Percentile Changes on the GMAT

Question

Just so you guys know I compared my score report of the gmat taken in June to the one taken Aug 2nd. The percentiles and avgs definitely changed. The avg gmat score is now 525.5...up a whole 5.5 points. On the verbal I scored a 39 on the first test, which was a 89%. A 39 now is listed as a 87%. A 42 Quant is a 63%, where it was a 66% in June. Unfreakin believable.

The sample size has increased by 35,000 since my test report in June. It almost makes more sense to take the GMAT maybe later in the year with the hopes that the percentiles/averages will go back down when more unprepared people take the GMAT.

terp26 · Answer

yea this was posted by the other terp, the new scores are:

V38 - 83%
V39 - 87%
V40 - 89%
V41 - 92%
V42 - 95%
V43 - 96%
V44 - 97%
V45 - 98%
V46-51 - 99%

--------------

Q40 - 59%
Q41 - 61%
Q42 - 63%
Q43 - 68%
Q44 - 70%
Q45 - 75%
Q46 - 77%
Q47 - 79%
Q48 - 84%
Q49 - 88%
Q50 - 94%
Q51 - 99%

----------

Total Scores:

680 - 86%
690 - 88%
700 - 90%
710 - 92%
720 - 95%
730 - 96%
740 - 97%
750 - 98%
760-800 - 99%

720 and aboves remained the same percentiles, while everything below dropped. Biggest difference is between 710 and 720, 3% points

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

Does anyone think they will go back down? Is it cyclical?

jallenmorris · Answer

I'm not sure when Montauk wrote his book. I"m readin the 4th edition and it said 700 = 97%.

It's in Section II talking about dealing with your credentials. He mentions the GMAT for a few paragraphs and talks about how the GMAT doesn't matter to adcoms once you get over a certain score. He says how a 700 means you scored better than 97% of test takers. I read that about 3 times and thought: "Crap I wish I was 3 or 4 years older and could have taken the test when that was true!"

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

anyone have the link to the other terps post on this?

jallenmorris · Answer

I think this might be what you're talking about: post488819.html#p488819

aaron22197 · Answer

Jimmy,

OG11 mentions the mean to be 526.6
39 on verbal is 88%
42 Q is 67%

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

Interesting...I was quoted my score reports from June and Aug of this year.

suyashjhawar · Answer

Jimmy you highlighted a very valid point indeed.---It almost makes more sense to take the GMAT maybe later in the year with the hopes that the percentiles/averages will go back down when more unprepared people take the GMAT. :lol:

pm4553 · Answer

I'm guessing the scoring were altered in July.

I gave my GMAT in May (btw, got my AWA scores only in July!). I got 2 mails (not e-mail) from GMAC.
Initially, with AWA scoring and the percentage in each section. However, after a week I received another mail from GMAC...apologizing!! I finally thought my prayers were heard and they would have reported a bug in their system

, but to my dismay they sent me "revised percentages"..the same as we are discussing.

jallenmorris · Answer

Here are a few questions regarding this that I have. Maybe some of you can help answer them.

Do you think GMAT % will keep changing? (i.e., more high scores making a 730 < 80% or 740 even).

If b-school acceptance keeps getting more and more competitive, people are likley to spend more time preparing for the GMAT. Is the GMAT something that anyone can really score 700+ with enough prep or is there a point that a person has hit that person's GMAT ceiling? I believe there are people that no matter how much they study, they just won't be able to recall the information properly or in a quickly enough for the study to make a difference on the GMAT. If we start to see an increase in the average # of months taken to prepare for the GMAT, this should make the score average go higher because peopel that would normally spend 6 weeks and get a 700 would now spend 12 and get a 750 (hypothetical example).

Does the percentile actually fluctuate througout the year significantly enough to make it worthwhile to wait until the "low" point of the year?

Does this all make sense? It's a matter of figuring out what the change in % for the GMAT actually means.

Pawan203 - can you go into more detail regarding what you received from GMAC ? What % did they first tell you?

pm4553 · Answer

I dont have the letter with me right now, its back home. I'll write in detail later. However, the initial % were the same as reported in OG, the latter was as posted by terp26..all this in the form of a mail.

V38 - 83%
V39 - 87%
V40 - 89%
V41 - 92%
V42 - 95%
V43 - 96%
V44 - 97%
V45 - 98%
V46-51 - 99%

--------------

Q40 - 59%
Q41 - 61%
Q42 - 63%
Q43 - 68%
Q44 - 70%
Q45 - 75%
Q46 - 77%
Q47 - 79%
Q48 - 84%
Q49 - 88%
Q50 - 94%
Q51 - 99%

----------

Total Scores:

680 - 86%
690 - 88%
700 - 90%
710 - 92%
720 - 95%
730 - 96%
740 - 97%
750 - 98%
760-800 - 99%

jallenmorris · Answer

Those match the % I just got about 2 weeks ago.

aaron22197 · Answer

Guys,

Most of the new percentiles listed above are lower than the the ones published in the OG 11th edition.

Yahsek · Answer

The percentiles listed are from people's official GMAT score reports, so they're probably the most up-to-date rankings you'll find.

greenoak · Answer

It seems that the mean has moved again.
On my score report, it is stated 535.2 (44%) is the mean now...

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

greenoak, when did you take the test?

greenoak · Answer

Hi, JJD,
I took the test Aug, 5th. Report was dated by Aug, 7th. 
I'm surprised, too, because I knew that you took the test just a few days before me... and the mean already changed from the one stated in your report.

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Percentile Changes on the GMAT

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