GMAT Focus Edition: All You Need to Know About the New GMAT Format

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) has long been the standard assessment for aspiring business school students. It is a crucial component of the admissions process for graduate business programs worldwide.

However, the GMAT, like all standardised tests, we’ve witnessed many GMAT changes over the years. In this blog post, we’ll explore the GMAT Focus Edition – the latest version of the GMAT, and all the essential information you need to know about it.

Classic GMAT Pattern

Before you embark on your GMAT preparation journey for the GMAT 2024 exam, it is vital to grasp the structure of the Classic GMAT test. The Classic GMAT exam requires a total time commitment of 3 hours and 7 minutes to complete. It is conducted exclusively in English and is administered in a computer-based format. GMAT scores fall within the range of 200 to 800, serving as the evaluation scale. Each section of the Classic GMAT has its prescribed time limits, which vary based on the specific section. Additionally, candidates are granted the flexibility to tailor their test-taking experience by selecting from three distinct combinations.

Read More – The different sections of the GMAT exam

The Classic GMAT exam is divided into several segments, each with its own designated time allocation:

• The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section involves crafting a 30-minute essay where you analyse a provided argument. Notably, scores from the AWA and Integrated Reasoning (IR) sections do not factor into the overall GMAT score, which ranges from 200 to 800.
• The Integrated Reasoning (IR) section contains various question types (totalling 12) that you must address within a 30-minute window.
• The Quantitative Reasoning (QR) section consists of 31 questions to be solved in 62 minutes. Your performance in this section is pivotal in determining your final GMAT score within the 200-800 range.
• The Verbal Reasoning (VR) section consists of 36 questions to be completed within a 65-minute timeframe. Success in both the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections collectively contributes to your overall GMAT score.

The Classic GMAT format is given below:

GMAT Focus Edition – GMAT New Pattern

The GMAT Exam – Focus Edition is comprised of three sections that showcase the specific skills needed to succeed in a graduate management program:

• Quantitative Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning
• Data Insights

Overview

The GMAT Exam – Focus Edition is 2 hours and 15 minutes long (with one optional 10-minute break) and consists of 64 questions in total:

• Quantitative Reasoning: 21 questions, 45 minutes
• Verbal Reasoning: 23 questions, 45 minutes
• Data Insights: 20 questions, 45 minutes

Read More – How to improve your GMAT verbal from V30 to V40

The GMAT Focus Edition format is given below:

GMAT Focus Edition vs. the Classic GMAT exam- A comparison

Feature	The GMAT Focus edition 2024	The GMAT exam
Exam duration	2 hours 15 minutes	3 hours 7 minutes
Sections	Quantitative reasoning, Verbal reasoning, Data insights	Quantitative reasoning, Verbal reasoning, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical writing assessment
Question type	All multiple-choice questions	Multiple choice questions + One essay
No. of Questions	Verbal – 23 Quant – 21 Data Insights – 20	Verbal – 36 Quant – 31 IR – 12 AWA – 1
Exam Cost	$275	$275
Individual section duration	3 sections of 45 minutes each	Quantitative reasoning- 62 minutes; Verbal reasoning- 65 minutes; IR- 30 minutes; AWA- 30 minutes
Section order	Any order possible	Order 1- AWA and IR> Quant> Verbal; Order 2- Verbal> Quant> IR and AWA; Order 3- Quant> Verbal> IR and AWA
Flexibility	Bookmark and review as many questions as possible; Change up to 3 answers per section	No option to bookmark, edit or review questions
Score sending	Send scores to 5 schools for free after knowing your score in both the online and test center exam	Select five schools to send the score for free before starting the exam
Performance insights	Improved official score report with detailed insights into your performance	You can get insights into your performance by purchasing the ESR at an additional cost of $30
Attempts	Five (5) GMAT exam attempts during a rolling 12-month period and eight (8) total lifetime attempts	Five (5) GMAT exam attempts during a rolling 12-month period and eight (8) total lifetime attempts

Major GMAT Changes – What Does the New GMAT Format Look Like?

The GMAT Focus Edition 2024 brings several significant changes designed to better evaluate the skills needed in the modern business environment. Here are some of the major changes in the GMAT format:

1. 1. The test now comprises three sections (Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights) instead of four.
   2. The test duration has been reduced from 3 hours and 7 minutes to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
   3. There are content changes in the Quantitative and Verbal sections.
   4. The scaled total score range has changed from 200-800 to 205-805.
   5. You now have the option to review and edit your answers.
   6. The official score report has been detailed and improved.

Read how to improve your scores on the quantitative aptitude and verbal reasoning section in our blogs – 6 tips to improve your GMAT quant score to Q50+ and Improve your GMAT verbal score from V30 to V40.

The table below helps us understand all the differences between the Classic and Focus GMAT editions:

Changes in the Test Preparation Strategy to Tackle the New GMAT Format

• Understand the GMAT New Pattern: Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the GMAT Focus Edition format, which includes three sections instead of four (Data Insights, Quantitative Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning). Knowing what to expect will help you plan your study approach effectively.
• Update Study Materials: Ensure your study materials align with the new format. Look for updated prep books, practice tests, and resources specifically designed for the GMAT Focus Edition.
• Practice Data Insights: The Data Insights section is a new addition. Dedicate sufficient time to practice data sufficiency and integrated reasoning questions, as they are unique to this section. Strengthening your data analysis skills will be crucial.
• Manage Time Wisely: Time management becomes even more critical with a shorter test duration. Practice time-conscious strategies and pacing to complete each section within the allocated time.
• Skip AWA and Sentence Correction: Remember that the AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment) and Sentence Correction sections have been removed in the GMAT Focus Edition. Allocate the time you would have spent on these sections to other areas of your preparation.
• Adapt Your Test-Taking Strategy: Adjust your test-taking strategy to the new format. Consider practising with the option to choose your preferred order of sections to find what works best for you. To learn how you can build a GMAT preparation strategy, read our blog on how to create a GMAT study plan.
• Simulate the GMAT Focus: Take practice tests that mimic the GMAT Focus Edition. Familiarise yourself with the new question types and sections to build confidence in the actual exam.
• Stay Updated: Keep an eye on official GMAT announcements and updates to stay informed about any changes to the GMAT Focus Edition. Adjust your preparation accordingly as more information becomes available.

Remember that adapting to a new test format may take some time, so be patient and persistent in your preparation. Practice, adapt, and refine your strategies to perform your best on the GMAT Focus Edition.

Score Conversion (GMAT Classic to GMAT Focus)

The GMAT Focus Edition’s Total Score ranges from 205 to 805, while the GMAT Classic Exam has a total score range of 200-800. Because the exam scores are not on a standard scale, GMAT Focus Edition scores cannot be compared to scores from the previous version of the exam. While scores of 600 and 605 may look similar, they represent very different performance levels on different skills. 

If you are trying to understand your relative competitiveness, you can use the concordance tables below to show score distributions between the two versions of the exam by percentile.

One can visit the Official GMAT website to get detailed information about the score conversion.