What Is Raw score on the GMAT?
Your raw score on the GMAT is simply the number of questions you answer correctly in a section, before any weighting or conversion. It's the starting point for calculating your scaled score, which is the number business schools actually see.
Definition
Your raw score is the unadjusted count of correct answers you get in a GMAT section (Quantitative, Verbal, or Integrated Reasoning). For example, if you answer 28 out of 31 questions correctly on the Quant section, your raw score is 28. It does not account for question difficulty or any penalties for wrong answers.
Why it matters on the GMAT
The raw score is the first step in the scoring process. The GMAT algorithm converts your raw score into a scaled score (like 0-60 for Quant/Verbal, or 1-8 for IR) using a process called equating. This conversion adjusts for slight variations in difficulty across different test forms, ensuring fairness. Your official score report only shows scaled scores and percentiles, not raw scores, so raw scores are not directly reported to schools.
A concrete example
Suppose you take the GMAT and get 24 correct answers in the Verbal section. Your raw score is 24. The test algorithm then maps this raw score to a scaled score, say 36, based on the specific test form's difficulty. Another test-taker on a different date might also get 24 correct but receive a scaled score of 38 if their test form was slightly harder. The raw score itself is not used for admissions; the scaled score is.
Common mistakes
- Confusing raw score with scaled score: Your raw score is not what appears on your official score report.
- Assuming all correct answers count equally: While raw score counts each correct answer equally, the conversion to scaled score may adjust for difficulty, so two raw scores of 28 might yield different scaled scores on different test forms.
- Thinking raw score is affected by wrong answers: There is no penalty for wrong answers on the GMAT, so your raw score is simply the number correct, not correct minus incorrect.
How to practice it
When taking practice tests, track your raw score (number correct) for each section. Compare it to your scaled score to understand the conversion. Use this to set target raw scores based on your desired scaled score. For example, if you need a scaled score of 40 on Quant, research what raw score typically corresponds to that. Practice with official GMAT materials to get a realistic sense of the conversion.