GMAT Score Chart (and How to Use It) [2023]

The GMAT score chart explains how your scaled scores on the Quant and Verbal sections map to your 800-point total score, and can give you insight into where you need to improve to raise your total GMAT score.

The GMAT scoring algorithm and this chart have changed over time.  Especially as you approach a perfect GMAT score, there has been compression — achieving a 780, 790 or 800 GMAT score now requires higher scaled scores in each of the sections than it used to several years ago, because so many test takers have achieved high scores.  This GMAT score chart is updated as of March 2023.

You can also skip ahead to download our printable GMAT score chart.

Further Information on the GMAT Score Chart

Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessment

This GMAT score chart omits the Integrated Reasoning (IR) score and Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) score because those do not influence your total GMAT score.

How to use the GMAT Score Chart

You may well ask what a chart like this can tell you about your own GMAT score. By using the GMAT score chart to understand how your scaled scores in the Quant and Verbal map to your total score, you can figure out how much you need to improve your GMAT performance in each section in order to reach your target GMAT score on the 800-point scale, which is the most important score for MBA admissions.

As a result, it can be a great way to understand your strengths and the areas where you need improvement.  Two things will probably stand out. While we don’t detail them in this article, you can find in-depth discussion of them in the links below:

• You might notice that your combined GMAT score is pretty good, despite a low Quant percentile.  Learn why GMAT percentiles can be misleading. On the Quant section, you do not need to achieve a great percentile to win admission. And on the Verbal section, even achieving a great percentile may not raise your total score as much as you’d like. This is because many international test takers score high on Quant, low on Verbal, and distort the percentile rankings for everyone else.
• As a corollary to this, the fastest way to improve your total GMAT score may be to improve your Verbal score, even if your Verbal percentile looks high and your Quant percentile looks low.  Your total score is the one that schools care most about, for the reasons described at Is Your GMAT Score Good Enough?

GMAT Score Chart Limitations

Further, while most MBA candidates applying to the top 20 or so business schools will aim for a GMAT score of 700 or above, it’s important to take into consideration the average GMAT score at your chosen MBA program. This will give you an idea of where your score sits in relation to your peers and can shine further light on your chances of admission.

However, certain demographics take up a disproportionate amount of space in a school’s applications, and as a result, people in these demographics will require a higher score to be considered competitive. For underrepresented groups, often a wider GMAT score range will be considered acceptable.

GMAT Practice Tests

Many MBA applicants find they score highly on GMAT practice tests, only to achieve a disappointing result on the official GMAT exam.

We advise only using official GMAT practice materials when approaching the exam as the quality of materials can differ drastically from company to company.

Enhanced Score Reports

The other useful data to have on hand when trying to determine the areas in which you need help is the enhanced score report, which is available to order when you take the GMAT.  This report goes beyond the standard official GMAT score report and will, in addition to giving you your scaled Quant and Verbal scores, also break down your correct and incorrect answers by question type.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning Question Types

• Critical Reasoning, which is subdivided into “Analysis/Critique” and “Construction/Plan”
• Reading Comprehension, which is subdivided into “Identify Stated Idea” and “Identify Inferred Idea”
• Sentence Correction, which is subdivided into “Grammar” and “Communication”

GMAT Quantitative Reasoning Question Types

• Problem Solving
• Data Sufficiency
• Arithmetic
• Algebra/Geometry

Fundamental Skills from Quant Categories

• Geometry
• Rates/Ratio/Percent
• Value/Order/Factors
• Algebraic Equalities/Inequalities
• Counting/Sets/Series

If you know from the GMAT score chart above what scaled scores you need to achieve to meet your goal on the 800-point score, and you know from your ESR which question types are holding you back, you have everything you need to create an efficient GMAT study plan where you focus your time on exactly the question types that are holding back your GMAT score.  This is the most efficient way to achieve your target GMAT score so you can move on with the rest of your MBA application.

Preparing for the GMAT

Preparing for the GMAT exam is one of the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of the MBA application.

Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a host of free online GMAT resources to help you prepare for the GMAT.

Our resources include:

• Free GMAT Sample Questions (and solutions!)
• GMAT Study Resources
• Tips on Understanding your GMAT Score
• Information on the best GMAT prep on the market for applicants targeting 700+ scores

Take This With You!

Ctrl + Click on this image for a printable GMAT Score Chart: