How to Interpret a GMAT Score
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a required test for entry into most MBA programs. The test measures quantitative, language and writing abilities. Because the test measures a student's potential success in a graduate program, many schools specify a minimum score requirement. To interpret your GMAT score, which ranges from 200 to 800, you must carefully read the test report, which separates the scores for the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing assessment.
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Instructions
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Open the GMAT Score Report, which you should receive several weeks after you take the test. For individuals who take the GMAT on a computer, an unofficial result for the verbal and quantitative multiple-choice sections, in addition to a total score, might be immediately available. A testing official will print this score for you and you can take it with you.
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Locate your verbal and quantitative scores on the testing report. They will be appropriately labeled and accompanied by a number from 0 to 60. According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council, a verbal score below 9 or above 44 is rare. Similarly, a quantitative score below 7 or above 50 is also rare. Only the verbal and quantitative scores contribute to the total GMAT score. The test score is scaled, and the score is generated based on an algorithm that takes several factors into consideration: the number of questions answered correctly within the time limit, the total number of questions answered correctly, and statistical characteristics, such as level of difficulty, for the correctly answered questions.
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Locate your score for the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section of the GMAT. You will see a score between 0 and 6, and it might include half points. The AWA does not factor into the total GMAT score, but admissions committees will see the writing score, and they might take your score into consideration when deciding whether to admit you to their MBA program. A higher number indicates a higher level of analytical and argumentative writing proficiency.
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Find a percentile table for the GMAT scores (see Resources). Once you have your score report, you see approximately into what percentile your score falls. For example, if you scored a 650, your score would be in the 79th percentile of total GMAT test scores that year. And if you scored a 5.5 on your AWA section, your score would fall into the 77th percentile, which means you scored at the same level or higher than 77 percent of test takers.
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References
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