GMAT scoring change?

[Toddius]

I just took the GMAT on Saturday (6/25/11) and got what purports to be a 720 (46 Q 44 V). According to the online scoring calculators, this used to be a 730. Someone at 800score told me that they thought the scoring outcome was changed last week. Does anyone know anything about this? Has the change been publicized (if it actually changed)? I understand that the percentile rank would change - but why would the actual score change? What does this mean for me? I feel penalized for not taking the test earlier.

I'm not planning on taking the test again - though I think I can do a little better on Q. Should I reconsider? Any thoughts from anyone on the forum? Thanks in advance.

[Ian Stewart]

First, don't trust any 'online scoring calculators'; none of them are right. They will give decent estimates, but will often be wrong by 10-20 points.

Second, I've seen several cases where two test takers have the same scaled scores, but have a 10-point difference in their /800 score, and this for test takers taking the GMAT in the same month. The scaled scores are rounded off anyway, and I'm guessing to figure out the /800 score, they use the unrounded numbers. So if you had a 46Q/44V, that could actually be a 45.7Q/43.7V, or a 46.3Q/44.3V; in the first case you might get a 720 and in the second you might get a 730.

Third, you can't easily compare scaled scores from this year with, say, scaled scores from five years ago. The test is really using your rank against other test takers (really how many standard deviations above average you are) to determine your overall score. If test takers are better prepared now, your percentiles in each section, and thus your /800 score, will be lower than what someone would have gotten several years ago. The change in the scoring because of this happens so gradually, however, (since it's based on averages taken over a couple of years) that you wouldn't normally notice it unless you look back several years.

The scoring of the GMAT is based on fundamental statistical principles - they simply can't change it. Whoever told you the scoring has changed is wrong.