What is the Bishop score?
Pick the five findings of a cervical exam to add up the Bishop score and see whether it counts as favorable or unfavorable for induction of labor. For information only. This is not medical advice or a diagnosis. Do not use it to make treatment decisions without a clinician. No licensed clinician has reviewed this page.
- Bishop score
- 5
The Bishop score is 5 out of 13: Unfavorable.
Unfavorable (5 or less)
- Unfavorable (5 or less)
- Between the cutoffs (6 to 8)
- Favorable (over 8)
- Cervix
- Unfavorable
Bishop score: 5. The Bishop score is 5 out of 13: Unfavorable.
Bishop score out of 13
This calculator gives general information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor or other health care provider. Talk with a professional about your results. Terms of use
How to calculate
Adds up the five parts of the Bishop score (Bishop 1964) from a cervical exam to a total of 0 to 13, and shows whether the cervix counts as favorable or unfavorable for induction of labor.
Example with the default inputs (Dilation 1 to 2 cm (1), Effacement 40 to 50% (1), Station −2 (1), Consistency Medium (1), Position Mid (1)): The Bishop score is 5 out of 13: Unfavorable.
Method: Bishop score = dilation (0 to 3) + effacement (0 to 3) + station (0 to 3) + consistency (0 to 2) + position (0 to 2). Over 8 favorable, 5 or less unfavorable.
- Bishop studied women who had given birth before (multiparous) at term, with the baby head down.
- The page shows the score and what the sources say it means. It does not decide whether or how to induce labor.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Dilation 1 to 2 cm (1), Effacement 40 to 50% (1), Station −2 (1), Consistency Medium (1), Position Mid (1) gives Bishop score 5, Cervix Unfavorable.Source: Wheeler 2022 table (from Bishop 1964): 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5, 5 or less is unfavorable ()
- Dilation 5 cm or more (3), Effacement 80% or more (3), Station +1 or +2 (3), Consistency Soft (2), Position Anterior (2) gives Bishop score 13, Cervix Favorable.Source: Bishop 1964: the highest score, 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 13
- Dilation 3 to 4 cm (2), Effacement 60 to 70% (2), Station −1 or 0 (2), Consistency Soft (2), Position Mid (1) gives Bishop score 9, Cervix Favorable.Source: Bishop 1964: 9 or more; Wheeler 2022: over 8 is favorable
- Dilation 3 to 4 cm (2), Effacement 60 to 70% (2), Station −1 or 0 (2), Consistency Medium (1), Position Mid (1) gives Bishop score 8, Cervix Between the cutoffs.Source: Wheeler 2022 cutoffs: 8 is not over 8 and not 5 or less
- Dilation Closed (0), Effacement 0 to 30% (0), Station −3 (0), Consistency Firm (0), Position Posterior (0) gives Bishop score 0, Cervix Unfavorable.Source: Bishop 1964: the lowest score is 0 ()
Medical disclaimer
This calculator is for information and education only. It is not medical advice, and its result is not a diagnosis. Do not use it to start, stop, or change a treatment without a clinician who knows your health history. No licensed clinician has reviewed this page. This site's editors checked the formulas and worked examples against published sources. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your local emergency number.
When this does not apply. Bishop studied multiparous women at term with the baby head down. The score is less certain in a first pregnancy, before term, or with a breech baby, and it is not a test of whether labor will start on its own.
How the score is worked out
| Part | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dilation | Closed | 1 to 2 cm | 3 to 4 cm | 5 cm or more |
| Effacement | 0 to 30% | 40 to 50% | 60 to 70% | 80% or more |
| Station | −3 | −2 | −1 or 0 | +1 or +2 |
| Consistency | Firm | Medium | Soft | |
| Position | Posterior | Mid | Anterior |
Bishop score = the sum of the five parts, 0 to 13 (Wheeler 2022, Table 2, from Bishop 1964).
Grade: over 8 favorable; 5 or less unfavorable (Wheeler 2022); 6 to 8 is shown as between the cutoffs.
Worked examples by hand
Page default. 1 to 2 cm (1), 40 to 50% (1), station −2 (1), medium (1), mid (1): 5, unfavorable.
Every part at its highest. 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 13, favorable.
Favorable edge. 3 to 4 cm (2), 60 to 70% (2), station 0 (2), soft (2), mid (1): 9, favorable.
Between the cutoffs. 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 8: not over 8 and not 5 or less.
Every part at 0. 0, unfavorable.
Other questions people ask
What is the Bishop score?
A score of how ready the cervix is for labor, published by Edward Bishop in 1964. It adds points for dilation, effacement, the baby’s station, and the consistency and position of the cervix, for a total of 0 to 13.
What is a favorable Bishop score?
Over 8. Bishop found that induction succeeded when the score was 9 or more, and a 2022 review in American Family Physician calls a score over 8 favorable and 5 or less unfavorable.
What about a score of 6 to 8?
It falls between the two cutoffs in the review. The page shows it as between the cutoffs and does not grade it either way.
What does station mean?
How far down the baby’s head is, measured in cm from the ischial spines of the pelvis: −3 is high, 0 is level with the spines, and +1 or +2 is below them.
Who did Bishop study?
Women who had given birth before (multiparous), at term, being considered for elective induction. Later use extended the score to first births, where the same score may predict less well.
Is there a modified Bishop score?
Yes, several versions change the parts, for example using cervical length in place of effacement. This page uses the original five parts.