If you are planning to pursue higher education in economics, business, or marketing, you must have encountered the GMAT. It is a standardised exam for admission into business schools that assesses a candidate’s logic and reasoning abilities. The score gives the admission committee an idea of how the candidate is likely to perform in the first year of his course. GMAT score might not be asked in every institution, but it can help you stand out among a long list of candidates.

Let’s Recapitulate What is the GMAT Exam?

It stands for the Graduate Management Admission Test, conducted globally by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Admission to many business schools is based on GMAT exam scores. As per Forbes, more than 2,400 institutions around the world use GMAT scores as important criteria for their admission process. It is a web-based exam that lasts three hours and covers four components: analytical writing assessment, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning (Math), and verbal reasoning.

How to Calculate a GMAT Score?

GMAT focus edition scores range between 205 and 805. The candidates will receive five scores, one for each of the four sections and a total score. As per the traditional GMAT scores, the range was different; the total score included the verbal and quantitative reasoning section. There are no passing marks criteria for the GMAT; business schools require minimum GMAT scores. With the new scoring system, that is, GMAT Focus Edition, all the exam sections equally contribute to the total score ranging between 60 to 90 and impact the overall percentile.
According to the old GMAT scoring system, the analytical writing assessment had integrated reasoning components scoring between 0 and 6 and 0 to 8. Verbal reasoning and quantitative aptitude scores ranged between 6 and 51. Ultimately, total scores ranged between 200 and 800.

GMAT Score Chart and Percentile Ranking

You must know how to calculate your percentile score to analyse your exam performance. Many online calculators are available, where you simply enter your score, and they will give you your percentile score. You can use the one provided by Target Test Prep to calculate your scores and percentile.

Here is the GMAT focus total score percentile chart provided by GMAC:

As there is a difference between GMAT Focus Edition and GMAT Exam total scores, it is appropriate to compare the percentile ranking. The concordance table given below highlights the disruptions between the two versions:

What Affects GMAT Score?

Apart from your preparation, there are several factors which affect the final GMAT score. Let’s see some of them:

• The number of correctly answered questions.
• Total number of questions you have answered. There is a time limit to attempt each section which you must use efficiently. You cannot afford to get stuck on one unsolved question for long.
• Lastly, the difficulty of the paper affects the overall percentile change of all the appearing candidates.

GMAT Preparation Tips

• When creating your study plan, setting clear short-term and long-term goals is crucial. These goals should be based on the topics and areas you wish to prioritise and those that require less preparation time. This will help you stay focused and motivated throughout your study journey. Surf the internet and find credible online study resources. Do not choose any popular material in the market; instead, find one that is more understandable and suits your level.
• Don't avoid allocating more time to the areas or subjects you consider your weaknesses. By doing so, you're not only addressing your challenges but also building your confidence and preparedness.Remember not to go overboard, which may affect your preparation in other areas. Use the elimination trick and move on from the problem taking longer. Time management is very important here.
• Practice makes a man perfect. Yes, that's true! Take out the previous year's question paper or join a mock test series to record your performance.
• You can also practice your exams at home by creating real exam-like conditions. Try avoiding calculators in practice exams.

Wrapping Up

By now you must have understood that your GMAT focus total score is not determined by your performance in all the sections equally. Although there are many online GMAT percentile calculators, the credible and accurate ones are those which use official GMAT focus data.