In this post you will learn
What GMAT percentiles are
How they matter
New GMAT Focus percentiles
What are GMAT percentiles?
Gmat percentiles express your performance in comparison to the pool of all GMAT test takers over the course of three years. For example, if you score 645 on the GMAT, you’re in the 89th percentile bracket:
you performed better than 89 percent of the 700,000+ people who took the GMAT.
Note:
A 645 is equivalent to a 700 on the classic GMAT (discontinued as of 1st Feb 2024), a score based on on a sample size of about 750,000 thousand people.
In other words, a 645 means that you scored better than about 660,000 people. It is an impressive score because the sample is a self-selecting group, as opposed to the SAT for example, of educated professionals.
If you scored 645+ then you’re within the range of top MBA schools.
Remember however that if you do not have an impressive professional experience, or a meaningfully unique background that can clearly set you apart from the other business school applicants, you may have to aim for an even higher score. (Consult with a good MBA admissions consultant to assess whether you need an even higher score).
GMAT score chart – OLD vs. NEW
The GMAT score chart below estimates total GMAT score based on the separate Quant and Verbal scores for the old GMAT. Notice how wide the individual score ranges are for each total GMAT score and that you need a strong performance on both Quant and Verbal to achieve a 99th+ percentile score.
Old GMAT score chart summary
GMAT SCORE CHART – NEW
Is the same true for the new GMAT? The problem is that the total GMAT score for the new version of the exam is based on the scores of the three sections. According to GMAC, all sections are weighted equally. With time, one can expect that at least a strong verbal score will again be the one where a higher return on your score can be expected.
You can see here a summary gmat score chart of the total score and percentiles.
| SCORE | PERCENTILE |
|---|---|
| 805 | 100% |
| 755 | 100% |
| 705 | 99% |
| 655 | 93% |
| 605 | 75% |
| 555 | 53% |
| 505 | 31% |
| 455 | 17% |
| 405 | 8% |
| 355 | 3% |
| 305 | 1% |
| 255 | 0% |
| 205 | 0% |
GMAT percentiles vs raw scores – what matters more?
What matters more your percentile score or your raw score? Generally, percentiles matter more than raw scores for an obvious reason:
What’s the point of achieving a perfect score if everybody can? Performance implies skill in comparison to others.
Why not have just one reference instead of both raw score and percentile score?
The answer is based on the need for a clear measurement and our nature to compare ourselves to others. Imagine I ask you how fast you run a 10 km race and you respond by saying:
I run a 10 km race in the 90th percentile
It’s helpful in that it tells me you’re better than most but doesn’t tell me the ‘measurement’, which in this case is the time. The ‘time’ is equivalent to the raw score.
Why have ‘two’ scores
From a practical perspective, a test first measures the points a student scores(raw) and then compares performance to the pool available (create the percentile ranking based on the results).
Since its inception, the GMAT score conversion tables from raw to percentile rankings change to reflect how the population performs on the test. As more people learn about the GMAT and test prep companies improve, raw scores drift and generally convert to lower percentiles. This is certainly the more so for quantitative percentiles.
This makes sense because on average everyone knows a bit more about the test and hence achieves a ‘better’ measurement. But, more people are achieving that measurement. As more people cross a certain threshold, fewer are left behind, and hence the percentile conversion drops.
Ultimately therefore, what determines your overall score is how many people you beat. This has huge implications on how you prepare for the GMAT and why many fail to make a significant improvement.
Quant raw scores and percentiles
The highest score you can achieve on the Quant section of the GMAT is 51, which is equivalent to 96% score. In other words, there is no 99th Quant percentile in because 4% of the test pool achieve it.
This has changed. After the test transformed to the GMAT focus edition, the quant raw score range has change to 60-90.
But the million dollar question still remains.
Should I worry about achieving a high Quant percentile score?
Beyond the 48 80 Quant raw score on the classic GMAT
In the old GMAT, a quant score of 48 was the 67th percentile, and beyond that any improvement had relatively little return on the over all score. As such, it was best to focus on improving verbal at that point. In the new GMAT, a similar percentile is a score of 80.
Will the score plateau apply to this new raw score? Perhaps, let’s see.
I now hear of some candidates being asked for a minimum quant raw score of 80 by some business schools (last one was applying to INSEAD)
Even though you score better than ‘only’ 67% of the test pool, it is still a good score in general terms because it tells business schools that you can manage the quantitative analysis required in the program.
From a measurement point of view, a raw (also called scaled) score of 48 80 signifies the same ability (and hence measurement) now as many years ago. It’s not easy to score 48 80 but whether that score will be enough depends on your profile and your overall score.
Do you need an incredible Quant score?
I doubt a school will reject your application if you have a 98th percentile overall score on the GMAT with an average quantitative score. This necessarily means that you perform very well on the Verbal and Data Insights sections.
Does one really need to know how to solve the following question to be a business leader? Try it out yourself:
A 90th percentile Quant question
So whether you need that high (80+) Quant score is a question of practicality. Are you better off shooting for a really high Quant or focusing equally on Verbal and Data Insights as well?
If you’ve got 30-minutes to spare, our diagnostic can help you decide:
30 – minute Math Quiz
Generally speak, a comparatively strong performance on the Quantitative, Verbal, and Data Insights sections is better than say a Quant score in the 98th percentile and a mediocre Verbal or Data Insights.
The Quantitative seems a little harder now
I do notice however that the quantitative section of the GMAT has become harder. Many questions are verbally dense and the numbers are awkward to manage. This is expected as the GMAC strives to keep the test challenging and relevant (hence the introduction of the data insights section, which is also very difficult to cheat on – a great indirect security measure).
Why it’s easy to obsess over your Quant percentile score and ignore Verbal
Beyond a 80 raw Quant score (67th percentile) you’re almost rolling the dice because luck begins to play a part, unless your math skills are superior. Instead of obsessing over your Quant, pay equal attention to the Verbal and Data Insights sections.
It is very easy to obsess over the finer details of math, especially because there are clear cut topics to cover. Verbal is easy to ignore because test takers mistakenly believe it’s just an “English” test.
Quant consists of number properties, fractions, percents, statistics etc. and Verbal is just English. I mean what can you do to prepare for it?
Gmat test taker with the wrong idea
Simplified GMAT score chart and law of diminishing returns
According to the GMAC, all three sections of the new gmat (gmat focus) test are weighted equally. This was not the case in the past.
Look at this simplified score chart that shows what Verbal and Quant score pairs required for common old GMAT score goals.
What I used to advise my students during OLD GMAT times
Notice how in the chart above a perfect Quant score and a mediocre Verbal score resulted in a total GMAT score of 630, whereas with a near perfect Verbal score and a mediocre Quant score you could achieve a 700 (equivalent to a 645 now).
My point is that in the old GMAT your return on investment in time studying can be increased if you dedicate at least an equal amount of time for Verbal as Quant.
After all, there were diminishing returns with effort on Quant so instead of obsessing over Quant, I recommended that one pay equal attention to improving the Verbal score.
Whether this remains true now is yet to be determined. Ultimately however you cannot change human nature. As more students take the new GMAT, a focus on quant improvement should result in old phenomena repeating.
In other words, the Verbal may again become the gap that one must focus on to improve as more and more candidates become better prepared for the quantitative section.
Why Verbal gmat percentiles are strange
OLD GMAT verbal percentiles
Observe how the 99th percentile for old Verbal is a 45+ raw score.
Perhaps this is the case because Verbal relies heavily on reading comprehension skill, which is notoriously difficult to improve. Quant is easy enough to create a study plan for because you can have a long checklist of topics to cover. My point is that it’s easier to study for Quant because the obstacles are clear. Verbal just requires a lot of reading comprehension. Kind of vague and hard to do for a long time right?
New GMAT verbal percentiles
New GMAT verbal percentiles also have bigger jumps than in quant.
| SCORE | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 90 | 100% |
| 85 | 96% |
| 80 | 60% |
| 75 | 19% |
| 70 | 4% |
| 65 | 1% |
| 60 | 0% |
Life is about balance. So is the GMAT
You are more likely to arrive at the upper gmat percentile bracket better score if you are very good on both Quant, Verbal, and data insights than you will if one is a lot stronger than the other. Perhaps even you would be better off skewed towards a stronger Verbal than Quant if you must choose between either.
The point is, strive for balance when you create a study plan and try to split study time for either equally.
Also remember that you can hire a tutor. He or she can point you in the right direction and save you time.
Tips to improve GMAT Verbal score
If you don’t have time to watch the video, read the following list very carefully.
- Practice under timed conditions on a regular basis.
- Understand text in your own words.
- Eliminate answer choices using explicit reasoning.
Everything you need for a stellar verbal score follows from the above three points. I promise you.
You only need to add patience. Not knowing whether you’re improving is frustrating, especially when you’re putting in a lot of effort and working under a stressful deadline.
If you have time, watch this video for more details. ( I apologize for the not so great image quality).
OLD GMAT scores over time vs NEW GMAT
Average raw Quant scores and Verbal scores over time
Average Quant and Verbal raw scores were the same in 1970 but changed differently more international students took the GMAT. Quant performance is generally better for international students. Today, almost 48% of test takers are U.S. citizens compared to 66% in 1992.
The chart above is for the old GMAT scores, but once can expect the phenomenon above to repeat over the next few years for the new GMAT.
New GMAT Data insights percentiles
| SCORE | PERCENTILE |
|---|---|
| 90 | 100% |
| 89 | 100% |
| 88 | 99% |
| 87 | 99% |
| 86 | 99% |
| 85 | 99% |
| 84 | 98% |
| 83 | 96% |
| 82 | 94% |
| 81 | 90% |
| 80 | 86% |
| 79 | 79% |
| 78 | 73% |
| 77 | 66% |
| 76 | 58% |
| 75 | 51% |
| 74 | 45% |
| 73 | 39% |
| 72 | 34% |
| 71 | 28% |
| 70 | 24% |
| 69 | 20% |
| 68 | 17% |
| 67 | 14% |
| 66 | 12% |
| 65 | 10% |
| 64 | 8% |
| 63 | 7% |
| 62 | 6% |
| 61 | 5% |
| 60 | 4% |
GMAT score FAQs
No. 99th percentile means that you beat 99% of other test taker. Any change in the test is experienced by the same pool.
To date this is the 89th percentile.
To date this is the 72nd percentile.
The GMAC periodically updates the raw to percentile rankings of both total scores and Quant and Verbal scores but the numbers don’t change much.
87 or more.
No. It is the 100th percentile for now.
805 in the new GMAT. 800 in the old GMAT
This is relative. A good gmat score should be comparable to the average gmat score of the school you apply to.