GMAT · Section guide 1 · 4 min read
The GMAT Focus Edition format: an overview
How the GMAT Focus Edition works: three 45-minute sections, about 2 hours 15 minutes, scores from 205 to 805, section order choice and review and edit.
One GMAT now
The GMAT Focus Edition is now the only version of the GMAT. It replaced the earlier exam, which was retired in early 2024. If you are using an older Official Guide or prep book written for the previous format, much of it is out of date: the sections, the question types and the score scale have all changed.
This page sets out the whole structure. The other guides in this series cover each section and question type in detail.
The three sections
| Section | Questions | Time | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Reasoning | 21 | 45 minutes | Arithmetic and algebra through problem solving |
| Verbal Reasoning | 23 | 45 minutes | Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning |
| Data Insights | 20 | 45 minutes | Analyzing data in several formats, including Data Sufficiency |
Total testing time is 2 hours 15 minutes. There is one optional 10-minute break, which you can take after the first or the second section.
All questions are multiple choice or select-from-options; you never write an essay or type a numerical answer.
What is no longer on the test
Compared with the old format, the Focus Edition has:
- no Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), so there is no essay;
- no Sentence Correction, so there are no grammar questions in Verbal;
- no geometry in Quantitative Reasoning;
- no separate Integrated Reasoning section: its question types now sit inside Data Insights, together with Data Sufficiency, which moved there from Quant.
Choose your section order
At the start of the exam you choose the order in which you take the three sections. Any of the six possible orders is allowed. Many test takers start with their strongest section to build confidence; others start with their weakest while they are freshest. Try different orders in practice and keep the one that works for you.
Review and edit
The Focus Edition lets you bookmark questions as you go. If you finish a section with time remaining, you can review any question in that section and change up to three answers. This feature is explained in more detail in the pacing guide in this series. It does not apply across sections: once you leave a section, you cannot return to it.
Computer adaptive
Each section is computer adaptive at the question level. The difficulty of the next question depends partly on how you have answered so far. Your section score reflects the number of questions you answer correctly and their difficulty.
Unanswered questions at the end of a section count against you, so it is important to finish every section.
Scoring
| Score | Range |
|---|---|
| Total score | 205 to 805, in 10-point steps (205, 215, 225 and so on) |
| Each section score | 60 to 90 |
The three sections contribute equally to the total score. Because the scale differs from the old exam's 200–800, Focus Edition scores cannot be compared directly with old scores; percentile rankings are the clearest way to see how a score compares.
The calculator
- Quantitative Reasoning: no calculator.
- Data Insights: an on-screen calculator is available.
This shapes how you practice. Quant rewards mental arithmetic and clean algebra; Data Insights allows you to calculate, but the calculator is basic, so speed still depends on estimation.
Where and how you take it
The GMAT can be taken at a test center or online. Registration, fees, ID rules, availability and score-sending policies are set by the exam's owner, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), and can change. Always check the current details on mba.com.
Choosing study materials
Use only materials written for the Focus Edition. The official guides and practice exams for the Focus Edition are clearly labeled. Older materials can still help with Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency skills, but they include topics no longer tested and use a different score scale.
Exam tip: take a full-length practice exam early, under real timing and in the section order you plan to use. It shows you where your time goes and which section needs the most work.
Check yourself
- How many questions are in each section, and how long is each section?
- Name three things that are no longer on the GMAT.
- What is the total score range, and what is the range for each section?
- How many answers can you change in a section using review and edit?
Find practice material and the rest of this series on the GMAT hub.