| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
If you’re considering taking the GMAT to apply to business school, you may be wondering, “How hard is the GMAT?” As you might imagine, the answer depends on multiple factors and is different for each test taker. In this article, we’ll look at those factors in detail so that you can better understand how hard the GMAT may be for you.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- The Key Factor That Affects How Hard the GMAT Is
- How Hard Is It to Get a 525 on the GMAT?
- How Hard Is It to Score 615 on the GMAT?
- How Difficult Is a 675 on the GMAT?
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How Difficult Is the GMAT: In Summary
- What’s Next?
Let’s begin by discussing the key factor that affects how hard the GMAT is for any particular individual.
The Key Factor That Affects How Hard the GMAT Is
When we talk about how hard the GMAT is, what we’re really talking about is how hard it is to achieve your particular score goal. After all, what constitutes a “good” GMAT score differs for each target school and each GMAT test taker. So, to understand how hard the GMAT is, we must understand how hard it is to achieve a given score.
So, to discover how hard the GMAT test is, let’s explore how hard it is to achieve some common target scores: 525, 615, and 675. We’ll start with 525. Note that these scores, which end in the digit 5, reflect GMAT scores from tests taken after November 7, 2023. If you need to translate or compare to GMAT scores (which end in the digit 0) before that date, use this concordance chart from mba.com.
To understand how hard the GMAT is, we need to understand how hard it is to achieve a given score goal.
How Hard Is It to Get a 525 on the GMAT?
525 is a minimum GMAT score required by business schools such as the Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University and the MBA programs at the University of Maine and West Virginia University. So, people preparing for the GMAT often ask, “How hard is a 525 GMAT score to get?”
A GMAT score of 525 is at about the 34th percentile. If your GMAT score is 525, it means that you scored better than 34% of those taking the test and, equivalently, you scored less than 66% of the test takers. While this sounds like a relatively poor showing, let’s put it into perspective. You are being compared to an exclusive group of individuals, as all GMAT test takers are aspiring to earn a prestigious graduate degree. You are in an elite group!
Is there a magic number of correct questions that will result in a GMAT score of 525? This question is extremely difficult to answer. The GMAT is not a static exam; no two test takers will take the same exam. So your GMAT score is not a simple calculation of how many questions you got right, divided by how many questions you were presented.
You have to understand that the GMAT is a computer-adaptive test. In other words, the difficulty of the GMAT changes based on how the test-taker is performing. When you answer questions correctly, the GMAT presents questions of a higher difficulty level that are worth more points. If you miss questions, the test presents easier questions, which earn you fewer points.
KEY FACT:
Determining your GMAT score is not a simple calculation.
Many Variables Affect Your Score!
It’s impossible to be specific about question difficulty levels and the number of questions you can miss, such that your total GMAT score is 525. There are simply too many variables to make a definitive statement. However, some preliminary findings indicate that the sum of the three section scores (Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights) will be approximately 228. (Recall that each section score ranges from 60 to 90.) Thus, section scores of Q79, V79, and DI70 will yield a sum of 228, meaning that the GMAT score will be 525. Another sum yielding a GMAT score of 525 might be Q81, V77, and DI70.
Dozens of section sums would result in a score of 525. You can research these in more detail by using our Target Test Prep GMAT Score Calculator.
Let’s revisit the Q79, V79, DI70 scores. We have preliminary results that these scores would allow a student to miss (roughly) 5 Quant questions (out of 21), 8 Verbal questions (out of 23), and 11 DI questions (out of 20). Keep in mind that these are estimates, drawn from a limited amount of data!
KEY FACT:
A GMAT score of 525 is in the 34th percentile. Section scores that sum to 228 will yield a 525 GMAT score.
Let’s consider an example of what a 525-score Quant question might look like.
Example 525-Level GMAT Question
For her book report assignment, Mary read 5 pages less than half of her book on the first day. On the second day, Mary read 2/3 of the remaining pages. On the third day, she read the remaining 20 pages. How many pages did Mary read on the second day?
- 30
- 40
- 50
- 60
- 70
Explanation:
To answer this question, we should notice the following.
After reading part of the book on the first day, Mary had “the remaining pages” to read on the second and third days.
Then, on the third day, Mary had 20 pages to read, after she had read 2/3 of “the remaining pages” on the second day.
So, on the third day, Mary read the following:
“the remaining pages” – 2/3 of “the remaining pages” = 1/3 of “the remaining pages”
So, the 20 pages she read on the third day represented 1/3 of “the remaining pages.”
Thus, the 2/3 of “the remaining pages” she read on the second day were:
2 x 1/3 of the remaining pages = 2 x 20 = 40 pages.
So, the correct answer is (B) 40.
Note that you could solve this problem algebraically by letting x = the total number of pages in the book. However, it requires approximately 10 algebraic steps to solve it. This is an example of the fact that the GMAT often presents problems that allow you to use critical thinking rather than bulky math operations to arrive at a correct solution.
Takeaways
We can see that this question is fairly straightforward to answer. At the same time, we need to have a basic understanding of how to work with fractions to answer it.
Additionally, the fact that the pages Mary read on the first day don’t figure into our calculations makes this question a little tricky.
This question is a good example of the type of question we’ll need to answer to score 525 on the GMAT. We need to understand some high-school-level math concepts and avoid getting fooled by some trickiness to get it correct. At the same time, a question like this one is generally not super-challenging for MBA applicants.
525-level GMAT Verbal questions are similar in difficulty to this example. We certainly need to understand verbal concepts to get them correct. At the same time, the questions aren’t brain-busters.
So, we see that, overall, scoring 525 on the GMAT requires solid math and verbal skills and is somewhat challenging.
KEY FACT:
The questions you need to answer to score 525 on the GMAT require solid Quant and Verbal skills but are not super-challenging.
Let’s now discuss how hard it is to score 615 on the GMAT.
How Hard Is It to Score 615 on the GMAT?
615 is at the 76th percentile, so it is a relatively strong GMAT score. In fact, 615 is 60 points higher than the average GMAT score of approximately 555. Also, 615 is considered a high enough GMAT score to be accepted to many top business schools’ programs. For example, in recent years, 615 has been the lower bound of the middle 80 percent of GMAT scores at Anderson (UCLA) and Darden (UVa). Additionally, it is the average score of admitted students at the Broad College of Business at Michigan State. So, for many GMAT students, a key question is, “How hard is it to get a 615 on the GMAT?”
A starting point for answering that question is the percentage of questions you need to get correct to score 615. Because of the way GMAT scoring works, there are various combinations of Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights performances that result in a 615 GMAT total score. In general, a sum of 242 on the three sections would yield a 615. Two representative scores to earn a 615 are Q80, V81, DI81 and Q79, V84, DI79.
As we have previously discussed, there are many variables that impact your score. But an analysis of student-reported scores indicates that to score, for example, Q80, V81, and DI81, you can miss approximately 6 Quant (out of 21), 7 Verbal (out of 23), and 7 DI (out of 20) questions. So, to score 615, you have to get about 2/3 of the questions on your GMAT correct.
…to score 615, you have to get about 2/3 of the questions on your GMAT correct.
Let’s consider an example of the type of question you’ll have to answer to score 615.
Example 615-Level GMAT Question
City Council Member: Much of the air pollution in Goldenton is produced via the burning of fuel by automobiles. Meanwhile, most people using automobiles in Goldenton do not need the full capacity of such a vehicle and could easily accomplish their travel goals by using motorbikes instead of automobiles. Since a motorbike burns less fuel than an automobile traveling the same distance, by getting people to switch from using automobiles to using motorbikes, we can reduce air pollution in Goldenton.
Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest reason to question the conclusion?
- Because motorbikes are smaller than automobiles, if a certain number of automobiles is replaced by the same number of motorbikes in a city, street congestion may be reduced.
- Some of the people who currently use automobiles in Goldenton do not know how to operate motorbikes and would refuse to use them.
- The average total number of miles traveled each day on the roads of Goldenton by people using automobiles has not increased significantly over the past 10 years.
- Because the pollution control devices on motorbikes are less sophisticated than those on automobiles, motorbikes emit more pollution per unit of fuel burned than automobiles do.
- The amount of air pollution created via automobile use in Goldenton could be significantly reduced by improving traffic flow and thus reducing road congestion.
Explanation:
In this case, to get the question correct, we can notice the following.
The author has concluded that “by getting people to switch from using automobiles to using motorbikes, we can reduce air pollution in Goldenton.” The support for that conclusion is the fact that “a motorbike burns less fuel than an automobile traveling the same distance.” So, the author thinks that, by using motorbikes, people will pollute less because they’ll burn less fuel.
Then, to correctly answer the question, we must find a choice that presents a “reason to question the conclusion.”
Choice (D) casts doubt on the conclusion by showing that people may not pollute less by using motorbikes because motorbikes pollute more than automobiles when they burn the same amount of fuel. So, even though motorbikes burn less fuel, people may pollute just as much, or even more, by using motorbikes.
So, the correct answer is (D).
Takeaways
This 615-level question is somewhat tricky. For one thing, incorrect choice (B) seems to cast doubt on the conclusion by indicating that some people would not use motorbikes. So, to avoid selecting choice (B), we have to carefully analyze its implications and see that the fact that “some” people won’t use motorbikes doesn’t mean that the plan won’t work. After all, even if some people won’t use motorbikes, getting other people to use them could result in a reduction in pollution.
Also, to get this question correct, we have to see that the fact that “motorbikes emit more pollution per unit of fuel burned,” in (D), offsets the fact that “a motorbike burns less fuel than an automobile” in the passage.
So, overall, we have to do some fairly sophisticated logical reasoning to get this question correct. Unsurprisingly, getting 615-level GMAT Verbal questions correct is fairly challenging.
Similarly, while answering the Quant questions we need to get correct to score 615 isn’t brutally difficult, you need to have mastered more than basic math skills. You’ll need to do some fairly sophisticated logical reasoning to find paths to the answers.
So, overall, scoring 615 on the GMAT requires getting some rather tricky and sophisticated questions correct.
KEY FACT:
Scoring 615 on the GMAT requires answering fairly sophisticated and tricky questions.
We’ve seen how difficult it is to score in the 34th and 76th percentiles on the GMAT. Let’s now discuss how hard it is to score in the 95th percentile.
How Difficult Is a 675 on the GMAT?
675 is a high GMAT score, at the 95th percentile. It’s higher than the average GMAT scores of admitted applicants at nearly all business schools. Also, it’s high enough to be competitive for admission to any business school. So, many people preparing for the GMAT wonder how hard it is to score 675 on the GMAT.
We can start to answer that question by noting that typically, test-takers who score 675 on the GMAT get around 85 percent of the Quant, 75 percent of the Verbal, and 70% of the DI questions correct. So, scoring 675 on the GMAT takes getting a rather high percentage of the questions you see correct. A score of 675 might reflect section scores of Q85, V80, DI85 or Q80, V85, DI85.
Regarding the difficulty of the questions you need to get correct to score 675 on the GMAT, here is what official score reports indicate. On the Quant section, the average difficulty is medium-hard. On the Verbal section, the average difficulty is just under medium-hard. We don’t have enough data to specify the difficulty level of Data Insights questions, but we can assume that they are at least medium to medium-hard. So, on each section, test-takers who score 675 see a mix of medium, medium-hard, and hard questions.
KEY FACT:
Scoring 675 on the GMAT takes getting a rather high percentage of the questions you see correct.
To see how challenging a typical 675-level question is, let’s consider an example Data Insights question.
Example 675-Level GMAT Question
Zara has two extra tickets to Friday Night Fright Fest, a horror-themed film festival, and she will invite two of her friends to accompany her to the festival. Her friend Amir has said he will not come to the festival if their friend Cristóbal is invited, and her friend Danielle has said she will come only if their friend Ben is invited. If Zara invites two friends who want to go to the festival together, will Amir be one of the people she invites?
(1) Ben will not come if Danielle is invited.
(2) Cristóbal will come only if Danielle is invited.
- Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
- Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
- BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
- EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
- Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.
Explanation:
First, let’s analyze the question stem.
First, let’s identify and summarize in our own words each criterion mentioned in the passage. To keep our work efficient, we’ll use only the first letter of each person’s name. Here are the criteria:
Criterion 1: If C is invited, then A will not go
Criterion 2: D will attend only if B is invited
Before we analyze the two statements, let’s make sure that we understand the implications of each criterion above.
Given the first criterion, we know that Zara cannot invite both Amir and Cristóbal. So, for any scenario in which Cristóbal is invited, No would be the answer to the question, will Amir be one of the people she invites? After all, the question relates to what will happen “if Zara invites two friends who want to go to the festival together. ”
Given the second criterion, we know that if Zara invites Danielle, she must also invite Ben. So, for any scenario in which Danielle is invited, No would be the answer to the question, will Amir be one of the people she invites? After all, the second ticket will need to be given to Ben.
Thus, of the friends mentioned in the passage, the possible combinations of invitees at this point are:
– AB
– BC
– BD
However, the passage does not tell us that the friends mentioned are the only friends Zara could possibly invite. Perhaps she has other friends who aren’t mentioned in the passage who would want to go to the festival together.
In other words, we are dealing with an unrestricted group. So, in evaluating each statement, we must consider how outside factors could influence whether Zara will invite Amir.
Statement One Alone:
Ben will not come if Danielle is invited.
This statement relates only to the friends mentioned in the passage and thus does not address outside factors. So, we have no information about whether Zara might invite two friends who are not mentioned.
Furthermore, the information in this statement does not yield a definitive No answer to the question of whether Zara will invite Amir.
For example, if Ben is invited, Zara could invite Amir. However, Zara could also invite two unmentioned friends, or one unmentioned friend and one of the mentioned friends who isn’t Amir. The information in this statement does not rule those possibilities out.
Thus, statement one alone is not sufficient to answer the question.
Statement Two Alone:
Cristóbal will come only if Danielle is invited.
This statement relates only to the friends mentioned in the passage and thus does not address outside factors. So, we have no information about whether Zara might invite two friends who are not mentioned.
Furthermore, the information in this statement does not yield a definitive No answer to the question of whether Zara will invite Amir.
For example, Zara could invite Amir and Ben, in which case the answer to the question would be Yes. However, Zara could instead invite two unmentioned friends, in which case the answer to the question would be No.
Thus, statement two alone is not sufficient to answer the question.
So, neither statement addresses the outside factor of inviting unmentioned friends, and neither statement yields a definitive No answer. Thus, we do not need to continue solving by evaluating the statements together; the outside factor will remain a mystery either way.
So, we know that the correct answer is choice (E).
Takeaways
This 675-level Data Insights question is very tricky. Many people miss it because of one or both of the following: (1) they are not experienced with answering Data Sufficiency (DS) questions; or (2) they are not familiar with the concept of “outside factors,” as mentioned in the solution to this DS question, which must be taken into account..
Thus, we can see that answering a 675-level Data Sufficiency question requires going well beyond just understanding mathematical or even logical concepts. You must be able to apply the concepts to reason your way to the answers to tricky questions.
Meanwhile, the trickiness of this question is just one example of how 675-level questions can be challenging. Also, 675-level Data Insights questions often require picking up on relationships between seemingly unconnected facts or catching subtle issues. You have to avoid trap choices that are almost indistinguishable from correct answers.
So, scoring 675 on the GMAT is clearly challenging, even for high-performing MBA applicants. And it generally takes a fair amount of rigorous preparation.
Scoring 675 on the GMAT is clearly challenging, even for high-performing MBA applicants.
Let’s now answer some common questions related to the difficulty of the GMAT.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the GMAT Hard for an Average Student?
As we’ve seen, how hard the GMAT is for a given student depends on the student’s score goal. So, with regard to how hard the GMAT is for an average student, we can say the following.
An average student won’t find scoring 525 on the GMAT too hard. In fact, an average student may be able to score 525 without much preparation. An average student will likely find scoring 615 somewhat challenging and will likely have to prepare in earnest to achieve that score. Finally, an average student will likely find scoring 675 on the GMAT quite challenging and will likely have to prepare for several months to achieve that score.
Is Getting a 645 on the GMAT Hard?
For most people, getting a 645 on the GMAT is challenging but doable with preparation. About 12 percent of GMAT test-takers eventually score 645 or higher, many of them on retakes.
How Hard Is the GMAT for Engineers?
Engineers typically find the GMAT somewhat challenging. While engineers are strong in math, the type of mathematical reasoning required for scoring high on the Quantitative section of the GMAT is different from that used in engineering. So, engineers don’t always find GMAT Quant easy. Also, on average, engineers find the Verbal section of the GMAT as hard as the typical GMAT test taker finds it.
How Long Should I Study for the GMAT?
The amount of time needed to study for the GMAT varies depending on individual factors such as your current level of familiarity with the test content, your target score, and your study habits. Typically, people study for at least two to three months before taking the GMAT exam.
To get a sense of how long it will take you to achieve your GMAT score, you can take one of the free practice tests available on mba.com. Your score on that test will indicate your current level. Then, you can use the difference between that level and your score goal to determine how long you’ll need to prepare for the GMAT.
Let’s now wrap up with a summary of what we’ve discussed.
How Difficult Is the GMAT: In Summary
Regarding the difficulty of GMAT, we’ve seen that your score goal is the key factor that determines how hard the GMAT will be for you. Different GMAT score goals are associated with both different percentages of questions you need to answer correctly and different question difficulty levels. So, test takers may find the difficulty level of the GMAT exam anywhere from somewhat challenging to very challenging, depending on their target scores.
What’s Next?
If you’re wondering how to make a GMAT study plan, this post on the best way to study for the GMAT will help.
To learn how to be confident on test day, check out our post on GMAT confidence-building techniques.
