GMAT Percentiles on applications

Question

When you report your GMAT scores on applications, do they dismiss your percentiles if the percentiles have changed since you took the test?

Terp reported a recent shift in overall percentiles. He reported that a 47Q is now 79th percentile but it was 81st when I took it. He also reported that 710 is 92nd percentile but when I took it, 700 was 92nd percentile.

How will this effect evaluations by adcoms at schools that put emphasis on percentiles?

isa · Answer

I would guess (am going through the process as well) that they look at the percentile from the date you took the test. I interpret it as: the percentiles we get in the official score report are reflective of how we did in comparison to others who took the same or similar version of the exam that we did. I can't imagine that they would devalue our percentiles just because they have increased/decreased since the date of the exam....

also, I think they have us put the date of the exam as well as the score/percentiles - that should help them interpret our percentiles correctly....

hope this is how it works,
ac.

also, I think they have us put the date of the exam as well as the score/percentiles - that should help them interpret our percentiles correctly....

hope this is how it works,
ac.

Raabend · Answer

pheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww 8-)

kidderek · Answer

I think it's best to compare your score with scores at the time you took your test. A 750 a few years ago would satisfy even the most competitive test taker, but now, it might not be so satisfactory. With that said, I don't think schools really differentiate a 79th percentile with an 81st percentile.

I think all 700 scores are looked at comparably with the exception of those scores >760.

I think all 700 scores are looked at comparably with the exception of those scores >760.

gmat blows · Answer

With the GMAT scandal, how do you think high GMAT scores are now regarded by the adcoms?

Obviously, a high score is preferred, but do you think they'll continue to still place such a big emphasis and do you think the average/range will continue to increase at the same rate as before?

(i.e. if I were the adcom, I'd feel that GMAT scores arent as reliable now and therefore would put more weight on the other parts of the application)

jasonc · Answer

In the short term the average/range may take a dip (if they cancel the high scores of enough people), it will continue to increase slightly (since I think this is true for most standardized test, but I could be wrong here) I would actually argue somewhat the opposite about the value/reliability of the GMAT scores

Since the cheating scandal is now over - and has been over since end of 2006 (at least for the scoretop site, according to many in the 'scandal' thread on this forum) - most of the cheaters are either already in business school or have graduated. Therefore the GMAT is actually more reliable this year than in the past few years. To clarify, I'm only referring to the American applicant pool - since I'm not sure if there are a ton more well known cheating scandals/sites out there for the international applicant pool that are still operating.

GMAT Percentiles on applications

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