A good A1C is below 5.7%, which is considered normal. If you already have diabetes, the general target shifts to 7% or below, though your ideal number depends on your age, health, and risk of low blood sugar episodes. The A1C test measures your average blood sugar over the past two to three months, giving a broader picture than a single finger-stick reading.
The Standard A1C Ranges
The American Diabetes Association breaks A1C results into three categories:
- Normal: below 5.7%
- Prediabetes: 5.7% to 6.4%
- Diabetes: 6.5% or higher
If your result falls in the prediabetes range, it means your blood sugar has been running higher than normal but hasn’t crossed into diabetes territory. This is the window where lifestyle changes can make the biggest difference. A result of 6.5% or above on two separate tests typically confirms a diabetes diagnosis.
What Your A1C Translates to in Daily Blood Sugar
A1C percentages can feel abstract. Converting them to estimated average glucose, the number you’d see on a home meter, makes them more concrete:
- A1C of 6%: average blood sugar around 126 mg/dL
- A1C of 6.5%: around 140 mg/dL
- A1C of 7%: around 154 mg/dL
- A1C of 7.5%: around 169 mg/dL
- A1C of 8%: around 183 mg/dL
- A1C of 9%: around 212 mg/dL
These are estimates. Your actual daily readings will swing above and below these averages, but the conversion helps you see how each percentage point reflects what’s happening in your bloodstream day to day.
Targets If You Have Diabetes
For most adults managing type 2 diabetes, the standard goal is an A1C of 7% or below. But “good” is genuinely personal here, and pushing too aggressively toward a lower number can backfire if it causes frequent episodes of dangerously low blood sugar.
Older adults and people with multiple health conditions often do better with a more relaxed target. Clinical guidelines from Diabetes Canada lay this out clearly: someone who is functionally independent can aim for 7% or below, but someone who needs daily assistance with tasks may target up to 8%. For people who are frail or living with dementia, a target below 8.5% is considered appropriate, with the priority shifting toward avoiding both dangerously high and dangerously low blood sugar rather than hitting a specific number. For those at end of life, routine A1C testing is no longer recommended.
The medications you take also factor in. If your treatment carries a higher risk of low blood sugar episodes, your target typically loosens to the 7.1% to 8% range even if you’re otherwise healthy and independent.
A1C During Pregnancy
If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and become pregnant, the target drops significantly. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends keeping your A1C at or below 6%. Higher levels during pregnancy increase the risk of complications for both parent and baby. During pregnancy, A1C reflects roughly the past four to six weeks rather than the usual two to three months, so it gets checked more frequently.
When Results Can Be Misleading
The A1C test works by measuring how much sugar is attached to your red blood cells. Anything that changes how long those cells live or how they behave can skew the result. The CDC lists several conditions that can produce falsely high or low readings:
- Severe anemia
- Kidney failure
- Liver disease
- Blood disorders like sickle cell disease or thalassemia
- Recent blood loss or transfusions
- Certain medications, including opioids and some HIV treatments
- Early or late pregnancy
If any of these apply to you, your doctor may use a different test, such as a fructosamine test, to get a more accurate picture of your blood sugar control.
How to Improve Your A1C
Even modest lifestyle changes move the needle. A large meta-analysis published in The Lancet found that diet and exercise interventions reduced A1C by about 0.15 percentage points on average and cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 25%. That may sound small, but for someone sitting at 5.9% (prediabetes), a shift of even a tenth of a point in the right direction represents real metabolic improvement.
The changes that have the most evidence behind them are consistent: regular physical activity (both cardio and resistance training), reducing refined carbohydrates, losing 5% to 7% of body weight if you’re carrying extra, and eating more fiber-rich foods. These aren’t short-term fixes. The benefit comes from sustained habits over months, which is exactly the timeframe the A1C test captures.
For people already on diabetes medication, A1C is the primary metric doctors use to judge whether a treatment plan is working. If your number isn’t budging after three months, that’s typically when adjustments happen.
How Often to Get Tested
If your A1C comes back in the prediabetes range, testing every one to two years is standard. If you have diabetes, you should get tested at least twice a year. People who recently changed medications or aren’t yet meeting their target may get tested every three months until things stabilize. The test is a simple blood draw, and results are usually available within a day or two.