GMAT Integrated Reasoning Tips

Reading Time: 22 minutes

Last Updated on May 16, 2023

Although your GMAT Integrated Reasoning (IR) score is much less important than your GMAT total score, scoring well on the IR section is still a good idea. It’s true that business schools don’t put much emphasis on IR scores. Still, it’s better to provide a relatively strong IR score than a weak one that could serve to raise questions about the strength of your skills or compare unfavorably with the IR scores of other applicants.

This article will present an overview of what to expect in the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section. We’ll also offer a bunch of Integrated Reasoning tips and strategies for improving your score.

Even if Integrated Reasoning questions seem very unfamiliar or cumbersome at first, if you adopt a growth mindset, demonstrate grit, and follow the tips in this article, you’ll be on your way to mastering GMAT IR.

Here are all the topics we’ll cover:

• What Does the Integrated Reasoning Section Test?
• What Makes Integrated Reasoning Different From Other GMAT Sections
  • You Must Use Multiple Skills for Each IR Question
  • You Must Manipulate and Synthesize Data
  • There Will be Relevant and Irrelevant Data
  • A Calculator is Provided for Integrated Reasoning
• Do I Have to Prepare for the Integrated Reasoning Section?
• Get Comfortable With the Integrated Reasoning Question Types
  • IR Question Type 1: Graphics Interpretation Questions
  • IR Question Type 2: Table Analysis Questions
  • IR Question Type 3: Two-Part Analysis Questions
  • IR Question Type 4: Multi-Source Reasoning Questions
• Leverage What You Already Know
• Practice Your Timing on IR Questions
• Get Comfortable With the Look and Feel of IR Questions
• Don’t Pick and Choose IR Question Types to Practice
• Allow Equal Time to Get to Know Each IR Question Type
• Master the Art of Sorting Data in Tables and Graphs
• Save Your Integrated Reasoning Study Until Near the End of Your GMAT Prep
• Don’t Cut Corners With Your Integrated Reasoning Prep
• Develop a Timing Strategy Unique to IR
• There Is No Partial Credit Given in Integrated Reasoning
• Use Your Daily Reading to Brush Up on Your IR Skills
• Practice With the Integrated Reasoning Calculator Before Test Day
• Complete the IR Section of Your GMAT Practice Tests
• Go Step by Step to Minimize Stress
• Integrated Reasoning Tips: Key Takeaways
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • How Many Integrated Reasoning Questions Are on the GMAT?
  • Does Integrated Reasoning Affect the GMAT Score Total?
  • Can I Skip Integrated Reasoning on the GMAT?
  • Does Integrated Reasoning Matter on GMAT Exams?
  • What Is a Good Integrated Reasoning Score on the GMAT?
  • Is There Partial Credit on GMAT Integrated Reasoning Questions?
  • Will My GMAT Quant Preparation Alone Be Enough to Do Well in IR?
  • Should I Study Integrated Reasoning Before Studying Quant and Verbal?
  • Should I Ever Guess on Integrated Reasoning Questions?
  • Does Integrated Reasoning Show on the Enhanced Score Report (ESR)?
  • Will an Error Log Help in My Integrated Reasoning Prep?
  • Is Integrated Reasoning Found on the Online GMAT?
• What’s Next?

To start, let’s review what the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section tests.

What Does the Integrated Reasoning Section Test?

Added in 2012, the Integrated Reasoning section is a relative newcomer to the GMAT exam. GMAC (the maker of the GMAT) added this section to assess test-takers’ career-related skills, including:

• analyzing graphs and charts
• recognizing and evaluating relationships in data
• solving multi-step problems
• organizing data in meaningful ways
• synthesizing information from multiple sources.

According to a 2012 GMAC study, more than 600 employers considered the skills tested in Integrated Reasoning necessary for success in the business world. Thus, business schools look to the IR section for a demonstration of how you’ll perform when faced with the types of complex, multi-layered problems that are handled daily in professional settings.

Business schools look to the IR section for a demonstration of how you’ll perform when faced with the types of complex, multi-layered problems that are handled daily in professional settings.

Additionally, some data-conscious employers are interested in knowing the IR scores of job candidates. A high Integrated Reasoning GMAT score can propel you to the top of the list for being hired or heading a unique project.

What Makes Integrated Reasoning Different From Other GMAT Sections

There are a number of things that make IR different from the other GMAT sections.

You Must Use Multiple Skills for Each IR Question

Rather than focus on one or two skills at a time, IR asks you to use multiple skills to answer a single question. For example, some IR questions, such as Multi-Source Reasoning questions, may ask test-takers to work simultaneously with both quantitative and verbal information.

You Must Manipulate and Synthesize Data

Unlike GMAT quant and verbal questions, Integrated Reasoning questions are not challenging because of the inherent complexity of the information involved. Instead, the required manipulation or synthesis of the presented information makes the questions more difficult. These questions are interactive in that the tables and charts found in Integrated Reasoning have sorting functionality. Unlike in quant and verbal questions, you’ll be able to use drop-down menus to sort data in IR questions.

There Will be Relevant and Irrelevant Data

Also, unlike quant and verbal questions, in which it’s typical that all of the given information is relevant, IR questions often present both relevant and irrelevant information, requiring you to distinguish between the two to answer the question.

Likewise, a diagram with multiple questions may contain specific data points central to answering the first question but utterly useless in solving the next one.

A Calculator is Provided for Integrated Reasoning

Unlike in the quant section, in IR, you can access an on-screen calculator to help you make calculations. We’ll talk more about the calculator later.

Do I Have to Prepare for the Integrated Reasoning Section?

We’ll talk a bunch about this topic in this article, but the short answer is YES. You must devote some time to preparing for Integrated Reasoning.

You must devote some time to preparing for Integrated Reasoning.

Many of you already have some work experience tackling the types of problems that the IR section presents. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re adequately prepared for IR just because you work in a data-driven field or use graphs to deliver information at your job.

As do the quantitative and verbal sections of the GMAT, the IR section has specific ways of asking questions and presenting information. Thus, you must devote time and energy to targeted Integrated Reasoning preparation if you want to earn a competitive score in this section.

Now, it’s true that your quant and verbal preparation will help you significantly with Integrated Reasoning. However, you can’t rely solely on your GMAT quantitative and verbal study to earn an impressive IR score.

Get Comfortable With the Integrated Reasoning Question Types

The fact that Integrated Reasoning tests many skills you already have doesn’t mean that the questions presented in IR will automatically look or feel familiar to you. Additionally, while you will use many of your quant and verbal skills to solve Integrated Reasoning questions, IR questions are presented in formats distinct from those of quant and verbal questions.

Thus, it helps to familiarize yourself with the four question types in the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section. Doing so will allow you to consistently bring to bear the skills each question tests.

So, let’s talk about the four types of Integrated Reasoning questions.

IR Question Type 1: Graphics Interpretation Questions

In Graphics Interpretation questions, you select a correct statement from a drop-down list, based on your analysis of information presented in a graph or chart. The charts can be bar charts, scatterplots, flowcharts, or other graphs. Each graph has two questions that relate to it.

For example, in the following Graphics Interpretation question, we must answer two questions about the video sales of “Fitness Now!” The answers to the two questions will come directly from the graph provided.

Here are some more sample Graphics Interpretation questions that are representative of what you can expect to see on test day.

IR Question Type 2: Table Analysis Questions

In Table Analysis questions, you can sort a table’s data columns in various ways to determine answers to a series of questions.

For example, consider the following Table Analysis question involving the highest degree held by 40 CEOs. Notice that we must answer a series of true/false questions using the information found in the table. Using the drop-down, we can sort the table by degree and frequency.

Here are some more sample Table Analysis questions that are representative of what you can expect to see on test day.

IR Question Type 3: Two-Part Analysis Questions

Two-Part Analysis questions ask you to select two correct answers that appear in a table. These questions can be about a variety of types of scenarios or mathematical expressions and may be either quant-based or verbal-based.

For example, we’re asked for two average speeds in the following Two-Part Analysis question.

Here are some more sample Two-part Analysis questions that are representative of what you can expect to see on test day.

IR Question Type 4: Multi-Source Reasoning Questions

In Multi-Source Reasoning questions, you interpret multiple texts on a subject to either answer a multiple-choice question or evaluate the validity of three separate statements, choosing from one of two answers for each (yes/no, true/false, etc.). This section is most similar to Reading Comprehension/Critical Reasoning.

In the following Multi-Source Reasoning question, notice that we must answer a series of true/false questions. The information we need is found in two tabs (the CONFLICT tab and the COUNTRIES tab). Notice that we must analyze the data on both tabs to answer this question.

Here are some more sample Multi-Source Reasoning questions that are representative of what you can expect to see on test day.

As you can see, answering IR questions requires much more than knowledge of a particular mathematical equation or formula.

Leverage What You Already Know

Integrated Reasoning questions on the GMAT are structured differently from questions in the quant and verbal sections. However, Integrated Reasoning questions are rooted in GMAT quantitative and verbal concepts. So, many of the skills you use in those sections will also be essential in IR.

You will have to closely read texts, as you do in Reading Comprehension. You will also have to analyze the validity of arguments or weaken and strengthen them, as you do in Critical Reasoning.

As you do in quant, you will have to recognize patterns and apply basic mathematical formulas related to percentages, probabilities, and averages.

The good news is that you will already be building and fine-tuning these skills with your GMAT quantitative and verbal study. You may also have specific skills acquired at work that apply to Integrated Reasoning. For instance, experience creating and analyzing charts can give you a leg up in preparing for IR. Additionally, many other skills you may often use, such as critical thinking, organization, making estimations, and prioritizing information, will be important in tackling IR questions.

So, whatever your background, you won’t be entering Integrated Reasoning empty-handed. You will already be armed with many of the tools you need to succeed in IR.

Practice Your Timing on IR Questions

There are 12 questions in the IR section, and you have 30 minutes to complete them all (an average of 2.5 minutes per question). That may seem like a decent amount of time. However, whether in text, visual representations, or mathematical expressions, Integrated Reasoning questions often present a lot of information at once.

For example, an advanced Table Analysis question may contain a table with close to 200 sortable values. In addition, there will be an explanatory paragraph of text. You’ll need to determine the validity of three statements. To do so, you must combine information presented and perform calculations such as percentage change, median, etc.

That can be a lot to juggle in two and a half minutes, particularly if you haven’t devoted much (or any) time to practicing these questions.

Get Comfortable With the Look and Feel of IR Questions

To do well in IR, you must efficiently organize and interpret the often large amounts of information presented in these questions. You’ll have difficulty applying the necessary mathematical concepts or critical reasoning skills without proper data manipulation skills.

Thus, it helps to become as comfortable as possible with the look and structure of each question type. On test day, you don’t want to be presented with a diagram featuring multiple columns that allow for numerous methods of interpretation and not know where to look first.

If any of the various ways that the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section presents data look foreign to you, you may be delayed in getting to the step of correctly applying the skills that you have acquired in your GMAT quantitative and verbal study because you may not quickly know how to begin organizing or interpreting what you’re looking at.

You must be able to visually and logically sort the information in front of you. To build a level of familiarity with how IR questions are asked and how you can best go about solving them, you’ll need repeated practice with questions of varying difficulty for all four question types–not just for the kinds of questions you don’t “already know.”

This brings us to a key point about studying for the Integrated Reasoning section of the GMAT.

Don’t Pick and Choose IR Question Types to Practice

Test-takers have made the mistake of thinking that, since they’ve read tables and graphs for school or work, they don’t need to practice questions in Graphics Interpretation or Table Analysis.

Maybe they thought they could get away with focusing their entire IR practice on the question type they were least familiar with. For instance, perhaps they concentrated on Two-Part Analysis questions. This strategy is not a wise one for preparing for GMAT IR.

Remember, much of your IR work will be filtering and sorting information to pinpoint data to solve problems. Test writers may ask you to interpret the same data set differently. Thus, developing a knack for efficiently finding the relevant information in a given question is essential.

Allow Equal Time to Get to Know Each IR Question Type

At least when beginning your IR study, allow equal time to get to know each question type.

As you complete practice questions, it may quickly become evident that you perform much better on Table Analysis and Graphics Interpretation, for example, than on Two-Part Analysis and Multi-Source Reasoning. In that case, you’d need to spend more time engaged in focused practice on the latter two before completing more mixed sets of IR questions.

Likewise, if you are an avid reader who performs very well in GMAT verbal, it may be the case that Multi-Source Reasoning questions are second nature to you. In that case, you can reserve your practice of that question type for advanced-level questions.

With all sections of the GMAT, you should adjust your study strategy to target your remaining weak areas. The point is to not assume that you know your weakest and strongest areas before sufficiently practicing each type of question.

Test-takers may be particularly prone to this error in judgment in IR because of IR’s crossover with other skills. Perhaps you’re great at analyzing simple bar graphs and synthesizing data in tables with a few columns, but diagrams with multiple values make your head spin. How will you identify and address this weak spot if you assume from the beginning that you “know how to read charts,” so you don’t need to practice those question types?

Master the Art of Sorting Data in Tables and Graphs

As we’ve said, what makes Integrated Reasoning questions difficult is that they present a lot of information simultaneously. However, you can prepare for success by mastering the art of sorting (organizing) the data found in tables and graphs.

It’s unlikely that an IR question will initially present information to you in a helpful manner. Instead, it’s common for these questions to show data in less than advantageous ways. Our challenge is then to sort the information in a way that allows us to see the information.

For example, we may need to arrange data alphabetically and sort numbers from high to low or low to high. The better you can organize the data found in IR questions, the better you’ll perform in this section.

Save Your Integrated Reasoning Study Until Near the End of Your GMAT Prep

Doing well on GMAT IR requires mastering the skills tested in the quantitative and verbal sections of the GMAT. Thus, there is no sense in jumping into Integrated Reasoning practice before you have a solid foundation in GMAT quant and verbal.

For example, you’ll need to understand key quant concepts to do well in IR. These include probability, ratios, percentages, Venn diagrams, and number properties. You’ll also need to understand key verbal concepts. These include weakening an argument, strengthening an argument, and determining whether a conclusion is supported.

So, if you front-load your GMAT prep with Integrated Reasoning, you’ll likely discover that you can’t answer IR questions because you’re missing the necessary quant and verbal skills. Thus, your best move is first to prepare for GMAT quant and verbal. Then, near the end of your GMAT prep, spend time working on Integrated Reasoning.

This idea doesn’t mean that you must master every quant and verbal topic before looking at an IR question. You’ll do yourself a disservice if you put off IR practice until the very end of your GMAT preparation.

What it does mean is that you can feel good that, every time you work on your GMAT quantitative and verbal skills, you’re adding more tools to your IR toolbox.

Every time you work on your GMAT quantitative and verbal skills, you’re adding more tools to your IR toolbox.

Don’t Cut Corners With Your Integrated Reasoning Prep

When faced with an intensive, time-consuming task such as preparing for the GMAT, it’s tempting to cut corners or give yourself a false sense of confidence about your level of preparedness in one area or another.

Don’t fall into such a trap. Consider yourself a blank slate as you start your IR study. You may find that you already have many blanks filled in, or you may be surprised that correct answers don’t come more easily to you.

Your practice in GMAT quant and verbal should give you a good sense of where you’re likely to struggle and excel in IR. However, you want your GMAT preparation strategy to be based on evidence of your skills. You don’t want to make assumptions about them. This outlook goes for IR just as much as for any other GMAT section.

So, practicing numerous IR questions of each type at the beginning of your IR prep is prudent. You can then fine-tune your approach as you go.

Develop a Timing Strategy Unique to IR

Timing in the IR section is slightly different from timing in quant and verbal. In addition, the question structures are, in large part, more complex. Thus, you should develop a strategy for attacking the IR section tailored to those characteristics, playing to your strengths and being realistic about your weaknesses.

As we’ve already discussed, you’ll have 30 minutes to answer the 12 IR questions. Thus, you’ll have 2.5 minutes on average for each question. Of course, not all IR questions will require the same amount of time to solve. For instance, it is generally true that Graphics Interpretation questions require less time on average than other IR questions, even for test-takers who don’t work with charts at their jobs. Thus, you will want to adjust your timing for these more straightforward questions, allocating perhaps 1 minute or less for each and saving the bulk of your time for the more complex Table Analysis questions.

Also, you’ll earn a lower IR score if you leave questions blank than if you guess incorrectly on these questions. Thus, leaving enough time to answer each IR question is essential. To do so, you may need to make some educated guesses on one or more of the questions.

There Is No Partial Credit Given in Integrated Reasoning

Most of the 12 questions in IR contain two or three parts. You must answer all parts of a question correctly to get credit for a correct answer because there is no partial credit.

Thus, if, for example, the first two parts of a three-part question have you completely confused, it’s wise to make an educated guess and move on. Your chances of correctly answering all three parts of a question are low if you’re already guessing for two-thirds of the question. In that case, why spend precious minutes muscling through that final third?

Additionally, suppose you know your strengths and weaknesses in IR. In that case, you will be able to quickly tell whether a multi-part question is presenting problems that you won’t be able to solve within a reasonable amount of time.

Of course, you shouldn’t give up on a question at the first sign of difficulty. But, if you find yourself no closer to correct answers in the second part of a question than you were in the first, and the question is of a type known to give you trouble, it may be to your advantage to make your best guesses and move on to the next question. In doing so, you’ll be banking extra time for IR questions you’re more likely to answer correctly.

The good news is that even if you are aiming for an IR score of 6 or higher, you can miss a few questions or leave a few unanswered and still achieve your target score.

Use Your Daily Reading to Brush Up on Your IR Skills

Reading publications such as the Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times can be a great way to brush up on your Graphics Interpretation skills.

Many of the articles found in these publications feature graphs and charts of many types. So, working through these articles will allow you to analyze graphs and charts in real-world contexts.

Also, The New York Times has an online feature called “What’s Going On in This Graph?” specifically geared toward teaching people how to interpret graphs that appeared in the Times.

Practice With the Integrated Reasoning Calculator Before Test Day

The calculator provided to you on IR can be a big help when you’re faced with quantitative IR questions. To maximize its utility, be sure to engage in ample practice using the calculator before test day. The calculator does take some getting used to. However, once you’re comfortable with it, it should be an asset to you in the Integrated Reasoning section.

Remember, though, that the stronger your ability to work with numbers without a calculator, the better you’ll do on IR when using the calculator provided. In other words, the on-screen calculator is one tool among many that must be in your toolkit.

Complete the IR Section of Your GMAT Practice Tests

When taking a full-length practice GMAT, always complete the IR section — and all test sections. Doing so is essential training for each section of the test and the test-taking experience overall.

In general, replicate test-day conditions as much as possible, and take the IR and essay portions of your practice test as seriously as the quant and verbal sections.

These overall strategies and tips will help you make the most of taking GMAT practice tests, including IR.

Go Step by Step to Minimize Stress

Don’t let GMAT Integrated Reasoning become a source of stress and anxiety for you.

Think of IR questions as puzzles, and learn the most efficient ways to put the pieces together. Practice enough that you feel familiar with each question type and have completed numerous questions of each type and difficulty.

That way, during your actual GMAT exam, even if you are presented with an Integrated Reasoning question that you have a low probability of answering correctly, you will not be completely caught off guard and waste time scrambling to figure out how to attack it. Follow time-tested strategies to improve your GMAT accuracy; they can be beneficial during your IR prep.

A competitive IR score can give a nice boost to your B-school applications and may help impress future employers. With intelligent preparation and dedicated practice, you can earn a great Integrated Reasoning score!

GMAT Integrated Reasoning Tips: Key Takeaways

• MBA programs look to your IR score for a demonstration of how you’ll perform when faced with real-world problems.
• Integrated Reasoning tests some skills that are tested in quant and verbal questions and some that are not.
• You can use a calculator on GMAT Integrated Reasoning.
• Spend time preparing for Integrated Reasoning; your quant and verbal prep alone won’t be enough to perform well on IR.
• Balance your time preparing for Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis, and Multi-Source Reasoning questions.
• Leverage skills you already have to perform well on IR.
• Mastering the art of sorting data in IR questions will be a pivotal step toward earning a high IR score.
• Save your Integrated Reasoning prep until near the end of your GMAT prep.
• Develop a timing strategy that is unique to IR.
• Remember that you won’t be awarded partial credit on IR questions.
• Practice with the IR on-screen calculator before test day.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How Many Integrated Reasoning Questions Are on the GMAT?

In the Integrated Reasoning section of the GMAT, test-takers must answer 12 questions in 30 minutes. These 12 questions consist of the following four unique IR question types:

1. Graphics Interpretation
2. Two-Part Analysis
3. Table Analysis
4. Multi-Source Reasoning

A few of these 12 questions will be experimental questions, which won’t count toward your GMAT score. Since you won’t know which questions are experimental, treat each question as if it is counted.

Does Integrated Reasoning Affect the GMAT Score Total?

The Integrated Reasoning section of the GMAT is scored independently of the rest of the test. So, your IR score doesn’t affect your 200 to 800 GMAT total score. Instead, test-takers receive a separate IR score, which can range from 1-8 in single-digit intervals.

That said, your Integrated Reasoning score will be essential to your business school applications.

Can I Skip Integrated Reasoning on the GMAT?

If you skip the 12 Integrated Reasoning questions, your GMAT score report will reflect an IR score of 0. Such a score would most certainly represent a significant blemish on your business school application. At worst, an IR score of 0 could be enough to keep you from earning acceptance to many MBA programs.

Put yourself in the shoes of admissions officers. Would you take the risk of enrolling a student who was willing to apply with an IR score of 0? Might you have doubts, at the very least, regarding that person’s judgment?

Does Integrated Reasoning Matter on GMAT Exams?

Your Integrated Reasoning score is an important component of your GMAT score. Thus, your goal should be to earn the highest IR score possible.

What Is a Good Integrated Reasoning Score on the GMAT?

GMAT Integrated Reasoning scores range from 1-8 in single-digit intervals. Competitive IR scores range from 6-8. Regardless of which business program you’re applying to, your goal should be to earn an IR score of at least 6. If you’re applying to top 10 or M7 schools, you’d be well served to target an IR score of 7 or 8.

Is There Partial Credit on GMAT Integrated Reasoning Questions?

There is no partial credit awarded on IR questions. To be awarded credit for an IR question, you must correctly answer each part of the question.

Will My GMAT Quant Preparation Alone Be Enough to Do Well in IR?

Your GMAT quant prep work will significantly help your Integrated Reasoning skills. However, quant practice alone isn’t sufficient for developing the skills needed to attack data-heavy, convoluted IR questions systematically, methodically, and strategically.

Should I Study Integrated Reasoning Before Studying Quant and Verbal?

If you haven’t yet mastered basic mathematical concepts such as determining percent increase or the probability that an event will occur, or if you struggle to distill the meaning of reading passages or to separate premises from conclusions in arguments, then you will not have much success understanding Integrated Reasoning questions, let alone answering them correctly.

Thus, it doesn’t make much sense to add IR to the mix of your GMAT prep until you have a firm grasp of quant and verbal fundamentals and have practiced using those skills with realistic questions in each category (Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving in quant, and Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction in verbal).

Should I Ever Guess on Integrated Reasoning Questions?

To complete the Integrated Reasoning section on time, you may need to guess on one or more questions. If you’ve given a question an honest effort and are not close to arriving at a correct answer, it’s in your best interest to make an educated guess and move on.

Does Integrated Reasoning Show on the Enhanced Score Report (ESR)?

Yes, your Enhanced Score Report (ESR) shows your overall IR score and the percentage of IR questions you answered correctly, along with your Quant, Verbal, and AWA scores.

Will an Error Log Help in My Integrated Reasoning Prep?

A properly created and used error log will be an asset in your Integrated Reasoning prep.

Is Integrated Reasoning Found on the Online GMAT?

Yes, the Integrated Reasoning section is found on both the in-person GMAT and the GMAT Online.

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