You'll receive four GMAT scores:

The test is graded on a preset curve so that your scaled score will correspond to a certain percentile. An overall score of 630, for example, corresponds approximately to the 90th percentile, meaning that 90 percent of test takers scored at or below this level.

Sample approximate percentiles within the score range of 200-800. Percentiles may vary from year to year.

The average * GMAT score at Harvard is 707.

Those six-figure starting salaries have had an impact on MBA admissions... everyone wants one. In the early nineties the average GMAT score of accepted students at New York University (Stern) Business School was 610. By 2000 the average GMAT test score had jumped 76 points to 686. Getting a high score on the GMAT is crucial because the business schools are getting flooded with applicants. Expect around a 690 average score for the top-ten business schools in 2004-2005.

That 690 figure is deceptive because that average includes many students who were accepted for favorable traits (diversity, unusual accomplishment or success, etc.) that allow them to gain acceptance with a lower score. If you have none of these types of traits, you probably need to break 720 (that's over the 99th percentile) to have a good chance at a top-ten school.

Average GMAT scores of major MBA programs (2003)

In times of great uncertainty, such as war or recessions, applications to graduate schools tend to increase as students seek security and wait out a weak job market. This is one factor contributing to the highly competitive b-school environment and high average GMAT scores at the top schools.

Continue to How the GMAT CAT Works (page 3 of 5 in Chapter 1)

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