Inside GMAT’s Data Insights, Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning Sections

Ditching the Essay section, replacing Integrated Reasoning with Data Insights, and bracing up the Quant and Verbal section, the GMAT Focus Edition is here to test you for the environment of tomorrow’s rapidly changing business world. So, if you’re aiming for the leading b-schools, read on to find out what’s on the GMAT Focus and how it will affect your GMAT exam preparation and testing experience.

In this blog:

1. GMAT Focus Edition Release Dates
2. GMAT Data Insights Section
3. GMAT Quantitative Reasoning Section
4. GMAT Verbal Reasoning Section
5. GMAT Focus Edition vs GMAT

GMAT Focus Edition Release Dates

Before we get into the insides of the GMAT Focus Edition’s format, let’s take a look at the important dates for the GMAT exam.

• Official Preparation available- June 6, 2023
• Registration Opens- August 29, 2023
• GMAT Testing starts- Last quarter of 2023

Also read: GMAT Exam Dates 2023

GMAT’s Data Insights Section

The GMAT section that’s making the most news- Data Insights! So, what exactly is in this section? 

The Data Insights section is all about your knack for analyzing and understanding data and how it applies to real-life business situations. It’s a crucial skill in today’s business world, and with the new and improved GMAT™ Exam – Focus Edition, this section measures your digital and data literacy like never before.

In this section, you’ll tackle 20 questions that test your ability to make sense of various types of information, such as graphs, numbers, and words. You’ll need to figure out how these different sources of data relate to each other and how they can be used to make smart decisions. Some questions might involve math, others require data analysis, and some will challenge your verbal reasoning skills. And don’t worry, you can use an on-screen calculator to help you out.

Now, let’s dive into the question types you’ll encounter in this section:

1. Data Sufficiency: This one’s all about your ability to analyze a problem and figure out which data is actually important. You’ll need to decide the point at which you have enough data to solve the problem at hand.
   
2. Multi-Source Reasoning: Get ready to put your detective hat on! You’ll be presented with data from multiple sources like text passages, tables, and graphics. Your task is to carefully analyze each piece of information and use it to answer multiple questions. Sometimes, you’ll need to spot inconsistencies among the sources, while other times you’ll have to make inferences or determine the relevance of the data.
3. Table Analysis: Think of this as a data spreadsheet challenge. You’ll be given a table full of information, and it’s up to you to sort through it and figure out what’s important or meets specific conditions.
4. Graphics Interpretation: In here, you’ll be presented with various graphs and charts, like scatter plots, bar charts, and pie charts. Your job is to interpret the information they convey, find relationships between different elements, and make logical inferences.
5. Two-Part Analysis: Brace yourself for some brain teasers! These questions are designed to test your problem-solving skills in different areas, be it math or verbal. They can cover a wide range of topics, and you’ll need to evaluate trade-offs, solve equations, and find connections between two entities.

GMAT’s Quantitative Reasoning Section

Data Sufficiency questions no longer form a part of the GMAT Focus Edition’s Quantitative Reasoning section. This section assesses your understanding of fundamental algebraic and arithmetic concepts and your ability to apply them in to solve problems in the real business world.

The Quantitative Reasoning questions demand a grasp of arithmetic and basic algebraic principles. Answering them correctly depends on your logical reasoning and analytical abilities, rather than solely on your mathematical knowledge. 

The Quant section consists of 21 questions. You are not allowed to use a calculator during this section.

GMAT’s Verbal Reasoning Section

For the Verbal Reasoning section, GMAT Focus Edition got rid of Sentence Correction questions! It now consists of 23 questions focused on Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning. This section assesses your skills in reading, comprehension, reasoning, and argument evaluation.

The Reading Comprehension questions gauge your ability to comprehend written material, understand the meanings of words and statements, recognize logical connections between important points, make inferences, and track the progression of quantitative concepts. Specifically, the questions will test your skills in areas such as identifying the main idea, supporting ideas, making inferences, applying concepts, understanding logical structures, and evaluating writing style.

The Critical Reasoning questions evaluate your capacity to construct and evaluate arguments, as well as formulate or assess action plans. These questions are based on short reading passages, usually consisting of fewer than 100 words. Each passage is accompanied by a question that asks you to determine which of the five answer options strengthens or weakens an argument, explains the flaws in the argument, or provides strong support or criticism for the argument. It is important to note that you won’t require specialized knowledge in specific subjects to answer these questions.

GMAT Focus Edition vs GMAT

The table below highlights the key differences between GMAT Focus Edition and the GMAT exam:

The GMAT Focus Edition is designed specifically to test the upcoming management candidates for the dynamics of the ever-changing business world. The B-schools will now be assessing your GMAT scores more holistically. And if you want to secure your sweet spot in a leading business school, you want to make sure you ace the GMAT!

In the last 30 years, we’ve helped more than 170,000 students land at their dream university and we’re ready to ace the GMAT Focus too! Sign up for a free GMAT demo class here, and ask away all your doubts from Jamboree’s expert faculty.