Are you aiming for a specific score on GMAT? Did you know your Verbal and Quant scores have a key role in determining your target score? Generally, most GMAT aspirants begin preparing for the test with a certain target score in mind, but usually, they do not fully know how their total scores will be calculated. Not only is learning to calculate GMAT scores confusing, but the Verbal and Quant sections on GMAT are also adaptive, making it even more difficult for students to understand how GMAT scoring really works.
This article will provide you with a simple matrix that will decode how to calculate your GMAT scores with your scaled Quant and Verbal scores. Let’s begin:
How does the GMAT scoring work?
As you probably already know, GMAT is an adaptive test. This means that with every question you answer, the level of difficulty of the upcoming question changes. The more hard questions you get right consistently, the better you score on GMAT. In simple words, if you get an easy level question correct, the next question you will be served may be of an easy to medium difficulty level or vice versa. So, how you score on GMAT depends directly on how you perform in each and every question.
But what contributes to your GMAT score?
The GMAT score consists of five parts:
GMAT Constituents |
Range |
Total Scaled Score |
200 – 800 |
Verbal Scaled Score |
0 – 60 |
Quantitative Scaled Score |
0 – 60 |
Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) Score |
0 – 6 |
Integrated Reasoning Score |
1 – 8 |
However, your total score only depends on your Verbal and Quant scaled scores. Your scaled scores in Verbal and Quant depend upon –
- The total number of questions that you answer
- The number of questions out of the total that you answered correctly
- The difficulty level of the questions that you answer
The scaled scores constantly change as you answer more questions. You don’t have to get every question correctly to reach your target score. GMAT being an adaptive test, the difficulty level of questions that you get right weigh more. Thus, as long as you are getting the hard questions right, you will get multiple opportunities to get a strong score and still have room to get a few questions wrong as you progress in the test.
Recommended: How to Identify Right Target GMAT Score?
How to Read the GMAT Score Matrix?
Below, you will find the GMAT score matrix, which will help you predict your total GMAT score and score per cent be based on how you score in GMAT Verbal and Quant sections. The tables below show various combinations of scores in Verbal and Quant, which, when combined, can depict how a student will score in GMAT. So, for students who are aiming for a certain score, the tables below will help you identify which sectional scores you will need to reach that score. Let’s see how it works –
- Locate your scaled Quant score using the leftmost column
- Now, match your Quant score with your scaled verbal score in the topmost row
- The point where the two boxes meet depicts your predicted GMAT total score
Note: The matrix is only meant to give you a close but rough idea of how you are going to score on GMAT. The results should not be considered to be the final score.

GMAT Score Chart
In the grid below, you will find multiple combinations of Quant and Verbal sectional scores. Students who are targeting a specific score on GMAT can get a fair idea of how much weight do their individual section scores carry in getting their desired total GMAT score –


Also Read: Understanding GMAT Scores and Percentiles
How does the table help?
It is clear from the table that multiple combinations of Verbal and Quant scores are possible to reach a certain GMAT score. Students should make the best use of this table depending upon their strengths. For example, if you are strong in GMAT Verbal, your aim should be to boost your score in Verbal as much as possible and accordingly see how much you need to score in Quant to reach your dream score.
Need help with GMAT Prep or have questions to ask? Reach us at support@gmatwhiz.com or call us.
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Are you aiming for a specific score on GMAT? Did you know your Verbal and Quant scores have a key role in determining your target score? Generally, most GMAT aspirants begin preparing for the test with a certain target score in mind, but usually, they do not fully know how their total scores will be calculated. Not only is learning to calculate GMAT scores confusing, but the Verbal and Quant sections on GMAT are also adaptive, making it even more difficult for students to understand how GMAT scoring really works.
This article will provide you with a simple matrix that will decode how to calculate your GMAT scores with your scaled Quant and Verbal scores. Let’s begin:
How does the GMAT scoring work?
As you probably already know, GMAT is an adaptive test. This means that with every question you answer, the level of difficulty of the upcoming question changes. The more hard questions you get right consistently, the better you score on GMAT. In simple words, if you get an easy level question correct, the next question you will be served may be of an easy to medium difficulty level or vice versa. So, how you score on GMAT depends directly on how you perform in each and every question.
But what contributes to your GMAT score?
The GMAT score consists of five parts:
However, your total score only depends on your Verbal and Quant scaled scores. Your scaled scores in Verbal and Quant depend upon –
The scaled scores constantly change as you answer more questions. You don’t have to get every question correctly to reach your target score. GMAT being an adaptive test, the difficulty level of questions that you get right weigh more. Thus, as long as you are getting the hard questions right, you will get multiple opportunities to get a strong score and still have room to get a few questions wrong as you progress in the test.
Recommended: How to Identify Right Target GMAT Score?
How to Read the GMAT Score Matrix?
Below, you will find the GMAT score matrix, which will help you predict your total GMAT score and score per cent be based on how you score in GMAT Verbal and Quant sections. The tables below show various combinations of scores in Verbal and Quant, which, when combined, can depict how a student will score in GMAT. So, for students who are aiming for a certain score, the tables below will help you identify which sectional scores you will need to reach that score. Let’s see how it works –
Note: The matrix is only meant to give you a close but rough idea of how you are going to score on GMAT. The results should not be considered to be the final score.
GMAT Score Chart
In the grid below, you will find multiple combinations of Quant and Verbal sectional scores. Students who are targeting a specific score on GMAT can get a fair idea of how much weight do their individual section scores carry in getting their desired total GMAT score –
Also Read: Understanding GMAT Scores and Percentiles
How does the table help?
It is clear from the table that multiple combinations of Verbal and Quant scores are possible to reach a certain GMAT score. Students should make the best use of this table depending upon their strengths. For example, if you are strong in GMAT Verbal, your aim should be to boost your score in Verbal as much as possible and accordingly see how much you need to score in Quant to reach your dream score.
Need help with GMAT Prep or have questions to ask? Reach us at support@gmatwhiz.com or call us.
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