Gmat sectional percentiles importance

Question

Hi everyone,

I had a question regarding B-School applications. Do B-schools look at overall GMAT percentile or sectional percentiles? I have got 96th percentile overall with 100 percentile in Quants, 86 percentile in DI and 60 percentile in Verbal. If sectional percentiles are important, is my verbal too low?

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admitStreet · Answer

@Prathamm - broadly yes, B-schools look at sectional splits as well. Some schools (e.g. INSEAD, HEC etc.) have a 'recommended' minimum percentile for each section, while some don't. Having said that, other strong angles on the profile can sometimes compensate for a lower sectional split. Depending on your overall profile and target schools, your Verbal percentile might work. You could consider a retake though, depending on: - Do you have enough time before the application rounds, for a GMAT retake? - Did you score better in the mocks: overall, and sub-section wise? And can the V split be improved? - Are you confident that the other aspects of your profile (academics, work-ex, motivation, ECs, etc.) can compensate for the lower verbal split? Hope this helps some. Feel free to reach out with your profile for a deeper chat. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Schedule a free chat W: https://admitstreet.com | LinkedIn | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com

pintukr · Answer

Sectional percentiles are good for most of the B-schools.

All the Best for the applications.

RadsAGG · Answer

Hi Pratham.

During my discussions with alumni and consultants, I have come to know that a more balanced score in all sections would be rather beneficial than a score that's skewed toward one section.

IVYCRACKERS.COM · Answer

Hey! It's difficult to balance considering you are at 100 percentile in Quant, partly coz Verbal percentile has always been competitive. What's your overall percentile? The overall percentile will give us a better picture to let you know if you need to score better on verbal or not.

Admissionado · Answer

Prathamm :

Yes, you submit a score report which provides an overall score/percentile and breakdown of score/percentile across each section. Your scores are fairly strong, but if you feel you can duplicate your quant and improve your other sections, then take the exam again. MBA programs typically take your highest score from a given sitting, so you really have nothing to lose besides the time to prepare for and cost to take the exam (which is a mere rounding error relative to the cost of the degree).

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hi  Prathamm ,

Thanks for sharing the details with us.

While the overall GMAT percentile is most important, schoold do take a look at sectional percentiles as well; skewed scores are not preferred by schools; hence, if you do have time before your applications, you might want to retake the GMAT and aim for a more balanced score.

Hope this helps.

All the best!

Gmat sectional percentiles importance

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