Every year, thousands of applicants attempt the GMAT to get admission into top management and business schools worldwide. The GMAT was replaced by the GMAT Focus Edition starting from February 1st, 2024. The GMAT Focus Edition is the latest version of the GMAT, which was launched on November 7th, 2023. The below article will take you through the details of the syllabus of the GMAT Focus edition’s syllabus and the essential concepts covered in it.
What is GMAT?
GMAT Focus Edition is a standard entrance test for business schools globally. This exam is administered by GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council). The exam is a computer adaptive test and evaluates the candidate’s abilities, to pursue an academic degree in the management domain in an advanced way. The duration of GMAT Focus Edition is 2 hours and 15 minutes. The score range for the latest GMAT Focus Edition is defined as 205 to 805.
The GMAT Focus Edition scores are a pre-requisite that showcases the student’s ability to pursue a master’s in business and management programs. With the introduction of the new GMAT Focus edition, test-takers now benefit from an upgraded score report, offering detailed insights into their performance.
It is crucial to know about the exam’s pattern, and the concepts covered in it to make it to your dream B-school.
Syllabus for GMAT Exam
The upgraded GMAT Focus edition’s syllabus covers a range of topics that are designed to test your skills in arithmetic reasoning, verbal logic, and data interpretation. The syllabus of the GMAT Focus Edition is divided into three sections: quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, and data insights. Each section is timed, and you must complete the exam within two hours and 15 minutes.
The Data Insights Assessment evaluates candidates’ abilities to analyze data, derive meaningful insights, and interpret information presented in various formats.
Quantitative Reasoning Assessment evaluates the candidate’s ability for mathematical and numerical literacy.
Finally, the Verbal Reasoning Assessment evaluates the candidate’s English language abilities and reading comprehension skills.
3 sections of GMAT Exam Syllabus –
| Section | Duration | Questions |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 45 mins | 21 MCQs |
| Verbal Reasoning | 45 mins | 23 MCQs |
| Data Insights | 45 mins | 20 MCQs |
The Quantitative Reasoning section consists of 21 multiple-choice questions and the duration of this section is 45 minutes. It mainly contains questions related to problem–solving.
The Verbal Reasoning section consists of 23 multiple-choice questions, and the duration is 45 minutes. It mainly contains questions related to critical reasoning and comprehension.
The Data Insights section consists of 20 multiple-choice questions and the time to complete is 45 minutes. It mainly consists of data sufficiency, graphic interpretation, two-part analysis, table analysis, and multi-resource reasoning.
What is the GMAT Focus Edition Exam Syllabus?
There are three sections in the paper, as discussed above. The syllabus for the GMAT Focus Edition in each of those segments is given below:
Data Insights Section
This section significantly contributes to the score, unlike the similar “Integrated Reasoning” section in the previous GMAT.
Data Sufficiency: The objective of the questions is to evaluate the candidate’s ability to inspect quantitative data for relevant information and deduction.
Multi–Resource Reasoning: The purpose of these questions is to draw data and information from multiple sources such as graphics, tables, passages, or a combination of two or more of them. The approach to attempt is by drawing inferences from the data.
Graphics Interpretation: The objective of this is to evaluate the candidate’s ability to interpret the information from a graphical representation of data which can be in the form of a bar chart, pie chart, scatter plot, etc.
Two-Part Analysis: These questions aim to measure student’s skills in solving a complex problem. The questions can be a combination of quantitative and verbal, covering a wide range. The evaluation is basically on the ability to comprehend simultaneous equations and relationships between two entities.
Table Analysis: The purpose of this type of question is to measure the ability of candidates to analyze and interpret the tabulated data. The goal is to evaluate the efficiency of information and its interpretation from the data.
Quantitative Reasoning Section
Problem-Solving: The purpose of this type of question is to evaluate the candidate’s skill in solving quantitative problems. One important thing to note is that 50% of the total questions in the syllabus for the GMAT exam are based on the issue–solving.
Quantitative reasoning is further divided into three categories – Algebra and Arithmetic.
The topics in ‘Arithmetic‘ are Probability, Speed, Time, and Distance, Ratio and Proportion, Simple and Compound Interest, Fractions, Average, Number Properties, Percentages, Decimals, Multiple, and Factors.
The topics in ‘Algebra‘ are Exponents, Permutations and Combinations, Arithmetic and Geometric Progressions, Statistics, and Fractions.
Verbal Reasoning Section
Critical Reasoning: The objective of this type of question is to evaluate the candidate’s ability to evaluate arguments, formulate a plan of action, and make an argument.
Reading Comprehension: The objective is to evaluate the candidate’s ability to draw inferences, comprehend the logical relationship among words and statements, and observe the development of concepts.
Preparation Tips
The preparation for the GMAT Focus Edition should be done by strictly adhering to the syllabus.
Some general tips for preparing for the GMAT Focus Edition are:
Chalk out a study plan inclusive of all the concepts and set a timeline.
Get familiar with sections and identify your weak and strong concepts. Focus on each of them following your level of understanding.
Be choosy about the materials for the GMAT Focus Edition. Don’t fill your bookshelves with irrelevant books.
Make sure to keep track of the time for every concept and section, and the timeline goal should be strictly targeted.
Summing Up
By now, you would have a good understanding of the syllabus for the GMAT Focus Edition and the critical concepts to prepare for the exam. You can always reach out to the LilacBuds team for comprehensive and result-oriented guidance.
