Nature of the Test

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is sponsored and directed by the
Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), an international organization of 138
graduate schools of management. Educational Testing Service (ETS) develops the test.
Your GMAT scores are intended to assist you, academic counselors, and admissions
officers in predicting your academic performance in the first year of graduate manage-
ment school. GMAT scores are used by about 1,700 graduate management programs
throughout the world, and more than 1,000 of these programs require GMAT scores from
each applicant.
The GMAT measures general verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills that are
developed over a long period of time and are associated with success in the first year of
study at graduate schools of management. The verbal section of the test measures the
ability to understand and evaluate what is read and the ability to recognize basic conven-
tions of standard written English. The quantitative section tests basic mathematical skills
and understanding of elementary concepts as well as the ability to reason quantitatively.
The analytical writing sections of the test measure the ability to think critically and com-
municate complex ideas through writing. The GMAT does not measure achievement in
such specific fields as economics and accounting.
Your Score Report
The GMAT yields four scores: verbal, quantitative, total, and analytical writing. Unofficial
scores from the verbal and quantitative multiple-choice sections, and the total score, are
available immediately after you complete the test. Official GMAT score reports, which in-
clude the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) score, are mailed to examinees and desig-
nated score report recipients approximately two weeks after the test.
You can use this guide to interpret the unofficial multiple-choice scores you received
at the test center or the official scores sent from ETS by mail.
Verbal, Quantitative, and Total Scores. The verbal and quantitative scores range
from 0 to 60, although scores below 9 and above 44 on the verbal measure or below 7
and above 50 on the quantitative measure are rare. Both scores are on a fixed scale; thus
scores obtained at any GMAT test administration can be compared. The verbal and
quantitative scores measure different constructs and are not comparable to each other.
Total scores range from 200 to 800.
Analytical Writing Score. The single number that constitutes the AWA score is an
average of the ratings given to both writing tasks, which are themselves averaged scores.
Each response is given two independent ratings. If the two ratings are either identical or
within one point of each other on the rating scale, they are averaged. For instance, if a
response receives two ratings of 5, the score is obviously 5. If a response receives one
rating of 5 and a second rating of 6, the score is 5.5.
If the two ratings for a response differ by more than one point (for instance, ratings of
3 and 5), the ratings are called discrepant, and another evaluation is required. If the
discrepant ratings are 3 and 5 and the third rater assigns a rating of 4, the average (4) is
used. However, if the third rater assigns a rating of 5, the low score of 3 is discarded, and
the final score assigned is 5. Because of ongoing training and monitoring, discrepant
ratings are rare.
Once both essays have been scored, the scores are averaged to provide an overall
AWA score. A test taker who received a score of 5 on the analysis of an issue essay
and a score of 4 on the analysis of an argument essay would, for example, have a total
AWA score of 4.5.
The same AWA score can result from various combinations of ratings. For example, an
overall score of 4.5 (rounded to the nearest half-point interval) would be assigned to a test
taker with ratings of 5 and 6 on the first topic and 3 and 3 on the second topic, as well as
to a test taker with ratings of 5 and 5 on the first topic and 4 and 4 on the second topic.
Percentages (%) Below. In addition to the scaled score, your score report contains
percentages (%) below. The percentage below indicates the percentage of examinees
who scored below you based on the scores of the entire GMAT testing population for the
most recent three-year period. The percentages below are important in considering how
an applicant for admission to a particular management school compares with everyone
tested in a specified period. Tables 1, 2, and 3 provide information for the most recent
three-year testing period. The percentages below may change from year to year, and score
reports will incorporate the most current data available.
Special Notations on Your Report. A score imprinted with Delayed or Absent may
indicate that there is a delay in the score reporting process. People who registered for but
did not take the test should interpret this message as confirming their absence. People
who took the test should interpret it as scores delayed. Score delays may result from
such problems as late receipt at ETS of the record of responses, examinee errors, or im-
pending security investigations. A score report marked Delayed or Absent should not
affect application files at graduate schools.
Copyright 2003 by the Graduate Management Admission Council. All rights reserved. GMAT, Graduate Management Admission Test, and Graduate Management Admission Council are
registered trademarks of the Graduate Management Admission Council. Educational Testing Service, ETS, and the ETS logos are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service.

Examinee Score Interpretation Guide

Effective October 1, 2003
SM
6.0 97
5.5 90
5.0 78
4.5 60
4.0 39
3.5 21
3.0 10
2.5 4
2.0 2
0.5-1.5 1
0.0 0
500 38
490 35
480 32
470 29
460 25
450 23
440 21
430 18
420 16
410 14
400 13
390 11
380 10
370 8
360 7
350 6
340 5
330 4
320 3
310 3
300 2
290 2
280 2
740 98
730 97
720 97
710 95
700 93
690 92
680 90
670 89
660 87
650 85
640 81
630 79
620 77
610 74
600 70
590 67
580 64
570 61
560 57
550 54
540 51
530 46
520 44
510 41
Table 2
Percentages of Examinees Tested From
January 2000 Through December 2002
(Including Repeaters) Who Scored Below
Specified Total Scores
Number of Examinees 676,604
Mean 528
Standard Deviation 112
45-60 99
44 98
43 98
42 96
41 94
40 91
39 89
38 86
37 84
36 81
35 77
34 72
33 70
32 67
31 62
30 60
29 57
28 52
27 46
26 44
25 39
24 36
23 31
22 29
21 25
20 21
19 17
18 15
17 12
16 10
15 7
14 6
13 4
12 3
11 2
10 1
9 1
0-8 0
51-60 99
50 95
49 90
48 86
47 82
46 80
45 78
44 73
43 71
42 66
41 64
40 62
39 57
38 55
37 52
36 48
35 43
34 41
33 39
32 35
31 31
30 29
29 25
28 24
27 20
26 18
25 15
24 14
23 12
22 10
21 9
20 8
19 7
18 6
17 4
16 4
15 4
14 3
13 2
12 2
7-11 1
0-6 0
Table 1
Percentages of Examinees Tested From
January 2000 Through December 2002
(Including Repeaters) Who Scored Below
Specified Verbal and Quantitative Scores
Scaled Score
Percentage
Below
Verbal
Percentage
Below
Quantitative
No. of Examinees 676,604
Mean 27
Standard Deviation 9
No. of Examinees 676,604
Mean 35
Standard Deviation 10
Total
Scaled Score
Percentage
Below
Total
Scaled Score
Percentage
Below
Scaled Score
750-800 99
240-270 1
200-230 0
Table 3
Percentages of Examinees Tested From
January 2000 Through December 2002
(Including Repeaters) Who Scored Below
Specified AWA Scores
Number of Examinees 674,899*
Mean 4.0
Standard Deviation 1.0
*Not all examinees received essay scores during this
time period.
6.0 97
5.5 90
5.0 78
4.5 60
4.0 39
3.5 21
3.0 10
2.5 4
2.0 2
0.5-1.5 1
0.0 0
AWA Score Percentage Below
Score Report for Graduate Management Programs
If, when you took the test, you designated graduate management programs to receive
your scores, the schools will receive similar reports of your scores. In addition to your
GMAT verbal, quantitative, total, and analytical writing scores and percentages below, a
schools report may contain copies of your essays. Results from your three most recent
test administrations within the last five years are reported to the schools, including test
administrations for which scores are not available because of absences or other
circumstances. The names of institutions that you have selected to receive your scores are
not reported to other institutions.
If you did not designate recipients for your score reports or want to send your scores
to more schools, you can do so by requesting the additional score reporting service.
Additional Score Reporting Service
If you want your scores sent to institutions you did not designate when you tested, you
may request the additional score reporting service. Score reports will be mailed within
two weeks after receipt of your request at ETS, and you will receive an examinee copy.
You will be charged a fee for each additional score report requested.
To order, call Customer Service at 1-609-771-7330 (credit card required). You may
also complete an Additional Score Report Request Form and mail or fax it with the
appropriate fee or VISA, MasterCard, or American Express information to the address
given on the form. You can download this form from the Web site at www.mba.com or
use the form located in the center of the GMAT Information Bulletin. If you do not include
the correct fee or credit card information, your request will be returned to you.
If you have taken the GMAT more than once, your scores from the latest test date
and from the two most recent tests taken within the last five yearswill be reported. Only
scores from the three most recent test dates within the last five years will be reported on
the additional score report.
Because scores that are more than five years old present special interpretation
problems, many institutions will not accept them. At your request, the GMAT program
will release scores for tests taken between October 1983 and June 1998 but will send with
the score report a statement indicating the special nature of the scores. You could be
required by some institutions to take the GMAT again and supply more current scores.
GMAT scores more than 20 years old cannot be reported because all records older than
20 years are destroyed.
Reliability and the Error of Measurement
It is important to know that test scores are not precise measures. The scores actually
obtained on any given occasion are an approximation of your true performance, and
persons who take the GMAT more than once will probably not receive the same scores
each time. It is not possible, of course, to determine whether the scores people actually
earn are higher or lower than their true performance. One advantage of objective tests,
such as the GMAT, is that the chance variation can be estimated statistically and taken
into account by those who use scores. A value known as the standard error of measure-
ment reflects the potential variation in obtained scores. For recent administrations of the
GMAT, the standard error of measurement for the total score is about 28 points. This
means that chances are about two out of three that the reported GMAT total score is
within 28 points above or below a score reflecting the true performance. For verbal and
quantitative scores, the standard errors of measurement are about 2.8 points.
Reliability indicates the degree to which individuals would keep the same relative
standing if they were to take the test more than once. For recent administrations of the
test, average reliability for the GMAT total score is 0.93 (perfect reliability is 1.00).
Average reliability is 0.90 for the verbal score and 0.91 for the quantitative score.
Validity of the Scores
The validity of graduate admission test scores can be described as the degree to which
the scores relate to, or predict, a measure of performance in the graduate program itself.
The predictive validity of GMAT scores has been estimated by examining their relation-
ship to first-year grades in graduate management programs. Since 1978, the Graduate
Management Admission Council has conducted many studies of the validity of GMAT
scores and other preadmission measures through its Validity Study Service. In all the
studies, GMAT scores, undergraduate grade point averages, and average grades for the
first year of graduate work were obtained.
During 2001-02, 111 validity studies were conducted for 83 graduate management
schools that provided verbal, quantitative, and AWA scores for their students. For these
studies, correlations between GMAT verbal, quantitative, and AWA scores and first-year
management school grades ranged from .16 to .65. (Correlation is stated as a coefficient
for which +1.00 indicates perfect accuracy of prediction.) Correlations between GMAT
verbal, quantitative, and AWA scores combined with undergraduate grade point averages
and first-year management school grades ranged from .21 to .66. Across the 111
studies, the median (average) correlation of combined GMAT verbal, quantitative, and
AWA scores with first-year grades was .42; the median correlation between undergraduate
grade point average and first-year grades was .25. When GMAT scores were combined
with undergraduate grade point average, the median correlation was .47. These results
indicate that, although GMAT scores are generally better than the undergraduate record
for predicting average grades in the first year of graduate study, the best predictor is a
combination of GMAT scores and undergraduate grade point average.
Commonly Asked Questions
How will admissions officers interpret my GMAT scores?
Scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test have two important characteristics:
They are reliable measures of certain developed mental abilities that have been found
to be important in the study of management at the graduate level. In repeated studies
of the effectiveness of the GMAT, it has consistently been found that the test scores
are good, although imperfect, predictors of academic success in the first year of
study at graduate schools of management.
Unlike undergraduate averages, which vary in their meaning according to the
grading standards of institutions, GMAT scores are based on the same standard for
all who take the test. GMAT scores earned by different people can be compared
directly, whereas undergraduate averages cannot.
What are appropriate uses for GMAT scores?
The following are normally appropriate uses for GMAT scores:
for selection of applicants for graduate study in management
for selection of applicants for financial aid based on academic potential
for counseling and guidance
The following are normally inappropriate uses for GMAT scores:
as a requisite for awarding a degree
as a requirement for employment, for licensing or certification to perform a job, or for
job-related rewards (raises, promotions, etc.)
as an achievement test
For more information, please consult the Guidelines for the Use of GMAT Scores
printed in the GMAT Information Bulletin.
Should my GMAT scores influence my decision about the schools to
which I will apply?
It is not uncommon for people who have taken the GMAT to overinterpret their scores;
that is, they may decide where to apply or whether to apply at all solely on the
basis of test performance. These people may be doing themselves a disservice because
admissions officers generally treat GMAT scores as only one of several predictors of
performance in graduate business school.
The test may not accurately reflect the abilities of someone who is not proficient in
English. Applicants are urged to provide admissions officers with all possible informa-
tion in addition to GMAT scores and undergraduate record (e.g., recommendations;
evidence of motivation, commitment, and special accomplishments; scores on the Test of
English as a Foreign Language [TOEFL], if relevant).
Do GMAT scores relate to other test scores?
Although the GMAT scales may appear similar to scales for other tests, comparisons of a
persons GMAT scores with scores on other general admission tests (such as the General
Test of the Graduate Record Examinations) are not appropriate. The scales are not
directly related, and scores cannot be interpreted as if they were the same.
How does the Analytical Writing Assessment contribute to my scores
on the GMAT?
Analytical writing scores, which range from 0 to 6, are computed separately from scores
on the multiple-choice sections of the test and have no effect on the verbal, quantitative,
or total scores. For specific information about how AWA scores are determined, refer to
Analytical Writing Score on the reverse side.
How could retaking the test affect both my scores and my chances of
admission?
Some examinees do take the GMAT more than once. No matter how many times a person
takes it, however, the score report will contain only the current and the two most recent
previous scores, and these scores will probably be different (see Reliability and the Error
of Measurement). When someone has more than one set of scores, an admissions
officer may have evidence that one set is likely to be a more accurate reflection of ability
than another; if not, the scores may be averaged. For specific information about how
schools use scores from multiple test administrations, contact the school to which you
are applying.
Can I now cancel my scores?
You have the opportunity to cancel your scores at the end of the test administration.
Once your scores have been reported, ETS cannot honor a request to delete either these
scores or any previous scores from your permanent score record.
Who has access to my scores?
To protect your right to control the distribution of your scores, reports are released only
at your specific written request; every recipient must be designated by you, either at your
test administration, in a letter, or on an Additional Score Report Request Form.
Educational Testing Service will not release your scores at the request of institutions or
fellowship agencies except for use in research studies that are approved by the Graduate
Management Admission Council and that preserve your anonymity and that of the
institution(s) you have attended. Note: Your score record and the documents you
completed that are retained at ETS may be released to third parties (e.g., government
agencies, parties to a lawsuit) if requested pursuant to a subpoena.
60826-04072 U83E450
I.N. 997919