What is the lowest possible GCS score?

The minimum score is 3 (1 for each component), indicating deep unconsciousness or death. A score of 15 indicates a fully alert and oriented person.

What GCS score indicates a severe brain injury?

A GCS score of 8 or below is classified as a severe brain injury. Scores of 9–12 indicate moderate injury, and 13–15 indicate mild injury.

Can GCS be used in intubated patients?

Verbal response cannot be assessed in intubated patients. The GCS is then recorded as a modified score (e.g., "1T" or "NT" for verbal), and clinical judgment is applied.

How often should GCS be reassessed?

In acute settings, GCS should be reassessed frequently — often every 15–30 minutes for unstable patients — to detect deterioration or improvement in conscious state.

Is GCS the same as the AVPU scale?

No. AVPU (Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive) is a simpler, 4-level scale used for rapid triage. GCS provides more granular, quantified scoring and is preferred for detailed clinical assessment.

Glasgow Coma Scale Calculator — GCS Score Chart & Interpret

Summary

Assess level of consciousness by selecting Eye, Verbal, and Motor responses to calculate the GCS score and severity classification.

How it works

Select the best Eye Opening response observed, scored 1 to 4.
Select the best Verbal Response, scored 1 to 5.
Select the best Motor Response, scored 1 to 6.
The tool sums the three subscores into a total GCS of 3 to 15 and classifies severity as Mild (13–15), Moderate (9–12), or Severe (3–8).

Use cases

Initial neurological assessment of trauma patients in emergency settings.
Monitoring changes in a patient's conscious state over time in the ICU.
Triage decisions for head injury severity in pre-hospital care.
Communicating level of consciousness consistently across clinical teams.
Predicting outcomes and guiding treatment intensity for brain injury patients.

Glasgow Coma Scale

Eye Opening (E)

Verbal Response (V)

Motor Response (M)

GCS Result