There is a huge difference between the number of people who CLAIM they scored a perfect 800 on the GMAT (many), and the number of people who can actually
PROVE they scored an 800 on the GMAT (exactly one, Marty Murray from
Target Test Prep).
And no, a sketchy PDF of a paper score report or test-day printout that could have easily been manipulated with computer editing software doesn't count--I'm talking about
a link to an official, recent, downloadable score report from the Pearson Vue website: the exact same secure method that GMAT Club uses to verify user scores.
Take a look at the incoming class of 2019 admission stats for
HBS,
Wharton, and
Stanford, and you will see that
none of the admitted students scored higher than a 790 on the GMAT. Keep in mind--these are the very best B-schools in the country, the "cream of the crop." If these elite-level students aren't scoring 800s, then very few people are: possibly fewer than 5 in the entire world, and maybe as low as zero each year--even if we include GMAT tutors. In fact, none of Stanford's last 4 incoming classes had GMAT scores higher than 790. It is of course true that 800 scorers could be getting rejected at all of these schools, but this is unlikely.
The evidence is somewhat contradictory when it comes to perfect 800 GMAT scores. One one hand,
only one of GMAT Club's nearly 700,000 members has ever posted a verified 800 score, which suggests that these scores may be nearly unobtainable. That being said, GMAC has indicated that every year there are a few select test-takers who achieve this rare feat. It is certainly possible that many of the ones who do are professional GMAT tutors who never end up applying to B-school, and/or other test takers who never end up posting a
GMAT Club Debrief or confirming their scores. There is also the matter of GMAT scores from over 5 years ago, which are expired and thus cannot be verified in any meaningful way.
In my opinion, however, it is only a matter of time before we have multiple verified 800 scores here on this forum, now that a
score verification feature is available (verified scores are indicated though the green checkmarks next to one's scores). There are a handful of GMAT tutors in the world who wouldn't surprise me if they scored an 800 on any given day--including myself--and neither would any of the hundreds of thousands of talented students who take the GMAT each year, but the fact remains that only one person has proven it so far, with over 7 years of GMAT test results to draw from.
To score an 800 on the GMAT, it appears from my ESR research that at a minimum, you need to answer all 58 counted questions correctly--and the experimental questions appear to matter as well, despite what GMAC claims.
Even just one wrong answer on Verbal, for example, can drop your score from a perfect V51 to a V48. (Remember that the 12 IR questions are not part of your 200-800 composite score).
Going 58 for 58 on an adaptive test such as the GMAT is an incredibly difficult task, because the questions get tougher the better you perform. Eventually, nearly all of us are bound to run up against a nearly incomprehensible question, and are going to have to take a guess or two--yes, even smart-aleck GMAT tutors--and of course careless mistakes/fatigue also play a role, as they do for all test-takers. The fact that you can't skip questions and return later (like you can on the GRE) certainly doesn't help, either.
For those GMAT tutors out there who claim perfect 800 scores that are more than 5 years old: I would suggest that you re-take the GMAT and verify your scores on a more recent exam to prove your abilities, as I have done.
Scoring an 800 on the GMAT requires determination, persistence, skill, talent, and a healthy dose of luck. I've taken the GMAT 5 times now, and have scored in the 700s every time, with a high of 770. I think that's an accomplishment in itself, but I would be lying if I said that I weren't still trying for the elusive perfect 800. And if I do score an 800
, then I'll make sure to prove it!
close
08 Mar 2016, 04:07
