What is a good GMAT score?
A good GMAT score is one at or above the average of the programs you apply to. On today's 205 to 805 scale, a 645 beats about 86 percent of test takers and a 655 about 90 percent, so many applicants treat 645 and up as a strong score. A 605 sits near the 70th percentile, and the middle of the field is around 555 to 565 (GMAC, July 2021 to June 2026).
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In more detail
The total score runs from 205 to 805, and every score ends in 5. It is built from three sections, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights, each scored from 60 to 90 and weighted equally. This scale came with the GMAT Focus Edition, which GMAC simply calls the GMAT again since July 2024. Because the old exam ran from 200 to 800, GMAC says you should compare scores only through percentiles. On that basis a 645 today sits where a 700 used to.
Percentiles shift a little every year, since GMAC updates them each summer from the last few years of test takers. The best target is still the average or median GMAT that your programs publish in their class profiles. A score below a school's average is not an automatic no: GMAC reports that Kellogg has admitted students with scores as low as 515, around the 32nd percentile. Your work experience, GPA, essays and interview count too.
Schools see your section scores as well as the total, so a very uneven profile can stand out. You can take the GMAT up to five times in a rolling 12-month period, scores stay valid for five years, and you can send your score to five schools for free once you have seen it.
GMAT total score percentiles (GMAC, July 2021 to June 2026)
| Total score | Percentile | Old scale (200 to 800) |
|---|---|---|
| 735 | 99.4 | 760 to 770 |
| 705 | 97.5 | 750 |
| 685 | 95.1 | 730 to 740 |
| 675 | 94.0 | 720 to 730 |
| 655 | 89.6 | 700 to 710 |
| 645 | 85.6 | 690 to 700 |
| 625 | 78.2 | 680 |
| 605 | 69.4 | 650 |
| 585 | 59.9 | 620 to 640 |
| 565 | 50.4 | 600 to 610 |
| 515 | 31.6 | 530 to 550 |
Step by step
- 1
List 5 to 10 programs and note the average or median GMAT score in each class profile.
- 2
Take an official practice test under real timing to get your starting score.
- 3
Set your target at or a little above the averages of your programs.
- 4
Look at your three section scores and find the biggest gap.
- 5
Build your prep around the question types behind that gap, then retest.
- 6
Retake if you fall short: you have up to five attempts in any 12 months.
How StudyPDF helps
Upload your GMAT prep book, notes or practice question sets, and StudyPDF builds quizzes and timed practice exams in three sections from them. It tracks each concept you miss and builds the next quiz from those gaps, which is how you move a section score one weak question type at a time. Set your test date in the Plan tab for dated sessions. The free plan covers about 4 materials a week, no card needed.
Sources
See also
- AnswerWhat is a good GRE score?
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- AnswerHow long is the GMAT?
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- AnswerHow hard is the GMAT?
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- AnswerHow many times can you take the GMAT?
- StudyPDFAI Practice Exams
More questions
Is 645 a good GMAT score?
Yes, for most programs. A 645 beats about 86 percent of test takers and matches roughly a 690 to 700 on the old 200 to 800 scale. Whether it is good for you depends on the averages of the schools you apply to.
What is the average GMAT score?
In GMAC's percentile table, the middle of the field sits around 555 to 565: a 555 is at the 47.4th percentile and a 565 at the 50.4th (test takers from July 2021 to June 2026).
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