Last Updated on May 16, 2023
If you’re considering taking the GMAT to apply to business schools, you may be wondering, “How hard is the GMAT?” So, in this article, I’m going to tackle that question. As you’ll see, the answer depends on multiple factors and is different for each test-taker. So, by the end of this article, you’ll better understand how hard the GMAT may be for you.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- The Key Factor That Affects How Hard the GMAT Is
- How Hard Is It to Get a 550 on the GMAT?
- How Hard Is It to Score 660 on the GMAT?
- How Difficult Is a 720 on the GMAT?
- Is the GMAT Hard for an Average Student?
- Is Getting a 700 on the GMAT Hard?
- How Hard Is the GMAT for Engineers?
- How Long Should I Study for the GMAT?
- 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: 550, 660, and 720. We’ll start with 550.
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 550 on the GMAT?
550 is a common minimum GMAT score required by business schools, for example St. John’s and University of Calgary. So, people preparing for the GMAT often ask, “How hard is a 550 GMAT score to get?
One factor affecting the difficulty of scoring 550 on the GMAT is the number of questions you have to answer correctly. We can get this information from score reports of test-takers who have scored 550. Score reports indicate that, to score 550, you need to get around 50 percent of the Quant questions and 55 percent of the Verbal questions correct. So, you don’t have to achieve high accuracy to score 550 on the GMAT. You can score 550 by getting around half the questions correct.
We also have to take into account that the GMAT is a computer-adaptive test. In other words, the difficulty of the GMAT changes in accordance with how the test-taker is performing. When you get questions correct, the GMAT presents questions of a higher difficulty level. If you miss questions, the test presents easier questions.
Thus, a 550 GMAT score has a question difficulty associated with it. So, to understand how hard scoring 550 is, we’ll also consider the difficulty of the questions you’d have to answer.
Score reports indicate that the average question difficulty associated with a 550 GMAT score is a little higher than medium for Quant and a little lower than medium for Verbal. So, the questions you need to answer to score 550 require solid quantitative and verbal skills but aren’t particularly tricky.
KEY FACT:
To score 550 on the GMAT, you need to get about half the questions correct.
To see how challenging 550-level questions are, let’s consider an example.
Example 550-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 some 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 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 was 2 x 1/3 = 2 x 20 = 40 pages.
So, the correct answer is (B) 40.
Takeaways
We can see that this question is fairly straightforward to answer. At the same time, we need to have a solid understanding of how to work with fractions to answer it.
Also, the fact that we need to understand 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 550 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.
550-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 550 on the GMAT requires solid math and verbal skills and is somewhat challenging.
KEY FACT:
The questions you need to answer to score 550 on the GMAT require solid Quant and Verbal skills but are not super-challenging.
Let’s now discuss how hard it is to score 660 on the GMAT.
How Hard Is It to Score 660 on the GMAT?
660 is a relatively strong GMAT score. In fact, 660 is 85 points higher than the average GMAT score of approximately 575. Also, 660 is considered a high enough GMAT score for getting accepted to many top business schools’ master’s programs. For example, in recent years, 660 has been the lower bound of the middle 80 percent of GMAT scores at Anderson, Johnson, and McCombs. So, for many GMAT students, a key question is, “How hard is it to get a 660 on the GMAT?”
A starting point for answering that question is the percentage of questions you need to get correct to score 660. Because of the way GMAT scoring works, there are various different combinations of Quant and Verbal performances that result in a 660 GMAT total score. Still, we can go with a common combination, which is around 61 percent of the Quant questions and 60 percent of the Verbal questions correct to score 660. So, to score 660, you have to get a clear majority of the questions on your GMAT correct.
We can also consider the difficulty levels of the questions you need to get correct to score 660. Score reports indicate that, on the Quantitative section, the average difficulty of the questions you need to get correct is significantly higher than medium, close to medium-hard. So, it’s clearly higher than the difficulty of the Quant questions you need to get correct to score 550. In Verbal, the average difficulty level of the questions you’ll need to answer correctly to score 660 is medium.
To score 660, you have to get a clear majority of the questions on your GMAT correct.
Let’s consider an example of the type of question you’ll have to answer to score 660.
Example 660-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 emit.
- The amount of air pollution created via automobile use in Goldenton could be significantly reduced via 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 660-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 then, in general, getting 660-level GMAT Verbal questions correct is fairly challenging.
Similarly, while answering the Quant questions we need to get correct to score 660 isn’t brutally difficult, it does take more than basic math skills. We’ll need to do some fairly sophisticated logical reasoning to find paths to the answers.
So, overall, scoring 660 on the GMAT requires getting some rather tricky and sophisticated questions correct.
KEY FACT:
Scoring 660 on the GMAT requires answering fairly sophisticated and tricky questions.
We’ve seen how difficult it is to score in the 500s and the 600s on the GMAT. Let’s now discuss how hard it is to score in the 700s.
How Difficult Is a 720 on the GMAT?
720 is a high GMAT score. It’s higher than the average GMAT scores of admitted applicants at most business schools. Also, it’s high enough for getting into any business school. So, many people preparing for the GMAT wonder how hard it is to score 720 on the GMAT.
We can start to answer that question by noting that typically, test-takers who score 720 on the GMAT get around 75 percent of the Quant and 73 percent of the Verbal questions correct. So, scoring 720 on the GMAT takes getting a rather high percentage of the questions you see correct.
Regarding the difficulty of the questions you need to get correct to score 720 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. So, on each section, test-takers who score 720 see a mix of medium, medium-hard, and hard questions.
Scoring 720 on the GMAT takes getting a rather high percentage of the questions you see correct.
To see how challenging a typical 720-level question is, let’s consider an example question.
Example 720-Level GMAT Question
What is the value of x?
(1) 7x2 = 14x
(2) x2 = 4
- (A) Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
- (B) Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
- (C BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
- (D) EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
- (E) Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.
Explanation:
This example is a GMAT Data Sufficiency (DS) question. To get a DS question correct, we have to determine whether the information provided by statements (1) and (2) is sufficient for determining the answer to the question asked in the question stem.
So, in this case, we must determine whether the information provided by the statements is sufficient for determining the value of x.
Statement (1) alone is insufficient for determining the value of x, since the two sides of the equation will be equal if x = 0 or x = 2. After all, 7 * 02 = 14 * 0, and 7 * 22 = 14 * 2.
Statement (2) alone is also insufficient, since both x = 2 and x = -2 work in Statement (2). After all, 22 = 4, and -22 = 4.
The two statements together are sufficient for determining the value of x, since only x = 2 works in both statements.
So, the correct answer is (C).
Takeaways
This 720-level question is tricky. Many people miss it because they don’t catch that not only x = 2 but also x = 0 works in Statement (1). As a result, they incorrectly decide that Statement (1) is sufficient for determining the value of x. So, even though the math involved in this question is not particularly complex, this question is easy to miss.
Thus, we can see that answering a 720-level Data Sufficiency question requires going well beyond just understanding mathematical 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 720-level questions can be challenging. The Quant questions typically require seeing relatively hard-to-see patterns or figuring out how to use non-obvious methods to use given information to arrive at answers.
Also, 720-level Verbal questions often require picking up on relationships between seemingly unconnected facts or catching subtle issues. For example, to get the Reading Comprehension questions correct, you have to avoid trap choices that are almost indistinguishable from correct answers.
So, scoring 720 on the GMAT is clearly challenging, even for high-performing MBA applicants. And it generally takes a fair amount of rigorous preparation.
Scoring 720 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.
Is the GMAT Hard for an Average Student?
As we’ve seen, how hard the GMAT is for a given student depends on the person’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 550 on the GMAT too hard. In fact, an average student may be able to score 550 without much preparation. An average student will likely find scoring 660 somewhat challenging and will likely have to prepare in earnest to achieve that score. Finally, an average student will likely find scoring 720 on the GMAT quite challenging and will likely have to prepare for a few months to achieve that score.
Is Getting a 700 on the GMAT Hard?
For most people, getting a 700 on the GMAT is relatively hard but doable with preparation. About 20 percent of GMAT test-takers eventually score 700 or higher, many of them on retakes.
To learn more about whether getting 700 on the GMAT is hard, you can read this post: How hard is it to get 700 on the GMAT?
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 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.
