GCS 13–15 – what does it mean?

⚠︎ Learning page – classification and study figures only, no treatment recommendation.

In short

A Glasgow Coma Scale of 13–15 corresponds by convention to mild traumatic brain injury according to the MSD Manual.

The figures describe groups in the cited studies, not the risk of an individual person. This page contains no treatment or management recommendation.

How 13–15 points come about

Eye opening (E, 1–4), verbal response (V, 1–5) and motor response (M, 1–6) are added up. 10 of the 120 possible combinations add up to 13–15 points:

GCS 15 (1 combination): E4V5M6
GCS 14 (3 combinations): E4V4M6, E3V5M6, E4V5M5
GCS 13 (6 combinations): E4V3M6, E3V4M6, E2V5M6, E4V4M5, E3V5M5, E4V5M4

Severity in traumatic brain injury

According to the MSD Manual, the severity of traumatic brain injury is initially classified by convention using the GCS: 13–15 mild, 9–12 moderate, 3–8 severe. This classification applies to traumatic brain injury; the GCS itself describes the level of consciousness in general.

Components rather than total

According to Teasdale et al. (2014), individual patients are best described by the three components (for example E3V4M6); the total is better suited to characterising groups. If a component cannot be assessed, for example the verbal response during intubation, it is recorded as NT (not testable) and no total is given (glasgowcomascale.org).

All ranges at a glance

GCS	Severity of traumatic brain injury (convention, MSD Manual)
13–15	mild
9–12	moderate
3–8	severe

Single scores: GCS 15 · GCS 3

Calculate it yourself

Enter the criteria in the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) calculator – it runs only in your browser.

FAQ

What does a GCS of 13–15 mean?▾

In traumatic brain injury it corresponds by convention to mild injury according to the MSD Manual. For an individual, the three components are more informative than the total (Teasdale 2014).

Which combinations give a GCS of 14?▾

3 combinations, for example E4V4M6, E3V5M6, E4V5M5. The same total can therefore reflect very different findings.

References

Teasdale G, Jennett B. Assessment of coma and impaired consciousness. A practical scale. Lancet 1974;2:81–4. · PubMed
Teasdale G et al. The Glasgow Coma Scale at 40 years: standing the test of time. Lancet Neurol 2014;13:844–54. · PubMed
Glasgow Coma Scale – Structured Assessment, FAQ und Permissions. © University of Glasgow (GCS); Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. · glasgowcomascale.org
MSD Manual Professional Edition: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) (Stand 02/2025) – Abschnitt Glasgow Coma Scale. · msdmanuals.com

Learning page for medical education only: classification and figures reported in the cited sources, no treatment or management recommendation, not for use in patients; not a medical device. Last updated: 10/2026 · Dr. Pascal Bafteh