GMAT Scoring

GMAT Scoring

A GMAT score is made up of several different numbers, each of which covers a part of your performance on the GMAT.

The most familiar number is the overall, or composite, score. This number ranges from 200 to 800 in 10-point increments and is determined from a combination of your scores on the Quantitative and Verbal Sections of the test. Business schools tend to focus on your composite score.

Your Verbal and Quantitative Sections are graded separately. You will receive a score ranging from 0 to 60 for each section. Scores below 10 and above 50 are rare.

Your Analytic Writing Assessment (AWA) essays are graded on a scale of 0 to 6. There are 2 essays, each evaluated by 2 readers (one human and one computer). ETS averages the 4 scores, and rounds to the nearest half point. Your AWA score does not count toward your composite score.

Your GMAT score remains valid for five years. If you have taken the GMAT several times, GMAC will report all scores from the past five years.

YOUR GMAT SCORE:
It's sad, but it's true: your GMAT score is probably the most important factor in determining whether you will be admitted to a top business school. I want to clarify that statement, though, so you won't misunderstand me.

Most applicants believe there is a significant difference between a 680 and a 720 on the GMAT. There isn't. The extra 40 points won't help your chances of being admitted. That's why I'm frustrated when I hear from people who score 680 and insist on retaking the exam. They would be better served by burning their GMAT-prep books and turning their attention to the application essays (the next step in the process).

What About the Essay Score on the GMAT?

You will have to write two essays on the GMAT (the "Analytical Writing Section"). They will be scored on a scale of 1 to 6, and those points will not be added to your other GMAT score.

The essays are extremely simple. I teach my students a basic template to follow and they seem to do very well with it. They regularly score perfect 6's (the 99th percentile) just by following the template.

It's been my experience, though, that your essay score is pretty much worthless, so I spend very little time on it in class. A few years ago I asked the admissions director of a Top-5 school what she was doing with the essay scores. She laughed at me and said she wasn't really using them (though that isn't what her brochures say).

I have to agree with her. The GMAT essays are ridiculous. Given how well some students have done by just following a formula, the scores seem pretty meaningless. And now the essays are being graded by computer, making them even more worthless. So don't spend a lot of time studying for the AWA essays, and don't put too much emphasis on your essay score. I can assure you the admissions committee won't.

Should I Take a GMAT-Prep Course?

If you hope to go to a top school, you'd be crazy not to prepare for the GMAT. Being admitted to Kellogg or Columbia or a similar school is well worth the time and money invested in a good prep course.

I don't want to steer you toward one company over another, but I would suggest that you take the longest, most comprehensive course available in your area. And look for a good instructor. A good teacher can reveal subtleties about the test that aren't written into any book, and just having the structure of a class will force you to work harder than you would if you chose to study on your own.



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