GMAT · Section guide 4 · 4 min read
GMAT Data Insights: overview and the five question types
What the GMAT Focus Data Insights section tests: 20 questions in 45 minutes across five question types, with an on-screen calculator and multi-part answers.
What the section looks like
Data Insights is the newest of the three GMAT Focus sections. It has 20 questions in 45 minutes, about 2 minutes 15 seconds per question on average. It tests how well you can read, analyze and reason with data presented in different forms: text, tables, charts and combinations of them.
Three features make Data Insights different from the other sections:
- an on-screen calculator is available;
- many questions have several parts, and you must answer every part correctly to get credit for the question; there is no partial credit;
- the questions mix math and verbal reasoning. Some are mainly numerical, some mainly logical, and many need both.
Like the other sections, Data Insights is computer adaptive and counts equally toward your total score.
The five question types
| Type | What you see | How you answer |
|---|---|---|
| Data Sufficiency | A question and two statements | Decide whether the statements give enough information to answer, choosing from five fixed options |
| Multi-Source Reasoning | Two or three tabs of information: text, tables or charts | Answer questions that may need information from more than one tab |
| Table Analysis | A sortable table of data | Judge each of several statements, for example as true or false |
| Graphics Interpretation | A graph or chart | Complete statements by choosing from drop-down menus |
| Two-Part Analysis | A problem with two linked unknowns | Choose one answer for each of two columns from a shared list |
Data Sufficiency
Data Sufficiency used to be part of the Quant section. It now sits in Data Insights and covers both quantitative and verbal reasoning. The key skill is deciding whether a question can be answered, not actually answering it. There is a full guide to this type in this series.
Multi-Source Reasoning
You are given information spread across two or three tabs, such as an email, a memo and a table. You click between the tabs to find what you need. Questions may be standard multiple choice or a set of statements to judge. The challenge is managing the information: knowing which tab holds which facts.
Table Analysis
A table, sometimes with many rows, can be sorted by any column. You judge several statements about the data, each with a pair of options such as true/false or yes/no. Sorting the table well is the main technique.
Graphics Interpretation
You see a graph, such as a scatterplot, bar chart, line graph or diagram, and complete one or two statements by choosing from drop-down menus. The skill is reading the graph accurately: scales, units, labels and trends.
Two-Part Analysis
You solve a problem with two connected parts and choose an answer for each part from the same list of options, shown as a table with two columns. It can be quantitative, verbal or a mix. The two answers are often related, so finding one usually helps you find the other.
Skills the section rewards
- Reading data accurately. Most errors in Data Insights come from misreading, not from hard math.
- Estimating. The calculator is basic and slow to use. Estimation is often faster and accurate enough.
- Organizing information. For multi-tab and table questions, knowing where each fact sits saves time.
- Logical reasoning. Many statements test whether a conclusion follows from the data, not just what a number is.
Using the calculator
The on-screen calculator handles basic arithmetic. Use it for awkward multiplication or division, but not for everything. Typing each number takes time, and estimation often tells you enough to choose the right option, especially with true/false statements where you only need to know whether a value is above or below a threshold.
Pacing the section
Data Insights questions vary greatly in length. A straightforward Data Sufficiency question may take under two minutes; a Multi-Source Reasoning set can take much longer on its first question, because you must read the tabs. Later questions on the same tabs are usually quicker.
Because multi-part questions give no partial credit, it is not worth spending a long time trying to get every part right on a question you find very hard. Make your best judgment, bookmark it and move on.
Exam tip: before you start the calculations on any Data Insights question, read the question and all its parts. Knowing exactly what is asked often shows you which data you can ignore.
How to practice
Practice each type separately until the format is familiar, then mix them in timed sets. Read real-world data whenever you can, such as charts in business news or tables in public reports, and practice writing one-sentence conclusions about them. Check those conclusions against the data, as you would on the test.
Check yourself
- How many questions are in Data Insights, and how long is the section?
- Name the five question types.
- What happens if you answer three parts of a four-part question correctly?
- Which question type moved into Data Insights from the old Quant section?
Find practice material and the rest of this series on the GMAT hub.