The following table shows the women's heptathlon world record progression starting in 1978 and ratified by the IAAF from June 1981.[1][2] The first score in the table indicates the score using the tables in use at the time, the second score is based on tables currently in use.
Record progression edit
| Athlete | Venue | Date | Points | Adjusted points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Liesl Albert |
Dillingen | October 8, 1978 | 5831 | 5654 |
 Andrea Findeis |
Zabrze | September 16, 1979 | 5784 | 5691 |
 Nadezhda Vinogradova |
Frunze | September 30, 1979 | 5848 | 5671 |
 Silvia Barlag |
Longwy | September 30, 1979 | 5878 | 5730 |
| Tatyana Shpak |
Donetsk | May 30, 1980 | 5922 | 5777 |
| Nina Golovina |
Pyatigorsk | July 13, 1980 | 6074 | 5930 |
| Yekaterina Gordiyenko |
Odessa | September 14, 1980 | 6144 | 6095 |
 Jane Frederick |
Walnut | April 24, 1981 | 6166 | 6104 |
| Nadezhda Vinogradova |
Kislovodsk | May 6, 1981 | 6212 | 6181 |
| Ramona Neubert |
Halle | May 24, 1981 | 6621 | 6670 |
| Ramona Neubert |
Kiev | June 28, 1981 | 6716 | 6788 |
| Ramona Neubert |
Halle | June 20, 1982 | 6772 | 6845 |
| Ramona Neubert |
Moscow | June 19, 1983 | 6836 | 6935 |
| Sabine Paetz |
Potsdam | May 6, 1984 | 6867 | 6946 |
| Jackie Joyner |
Moscow | July 7, 1986 | 7148 | 7148 |
| Jackie Joyner |
Houston | August 2, 1986 | 7161 | 7161 |
| Jackie Joyner-Kersee |
Indianapolis | July 17, 1988 | 7215 | 7215 |
| Jackie Joyner-Kersee |
Seoul | September 24, 1988 | 7291 | 7291 |