Reference ranges
| Not pregnant | Below 5 mIU/mL |
| 3 – 4 weeks | 5 – 425 mIU/mL |
| 4 – 5 weeks | 20 – 7,300 mIU/mL |
| Expected pattern early on | Roughly doubling every 48 – 72 hours |
Reference ranges vary between laboratories and methods. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
Seek care urgently if
- Severe one-sided lower abdominal pain
- Shoulder-tip pain
- Heavy vaginal bleeding
- Dizziness or fainting with a positive test
- Any positive test with pain and a previous ectopic
What a high result can mean
Pregnancy further along than dated
The commonest explanation.
Twins or multiple pregnancy
Levels rise faster and higher.
Molar pregnancy
Very high levels needing prompt assessment.
Recent pregnancy loss
hCG takes weeks to clear.
What a low result can mean
Very early pregnancy
Simply tested too soon — repeat in 48 hours.
Ectopic pregnancy
Classically a slow rise rather than doubling — needs urgent scanning.
Miscarriage
Falling levels.
Miscalculated dates
Common and usually harmless.
Have your result in front of you?
Send us the value and we will tell you whether it needs an appointment or not. No account, no form.
Ask about my Beta hCG resultNothing is stored on this website.
What happens next
A single hCG rarely answers the question. Repeating it after 48 hours and pairing it with a pelvic or transvaginal scan establishes whether the pregnancy is in the right place and progressing.
Beta hCG Test Pregnancy Scan Transvaginal ScanOther results people look up
This page explains what a result can mean in general terms. It is not a diagnosis and cannot account for your history, medication or examination. All visits to Mascot Healthcare are by appointment — Mon–Sat, 9AM–5PM, 52 Sholanke Street, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos.