Understanding GMAT Focus Edition percentiles helps you set realistic MBA admissions goals. Here's what competitive scores look like by school tier.
The GMAT Focus Edition is scored on a 205–805 scale. Here's what those numbers mean for business school admissions.
2026 GMAT Focus Percentile Breakdown
| Score | Percentile | Competitiveness |
|---|---|---|
| 785+ | 99th | Exceptional — competitive everywhere |
| 735 | 96th | Highly competitive for M7 schools |
| 695 | 85th | Strong for top-25 programs |
| 655 | 68th | Competitive for many ranked programs |
| 615 | 50th | Average GMAT taker |
| 575 | 32nd | Below average for ranked programs |
| 535 | 18th | May limit options significantly |
What Business Schools Expect
MBA admissions weight the GMAT alongside work experience, GPA, essays, and interviews. But the GMAT remains important:
- M7 schools (HBS, Stanford, Wharton, etc.): Average 730–740
- Top 15 programs: Average 710–730
- Top 25 programs: Average 690–710
- Top 50 programs: Average 660–690
- Part-time/online MBA programs: Often more flexible, 600+
GMAT Focus Edition Changes
The GMAT Focus Edition (launched 2023) is different from the classic GMAT:
- Three sections instead of four (Verbal, Quant, Data Insights)
- No sentence correction questions
- Shorter test (2 hours 15 minutes)
- New Data Insights section combining data sufficiency and multi-source reasoning
Section Scores Matter
Business schools look at section scores, not just the total:
- Consulting/finance roles: Quant score weighted more heavily
- Marketing/general management: More balanced expectations
- Data analytics programs: Data Insights section increasingly important
Improving Your Score
The GMAT is very learnable — most students can improve 50–80 points with structured preparation. For a comparison of prep options, see our Best GMAT Prep Courses [blocked] rankings.