Scaled Score vs Percentile (The Make-Up of the GMAT Score)

[gtg279v]

I find it quite odd that many on this board consider, for example, 40Q 42V a closely balanced score. I have even noticed experienced posters infer that colleges would consider this score balanced as well.

This does not quite make sense to me as I just took an MGMAT practice exam, and the scores were as follows:

43Q - 61%
35V - 74%
640

Therefore, if I were more "balanced" my score would look more like this:

43Q - 61%
41V - 87% (Estimated for the purpose of the example).
700 (Estimated for the purpose of the example)

Maybe I am confusing balance individual performance, with balance individual performance in each category as compared to the rest of the MGMAT exam takers.

This to me, still, does not seem that balanced.

Any thoughts?

[machichi]

You're absolutely right. Top schools consider a score balanced when the percentiles are more in line. The rule of thumb is both scores should be at or above 80th percentile (Q48 and V36). The scaled score is definitely not the same, percentile-wise, for math and verbal as you noticed.

A 42 in verbal is 96th percentile, so it's considered a really high score.

[Jon@Admissionado]

When they say balanced it's about percentiles more than the actual score. They want to see that things are in order in both Q and V. although still, the overall score is more important.