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 of accepted students at Harvard Business School 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 2008 the average GMAT test score had jumped 90 points to 700. 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.

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, then you probably need to break 750 (that's the 99th percentile) to have a good chance at a top-ten school. Expect even stiffer competition for MBA admissions in 2009 as the global economy weakens and workers seek to ride out the downturn at business school.

Average GMAT scores of major MBA programs (2006)

According to GMAC, the average salaries for 2007 MBA graduates exceeded $100,000. The appeal of high salaries will only serve to increase competitiveness and the importance of high GMAT scores.

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

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