Understanding The Integrated Reasoning Scoring Scale
 |
Learn more about Veritas Prep's GMAT course or read Veritas Prep articles on BTG. |
Recently the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) announced what the scoring scale will be for the new Integrated Reasoning section. Integrated Reasoning (IR) will be scored on a scale of 1 to 8, in whole-number increments.
Remember that your total GMAT score (out of 800) is only calculated off of your Quant and Verbal scores. So, you can do horribly on the AWA and IR sections and still earn an excellent total GMAT score, or vice versa. This should not alter your GMAT preparation strategy, but if you get flustered on the IR section, put it out of your mind because the next two and a half hours are what actually impact your total GMAT score.
For all applicants who take the GMAT on June 5 or later, they will earn five scores:
- AWA score (1-6)
- Integrated Reasoning score (1-8)
- Qunatitative score (0-60)
- Verbal score (0-60)
- Total GMAT score (200-800)
Keep in mind that, while the test is still computer-based, the new IR section is not computer adaptive. How you answer one question will not affect what question is given to you next. You will complete 12 questions, and for multi-part questions, you must get each part correct in order to earn credit for the question. Although some GMAT-related blogs have recently reported otherwise, there will be no partial credit granted on Integrated Reasoning questions. GMAC’s own Larry Rudner wrote as much on MBA.com just this week:
IR scoring is based on the number of correct questions, and the questions will have multiple integrated parts. To receive credit for a question, you will have to answer each part correctly. There is no partial credit; you will not get extra points for getting part of a question right. Having to get multiple parts correct in order to receive credit is not really new to the GMAT. Our Data Sufficiency questions, for example, require you to correctly evaluate two statements independently and together in order to receive credit for the question. Partial credit is not given. If you have no idea how to answer part of a given question, it may be a good idea to make a best guess and move on. Spending a lot of time on any question is never a good strategy.
Update: GMAC just published more information about Integrated Reasoning percentiles and score scaling. Percentiles will be updated every month for the first six months after the new GMAT launches, and then will be updated annually after that. We may see notable fluctuations in percentile rankings for the first several months, but GMAC expects that things will calm down after that.
