GMAT · Guides · October 22, 2026 · 5 min read
What is a good GMAT score? Score range, percentiles and targets for top MBA programmes
GMAT scores run from 205 to 805, and the average is about 555. A score of 655 puts you ahead of roughly 90% of test-takers, and 705 ahead of about 97%. What counts as “good” depends on where you apply: the most selective US programmes report medians of 675–690, ISB around 669–675, and leading European schools around 635–645. A useful target is the median of your top-choice school plus 10–20 points.
The score range
The current GMAT (until 2024 called the GMAT Focus Edition) reports four numbers:
| Score | Range | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 205–805 | 10 points; every total ends in 5 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 60–90 | 1 point |
| Verbal Reasoning | 60–90 | 1 point |
| Data Insights | 60–90 | 1 point |
There is no essay score and no separate Integrated Reasoning score any more. The total ending in 5 is deliberate: it makes new-format scores easy to tell apart from old ones, which ran from 200 to 800 and ended in 0.
GMAT percentiles (August 2026)
GMAC publishes percentiles every year in the third quarter. The current table, released in August 2026, is based on tests taken from July 2021 to June 2026. The percentile is the share of test-takers who scored below you.
| Total score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 805 | 100% |
| 735 | 99.4% |
| 705 | 97.5% |
| 685 | 95.1% |
| 655 | 89.6% |
| 645 | 85.6% |
| 605 | 69.4% |
| 555 | 47.4% |
| 505 | 27.3% |
The mean total score is 554.9, with a standard deviation of 94.2.
Section percentiles for selected scores:
| Section score | Quant | Verbal | Data Insights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 100% | — | — |
| 85 | 87.8% | 92.6% | 98% |
| 80 | 63.9% | 54.4% | 83% |
| 75 | 32.6% | 18.2% | 46% |
| 70 | — | — | 20% |
All three columns are from the August 2026 table (July 2021 – June 2026 data). Notice how unequal the sections are: an 80 in Verbal is barely above average, while an 80 in Data Insights beats more than four in five test-takers. Percentiles, not raw section scores, are what schools compare.
What “good” means for your goal
Medians and averages reported by schools for the current format, as of October 2026. Schools update these every autumn with their class profile, so check the latest figures on each school’s website.
| Goal | Typical median or average | A strong target |
|---|---|---|
| M7 (Harvard 685, Stanford 689, Wharton 676, Kellogg 687, Columbia 690, Chicago Booth 675, MIT Sloan 675) | 675–690 | 695–705+ |
| Rest of the US top 15 | 655–687 | median + 10–20 |
| ISB (India) | 669–675 | 685+ |
| HEC Paris | about 635 | 655+ |
| London Business School | about 645 | 655–665+ |
| Most good MBAs and master’s programmes | — | 605–645 (70th–85th percentile) |
In plain terms:
- 705 and above (97th+ percentile) is excellent anywhere. It will not be the reason you are rejected.
- 655–695 (90th–96th) is competitive for most top-20 programmes.
- 605–645 (70th–85th) is solid for many good schools and for specialised master’s programmes.
- Below 555 is below average; most applicants retake if they are aiming at selective schools.
If you are converting from an old score, a rough guide: 705 corresponds to about 750 on the old scale, 685 to 730–740, 655 to 700–710 and 605 to 650. Old-format scores will gradually disappear as they pass the five-year validity limit.
How the score is calculated
- Three sections, equal weight. Quant, Verbal and Data Insights count equally in the total. GMAC does not publish the formula, so every “score calculator” online is an estimate.
- Adaptive. Each section starts with a question of medium difficulty. Answer correctly and the next question tends to be harder; answer wrongly and it tends to be easier. Your score depends on the difficulty of the questions you answer correctly, not only on how many.
- Unanswered questions cost you. There is a penalty for not finishing a section, so guessing on the last questions is better than leaving them blank.
- Unscored questions. Every section includes a few experimental questions that do not count. You cannot tell which ones they are, so treat every question as real.
- Measurement error. GMAC puts the standard error at about 30–40 points for the total and 3 for a section. A difference of 10–20 points between two attempts can be noise.
The score appears on screen as soon as you finish. The detailed score report with your performance by question type is included in the official score at no extra charge.
GMAT Superscore
Since 12 August 2026, GMAC automatically creates a Superscore: your best Quant, best Verbal and best Data Insights score across all your attempts at the current GMAT, combined into one total. It is free. Schools decide for themselves whether they use the Superscore or your single best attempt, so check each school’s policy. In practice, it makes a retake less risky: a weaker section on a second attempt does not erase a stronger one from the first.
You can take the GMAT up to five times in 12 months, with at least 16 days between attempts, and scores are valid for five years (as of October 2026; check mba.com).
How far above the median should you aim?
A median means half the admitted class scored lower. You do not need to beat it, but a score at or above it removes the test as a question mark in your application. Practical guidelines:
- Aim for the median plus 10–20 points if your academic record or quantitative background is average for the school.
- Aim higher (plus 20–30) if you come from an over-represented group, for example Indian engineers or consultants applying to US programmes, where the competition among similar profiles is strong.
- The median may be enough if your work experience, achievements or background are unusual for the school.
- Watch the sections. A high total with a low Quant can raise doubts about whether you can handle the core courses. Many applicants aim for Quant at or above the 70th–80th percentile.
How to find your current level
Take one of the two free official practice exams before you start preparing. That gives you a baseline and shows which section to work on first. The gap between your baseline and your target decides how long you need: our GMAT preparation plan has 8- and 12-week schedules, and the GMAT difficulty guide explains how hard each step up the scale is. If you are still choosing between tests, see GMAT vs GRE.
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