GMAT Scoring Logic
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30 May 2011, 23:32
The "Total Score", composed of the quantitative and verbal sections, is exclusive of the analytical writing assessment (AWA), and ranges from 200 to 800. About two-thirds of test takers score between 400 and 600. The score distribution resembles a bell curve with a standard deviation of approximately 100 points, meaning that the test is designed for 68% of examinees to score between 400 and 600, while the median score was originally designed to be near 500. In the 2009/2010 period the mean score was 544, increasing 3% since 2000/2001 when the mean was 527.[8]
The quantitative and verbal sections comprise a computer-adaptive test. The first question may be difficult. The next few questions in each section may be around the 500 level. If the examinee answers correctly, the next questions are harder. If the examinee answers incorrectly, the next questions are easier. The questions are pulled from a large pool of questions and delivered depending on the student's running score. These questions are regularly updated to prevent them from being compromised by students recording questions.
The final score is not based solely on the last question the examinee answers (i.e. the level of difficulty of questions reached through the computer-adaptive presentation of questions). The algorithm used to build a score is more complicated than that. The examinee can make a silly mistake and answer incorrectly and the computer will recognize that item as an anomaly. If the examinee misses the first question his score will not necessarily fall in the bottom half of the range.
Because GMAT is a CAT, Computer Adaptive Test, the next question is based of the previous answer, through a testing algorithm, modifying the difficulty of every question, therefore, the best effort should be made on any question. You can't go back to the previous question to verify or to correct it. This is a major contrast to the SAT, which has a wrong-answer penalty. Each test section also includes several experimental questions, which do not count toward the examinee's score, but are included to judge the appropriateness of the item for future administrations.
Verbal and Quantitative Section scores range from 0 to 60. Analytical Writing Assessment scores range from 0 to 6 and represent the average of the ratings from the two GMAT essays. The essays are scored differently from the Verbal and Quantitative sections and are not included in the total score.
All scores and cancellations in the past 5 years will be on a student's score report, a change from the previous policy of the last three scores and cancellations being kept on the score report