Calculate a newborn Apgar score from the five Apgar signs — Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration — at 1, 5, and 10 minutes after birth. Each sign is rated 0, 1, or 2 for a total of 0–10, with interpretation bands, trend tracking between timepoints, a scoring chart, worked examples, and 1-minute / 5-minute assessment timers.
The five Apgar score criteria are Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration. Select the timepoint, then choose the description that best matches each sign. Scores update live below.
The 10-minute timepoint is optional — it is usually repeated only when the score stays low.
| Timepoint | Total | Interpretation |
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The button formats your selections for Apgar score documentation, e.g. "APGAR 9/10 (Normal) at 5 minutes", followed by the per-sign breakdown.
Standard practice scores the baby at 1 minute and again at 5 minutes after birth. Start a reminder and you'll hear an alert when it's time to record the next score.
The standard newborn Apgar chart. Each of the five signs scores 0, 1, or 2; the total is the sum, from 0 to a maximum of 10.
The Apgar test for newborns is one of the fastest assessments in medicine: five signs, up to 2 points each, one total out of 10 — completed in under a minute by a trained observer.
The score was devised in 1952 by Dr. Virginia Apgar, an anesthesiologist at Columbia University, as a rapid, standardized way to describe a newborn's condition and to flag babies who need immediate help. The letters of her name conveniently spell the five signs — a handy mnemonic — which made the score easy to teach worldwide.
Most newborns lose 1 point on Appearance because their hands and feet are bluish (acrocyanosis) during the first minutes of life, which is completely normal. A score of 9 is an excellent, very typical result — the normal range of the Apgar score is 7 to 10.
The Apgar score is a quick, standardized way of describing a newborn's physical condition right after birth. Five signs are each rated 0, 1, or 2, and the five numbers are added for a total from 0 to 10. It is a communication and triage tool for the birth team, not a diagnosis.
APGAR is a mnemonic for the five signs: Appearance (skin color), Pulse (heart rate), Grimace (reflex response to stimulation), Activity (muscle tone), and Respiration (breathing effort). It was devised in 1952 by Dr. Virginia Apgar, a Columbia University anesthesiologist, and her surname is what the test is named after.
Standard practice is to score the baby at 1 minute and again at 5 minutes after birth. If the score stays low, it is usually repeated at 10, 15, and 20 minutes to track the baby's response to care.
Each of the five signs is scored 0, 1, or 2, with 2 being the best. For example, a heart rate of 100 beats per minute or above scores 2, below 100 scores 1, and an absent heart rate scores 0. The five scores are added: 2+2+2+2+2 is 10, the maximum.
A score of 7 to 10 is considered normal and reassuring, and the baby typically receives routine newborn care. Scores of 8 or 9 at 1 minute are very common.
A score of 4, 5, or 6 is moderately low. In clinical practice the baby is watched closely and may receive supportive care such as supplemental oxygen or help staying warm. A low 1-minute score often improves by 5 minutes, which is reassuring.
A score of 0 to 3 is critically low. In a real delivery this is an emergency and the resuscitation team acts immediately to support the baby's breathing and circulation. This calculator is educational only; it never guides real resuscitation.
A perfect 10 is uncommon. Most newborns lose 1 point on Appearance because their hands and feet are bluish (acrocyanosis) in the first minutes of life, which is normal. A score of 9 is an excellent and very typical result.
No. The Apgar score is designed to assess the baby's condition in the first minutes of life and guide immediate care; it is not a predictor of an individual baby's long-term health or development. A low 1-minute score that improves by 5 minutes is common and does not mean the baby will have lasting problems.
In real deliveries, the newborn Apgar assessment is performed by a trained member of the birth team, such as a midwife, nurse, or doctor. Laypeople should not use this page to score a real baby: accurate scoring requires hands-on clinical training.
An improving trend from 1 minute to 5 minutes is exactly what clinicians hope to see. It suggests the baby is adapting well to life outside the womb, especially when the improvement follows the birth team's care. The 5-minute score is generally considered the more meaningful of the two.
The expanded Apgar score is an extended documentation format used in some hospitals for babies who need resuscitation. Alongside the classic 0 to 10 total, it records what interventions were given (for example oxygen, ventilation, or chest compressions), so the score reflects the level of support the baby needed. This calculator covers the classic 5-sign total.
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