Getting an admission in a college of our choice is not as easy as it sounds, especially if we have no knowledge of what are the prerequisites, especially the scoring system. This is an attempt to help you get a basic idea of what is considered a safe score in GMAT for Top MBA colleges. Gradually, we will also look into the GMAT Focus scoring system.
What is considered a safe score?
If we need to get into a college, they would have certain criteria. One of the major criteria is a good GMAT score. Let us first understand the difference between a good GMAT score and a safe GMAT score. A good score is based on our reasoning level, our expectations from our preparation, our prediction based on our potential, etc. Whereas a safe GMAT score is also based on how others who are competing for admission into the same institution have scored. If I consider 655 a good score, and most of the students who have applied for the same B school have also got a similar score, then more 655 is considered a safe score for that B school. So, if your score is making you stand out of the crowd, your score is safe.
Now, let us take a quick look at the score ranges based on the GMAT Focus scoring system that are considered safe depending on where you prefer to apply/study.
For Top Global MBA programs, the safe score ranges between 705 to 735+
For Top 10 to 20 Global schools, the safe score ranges between 675 to 705
For Top 20 to 50 schools, the safe score ranges between 645 to 675
Again, even with a high score, one would still need:
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Strong work experience
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Solid essays & recommendations
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Good interview performance
To simplify it, aim for 705+ if you want to get into the top 5 schools; aim for 675+ in case of top 15. Simultaneously work on your overall profile.
GMAT Focus Structure:
Before understanding the GMAT Focus Scoring System, let us first understand the structure of the GMAT Focus exam. This is a timed exam where the test-taker will be given 2 hours and 15 minutes to work on 3 sections, namely: GMAT Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Data Insights. These sections will have 23 questions, 21 questions, and 20 questions respectively. All the questions in all the 3 sections are adaptive.
GMAT Focus Scoring system:
Let us understand how scoring is done in GMAT Focus based on the GMAT Focus scoring system.
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Each of the 3 sections will get a sectional sc
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ore between 60 to 90 points with a 1 point increment.
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The total GMAT score ranges between 205 to 805 with a 10 points increment.
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There is no negative marking in GMAT Focus. So, if you make a mistake in any question, what has already been scored will not get affected.
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But, there is a score penalty if you leave any question unattempted. So, you have to attempt all the questions.
To elaborate this further, if you are good at managing time you may attempt all the questions within the given 45 mins per section. But, if you have a problem managing time, the chances are quite high to leave the last few questions of a section unattempted, and that will affect your score worse than wrong guess.
A few common myths about scoring in GMAT:
Here are a few common myths that students come with while they prepare for GMAT.
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Myth: Starting with a specific section will have an advantage in scoring.
Fact: The scores are based on the difficulty level of the questions answered. It is not just based on the raw score or based on the specific section that one starts with.
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Myth: The first set of questions determine the entire score.
Fact: Every single question matters, not just the first few. The algorithm considers many parameters and does not give special weightage to the first set of questions alone.
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Myth: Easy questions mean your performance is poor.
Fact: Even when you get high scores, you may encounter easy questions.
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Myth: You need 100% accuracy to receive a top score.
Fact: As already mentioned above, the score is not just based on the raw number of correct answers. It is also based on the difficulty level of the questions that one attempts. You can miss questions and still get a top score. One of my own students who got a 100th percentile in Verbal Reasoning, had made a mistake in one of the Reading Comprehension questions. Here is a strong GMAT score improvement strategy.
Primary factors impacting GMAT Focus scores:
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Leaving questions unanswered can have a severe penalty. So, it is better to do an educated guess if you are running out of time, instead of leaving any question unattempted.
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Since GMAT is adaptive, missing questions at the end would suggest to the algorithm that your time management is poor. Even if your accuracy is extremely good in the attempted questions, leaving some questions unanswered at the end can significantly undermine your potential for a high score.
So practicing well before the exam considering time management and speed, along with accuracy is essential to score well in GMAT Focus. This makes sure that you manage your time effectively without compromising your accuracy.
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f you want to know more about the GMAT exam, syllabus, GMAT preparation and exam dates etc, then read all GMAT FAQs here.
Now that we discussed the important points that you need to know about the GMAT Focus scoring system, I hope your understanding of the GMAT Focus scoring system has gotten better. Keep in mind the points mentioned above and work on your progress. Practice enough questions and take enough mock tests before the exam so that you don’t get anxious about the timer that is running on your screen. Get used to the timer on the screen and group 4 to 5 questions together while attempting to manage time well. Work hard and get a very good score in GMAT. All the best.
