What is the GCS score?
Pick the best eye, verbal, and motor response to add up the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), see its usual head injury band, and the GCS-Pupils score. 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.
- GCS score
- 15
The GCS score is 15 (E4 V5 M6), in the Mild band; the GCS-Pupils score is 15.
Mild (13 to 15)
- Severe (3 to 8)
- Moderate (9 to 12)
- Mild (13 to 15)
- Head injury severity
- Mild
- Parts
- E4 V5 M6
- GCS-Pupils score
- 15
GCS score: 15. The GCS score is 15 (E4 V5 M6), in the Mild band; the GCS-Pupils score is 15.
GCS score out of 15
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 the eye, verbal, and motor parts of the Glasgow Coma Scale to a total of 3 to 15, shows the usual head injury severity band, and gives the GCS-Pupils score.
Example with the default inputs (Eye opening (E) 4: Opens spontaneously, Verbal response (V) 5: Oriented, Motor response (M) 6: Obeys commands, Pupils (for GCS-P) Both react to light): The GCS score is 15 (E4 V5 M6), in the Mild band; the GCS-Pupils score is 15.
Method: GCS = eye (1 to 4) + verbal (1 to 5) + motor (1 to 6). GCS-P = GCS − pupil reactivity score (0, 1, or 2 pupils that do not react).
- Score the best response seen. A part that cannot be tested is reported as NT, and no total is given.
- The severity bands (severe 3 to 8, moderate 9 to 12, mild 13 to 15) are the usual head injury grades, not a diagnosis.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Eye opening (E) 4: Opens spontaneously, Verbal response (V) 5: Oriented, Motor response (M) 6: Obeys commands, Pupils (for GCS-P) Both react to light gives GCS score 15, Head injury severity Mild, Parts E4 V5 M6, GCS-Pupils score 15.Source: Teasdale and Jennett 1974 scale: 4 + 5 + 6 = 15
- Eye opening (E) 2: Opens to pressure, Verbal response (V) 2: Sounds, Motor response (M) 4: Normal flexion, Pupils (for GCS-P) Both react to light gives GCS score 8, Head injury severity Severe, Parts E2 V2 M4, GCS-Pupils score 8.Source: Teasdale 2014 scale
- Eye opening (E) 3: Opens to sound, Verbal response (V) 4: Confused, Motor response (M) 5: Localizing, Pupils (for GCS-P) One does not react gives GCS score 12, Head injury severity Moderate, Parts E3 V4 M5, GCS-Pupils score 11.Source: Brennan 2018: GCS-P = GCS − pupil reactivity score
- Eye opening (E) 1: No eye opening, Verbal response (V) 1: No sounds, Motor response (M) 1: No movement, Pupils (for GCS-P) Neither reacts gives GCS score 3, Head injury severity Severe, Parts E1 V1 M1, GCS-Pupils score 1.Source: Brennan 2018: the lowest GCS-P is 3 − 2 = 1
- Eye opening (E) 3: Opens to sound, Verbal response (V) 5: Oriented, Motor response (M) 5: Localizing, Pupils (for GCS-P) Both react to light gives GCS score 13, Head injury severity Mild.
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. The scale was made for adults with a head injury or other cause of reduced consciousness. Young children who cannot yet talk need a pediatric version. Sedation, a breathing tube, alcohol or drugs, and injuries to the eyes or limbs can lower a part of the score for reasons other than the brain; mark such a part NT.
How the score is worked out
Pick the best response seen in each part (Teasdale 1974, with the 2014 terms):
| Points | Eye opening (E) | Verbal response (V) | Motor response (M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Obeys commands | ||
| 5 | Oriented | Localizing | |
| 4 | Spontaneous | Confused | Normal flexion |
| 3 | To sound | Words | Abnormal flexion |
| 2 | To pressure | Sounds | Extension |
| 1 | None | None | None |
GCS = E + V + M, from 3 to 15. If any part is NT (not testable), the page gives no total and asks for the parts.
Severity band: 8 or less severe, 9 to 12 moderate, 13 to 15 mild. The Glasgow Coma Scale FAQ writes severe as a sum score under 8; this page follows the Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines (3 to 8 severe), so every total has a band.
GCS-P = GCS − pupil reactivity score, where the pupil reactivity score is 0 if both pupils react to light, 1 if one does not, and 2 if neither does (Brennan 2018). GCS-P runs from 1 to 15.
Worked examples by hand
Fully awake. E4 V5 M6: 4 + 5 + 6 = 15, mild. Both pupils react: GCS-P = 15 − 0 = 15.
Severe. E2 V2 M4: 2 + 2 + 4 = 8, which is 8 or less: severe. GCS-P = 8.
One pupil does not react. E3 V4 M5: 3 + 4 + 5 = 12, moderate. GCS-P = 12 − 1 = 11.
No response. E1 V1 M1: 3, severe. Neither pupil reacts: GCS-P = 3 − 2 = 1.
Band edge. E3 V5 M5: 3 + 5 + 5 = 13, the lowest mild score.
Other questions people ask
What is the Glasgow Coma Scale?
A way to describe how awake and responsive a person is, published by Teasdale and Jennett in 1974. It rates three things: eye opening (1 to 4), the best verbal response (1 to 5), and the best motor response (1 to 6). The total runs from 3 (no response) to 15 (fully awake).
What do the GCS bands mean?
The Glasgow Coma Scale FAQ grades head injury as mild (13 to 15), moderate (9 to 12), or severe (under 8). The Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines define severe traumatic brain injury as a GCS of 3 to 8 after resuscitation, so this page counts 8 as severe. A band describes a group and is not a diagnosis.
What if a part cannot be tested?
Mark it NT (not testable), for example a breathing tube for the verbal part or swollen eyes. Do not score it as 1. The scale’s authors advise reporting the parts, such as E2 VNT M5, and not a total; this page then gives no total.
What is the GCS-P score?
The GCS-Pupils score (Brennan 2018) takes the GCS total and subtracts the number of pupils that do not react to light (0, 1, or 2). It runs from 1 to 15 and adds the pupil check to the coma score in one number.
Why report E, V, and M as well as the total?
The same total can come from very different patients. A score of 8 written as E2 V2 M4 says more than the number alone, so the parts are shown with the total.
Who can use the scale?
The University of Glasgow holds the copyright of the GCS, and Sir Graham Teasdale that of the GCS-P. The scale’s website allows their use in clinical care and research at no cost, with acknowledgement. This page uses the 2014 terms for the responses.