What is a good GMAT score is one of the most frequent questions asked by test-takers. Ideally, a good GMAT score is between 710 and 740 and a score of 740+ is an excellent score. The answer, however, needs to be estimated by each individual based on certain criteria. Do not take a single score as your ideal GMAT score because everyone’s target school, scholarship needs, and profile are different. Find out the GMAT score you need based on the simple steps given in the article.
How Is GMAT Marked?
GMAT has four sections: quantitative, verbal, integrated reasoning, and analytical writing assessment. However, only the scores of the quant and verbal sections are considered for the total GMAT score. It is vital to understand your GMAT percentile ranking which enables you to figure out how you performed on the exam vis-a-vis other test-takers. See the table below to view how scores convert to percentiles:
| GMAT Total Score | GMAT Percentile Ranking |
|---|---|
| 760-800 | 99% |
| 750 | 98% |
| 740 | 97% |
| 730 | 96% |
| 720 | 94% |
| 710 | 91% |
| 700 | 88% |
| 690 | 85% |
| 680 | 82% |
| 670 | 80% |
| 660 | 77% |
| 650 | 73% |
| 640 | 67% |
| 630 | 65% |
| 620 | 62% |
| 610 | 58% |
| 600 | 54% |
| Verbal Score | Verbal Percentile Ranking | Quant Score | Quant Percentile Ranking | IR Score | IR Percentile Ranking | AWA Score | AWA Percentile Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 99% | 51 | 97% | 8 | 90% | 6 | 88% |
| 50 | 99% | 50 | 87% | 7 | 79% | 5.5 | 81% |
| 49 | 99% | 49 | 74% | 6 | 64% | 5 | 57% |
| 48 | 99% | 48 | 67% | 5 | 48% | 4.5 | 47% |
| 47 | 99% | 47 | 59% | 4 | 31% | 4 | 18% |
| 46 | 99% | 46 | 56% | 3 | 18% | 3.5 | 12% |
| 45 | 99% | 45 | 53% | 2 | 8% | 3 | 4% |
| 44 | 98% | 44 | 47% | 1 | 0% | 2.5 | 3% |
| 42 | 96% | 43 | 44% | 2 | 1% | ||
| 41 | 94% | 42 | 39% | 1.5 | 1% | ||
| 40 | 90% | 41 | 37% | 1 | 1% | ||
| 39 | 88% | 40 | 35% | 0 | 0% | ||
| 38 | 84% | 39 | 31% | ||||
| 37 | 82% | 38 | 29% | ||||
| 36 | 80% | 37 | 28% | ||||
| 35 | 75% | 36 | 25% | ||||
| 34 | 70% | 35 | 22% | ||||
| 33 | 68% | 34 | 21% | ||||
| 32 | 65% | 33 | 20% | ||||
| 31 | 60% | 32 | 17% | ||||
| 30 | 58% | 31 | 15% | ||||
| 29 | 55% | 30 | 15% | ||||
| 28 | 50% | 29 | 13% | ||||
| 27 | 45% | 28 | 12% | ||||
| 26 | 42% | 27 | 10% | ||||
| 25 | 38% | 26 | 10% | ||||
| 24 | 35% | 25 | 8% | ||||
| 23 | 31% | 24 | 8% | ||||
| 22 | 29% | 23 | 7% | ||||
| 21 | 25% | 22 | 6% | ||||
| 20 | 22% | 21 | 5% | ||||
| 19 | 18% | 20 | 5% | ||||
| 18 | 17% | 19 | 4% | ||||
| 17 | 14% | 18 | 4% | ||||
| 16 | 11% | 17 | 3% | ||||
| 15 | 9% | 16 | 3% | ||||
| 14 | 8% | 14 | 3% | ||||
| 13 | 6% | 13 | 2% | ||||
| 12 | 4% | 12 | 2% | ||||
| 11 | 3% | 11 | 1% | ||||
| 10 | 2% | 10 | 1% | ||||
| 9 | 1% | 9 | 1% | ||||
| 8 | 1% | 8 | 1% | ||||
| 7 | 1% | 7 | 1% |
How Long is GMAT Score Valid for?
The GMAT score is valid for 5 years. Please note that your GMAT score must be valid up through the start of your MBA. Thus, to apply for admission in the Fall of 2025, GMAT scores must be dated January 1, 2020, or more recently.
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Why Is A Good GMAT Score Important?
There are many reasons why it is important to achieve an impressive GMAT score:
- Admission to a premium B-School: Great GMAT scores are indispensable for enrolling in a reputed university, which in turn guarantees higher remuneration, better growth opportunities, and a strong network.
- Securing scholarships: As an international student, scholarships are essential for financing your studies but with increasing competition, it has become important to score 750+ to maximize your chances of winning a scholarship.
- For future employers: employers value your GMAT score and view them as an indicator of your quantitative skills, ability to analyze massive data quickly, and general academic distinction.
What Is A Good GMAT Score?
Opinions vary on what truly is a good score on the GMAT. Is it fixed or does it vary based on the professional profile, country, and age? Is a good score the end all and be all for your selection at a prestigious university or are there other ingredients impacting your admission too? These questions are important to be kept in mind while ascertaining what truly categorizes a good score.
The GMAT average score for the top 50 MBA schools in the US during 2021 was 703 and in Europe 676. The top MBA programs in Canada accept scores between 520 and 780 while Australian universities look for scores ranging from 600 to 695. However, the ideal GMAT score needed for Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and other premium business schools is above 740+.
If there is no single score that is designated as the best, how does one calculate the score they need to secure admission into their dream B-school? Given below are 4 simple steps.
740+ in GMAT is the first step in the journey of getting into M7 B-Schools
How To Calculate The GMAT Score You Need
Step 1: Determine your target business school
List your top 5 target schools and observe the average score of last year’s class for all of them. Target at least 20 points higher than that score. In general, a score of 730+ will strengthen your chances to get into the M7 colleges, which in turn ensure greater ROI.
Step 2: Determine your financial needs
Scholarships vary by college and region but every financial grant places a huge emphasis on your GPA and GMAT scores. If your hopes of completing an MBA rest on scholarships, then the bar for your target GMAT exam score needs to be higher to establish your academic excellence.
Step 3: Bear in mind your background
It is important to note that the chances of your admission to your dream school rest upon the level of competition in your candidate pool. Thus, if you belong to an extremely competitive applicant pool such as an Indian, male engineer, consultant, or employee of a PE firm, a good GMAT score for you would be much higher than someone from a niche background.
Considering that business schools aim for a diverse class of students, GMAT scores end up becoming an important filter. Bear in mind that your background (your pre-MBA industry, nationality, gender, age, and GPA) all go into the bar that would be set for you by the admission committee. For example, the average GMAT for admitted private equity professionals may be 15-20 points higher than an MBA program’s overall average. On the other hand, the GMAT score bar is lowered for certain minorities and underrepresented groups.
Step 4: Assess yourself
It is great to aim high, but one needs to be realistic about their starting point. Assess your competence in the verbal and quant section through diagnostic tests to estimate where you stand as of this present moment. Establishing a baseline score and knowing the deadline for your school will help you determine the scope of improvement that is possible. For example, the chances of improving over 300 points in less than 2 months are rare.
Now that you know what would be a good GMAT score for you, believe that you can achieve your dream score or more with the correct guidance that offers personalized study plans (learn how to make a personalized study plan), handpicked content, mock analysis, and has developed strategies and hacks to ace the exam.
At Enzo, we are proud to have a record of helping students achieve a hike of 200-300 points within 2 months and ensuring that all their students reach their target score.
Why compromise on your dreams? Sign up today and book your demo session with our expert faculty!
