GMAT Focus Scoring System

Last Updated on July 4, 2024

If you’re thinking about taking the new GMAT Focus Edition for your MBA applications, you’re probably wondering about the changes to GMAT scoring that the GMAT Focus brings. In this article, we’ll discuss everything there is to know about the GMAT Focus scoring system, including:

• how adaptive testing is different on the GMAT Focus
• the new score ranges and percentile rankings
• Focus score reports
• Focus score validity

and more.

Here are all the topics we’ll cover:

• The GMAT Focus Test Format
• The GMAT Focus Scoring System
  • Adaptive Testing on the GMAT Focus Edition
  • The New GMAT Score Ranges
• GMAT Focus Percentile Rankings
  • How Were GMAT Focus Percentiles Calculated?
  • The New Total Score Percentiles
• GMAT Focus Score Reports
  • The New Enhanced Score Report
• GMAT Focus Score Validity
• Key Takeaways
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • How are raw scores converted to scaled scores in GMAT Focus scoring?
  • How does the GMAT’s adaptive nature impact scoring and test experience?
  • What strategies help manage time and maximize GMAT scores on the Focus Edition?
  • How can test-takers identify strengths and weaknesses to improve GMAT performance?
• What’s Next?

To understand the GMAT Focus scoring system, we need to understand the new test format associated with the GMAT Focus. Let’s start there.

The GMAT Focus Test Format

Many GMAT test-takers will surely celebrate the fact that the new version of the GMAT is shorter than the current GMAT by about an hour.

Part of the reason the GMAT Focus Edition is shorter is that the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA essay) is not part of the test. Rather, there are only 3 sections on the GMAT Focus:

• Quantitative Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning
• Data Insights (formerly known as Integrated Reasoning)

Moreover, each of those 3 sections comprises a third of the Focus exam time, at 45 minutes each. Some time has been shaved off the Quantitative section, which lost Data Sufficiency (DS) questions to the Data Insights section. With the addition of DS, Data Insights is 15 minutes longer than the Integrated Reasoning section on the current GMAT. And as for the Verbal section, Sentence Correction is a thing of the past. So, the Verbal section is 20 minutes shorter.

So, now all sections of the exam are on equal footing in terms of testing time. Given that fact, you won’t be surprised to learn that all sections are on equal footing in terms of scoring. Let’s discuss.

KEY FACT:

On the new version of the GMAT, the Quantitative section, Verbal section, and Data Insights section each comprise a third of the exam, at 45 minutes each.

The GMAT Focus Scoring System

On the current GMAT, only the Verbal and Quantitative sections factor into your Total Score. However, on the GMAT Focus, Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights (DI) all factor equally into your Total Score.

KEY FACT:

The GMAT Focus scoring system factors your performance in Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights into your Total Score equally.

Now, you’re probably wondering, if all 3 sections contribute to the Total Score, are all 3 sections adaptive? Let’s discuss.

Adaptive Testing on the GMAT Focus Edition

The GMAT Focus Edition is a question-adaptive test, just as the current GMAT is. However, on the current GMAT, the Integrated Reasoning section is not adaptive; only the Quant and Verbal sections are.

On the GMAT Focus, all 3 sections of the exam — Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights — are adaptive. It makes sense that adaptive testing applies to all 3 sections, since all contribute to the Total Score.

Again, these changes are all part and parcel of putting Data Insights on equal footing with Quant and Verbal. GMAC recognizes the growing importance of data literacy in today’s business world and, consequently, to business schools and admissions committees.

In keeping with that theme, let’s discuss the new score ranges for the new version of the GMAT.

KEY FACT:

All 3 sections of the GMAT Focus Edition are question-adaptive.

The New GMAT Score Ranges

We know that the GMAT Focus Edition puts Data Insights on par with Quant and Verbal. So, it’s unsurprising that Data Insights is not scored separately, as Integrated Reasoning is on the current GMAT.

Rather, the GMAT Focus algorithm scores all 3 sections on the same scale. Again, this scoring system makes sense, given that all 3 sections contribute equally to the Total Score.

The score scale for each section of the GMAT Focus is 60-90, scored in 1-point increments.

Interestingly, the score range for the Total Score is also different for the GMAT Focus. That range is now 205-805, instead of 200-800. The Focus Total Score will still be given in 10-point increments. So, all Focus Total Scores will end in a 5.

The new score ranges are summarized in the table below.

KEY FACT:

All sections of the GMAT Focus are scored on a scale of 60-90, in 1-point increments. The Focus Total Score is on a scale of 205-805, in 10-point increments.

Along with new score ranges, there are new percentile rankings for the GMAT Focus. Let’s take a look at what those currently are.

GMAT Focus Percentile Rankings

Before we look at what the percentile rankings are for the GMAT Focus, you may be wondering, how are GMAT percentile rankings calculated and why do they matter?

Normally, calculating GMAT percentile rankings is a very straightforward process. GMAC counts how many GMAT test-takers earned a particular score over a recent 3-year period. Using that data, GMAC sets the percentile rankings associated with each score.

So, a Total Score would be associated with, say, the 98th percentile if that score was higher than 98 percent of the Total Scores GMAT test-takers earned during that period.

Thus, GMAT percentile rankings are a quick metric for seeing how a test-taker stacks up against his or her peers. Given the utility of this metric, GMAT Focus scores are associated with percentile rankings, just as current GMAT scores are. So, you’ll get a percentile ranking for your Focus Total Score and each of your Focus section scores.

However, the test’s content, scoring algorithm, and score scales are changing. So, Focus percentile rankings are not the same as current GMAT percentiles. In fact, the rankings are quite different.

So, a 99th percentile score on the current GMAT is not the same score as a 99th percentile GMAT Focus score.

Furthermore, the current Focus percentile rankings have not been calculated in the typical fashion. After all, GMAT Focus test administrations have, as of this writing, not started yet. So, GMAC does not have 3 years of real-world scores on which to base the rankings. Thus, at this point, the Focus percentile rankings are somewhat theoretical. Let’s discuss.

KEY FACT:

Each GMAT Focus score you receive is associated with a percentile ranking.

How Were GMAT Focus Percentiles Calculated?

Although no test-takers have actually taken the Focus Edition yet, GMAC didn’t invent Focus percentile rankings out of thin air. Rather, they used the performance of test-takers over the 5-year period from July 2017 to June 2022 — a sample size of 866,664 tests — as a guide.

Now, we can’t say exactly how GMAC made their calculations. However, it appears that they used those test-takers’ performances on question types that also appear on GMAT Focus, adjusting for changes in the score scale, to arrive at Focus percentiles.

Of course, the two GMATs are different, so the data doesn’t quite translate 1:1. Thus, calculating Focus percentiles is not yet the exact science that calculating current GMAT percentiles is.

For example, we don’t know how a shorter exam time or the ability to revisit and edit answers to questions will affect Focus test-takers’ performances. Furthermore, given the newfound emphasis on Data Insights, people’s GMAT test prep for that section will likely be more rigorous than many test-takers’ prep for Integrated Reasoning. So, performance on those question types may improve somewhat on the GMAT Focus.

With these unknowns, to some degree, we have to take the current Focus percentile rankings with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, the data GMAC used to project percentile rankings is meaningful and substantial. And it seems unlikely that the folks at GMAC would release percentiles before the Focus rollout unless they felt pretty confident in their projections.

Of course, once test-takers start sitting for the GMAT Focus, GMAC can start collecting real-world data. Presumably then, Focus percentiles will (in time) be calculated just as current GMAT percentiles are, using 3 years of recent, real-world scoring data.

All that said, let’s look at the new GMAT Focus Total Score percentile rankings.

The New Total Score Percentiles

Below are the current GMAT Focus percentile rankings, which GMAC based on July 2017–June 2022 score data.

If you’re familiar at all with the percentile rankings for the current GMAT, you’ll notice that things change quite a bit with the GMAT Focus. Notably for GMAT test-takers applying to top business schools, 695+ scores on the GMAT Focus are in the top 2% — that is, 98th percentile and above. On the current GMAT, only scores of 750+ rank in the top 2%.

What can we glean from this information? Well, GMAC’s data indicate that it will be harder for GMAT test-takers to score 695 on the new version of the GMAT than on the old version. In other words, GMAC’s projection is that fewer GMAT test-takers will be able to earn such a score on the new exam. (Note that a 690-700 score on the current GMAT puts you in the 84th-87th percentile, as opposed to the 98th.)

So, although test-takers will see fewer questions on the new GMAT, it appears those questions may be more difficult overall.

KEY FACT:

The current GMAT Focus percentile rankings indicate that the new GMAT will feature more difficult questions overall.

If you’re interested in comparing the new GMAT Focus percentiles with the old GMAT percentiles, check out the score concordance table on GMAC’s website. You can also view the new score percentiles for each GMAT Focus section on that page.

Now that we understand the GMAT Focus scoring system, let’s examine score reporting for the GMAT Focus.

GMAT Focus Score Reports

A few things are changing about score reporting for the GMAT Focus, but the news is all good.

For one, Focus test-takers can see their scores on test day before they choose their 5 score recipients, rather than after. So, you’ll know what your scores are before you have to make any decisions about where to send your scores.

Moreover, you’ll have up to 48 hours after your exam to send your scores for free, rather than having to pay a fee if you don’t send your scores at the end of your exam.

And here’s the really good news: your Official Score Report will contain only one GMAT score, rather than your 5-year GMAT score history. So, for instance, say you send schools your GMAT Focus score from the test center, immediately after your exam. The Official Score Report those schools receive will contain only the Focus score from that test date.

Or say you’ve taken the GMAT Focus a couple of times, and you want to send a score from your mba.com account. The Focus score report you send will contain only the score from the test date you select. It will not include any other Focus scores or other GMAT scores.

So, all in all, GMAT Focus test-takers have a lot more flexibility and control over how and when they report their scores than past GMAT test-takers have had.

KEY FACT:

Score reporting for the GMAT Focus Edition allows test-takers to have more flexibility and control over when they send scores and which scores they send.

The Enhanced Score Report is also getting a new look. Let’s discuss.

The New Enhanced Score Report

For GMAT Focus test-takers, the Enhanced Score Report (ESR) is no longer an optional $30 purchase. Rather, an ESR comes free with every GMAT Focus test registration.

And, apparently, the ESR will be even more “enhanced” than the one current GMAT test-takers can purchase. We don’t know yet exactly what the new ESR looks like, but GMAC states that it includes “personalized insights” related to the test-taker’s performance in each section and on each question type, and test time-management data.

KEY FACT:

An Enhanced Score Report comes free with GMAT Focus exam registration.

Lastly, let’s discuss how long GMAT Focus scores are valid for.

GMAT Focus Score Validity

Score validity is one thing about GMAT scoring that is not changing with the Focus Edition. So, your GMAT Focus scores are valid for 5 years after your test date, just as current GMAT scores are.

KEY FACT:

GMAT Focus scores are valid for 5 years after your test date.

Key Takeaways

If you’re gearing up for the MBA admissions process, you may be considering taking the GMAT Focus instead of the current GMAT. If so, keep the following key points in mind about the GMAT Focus scoring system:

• All 3 sections of the GMAT Focus — Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights — are computer-adaptive at the question level.
• Your performances in the Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights sections all factor equally into your GMAT Focus Total Score.
• The GMAT Focus Total Score is on a scale of 205-805, in 10-point increments.
• Each section of the GMAT Focus is on a scale of 60-90, in 1-point increments
• There are new percentile rankings for the GMAT Focus. So, a 99th percentile score on the current GMAT is not the same score as a 99th percentile GMAT Focus score.
• Focus score reports contain only one GMAT Focus score, rather than your 5-year score history.
• GMAT Focus scores are valid for 5 years after your test date.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How are raw scores converted to scaled scores in GMAT Focus scoring?

No one (except for some folks at GMAC) knows the exact recipe of the “secret sauce” that GMAC uses to convert raw scores to scaled scores.

Your scaled score in each GMAT Focus section is based not just on the “raw” number of correct answers you get but on a few different factors. Those factors include:

• how many questions you answer in the section
• your number of correct answers and incorrect answers in the section
• the difficulty levels of the questions you answer correctly or incorrectly

However, per GMAC, your scaled score is also based on “other parameters” related to the questions you answer in a section — some mystery ingredients in the secret sauce.

And how your performance on the total of 64 questions on the GMAT Focus, all said and done, “converts” to scaled scores in the 700s and 800s, for instance, is no less mysterious.

For some more information that GMAC has released to the public about how scores are calculated, you may want to check out our article on how the GMAT is scored.

How does the GMAT’s adaptive nature impact scoring and test experience?

There are a few different ways that adaptive testing has, historically, affected the GMAT test experience. You can read all about the effects of GMAT adaptive testing here.

With the GMAT Focus Edition, adaptive testing is changing somewhat. For one, the Verbal and Quantitative sections are no longer the only adaptive parts of the exam. Now, Data Insights is also adaptive.

Secondly, the GMAT Focus allows test-takers to change their answers to up to 3 questions per section. So, the difficulty of each question will still be based on the test-taker’s performance on the previous question. However, test-takers will have the chance to at least better their scores somewhat if they revise some wrong answers before their time is up in a section.

What strategies help manage time and maximize GMAT scores on the Focus Edition?

Test time-management is a skill that you should hone over time, with diligent practice. These timing strategies for GMAT Verbal and these timing strategies for GMAT Quant will help you to manage your time wisely on test day and thus maximize your scores, whichever version of the GMAT you’re taking.

One key to learning how to strategically manage your time on the GMAT is taking full-length practice tests in the weeks leading up to your exam. Remember, completing sets of practice questions doesn’t work the same time-management “muscles” as completing an entire GMAT. So, to ensure that your time-management strategies will serve you well on test day, you’ll want to get plenty of practice that approximates the real test-taking experience.

How can test-takers identify strengths and weaknesses to improve GMAT performance?

The biggest recommendation I can make to test-takers who want to identify their strengths and weaknesses is to use study materials that make tracking those things easy.

For example, the TTP course tracks a user’s performance by GMAT topic, question type, and time spent per question. The course also provides a built-in error tracker that helps students identify non-content-related errors such as misreading questions, rushing through questions, falling for trap answers, and more, and tells them how often they make each kind of error.

When students try to track all of this data “by hand,” they invariably miss where gaps in their knowledge are, misinterpret or make assumptions about what their stronger or weaker areas are, or become so bogged down in trying to track and analyze their performance that their GMAT test prep suffers.

Of course, you can probably pretty easily identify some obvious GMAT weaknesses you have. But you’d be surprised how many students get mistaken impressions about where their strengths and weaknesses lie.

Using a GMAT program that automatically tracks everything for you, organizes the data so that it’s clear and usable, and shows you all your stats at the click of a button is such a game-changer.

What’s Next?

To learn more about the GMAT Focus Edition, including the latest test dates and registration news, check out our guide to the GMAT Focus exam.

You also may want to check out this special webinar on the GMAT Focus Edition, in which TTP Founder and CEO Scott Woodbury-Stewart explains the changes to the GMAT and answers viewer questions.

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