Interactive scorer for the Glasgow Coma Scale (Teasdale & Jennett, The Lancet, 1974):
eye opening (E1–4), verbal response (V1–5), and motor response (M1–6) — total 3–15
with mild / moderate / severe bands, the intubated-T notation, and the paediatric variant.
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Clinical assessment aid only. This tool does not replace clinical judgment.
In an emergency, call your local emergency number (for example 119 in Indonesia) — do not rely on a calculator.
Interactive GCS scorer
Select the best response observed in each category. E = eye, V = verbal, M = motor.
Paediatric variant: verbal and motor criteria are
adjusted to developmental stage (e.g. V5 = smiles/orients to sounds/follows objects; M5 = withdraws to touch).
Eye opening is assessed as in adults. Numeric scale identical: total 3–15.
15
Mild brain injury E4 V5 M6
Component
Best response
Score
Eye (E)
Spontaneous
4 / 4
Verbal (V)
Oriented
5 / 5
Motor (M)
Obeys commands
6 / 6
Assessment aid, not a diagnosis. Re-score over time — the trend matters more
than any single total. If this is a real patient in distress, call emergency services now.
Worked examples
1 — Fully awake adult: E4 + V5 + M6 = 15 → mild
Spontaneous eye opening, oriented conversation, obeys commands. Total 15, notation
E4 V5 M6, band mild (13–15).
No eye opening, verbal untestable due to endotracheal tube (recorded V1T), extension posturing.
Total 4T (numeric 4 + T suffix), notation E1 V1T M2, band severe (≤ 8).
Methodology
GCS = E (1–4) + V (1–5) + M (1–6) → 3 – 15
Items per Teasdale & Jennett, The Lancet 1974, with the 2014 wording update
(“to pressure” instead of “to pain”). Severity bands: 13–15 mild, 9–12 moderate,
≤ 8 severe/coma (ATLS convention). Paediatric verbal/motor criteria per the paediatric GCS adaptations
(NICE head-injury guidance family; preverbal criteria: V5 smiles/orients/follows, V4 cries-but-consolable,
M6 spontaneous purposeful movement, M5 withdraws to touch). Score the best response per component;
untestable verbal (intubated) is V1T with a T-suffixed total, untestable eyes (closed/swollen) E1C.
Scope boundary: what this tool is (and isn't)
This tool = the standalone GCS assessment. Component-level E+V+M scoring (3–15), severity
bands, intubated-T notation, and the paediatric variant.
NOT an ICU prognosis calculator.APACHE II and
SAPS II are intensive-care mortality scores that
consume a GCS number as one of many inputs (vitals, labs, chronic health) — they do not score
the E/V/M components. Determine the GCS here, then feed that number into those tools.
NOT a substitute for clinical judgment, imaging, or serial examination. See the FAQ.
What is the Glasgow Coma Scale and who created it?
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was developed in 1974 by Graham Teasdale and Bryan Jennett at the Institute of Neurological Sciences, University of Glasgow ("Assessment of coma and impaired consciousness", The Lancet, 1974). It standardizes the assessment of consciousness after brain injury by scoring three responses — eye opening (E1–4), verbal response (V1–5), and motor response (M1–6) — added to a total between 3 and 15. It is used worldwide in emergency departments, ambulances, and intensive care units.
How is the total GCS score calculated?
Add the BEST response in each category: eye opening (1–4) + verbal response (1–5) + motor response (1–6). The total ranges from 3 (deep coma) to 15 (fully awake). For example, E4+V5+M6 = 15 (mild), and E2+V3+M4 = 9 (moderate). Always record the three components alongside the total, e.g. "E4 V5 M6 = 15", because the same total can describe very different patients.
What do the GCS severity bands mean?
GCS 13–15 = mild brain injury, GCS 9–12 = moderate brain injury, and GCS 3–8 = severe brain injury. By convention, a GCS of 8 or less is described as coma, and airway protection (intubation) is commonly considered at GCS ≤ 8. These bands guide triage and monitoring intensity but do not replace clinical judgment or neuroimaging decisions.
What does the "T" mean in a GCS score like 11T?
The T marks an untestable verbal component — most often because the patient is intubated (endotracheal tube in place). Verbal is recorded as V1T, counts as 1 numerically, and the total carries the T suffix so nobody mistakes it for a true verbal score: for example, E1+V1T+M2 = 4T, which is in the severe band. This is the standard GCS-T notation.
Why does this calculator say "to pressure" instead of "to pain"?
Teasdale's 2014 update to the scale replaced the stimulus wording "to pain" with "to pressure" (eye opening to pressure, E2; and the corresponding motor/verbal stimuli). The scoring is unchanged — only the description of the stimulus was modernized.
Can the GCS be used in children?
Yes, with the paediatric adaptation (PGCS) for preverbal children under about 4 years. The numeric scale is identical (E1–4, V1–5, M1–6; total 3–15) and the severity bands are the same, but the verbal and motor criteria are adjusted to developmental stage: for example, V5 becomes "smiles, orients to sounds, follows objects, interacts" and M5 becomes "withdraws to touch". Eye opening is assessed the same as in adults. Use the Paediatric tab in the scorer above.
Why report E4 V5 M6 instead of just the total?
Because the total alone loses information. E2 V4 M6 = 12 and E4 V2 M6 = 12 are both "12", yet one patient cannot open their eyes while the other cannot speak — different problems, different management. Guidelines stress recording all three components; the motor component is considered the most informative in severe cases.
What is the "best response" rule?
Score the best response you observe in each category — the highest level the patient achieves, even if their responses vary during the examination. Record the components separately and repeat the assessment over time: the trend (improving vs deteriorating) is often more informative than any single total.
How is this different from the APACHE II and SAPS II calculators?
APACHE II and SAPS II are intensive-care prognostic scores that take a single GCS number as ONE of many inputs (alongside vitals, labs, and chronic health). This tool is the standalone GCS assessment itself — component-level E+V+M scoring, severity bands, the intubated-T notation, and the paediatric variant. If you already have a GCS and need an ICU mortality estimate, use our APACHE II or SAPS II calculators; if you need to determine the GCS from the patient's responses, you are in the right place.
Does a low GCS score predict outcome?
GCS correlates with injury severity — especially the motor component in severe traumatic brain injury — and serial scores help track change. But it is one data point among many (pupils, imaging, vitals, mechanism of injury, trend over time). A calculator result is an assessment aid, not a prognosis and not a substitute for clinical judgment; in an emergency, call your local emergency number (for example 119 in Indonesia).
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