Undergraduate institution, grade point average, major, and date of graduation
- Intended graduate study
- Highest level of education attained
A “*” symbol indicates that there is no reportable score for a test administration.
GMAT Score Availability
Test takers may print their unofficial scores from the Verbal and Quantitative multiple-choice sections, along with the Total score, immediately after completing the test.
Official GMAT score reports that include the Analytical Writing Assessment score, Integrated Reasoning score, and percentile rankings will be available to the test taker and his or her designated score-report recipients (programs) approximately 20 days after taking the test.
Percentile Updates
Percentiles, or the proportion of scores below a given score, are updated yearly based on scores from all tests taken in the past three years. Percentiles for the recently introduced Integrated Reasoning section will be updated monthly through 2012 and then annually on the same timetable as the other scores.
Locating Old GMAT Scores
GMAC keeps official GMAT score results for 10 years. Candidates may request score reports up to 10 years old if they do not have more recent, valid scores. However, most schools do not accept scores more than five years old.