Free tool · Scored assessment · Neuro / ER / ICU
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).
Score level of consciousness across the three responses — eye opening, verbal, and motor — for a total of 3 to 15. Pick the best response in each, get the total with the E/V/M breakdown, the severity band, and the points where airway and escalation usually come up. Switch to the pediatric (pre-verbal) scale for infants and young children. Scoring follows Teasdale & Jennett and the modern Glasgow structured approach. The score supports your assessment — it doesn’t replace it.
Score the best response in each
Record the best response observed. If a component can’t be tested (e.g., intubated, eyes swollen shut), note it as non-testable rather than scoring 1.
Score eye, verbal, and motor to see the total.
Scoring — adult scale [1][2]
| Score | Eye (E) | Verbal (V) | Motor (M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | — | — | Obeys commands |
| 5 | — | Oriented | Localizes to pain |
| 4 | Spontaneous | Confused | Normal flexion (withdraws) |
| 3 | To sound / speech | Inappropriate words | Abnormal flexion (decorticate) |
| 2 | To pressure / pain | Incomprehensible sounds | Extension (decerebrate) |
| 1 | None | None | None |
Severity: 13–15 mild · 9–12 moderate · 3–8 severe. A GCS of ≤8 is the classic threshold at which airway protection (often intubation) is considered — “GCS 8, intubate” is a prompt, not an absolute rule. Report the breakdown (e.g., E3 V4 M5 = 12), not just the total; the motor score carries the most prognostic weight. Score the best response, and re-score after any change. The pediatric scale swaps the verbal (and some motor/eye) descriptors for pre-verbal children.
References
- Teasdale G, Jennett B. Assessment of coma and impaired consciousness. A practical scale. Lancet. 1974;2(7872):81–84. PMID: 4136544. (Original three-response scale.)
- Teasdale G, et al. The Glasgow Coma Scale at 40 years: standing the test of time / structured assessment. Lancet Neurol. 2014;13(8):844–854. See also glasgowcomascale.org. (Updated descriptors: eye “to sound”/“to pressure”; structured approach; report E/V/M separately.)
- Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale (pre-verbal modification of the verbal and motor/eye descriptors for infants and young children). James HE. Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale. Standard pediatric neuro references / StatPearls. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513298.
Descriptors transcribed from the Glasgow Coma Scale (Teasdale & Jennett 1974; structured approach 2014) and the pediatric modification. Clinical use is individualized by the care team.
Pairs well with