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Last Updated on July 4, 2024
You may have heard that the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) is releasing a new version of the GMAT exam called the GMAT Focus Edition. The new GMAT Focus Edition brings major changes to the GMAT, affecting the test structure, content, and even scoring. So, if you’re planning to take the GMAT to apply to business school, you’ll want to read on. These changes will affect both your GMAT preparation and the testing experience.
In this article, we’ll give you the scoop on everything we know about the new version of the GMAT. We discuss how it’s different from the current GMAT, including some headline-making content changes to both the Verbal and Quantitative sections.
Here are all the topics we’ll cover:
- What Is the GMAT Focus Edition?
- When Will the Focus Edition Be Released?
- How Is the GMAT Focus Edition Different from the GMAT Exam Now?
- GMAT Focus Edition vs. GMAT Exam: Key Differences
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What’s Next?
To start, let’s review what exactly the GMAT Focus Edition is.
What Is the GMAT Focus Edition?
The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) is releasing a new version of the GMAT exam. GMAC claims that this new edition of the GMAT “homes in on the higher-order critical reasoning and data literacy skills especially relevant and applicable in the business environment of tomorrow.”
Even with the new changes, which we’ll discuss in detail in this post, the GMAT will still be a computer-administered standardized exam that business schools use to evaluate MBA and EMBA applicants’ readiness for their programs.
So, the fundamental purpose of the GMAT is not changing. Thus, the skills you currently need to perform well on the GMAT will, largely, be the same skills you need to perform well on the GMAT Focus Edition, as those are the relevant business skills for both MBA programs and the professional world.
KEY FACT:
The skills you need to perform well on the GMAT now will, largely, be the same skills you need to perform well on the GMAT Focus Edition.
When Will the Focus Edition Be Released?
One of the first questions people ask when they hear that the GMAT is changing is, “When?!” GMAC hasn’t yet provided an exact date for when the first GMAT Focus test date will be, but we do know that it will be some time in Q4 of 2023.
Additionally, we know that GMAC will release the 2023-2024 GMAT Official Guide, which will cover the GMAT Focus Edition, on June 6. Other official materials related to the new GMAT, including official practice tests, will also be released at that time. And registration for the GMAT Focus Edition will open on August 29, 2023.
All that said, if you’re already prepping for the GMAT, don’t panic! The current version of the GMAT exam will continue to be available through early 2024, as will current GMAT official prep material such as the official practice tests. That way, people who are already engaged in GMAT preparation and have business school application deadlines coming up won’t have their plans delayed or derailed.
KEY FACT:
The current version of the GMAT and GMAT official prep will continue to be available through early 2024.
How Is the GMAT Focus Edition Different from the GMAT Exam Now?
Let’s explore the format and content differences between the GMAT Focus Edition and GMAT exam as it is currently. We’ll start with the changes we’ll see to the exam format on the GMAT Focus Edition.
Format Changes
There are plenty of changes coming to the format of the GMAT in the new Focus Edition, including in these areas:
- testing time
- section structure
- section order selection
- adaptivity
- question review & edit
- scoring
- score reporting
- Enhanced Score Report
Let’s explore the changes in each area in detail.
Testing Time
One of the biggest changes to the GMAT is the testing time. The GMAT Focus Edition is only 2 hours and 15 minutes long (not including breaks). In contrast, the current GMAT is 3 hours and 7 minutes long (again, not including breaks).
So, the GMAT Focus Edition is about 1 hour shorter than the current GMAT.
KEY FACT:
The GMAT Focus Edition is about an hour shorter than the current GMAT, clocking in at 2 hours and 15 minutes, not including breaks.
Check out the table below for a breakdown of the GMAT Focus Edition time per section and per question.
GMAT Focus Section Structure
Section Order Selection
Another nice change coming in the GMAT Focus Edition is that now the “Select Section Order” options will be even more flexible. Whereas on the current GMAT, you have 3 options for your section order, on the new version of the GMAT, you will be able to complete the 3 sections in any order you choose.
So, instead of having just 3 section order options, you’ll have 6:
- Data Insights → Quant → Verbal
- Data Insights → Verbal → Quant
- Quant → Verbal → Data Insights
- Quant → Data Insights → Verbal
- Verbal → Data Insights → Quant
- Verbal → Quant → Data Insights
KEY FACT:
The new version of the GMAT allows test-takers to complete the 3 test sections in any order they want.
Adaptivity
Like the current GMAT, the GMAT Focus Edition is a question-adaptive test, and the first question of each section is of medium difficulty.
The big change in the adaptive nature of the exam is that all 3 sections of the Focus Edition are adaptive. So, the Data Insights section (Integrated Reasoning on the old version) will be adaptive, just as the Verbal and Quantitative sections are.
On the current GMAT, Integrated Reasoning is not adaptive; only the Verbal and Quantitative sections are.
KEY FACT:
All 3 sections of the GMAT Focus Edition are computer-adaptive at the question level.
Question Review & Edit
An exciting new feature of the GMAT Focus Edition is the option to review the questions and edit the answers in each section before the section time runs out.
Now, this feature is not unlimited. The GMAT Focus Edition is still a question-adaptive exam. So, for the scoring algorithm to work, most of your answers in a section must remain unchanged. Nevertheless, you will have the ability to edit up to 3 answers in each section.
Furthermore, in each section, you can review your answers to as many questions as you like. Also, a bookmark feature will allow you to flag as many questions as you like, so you can easily return to them later.
After you answer the final question in a section, you will see a Question Review & Edit screen for that section. (The screen will not appear if your time has run out in the section.) On that screen, you’ll see a numbered list of questions in the section and be able to click on a question number to return to that question. You’ll also see a bookmark icon in the list on any question you’ve bookmarked.
So, let’s say you’ve flagged 5 questions in a section because you were unsure of your answers. Knowing that you can edit answers to only 3 questions, time permitting, you could quickly return to and review all 5 questions, and then determine which 3 are the most strategic candidates for answer changes.
KEY FACT:
The GMAT Focus Edition allows test-takers to edit answers to up to 3 questions per section and bookmark and return to questions for review.
Skipping Is Still Not Allowed
Because the GMAT Focus Edition is a question-adaptive exam, you still have to answer each question before moving on to the next one, just as you must on the current GMAT. In other words, having the ability to return to questions and edit answers does not mean you can skip questions entirely and return to them later (or never answer them).
Note also that you will be able to return to previous questions only through the Question Review & Edit screen, and you cannot view that screen until you’ve selected answers to all the questions in the section.
Scoring
Another major change on the horizon involves how the GMAT is scored. For one thing, Data Insights (DI), which is replacing Integrated Reasoning (IR), will contribute equally to your GMAT Total Score, along with your Quant and Verbal scores. As you may know, on the current GMAT, the IR section is scored separately and does not factor into your Total Score.
GMAT Focus Edition scores also look different. Each of the 3 sections is scored on a scale of 60-90 in 1-point increments, and the GMAT Total Score is on a scale of 205-805, in 10-point increments.
So, the maximum possible score you can earn on the GMAT Focus Edition is 805, rather than the current GMAT’s 800. And gone is the separate, 0-8 scoring for the Integrated Reasoning (soon-to-be Data Insights) section.
KEY FACT:
All 3 sections of the GMAT Focus Edition are scored on a scale of 60-90 and contribute equally to your GMAT Total Score.
Score Reporting
Score reporting is also getting a revamp with the new version of the GMAT, and test-takers will surely benefit from the changes.
On the GMAT Focus Edition, test-takers will be able to select up to 5 schools to send scores to for free, just as they can on the current GMAT. However, now test-takers will be able to see their GMAT scores on test day before they make those selections, rather than after. So, test-takers will know what their GMAT scores are before they make any decisions about where to send their scores.
Additionally, test-takers will have up to 48 hours after their exam to send their scores for free, rather than be able to send scores for free only immediately after the exam ends. So, you’ll have the option to send your score for free to up to 5 recipients at the test center (or at home) right when your exam ends, as you can now. However, you’ll also have the option to send your score for free from your online account at any point within the next 48 hours. So, you’ll have a bit more time to mull over whether to send your score — without having to pay for the privilege.
Furthermore, any Official Score Report you send will contain only 1 GMAT score, rather than your entire GMAT score history. So, let’s say after taking the GMAT Focus Edition and viewing your score, you decide you want to send that score for free to some schools. The schools you select will see only your score on the exam you just took, not your scores from the past 5 years. Thus, you never have to share previous scores with schools if you don’t want to.
KEY FACT:
For the GMAT Focus Edition, test-takers can see their GMAT scores on test day before they select score recipients, rather than after.
Enhanced Score Report
Currently, after taking the GMAT, a test-taker can order an Enhanced Score Report (ESR) for a $30 fee. This report contains some data on the test-taker’s performance on the various exam sections and question types that is not included on the standard score report.
With the GMAT Focus Edition, test-takers will no longer have to order an ESR to get this type of performance information. Rather, every GMAT test-taker will get “personalized insights” (per GMAC) about their performance in a detailed and improved score report that is included with the registration for the GMAT.
GMAC has not yet announced the exact nature of the “detailed performance insights” in the new ESR. However, we do know that they will include information about your performance in each section and on each question type, as well as data about your time-management during the test. will be. We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
KEY FACT:
The Enhanced Score Report is included for free with registration for the GMAT Focus Edition.
Now that we understand how the format of the GMAT Focus Edition differs from that of the current GMAT, let’s discuss the differences in content.
Content Changes
Most of the content of the GMAT Focus Edition will be the same as that of the current GMAT. However, there are some major changes to be aware of in all sections of the test. Let’s start with a whopper of a change: the GMAT essay.
AWA
There is no essay section on the GMAT Focus Edition. So, unlike on the current GMAT, all of the questions on the new version of the GMAT are multiple-choice.
The omission of the AWA from the GMAT Focus Edition helps account for the new exam’s shorter run time, as the AWA on the current GMAT accounts for 30 minutes of the testing time.
KEY FACT:
There is no essay section on the GMAT Focus Edition.
Quant
The Quantitative section of the GMAT Focus Edition still includes the Problem-Solving questions we’re accustomed to seeing in Quant. However, a major change to the Quant section is that the GMAT Focus Edition Quant section will not include Data Sufficiency questions. Data Sufficiency is getting moved to the Data Insights section.
Nevertheless, it appears that the topics covered in Quant questions will largely remain the same. We got this information from an image some clever individual grabbed from the table of contents of the as-yet unreleased 2023-2024 Official Guide, which is based on the GMAT Focus Edition.
In the above list, we see most of the familiar GMAT Quant topics, from Algebra to Probability. However, we also see that the list is missing one major topic: Geometry. So, it appears that the Quant section will no longer include Geometry.
We’re not surprised to see the omission of Geometry from the GMAT Focus Edition, since Geometry doesn’t appear on the Executive Assessment, which the GMAT Focus Edition resembles in multiple ways.
KEY FACT:
The Quant section of the GMAT Focus Edition appears to cover the same math topics as the current GMAT, with the exception of Geometry.
Verbal
The biggest change in content from the current GMAT to the GMAT Focus Edition is in the Verbal section.
On the GMAT Focus Edition, the Verbal section will include only Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning questions. The Verbal section of the GMAT Focus Edition will not include Sentence Correction questions.
On the current GMAT, Sentence Correction questions make up about a third of the Verbal section. So, the complete elimination of Sentence Correction from the GMAT represents a big change in the content of the test.
For many GMAT test-takers, Sentence Correction has been the easiest part of the Verbal section, both in terms of their ability to improve in the topic and to get the questions correct. So, for some test-takers, the elimination of Sentence Correction makes the Verbal section appear more challenging than ever.
Until the 2023-2024 OG is released or GMAC makes further announcements, we can’t be sure whether there will be some streamlining of the RC and CR question types presented in Verbal as well. So far, we know that question types such as main idea, structure, tone, inference, and application in RC and strengthen and weaken in CR are not going anywhere.
KEY FACT:
On the GMAT Focus Edition, the Verbal section will not include Sentence Correction.
Integrated Reasoning – Becoming Data Insights
Unlike the Verbal and Quantitative sections, both of which are shrinking, the Integrated Reasoning section of the GMAT is expanding — and getting a new name, Data Insights.
The Data Insights (DI) section of the GMAT Focus Edition includes the Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, and Two-Part Analysis questions that appear in the Integrated Reasoning section of the current GMAT. Additionally, the DI section includes the Data Sufficiency questions that have always appeared in the Quant section.
Note that the Data Insights section, like the current Integrated Reasoning section, will still allow for the use of a calculator, even though Data Sufficiency will be part of the section.
KEY FACT:
The Data Insights section of the GMAT Focus Edition includes all the question types in the Integrated Reasoning section of the current GMAT, plus Data Sufficiency.
Implications of the Content Changes
GMAC calls the GMAT Focus Edition “more efficient” and “more focused” on relevant business skills than the current GMAT. And we can see that the elimination of Geometry and Sentence Correction does reduce the number of topics that appear on the GMAT. So, there may be reduced content to study.
The movement of Data Sufficiency to the Data Insights section probably won’t have a significant impact on test-takers. They’ll still need to learn the concepts and strategies needed for answering Data Sufficiency questions, which we don’t expect to change much, if at all.
That said, GMAC has indicated that the GMAT Focus Edition will test data analysis skills in new ways. What that information means about the Data Insights section and whether its questions will be the same as Integrated Reasoning questions remains to be seen.
Overall, even with the changes, preparing for the GMAT Focus Edition will still require a substantial amount of time, dedication, and energy.
TTP PRO TIP:
Preparing for the GMAT focus edition will still require a substantial amount of time, dedication, and energy.
GMAT Focus Edition vs. GMAT Exam: Key Differences
Use the table below as a quick reference to see the key differences between the GMAT Focus Edition and the GMAT exam as it is now.
Let’s now review the key takeaways from what we’ve discussed.
Key Takeaways
Here’s what we’ve discovered about the GMAT Focus Edition:
- The GMAT Focus Edition is a new version of the GMAT that is 1 hour shorter than the current version.
- GMAC will release official materials related to the Focus Edition on June 6, 2023, and registration for the GMAT Focus Edition will open August 29. Testing will begin in Q4 of 2023.
- Whereas the current GMAT has 4 sections, the GMAT Focus Edition has only 3: Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights.
- The content of the GMAT Focus Edition is largely the same as that of the current GMAT but does not include Geometry or Sentence Correction.
- Although the GMAT Focus Edition differs from the current GMAT in multiple ways, the skills tested by the GMAT will remain largely the same.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the GMAT Focus Edition Easier Than the Current GMAT?
GMAC calls the GMAT Focus edition “more efficient” and “streamlined.” And it’s clear that some aspects of the GMAT Focus Edition make it more user friendly than the current GMAT.
However, it won’t be clear how the changes in format and content affect the difficulty of the GMAT until test-takers begin taking the new test.
Will There Be Sentence Correction on the New GMAT?
The GMAT Focus Edition does not include Sentence Correction questions. The Verbal section of the Focus Edition includes Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension questions only.
Will the New GMAT Official Guide Cover the GMAT Focus Edition?
Yes. The 2023-2024 GMAT Official Guide will be based on the GMAT Focus Edition and will be available for purchase on June 6, 2023.
Can I Take the GMAT Focus Edition at Home?
As of this writing, GMAC has not explicitly stated whether the new version of the GMAT will be available for at-home testing. However, we suspect that the same testing options that are available for the current GMAT will be available for the GMAT Focus Edition.
So, we expect that test-takers will be able to sit for the GMAT Focus Edition either at a test center or at home.
Should I Prepare for the GMAT Focus Edition or the Current GMAT?
If you’re currently preparing for the GMAT, you don’t have to change anything at this time! You can continue to prepare for the current version of the GMAT, which will be available through early 2024.
If you want to switch to the GMAT Focus Edition, be aware that testing dates won’t be available until Q4 of 2023.
What’s Next?
If you’re already preparing for the GMAT and wondering how to achieve your score goal, our post on how to improve your GMAT score has plenty of helpful strategies.
If you’d like to reduce the number of careless mistakes you make and get more questions correct, our post on improving your accuracy on the GMAT will be a game-changer for you.
