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Taking the GMAT is a serious undertaking. For most students, it’s a 3- to 5-month commitment of intense studying. But this commitment can return a huge return. If you earn a great score, you’ll be competitive for admission to a prestigious school, and you will have many opportunities after graduating with your MBA. As a first step, knowing the structure and format of the GMAT exam sections is critical. Additionally, you need to know what you’re up against in order to do your absolute best to earn the highest possible score.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the details of the GMAT exam format and the GMAT exam structure. Specifically, we’ll explore the three sections of the GMAT to provide you with a great introduction to those pesky but necessary details for knowing what to expect come test day.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- GMAT Options: In-Person or Online
- GMAT Basics
- The Verbal Reasoning Section
- The Quantitative Reasoning Section
- The Data Insights (DI) Section
- You May Choose Your Section Order on Test Day
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What’s Next?
Let’s first look at the GMAT’s test-taking options.
GMAT Options: In-Person or Online
You have two options for taking the GMAT: in-person at a testing center or online at home. The exam itself is the same no matter which choice you make, but the test administration is somewhat different.
You will take the in-person exam at a test center. Initially, you’ll make an appointment online prior to your test date. On test day, a proctor will check you in and monitor you and other test-takers during the exam. Then, the proctor will ensure that you and others follow all rules. Additionally, the proctor will provide any assistance you may need, such as resolving technical issues or providing you with additional markers for your whiteboard.
You may instead prefer to take the GMAT online, in the comfort of your home. Similarly, the exam proctor will monitor you during the exam via your webcam and will be available to help with any technical issues you encounter. Furthermore, to learn more about taking the GMAT online, check out our guide to the online GMAT.
KEY FACT:
Whether you take the GMAT in person at a test center or online at home, you will take the same exam.
Now that we know exam administration, let’s look at the GMAT test facts and format.
GMAT Basics
The GMAT consists of 3 sections—Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Data Insights—containing a total of 64 questions. You are given 45 minutes to complete each section, for a total GMAT test duration of 2 hours 15 minutes.
The GMAT exam sections are as follows:
GMAT Sections
| Section | Number of Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 23 questions | 45 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 21 questions | 45 minutes |
| Data Insights | 20 questions | 45 minutes |
During your exam, you may take an optional 10-minute break after your first or second section. Specifically, you may leave the exam room during the break to use the restroom, get a snack, or stretch your legs.
Considering check-in, the exam, and the break, you might spend nearly 3 hours at the GMAT test center. Thus, you can see why both mental and physical stamina are important to your success on the GMAT.
KEY FACT:
Considering check-in time, test time, and the optional break, you can expect to spend up to 3 hours at the test center on exam day.
A Quick Overview of the GMAT Test Sections
Verbal Reasoning: You must answer 23 questions in 45 minutes. Specifically, you’ll encounter 3-4 Reading Comprehension (RC) passages with about 13 questions. Additionally, you’ll encounter about 10 Critical Reasoning (CR) passages, with one question per passage.
Quantitative Reasoning: You must answer 21 questions in 45 minutes. All of the math questions in the Quantitative section are Problem-Solving (PS) questions with 5 answer choices. Specifically, the topics tested include arithmetic, algebra, and statistics.
Data Insights: You must answer 20 questions in 45 minutes. There are 5 question types: Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, and Two-Part Analysis.
KEY FACT:
The GMAT includes 3 sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Data Insights.
Now that we have a basic idea of the basic facts about the GMAT, let’s look at each section in greater detail.
The Verbal Reasoning Section
The GMAT Verbal section questions are of two types: Reading Comprehension (RC) and Critical Reasoning (CR). Let’s look at each in more detail.
Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions
We previously mentioned that you will be presented with 3-4 RC passages, which are classified as either short (200-250 words) or long (300+ words). In either case, you’ll be asked 3 or 4 questions about each passage.
RC questions cover a range of topics in the social sciences, business, humanities, physical sciences, and biological sciences. Notably, no specialized knowledge is needed beyond the information that is presented in the passage. Furthermore, the questions themselves will focus on the following aspects of the passages:
- Author’s tone
- Primary purpose
- Specific purpose
- Detail
- Inference
- Structure
- Application
You can read more about the nature of RC questions in this article about GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions. In addition, you can practice an official Reading Comprehension question at the GMAC website.
RC questions cover a range of topics in the social sciences, business, humanities, physical sciences, and biological sciences.
Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions
CR questions are the essence of the GMAT. We say this because these questions single-handedly challenge your critical thinking and reasoning skills more than any other question type. Thus, doing well on CR questions will show that you can think logically, analyze critically, and detect answer choices that might trick you or trap you into an incorrect response.
Each CR passage consists of a short argument or set of statements. Then, you must answer a question that requires you to evaluate some aspect of the information from the passage. For instance, a CR question may ask what assumption the argument depends on or which answer choice must be true if you assume all the statements in the passage are true. Then, you’ll be given 5 answer choices to select from.
The logic or reasoning skills that are tested with CR passages include the following:
- making an inference
- resolving a paradox
- identifying the logical flaw
- identifying an assumption on which the argument depends
- weakening the argument
- strengthening the argument
You can practice a Critical Reasoning question here.
KEY FACT:
Critical Reasoning passages test your critical thinking and reasoning skills.
The Quantitative Reasoning Section
Everyone thinks of the Quant section as nothing more than a bunch of math problems. In part, that’s correct: you need mastery of basic arithmetic, algebra, and statistics knowledge to be successful. However, note that the section’s title—Quantitative Reasoning—also includes the word “reasoning,” Thus, GMAT Quant questions test your ability to use logic to apply your math knowledge efficiently and logically. And, since you can’t use a calculator during this section, you won’t have to perform messy calculations.
Let’s look at a detailed list of the topics that are tested on the GMAT:
- Arithmetic – add, subtract, multiply, divide fractions; decimals; estimation; PEMDAS; ratios and percents
- Rates, Work Problems, and Unit Conversion – basic rate or work; average rates; converging and diverging rates; catch-up or catch-up and pass rates; round trip rates; combined workers; opposing workers; unit conversions
- Number Properties – even/odd and positive/negative integers; prime factorization; LCM and GCF; remainder theory; divisibility; units digit patterns
- Algebra – linear equations; quadratic equations; exponents and roots; inequalities and absolute value; functions and sequences
- Coordinate Geometry – axes and quadrants; slope-intercept form of a line; parallel and perpendicular lines; distance formula; the midpoint formula; graphing inequalities; equation of a circle in the coordinate plane
- Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability – mean, median, and mode; evenly spaced sets; weighted average; range and standard deviation; probability; addition rule and multiplication rule
- Overlapping Sets and Combinations/Permutations – Venn diagram; combinations and permutations; the fundamental counting principle
The 21 questions in the Quant section of the GMAT are all traditional multiple-choice questions with 5 answer choices.
You can access a sample GMAT Quant question here.
GMAT Quant questions test your ability to use logic to apply your math knowledge efficiently and logically.
Let’s now learn about the Data Insights section.
The Data Insights (DI) Section
The Data Insights section has risen from the obscure ashes of the old Integrated Reasoning section. Notably, it is now an equal partner with Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning in determining your total GMAT score. Specifically, the DI section contains 20 questions, comprising 5 question types: Data Sufficiency (DS), Graphics Interpretation (GI), Table Analysis (TA), Two-Part Analysis (TPA), and Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR).
You must analyze and interpret data and determine how it applies to real-world situations. Specifically, the data include graphic, numeric, and verbal sources, which you must leverage to answer questions. You are allowed to use an on-screen calculator for the DI section.
KEY FACT:
The Data Insights section tests you on how well you can interpret and analyze verbal, graphical, and numeric data.
Let’s look at each of the DI question types in more detail.
Data Sufficiency (DS) Questions
In a DS question, you are presented with a question stem that asks a question, such as “ Is x greater than 0?” Then you are given two statements, which you must evaluate, to determine if either, both, or neither of the two statements allows you to answer the question definitively. You can practice a DS question from Target Test Prep.
Graphics Interpretation (GI) Questions
A GI question presents you with a scatterplot, flow chart, Venn diagram, or other type of graph. Then, you are provided additional text information and two fill-in-the-blank questions with answer choices in a drop-down menu. In particular, you must get both questions correct to get credit for the question. Get some official GI practice questions from GMAC.
Table Analysis (TA) Questions
A TA question presents you with a table similar to a spreadsheet, which you may sort on any column in ascending order only. Then, you will be given three true/false statements about a variety of aspects of the data. Practice these TA questions from mba.com to become familiar with Table Analysis questions.
Two-Part Analysis (TPA) Questions
A TPA question can be quant-based, logic-based, or verbal-based. You’ll be given a description of the problem, followed by a table with three columns. Specifically, the third column will consist of 5 or 6 answer choices and the first and second columns will have headers describing what you are to answer. An example might be “minimum” and “maximum” or “length” and “width.” You will select one answer for each column. You can practice some TPA questions from mba.com to familiarize yourself with TPA questions.
Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR) Questions
MSR questions present information (passages, graphs, tables, or diagrams) in two or three independent tabs. Specifically, you may be asked a single question or a set of three true/false questions, all of which must be answered correctly to get credit for a correct answer. You can practice some MSR questions from mba.com.
KEY FACT:
The Data Insights section presents 20 questions of 5 question types: Data Sufficiency, Graphics Interpretation, Table Analysis, Two-Part Analysis, and Multi-Source Reasoning.
Next, let’s discuss your ability to choose the order in which you face the GMAT sections during your exam.
You May Choose Your Section Order on Test Day
Good news! You are allowed to choose the order in which you will see the three sections on test day! This option gives you the flexibility of customizing the test to your strengths and preferences. For example, if Data Insights makes you quake with fear, you may choose to take it first, just to get it over with. Or, you may instead choose to take it at the end, using your initial energy to maximize your performance in the sections in which you are stronger.
Just before you take the GMAT, your final introductory screen will be your “Select Section Order” screen. Specifically, you will be given 1 minute to make your selection from the following choices:
- Verbal → Data Insights → Quant
- Verbal → Quant → Data Insights
- Quant → Verbal → Data Insights
- Quant → Data Insights → Verbal
- Data Insights → Quant → Verbal
- Data Insights → Verbal → Quant
You need to know ahead of time what your section order selection will be, as you are given only 1 minute to make a choice. Then, if you make no selection, the GMAT computer will make the selection for you. Thus, during your GMAT preparation, you should experiment with the section order that makes sense for you.
KEY FACT:
You may choose the GMAT order of sections on test day.
Key Takeaways
In this article, we have looked in detail at the structure and format of the GMAT.
- You may take the GMAT in person at a test center or online at home.
- There are 3 sections on the GMAT, each contributing equally to your total score. Specifically, they are Verbal Reasoning with 23 questions, Quantitative Reasoning with 21 questions, and Data Insights with 20 questions.
- Verbal Reasoning has two question types: Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning
- Quantitative Reasoning has one question type: multiple choice with 5 answer choices.
- Data Insights has five question types: Data Sufficiency, Graphics Interpretation, Table Analysis, Two-Part Analysis, and Multi-Source Reasoning.
- You may select the order in which you are presented the three sections on test day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many sections are on the GMAT exam?
There are three sections on the GMAT: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Data Insights.
What is the first section of the GMAT exam?
You may choose the order in which you take the three sections. Just before the exam begins, you will be presented with a “Score Selection” screen where you can make your selection. Notably, you have only one minute to make your decision.
How many questions are in the GMAT Verbal section?
There are 23 questions in the Verbal Reasoning section, consisting of reading comprehension passages and critical reasoning passages.
What’s Next?
Now that you have an overview of the GMAT format, read our article to learn more about how to prepare for the GMAT Quantitative section.
To learn more about how to prepare for the GMAT Verbal section, read our informative article.
