Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 2310:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Admissions committees evaluate the GMAT/GRE in context — your background, your representation in the applicant pool, the strength of everything else in your file. The same score works for one candidate and falls short for another with identical numbers.
Apr 2312:00 PM PDT
-01:00 PM PDT
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
Apr 2408:30 PM IST
-09:30 PM IST
Join us for a Live Coffee chat with Jenifer Turtschanow where we talk about enhancing your MBA profile and fixing gaps in just 4 months.
Apr 2511:00 AM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
Looking to secure a coveted spot at a top business school? Our team of seasoned MBA admissions consultants, including top B schools alumni and industry leaders, is here to help turn your dreams into reality. Let’s kick-start your journey to success!
Apr 2908:00 PM EDT
-09:00 PM EDT
Join us for a live Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Juno’s Co-Founder, where we’ll break down everything you need to know about financing your MBA in today’s rapidly changing landscape.
17 Dec 2017, 12:49
Kudos
Bookmarks
I know a person who works at Chrysler, USA - scored 800 this November'17.
Annoyingly perfectionist, can be a bully with others, somewhat of a social outcast for his bad attitude, & hungry to be pampered.
Annoyingly perfectionist, can be a bully with others, somewhat of a social outcast for his bad attitude, & hungry to be pampered.
I can't believe I've never seen this thread before -- and it makes me happy that so many people are recognizing that the 800 isn't important at all.
I get asked about perfect GMAT scores CONSTANTLY, so here are a few thoughts:
The GMAT is a very limited test, that tests a very limited little batch of skills. Who gives a rip if you can ace it, as long as you can do well enough to get into whatever MBA program will be a great fit for you? And yeah, the GMAT has (unfortunately!) become more and more important in admissions, but (fortunately!) your career trajectory still matters more than your GMAT score.
I get asked about perfect GMAT scores CONSTANTLY, so here are a few thoughts:
- Business schools don't care if you get an 800, so there's no good reason for anybody to strive for a perfect score.
- Sad, but true: most people who are THAT good at test-taking tend to be a little bit unbalanced as people. There are exceptions, but I've met very, very few -- other than test-prep professionals who have been honing their test-taking skills for years. (And even then...
) - Luck is definitely required to get to a perfect 800. Off the top of my head, I can think of four or five particularly spectacular GMAT tutors that I know personally. All of them keep falling just a question or two short of an 800. That's mostly bad luck -- these guys know their stuff. The difference between 780 and 790 and 800 is totally meaningless.
- Yeah, I got an 800 (proof attached for the skeptics), but you shouldn't be all that impressed. Why? Well, it happened in 2011. I started teaching GRE courses in 2001, and GMAT courses in 2002. So basically, I had been "studying" for almost TEN YEARS by the time I finally aced the damned thing. And I still needed some luck, frankly.
The GMAT is a very limited test, that tests a very limited little batch of skills. Who gives a rip if you can ace it, as long as you can do well enough to get into whatever MBA program will be a great fit for you? And yeah, the GMAT has (unfortunately!) become more and more important in admissions, but (fortunately!) your career trajectory still matters more than your GMAT score.
Attachments
800.pdf [1.86 MiB]
Downloaded 5386 times
mcelroytutoring
Expert
Tutor
Joined: 10 Jul 2015
Last visit: 19 Mar 2026
Posts: 1,206
Given Kudos: 282
Status:Expert GMAT, GRE, and LSAT Tutor / Coach
Affiliations: Harvard University, A.B. with honors in Government, 2002
Location: United States (CO)
Age: 45 (10 years and counting on GMAT Club!)
GMAT 1: 770 Q47 V48
GMAT 2: 730 Q44 V47
GMAT 3: 750 Q50 V42
GMAT 4: 730 Q48 V42 (Online)
GRE 1: Q168 V169
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Expert reply
Updated on: 22 Jan 2020, 22:57
Originally posted by mcelroytutoring on 03 Jan 2018, 01:30.
Last edited by mcelroytutoring on 22 Jan 2020, 22:57, edited 9 times in total.
Last edited by mcelroytutoring on 22 Jan 2020, 22:57, edited 9 times in total.
Kudos
Bookmarks
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!
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! 
