[2023 Updated] GMAT Scores and Percentiles Explained

The journey to pursuing a graduate management education often starts with a single test, the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). It’s a pivotal step in gaining admission to top business schools around the world. Your GMAT score holds the key to your academic future, but how is it calculated, and what does it mean in the grand scheme of things? Welcome to our in-depth exploration of GMAT scores and percentiles, where we unravel the intricacies of this standardized exam.

In this article, we will address your burning questions about GMAT scores and percentiles, covering a wide range of topics, from the GMAT score distribution to what constitutes a good GMAT score for your future aspirations. Whether you’re preparing for the GMAT or simply seeking a better understanding of this essential component of the business school application process, you’re in the right place.

We’ll delve into the following key areas:

1. GMAT Score Distribution: We’ll start by examining the distribution of GMAT scores to give you a sense of where your score stands among test-takers.
2. How is the GMAT Score Calculated: The GMAT score isn’t just a simple sum of correct answers. We’ll explain the intricacies of the scoring process.
3. Average GMAT Score: Find out what the average GMAT score is and how it can influence your application.
4. GMAT Percentile Scores: Understand what GMAT percentiles are and how they can help you gauge your performance.
5. Total GMAT Score and Percentile: Learn how your total GMAT score relates to the overall percentile.
6. GMAT Quant and Verbal Scores and Percentiles: Explore the nuances of the Quantitative and Verbal sections’ scores and percentiles.
7. GMAT Integrated Reasoning Score and Percentile: Discover the importance of the Integrated Reasoning section and its associated score and percentile.
8. GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment Score and Percentile: Uncover the role of the Analytical Writing Assessment and its impact on your application.
9. What is a Good GMAT Score?: We’ll guide you through what makes a GMAT score “good” and how it varies depending on your target schools and career aspirations.
10. FAQ – GMAT Score and Percentile: We’ll wrap it up by addressing frequently asked questions, helping you gain a comprehensive understanding of GMAT scores and percentiles.

What is the GMAT score distribution?

The GMAT score distribution is based on the scores of all test takers. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the average GMAT score is 582.34. This data is based on a sample size of 282098 test takers taken between Jan 2020 and Dec 2022.

The GMAT score range is from 200 to 800, and a score of 730 or higher is generally considered to be a good score. A score of 700 or above is considered to be a competitive score, while a score of 600 – 700 is considered to be a subpar score for most MBA programs. However, different business schools have different average GMAT scores, so it’s important to check with the specific schools to which you plan to apply.

The GMAT score distribution can be divided into several categories:

• Below average: scores that fall between 200-450
• Average: scores that fall between 450-650
• Above average: scores that fall between 650-730
• High: scores that fall between 730-800

Here’s a breakdown of the GMAT score distribution:

• Approximately 1% of test takers score above 760
• Approximately 13% of test takers score above 700
• Approximately 25% of test takers score between 660 and 700
• Approximately 30% of test takers score between 570 and 660
• Approximately 20% of test takers score between 400 and 570
• Approximately 15% of test takers score below 400

It’s important to note that a GMAT score is just one of many factors that admissions committees consider when reviewing applications. Other factors such as work experience, academic record, letters of recommendation, and essays are also important in the application process.

How is the GMAT score calculated?

The GMAT score is calculated based on a combination of factors, including the number of questions answered correctly, and the difficulty level of the questions. The score is based on a scale of 200-800, with a higher score indicating better performance.

It is important to note that the GMAT is a computer-adaptive test, meaning that the difficulty level of the questions will adjust based on the test taker’s performance. This means that if a test-taker is doing well, the questions will become more difficult, and if they are struggling, the questions will become easier. This makes it difficult to predict a score based on the number of questions answered correctly.

The GMAT is divided into four sections: the Quantitative Reasoning section, the Verbal Reasoning section, the Integrated Reasoning section, and the Analytical Writing Assessment. 

The Quantitative and Verbal sections are each scored on a scale of 6-51 in single-point increments. The Integrated Reasoning section is scored on a scale of 1-8 in single-point increments, and the Analytical Writing Assessment is scored on a scale of 0-6 in half-point increments.

The total GMAT score is calculated on the basis of Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections and converting it to the 200-800 scale.

GMAT Section	Scaled Score
Quantitative score	6-51
Verbal score	6-51
Integrated Reasoning score	1-8
Analytical Writing Assessment score	0-6

What is the average GMAT score?

According to GMAC, these are the average GMAT score based on 282098 people who took the GMAT between January 2020 to December 2022:

• Total average GMAT score – 582.34
• Average GMAT Quant score – 42.07
• Average GMAT Verbal score – 27.8
• Average GMAT IR score – 4.67
• Average GMAT AWA score – 4.42

Whare are GMAT percentile scores?

An individual percentile ranking is provided for each of the five GMAT scores that you read above, showing what percentage of test participants you outperformed. 

A score of 75% indicates that you performed as well as or better than 25% of test takers, while 75% did not perform as well. Percentile scores are adjusted annually based on GMAT score data from the past three years, so while your GMAT score will remain constant over time, your GMAT percentile may fluctuate.

What are the current GMAT scores and percentiles?

GMAT scores and their associated percentile scores in 2023 are as follows:

Total GMAT score and percentile

GMAT score	GMAT percentile
800	99%
790	99%
780	99%
770	99%
760	99%
750	98%
740	97%
730	96%
720	94%
710	90%
700	87%
690	84%
680	80%
670	78%
660	74%
650	70%
640	64%
630	62%
620	58%
610	54%
600	50%

GMAT Quant and Verbal scores and percentiles

GMAT Scaled Score	Quant Percentile Score	Verbal Percentile Score
51	97%	99%
50	87%	99%
49	74%	99%
48	67%	99%
47	59%	99%
46	56%	99%
45	53%	99%
44	47%	98%
43	44%	98%
42	39%	96%
41	37%	94%
40	35%	90%
39	31%	88%
38	29%	84%
37	28%	82%
36	25%	80%
35	22%	75%
34	21%	70%
33	20%	68%
32	17%	65%
31	15%	60%
30	15%	58%
29	13%	55%
28	12%	50%
27	10%	45%
26	10%	42%
25	8%	38%
24	8%	35%
23	7%	31%
22	6%	29%
21	5%	25%
20	5%	22%
19	4%	18%
18	4%	17%
17	3%	14%
16	3%	11%
15	3%	9%
14	3%	8%
13	2%	6%
12	2%	4%
11	1%	3%
10	1%	2%
9	1%	2%
8	1%	1%
7	1%	1%
6	0%	0%

GMAT Integrated Reasoning score and percentile

Integrated Reasoning score	Percentile score
8	90%
7	79%
6	64%
5	48%
4	31%
3	18%
2	8%
1	0%

GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment score and percentile

Analytical Writing Assessment score	Percentile score
6	88%
5.5	81%
5	57%
4.5	47%
4	18%
3.5	12%
3	4%
2.5	3%
0.5 to 2	1%

What is a good GMAT score?

A GMAT score of 760+ is considered an excellent score and a GMAT score of 700 and above is considered a good GMAT score.

However, a good GMAT score is the one that would increase your chances of getting into your target business school. 

So, what is a good GMAT score in 2023? A good GMAT score is the average GMAT score of the class of 2025 of your target business school.

Here are the average GMAT scores of top business schools:

Business School	Average GMAT 2023	Average GMAT 2022	Average GMAT 2021	Average GMAT 2020
Harvard Business School	740	730	730	730
Wharton	728	733	733	722
Stanford GSB	738	737	738	733
Chicago Booth	728	729	732	724
Northwestern Kellogg	731	729	727	727
MIT Sloan	730	730	730	730
Columbia Business School	NA	729	729	726
Dartmouth Tuck	726	726	724	720
UC-Berkeley Haas	733	729	726	727
Yale SOM	720	725	726	720
Duke Fuqua		718	713	702
Michigan Ross	719	720	722	710
NYU Stern	732	733	729	723
Virginia Darden	716	720	715	703
Cornell Johnson	710	710	710	700
CMU Tepper	705	702	691	680
UCLA Anderson	710	711	714	706
USC Marshall	722	732	716	707
UNC Kenan-Flagler	696	706	696	694
Texas-Austin McCombs	704	706	708	704
Washington Foster	710	710	704	692
Indiana Kelley	685	685	679	652
Georgetown McDonough	695	697	705	691
Rice Jones	NA	702	705	689
Vanderbilt Owen	687	690	690	676
Emory Goizueta	709	700	692	683
Georgia Tech Scheller	694	690	682	680

FAQ – GMAT score and percentile