All CoursesAs an MBA aspirant, you surely must have this one question on your mind – What is a good GMAT score? However, this is also one of the most challenging questions to answer because this is not a “one-size-fits-all” situation. Hence, this article will help you understand what a good score is and why the GMAT exam is so important if you want to get into renowned business schools.
What is GMAT and Why is it Important?
In a world where the competition to get into highly-ranked universities and business schools is quite high, the one criterion that helps differentiate a strong application from a weaker one is the GMAT exam.
The GMAT is computer-adaptive and the questions are designed to test your problem-solving, analytical, reasoning and communication skills. These skills are measured through four sections — Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning. Each of these sections are scored individually. Besides, since the Verbal and Quantitative sections contribute to your total score, it is essential you score high in these. Doing so demonstrates that you have the intellectual ability and communication skills to not just understand the complex curriculum of an MBA, but also participate and compete with your peers.
Having said that, it doesn’t mean the Analytical Writing Assessment and Integrated Reasoning sections are unimportant, they equally are, as many schools consider these scores too. Good scores in all the sections just prove how capable you are, which makes it easy for you to be accepted into the school of your choice.
Every top business school receives thousands of applications from all over the world. While each application seems better than the previous, the one major factor that helps you stand out is your GMAT score. Given the competition, you could find yourself competing with individuals who might have excelled far more in their professional careers. Additionally, they might have accomplishments to boast of on their resumes, which gives them an advantage over the others. Hence, scoring higher in the GMAT exam demonstrates the intellectual ability needed to compete amongst such professionals in the rigorous master’s program designed by the institution.
Although the exam is not a predictor of your success beyond the classroom, it certainly distinguishes you from the rest in terms of your ability to critically reason and analyse a subject matter. In addition to this, the other important reason to take this test early on while preparing your application is it acts as leverage to gain a larger percentage of the university’s scholarship.
GMAT Quant Overlapping & Non-overlapping Sets questions
GMAT Quant Overlapping & Non-overlapping Sets solutions
Is Your Good GMAT Score, Good Enough?
It is difficult to say what is a good GMAT score because every business school has a different average GMAT score requirement. While most Ivy League business schools in the US ask for an average GMAT score of 730, the average score required in Europe is around 690. Hence, we cannot exactly state what score is good for you and whether it’s good enough.
The only way to know what to aim for is to find out what is the average score required at your desired business school and work hard for it. We would even suggest scoring at least 10 points above the required average. For instance, if the average GMAT score required at your business school is around 730, then you should aim to score 740 and above. The reason being, by achieving a higher score above the average, not only are you increasing your chances of moving further in the application process but are also gaining an edge over other applicants for scholarships. Business schools generally reward applicants who score above the average score by granting a larger percentage of the scholarship.
Moreover, scoring lower in the GMAT exam can be overlooked only when you have substantial work experience that showcases your leadership skills and professional achievements. However, this might be a riskier step as there are bound to be applicants with not only better professional backgrounds but also better GMAT scores. A safer approach is to aim for a higher score than the university’s required average and have sufficient work experience to demonstrate your professional soundness.
We hope the question — what is a good GMAT score has been answered through this article. To sum up, any score above 700 is undoubtedly good but as mentioned each business school has a different cut-off. A score of 650 could be good for one and might not work for another school. Hence, do your research in advance to get a clarity on the required GMAT score. Having said that, it’s always beneficial if you aim for the highest.
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