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29 Aug 2024, 19:14
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GMAC released new percentiles right before R1. The illogical that I have predicted would not happen for at least a year has happened despite the best logic. 😮
Link to old percentiles | Link to new/updated percentiles
ANALYSIS:
The BAD:
The Good:
Questions:
If i had a score from May 2024 and had a 99th percentile with 705, will my percentile update?
Answer: Yes, unfortunately the percentiles are dynamic in the score reporting system and they will be updated to reflect the new percentiles. At least this is how the system behaved in the past
How big of a deal is 99th vs. 98th percentile for 705 scores?
Answer: as someone who had a 750 which used to be 99th percentile and then went to 98th, it was not that big of a deal. I still told people I got the old 99th percentile and that's what I put on my resume (despite the update because I felt that was accurate at the time, so may as well stick to it). Schools also did not seem to differentiate much between 750 and 760. Both were very elite scores for M7's and T15.
Why did GMAC update percentiles?
Answer: No Idea. This is terrible timing. Spring or Summer would have been much better rather than 4 days before HBS deadline and a long weekend. It is not the end of the world but the timing is pretty annoying.
How often does GMAC Update percentiles?
Answer: not sure how often this will happen in the future but in the past, the updates used to happen infrequently - only every few years and percentiles moved at glacial speeds. However, I have been wrong before!
GMAT-Club-Forum-1ovgsfu5.png [ 19.07 KiB | Viewed 13865 times ]
Link to old percentiles | Link to new/updated percentiles
ANALYSIS:
The BAD:
- Biggest losers - 705 is no longer 99th percentile and is now equivalent to 750. Those with a 705 will no longer have bragging rights of 99th percentile
- Timing is terrible. The fact that this happened right before R1 and it will cause confusion with applicants, AdCom's and even me
The Good:
- Expected behavior. The slide happened mostly in the MIDDLE and towards the lower section. This is how it has been in the past as well with percentile changing over the years.
- No massive inflation. Even though there is 1 point inflation at 705, most pressure is sub-655. This is great news as many have expected the percentiles to fall off a cliff based on the reports of 695 scores.... which for 695 it did go down but just 1 percentile! That's great news - there has not been massive inflation.
Questions:
If i had a score from May 2024 and had a 99th percentile with 705, will my percentile update?
Answer: Yes, unfortunately the percentiles are dynamic in the score reporting system and they will be updated to reflect the new percentiles. At least this is how the system behaved in the past
How big of a deal is 99th vs. 98th percentile for 705 scores?
Answer: as someone who had a 750 which used to be 99th percentile and then went to 98th, it was not that big of a deal. I still told people I got the old 99th percentile and that's what I put on my resume (despite the update because I felt that was accurate at the time, so may as well stick to it). Schools also did not seem to differentiate much between 750 and 760. Both were very elite scores for M7's and T15.
Why did GMAC update percentiles?
Answer: No Idea. This is terrible timing. Spring or Summer would have been much better rather than 4 days before HBS deadline and a long weekend. It is not the end of the world but the timing is pretty annoying.
How often does GMAC Update percentiles?
Answer: not sure how often this will happen in the future but in the past, the updates used to happen infrequently - only every few years and percentiles moved at glacial speeds. However, I have been wrong before!
Attachment:
GMAT-Club-Forum-1ovgsfu5.png [ 19.07 KiB | Viewed 13865 times ]
Tedddddyyyyy
Joined: 16 Aug 2023
Last visit: 31 Mar 2025
Posts: 20
Given Kudos: 97
Location: India
Schools: ISB '27 (A)
GMAT Focus 1: 675 Q85 V85 DI80 
GPA: 3.4
29 Aug 2024, 20:02
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Went from a clean 720 (655 with 94th percentile) to between 710-720 with 93rd percentile. This sucks.
Does anybody have a clue about what happens when 2 or gmat classic scores are bucketed under FE score? (650-680 on the classic are all 615 now). Do adcoms consider it a 680 or somewhere in the middle? I do understand they would rather look at the percentiles but still curious
Does anybody have a clue about what happens when 2 or gmat classic scores are bucketed under FE score? (650-680 on the classic are all 615 now). Do adcoms consider it a 680 or somewhere in the middle? I do understand they would rather look at the percentiles but still curious
29 Aug 2024, 20:17
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Tedddddyyyyy
I can tell you my idea but it may be just a hypothesis:
1. I think schools are still getting used to the Focus scores. They just started appearing in R2 last season. I think they were probably converting them last year in their heads to an extent and I am sure it was annoying
2. Also, now schools have GMAT Classic, GRE, and GMAT Focus Scores so 3 scores to keep track of. I think they will likely do what they have done with GRE - perhaps be a bit more flexible and not as hard about 690 being out of the magic 700-reange as everyone is still trying to wrap their mind around and maybe this weird percentile mix will help.
3. The official word from schools is that they evaluate Classic, GRE, and Focus based not on percentiles (GRE has no percentiles annoyingly enough) but rather based on the applicant volume numbers and sort of build their own percentile standing within the the program so to speak. My guess they may have ranges for above average, average, and below average in terms of their target scores, so they will look at scores more than percentiles... but those ranges are to some extent based on percentiles
4. Who knows... maybe they will just flip a coin 😂
