1. mba.com
  2. Exams
  3. GMAT Exam
  4. GMAT Scores and Score Reports
  5. What Your GMAT Percentile Ranking Means

GMAT Logo

What Your GMAT™ Percentile Ranking Means

Score
Mean Score
Percentile
Ranking
    • 800
    • 750
    • 700
    • 650
    • 600
    • 550
    • 500
    • 450
    • 400
    • 350
    • 300
    • 250
    • 200
  • 563.43
    • 99%
    • 98%
    • 88%
    • 73%
    • 55%
    • 38%
    • 26%
    • 16%
    • 10%
    • 5%
    • 3%
    • 1%
    • 0%
739752
117.56
January 2015 – December 2018

GMAT™ scores shine a spotlight on the skills you need to succeed in business school.

Format: The GMAT total score is composed of the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the exam.
What It Measures: The GMAT exam measures the test taker's ability to assess higher-order reasoning skills (verbal, quantitative, analytical writing and integrated reasoning) and has proven validity in predicting success in the first year of graduate management education.
Score Range: Total GMAT Scores range from 200 to 800. Two-thirds of test takers score between 400 and 600.
GMAT Scores also include a Percentile Ranking. This number indicates the percent of test takers that you performed better than. A ranking of 75% means that 25% of test takers performed as well or better than you and 75% did not do as well. Your score will not change, but your Percentile Ranking may change because rankings are recalculated every summer using exam data from the prior three years.
What you should know: You will be able to see your unofficial scores immediately after completing the exam and then have an opportunity to accept or cancel those scores. A self-canceled score will appear as a "C" on future score reports sent to you, but is not included on the Official GMAT Score Report sent to schools. If you accept the scores you will be given a print out of unofficial scores. If you cancel your scores and, then change your mind you will have the opportunity to reinstate those scores.
The Official GMAT Score Report sent to schools includes the following scores from every reportable exam completed in the past five years: Total, Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning, Verbal and Quantitative. It will also include the most recent AWA essay response, and the background information you provided when you created your GMAT profile.

Score
Mean Score
Percentile
Ranking
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
  • 4.41
    • 92%
    • 82%
    • 68%
    • 52%
    • 35%
    • 21%
    • 10%
    • 0%
739752
2.05
January 2015 – December 2018

The Integrated Reasoning section gives you another data point to differentiate yourself from other candidates.

Format: Consists of 12 questions covering four question types to be completed in 30 minutes: Multi-Source Reasoning, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis, and Table Analysis.                            
What It Measures: Scores range from 1-8 in single-digit intervals.
Score Range: Total GMAT™ Scores range from 200 to 800. Two-thirds of test takers score between 400 and 600.
GMAT Scores also include a Percentile Ranking. This number indicates the percent of test takers that you performed better than. A ranking of 75% means that 25% of test takers performed as well or better than you and 75% did not do as well. Your score will not change but your Percentile Ranking may change because rankings are recalculated every summer using exam data from the prior three years.
What you should know: The Integrated Reasoning score is provided as an independent score and is not included in the Total GMAT score.

Score
Mean Score
Percentile
Ranking
    • 51
    • 46
    • 40
    • 35
    • 30
    • 25
    • 20
    • 15
    • 10
  • 27.08
    • 99%
    • 99%
    • 90%
    • 76%
    • 58%
    • 39%
    • 22%
    • 10%
    • 3%
739752
9.18
January 2015 – December 2018

The Verbal section allows you to showcase your verbal abilities.

Format: 36 questions comprised of reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction to be completed in 65 minutes.
What It Measures: The test taker's ability to read and comprehend written materials, reason and evaluate arguments, and correct written material to conform to standard written English.
Score Range: Verbal scores range from 0 to 60. Scores below nine and above 44 for the Verbal section are rare.
GMAT® Scores also include a Percentile Ranking. This number indicates the percent of test takers that you performed better than. A ranking of 75% means that 25% of test takers performed as well or better than you and 75% did not do as well. Your score will not change but your Percentile Ranking may change because rankings are recalculated every summer using exam data from the prior three years.
What you should know: The Verbal score is included as part of the Total GMAT Score.

Score
Mean Score
Percentile
Ranking
    • 51
    • 46
    • 41
    • 36
    • 31
    • 26
    • 21
    • 16
    • 10
  • 40.2
    • 96%
    • 57%
    • 40%
    • 27%
    • 17%
    • 11%
    • 6%
    • 3%
    • 1%
739752
10.35
January 2015 – December 2018

The Quantitative section highlights data analysis and reasoning skills.

Format: Consists of 31 questions on Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving, to be completed in 62 minutes.
What It Measures: The test taker's ability to reason quantitatively, solve quantitative problems, and interpret graphic data. Understand problems involving arithmetic, elementary algebra, and common geometry concepts. Evaluate the amount of information needed to solve quantitative problems.
Score Range: Quantitative scores range from 0 to 60. Scores below 7 and above 50 for the Quantitative section are rare.
GMAT™ Scores also include a Percentile Ranking. This number indicates the percent of test takers that you performed better than. A ranking of 75% means that 25% of test takers performed as well or better than you and 75% did not do as well. Your score will not change but your Percentile Ranking may change because rankings are recalculated every summer using exam data from the prior three years. 
What you should know: The Quantitative score is included as part of the Total GMAT Score.

Score
Mean Score
Percentile
Ranking
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
  • 4.49
    • 88%
    • 53%
    • 17%
    • 4%
    • 2%
    • 1%
    • 0%
500503
1.01
January 2015 – December 2018

The Analytical Writing section consists of one writing task—Analysis of an Argument.

Format: One 30-minute written essay on the analysis of an argument.
What It Measures: The test-taker's ability to formulate an appropriate and constructive critique of a specific conclusion based on a specific line of thinking. A specific knowledge of the essay topic is not necessary as only the capacity to write analytically is assessed.
Score Range: Average scores range from 0 to 6 in half point intervals. AWA scores are computed separately from the scores for the multiple-choice sections of the exam and have no effect on the Integrated Reasoning, Verbal, Quantitative, or Total GMAT™ scores.
GMAT Scores also include a Percentile Ranking. This number indicates the percent of test takers that you performed better than. A ranking of 75% means that 25% of test takers performed as well or better than you and 75% did not do as well. Your score will not change but your Percentile Ranking may change because rankings are recalculated every summer using exam data from the prior three years.
What you should know: The AWA score is an average of two independent ratings.

Back to Top