How GMAT scores work

The GMAT Total Score ranges from 205 to 805. Scores move in 10-point intervals, which means every total score ends in a 5.

Your total is calculated using all three sections of the exam: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights. Each section is scored on a scale from 60 to 90 in 1-point increments. All three sections are weighted equally in the calculation of your total score.

Your section and total scores reflect the number of questions you answer correctly, alongside the difficulty level and statistical characteristics of each question. Leaving questions unanswered results in a score penalty. While GMAC does not publish the precise calculation of that penalty, answering every question within the allotted time limit gives the most accurate reflection of your performance. For full details on section timing and exam structure, review our guide to all you should know about the GMAT.

If you took the previous 10th Edition of the exam, those scores remain valid for five years from your original appointment date. Those results use the older scoring scale rather than the 205 to 805 scale, and GMAC does not convert scores between the two editions.

Immediately after completing the exam, an unofficial score screen displays your scores for all three sections, as well as your total score for that sitting. You may not record, photograph, screenshot, or print these unofficial scores. Business schools do not accept printouts or personal screenshots as official verification; they require an official score report sent directly through mba.com.

Official scores take a short period to verify before appearing in your mba.com profile:

• The live mba.com official score reports page, checked on 31 October 2026, states that official scores are typically available within 3 to 5 days, though they may occasionally take up to 20 days. You will receive an email once the report is posted.
• In contrast, the 2025 GMAC presentation "Inside the GMAT Exam" states that official scores are available within 1 to 3 days, and may take up to 20 days.

Because of this variation in GMAC documentation, you should monitor your live mba.com account directly for your official result.

Your official report provides section scores, the total score, percentile rankings, and a detailed performance summary covering content domains, question types, specific skills, and time management. Percentile rankings are updated every year. Your scaled score stays the same. The percentile can change when the table is updated.

If you decide to retake the exam, the official mba.com FAQ states that repeat test takers gain an average of 20 to 30 points on their scores. Note that this is a historical average reported by GMAC, not a guaranteed outcome for individual sittings.

Test takers with more than one valid test sitting receive a GMAT Superscore. This is a total score calculated by taking your highest individual section scores across all valid attempts. The official report displays the test date and delivery format (in person or online) for each section contributing to that Superscore. According to GMAC access guidance, Superscore data has been included on Official Score Reports since 12 August 2026.

GMAC policies describe canceled scores in two distinct ways across different pages:

• GMAC notes that expired scores and canceled scores are not included in your Superscore calculation.
• On the official sending page, GMAC states that a score canceled because of a testing issue or a policy violation remains part of the Official Score Report.

You do not select recipient institutions on test day. Business schools only receive your score if you choose to send it to them. Because schools cannot view your score without your authorization, mba.com explains that there is no need to cancel an exam result simply to hide it from admissions offices.

Your exam registration includes up to five official score reports at no extra charge, provided you order those sends within 48 hours of your official score appearing in your mba.com account. Each report sent contains the complete results of that specific sitting, along with your GMAT Superscore if you hold multiple valid attempts.

If you send reports after the 48-hour window closes, or if you want to send to more than five programmes, you order further reports. Those carry a fee. Confirm the charge on mba.com before you order. Once submitted, score reports are typically delivered to schools within 8 hours. Once a report has been sent, GMAC cannot recall or cancel that transmission, though GMAC or Pearson VUE still maintain the right to cancel an exam score under specific test-security conditions.

Scores remain valid for five years from your test date. Beyond five years, official GMAC sources outline conflicting rules for score reporting:

• The official sending page states that you can send a score that is up to five years old, and if a score is older than five years but under ten, you may ask to send it only if you have not taken a GMAT in the past five years.
• A GMAC support article titled GMAT - How Do I Send My Official Score to a School or Program? notes that additional reports can be purchased for exams taken within the past 10 years, while also stating that the send option may be missing from your account if the exam was taken more than 5 years ago.
• A GMAC support article updated on 30 October 2023, titled GMAT - How Long Are My Scores Valid?, states that scores are valid for five years and available for reporting for up to 10 years, adding that score records older than 10 years are permanently unavailable.

Because these GMAC guidelines conflict, test takers looking to report older exam results should verify their individual profile options on the live portal before committing to application deadlines. For a broader overview of registration, testing policies, and preparation, consult our guide to all you should know about the GMAT.