GMAT format: how many questions, and what kind

The three sections

You choose the order of the sections when you start. Some Data Insights questions have several parts, and you need every part right to get credit for the question.

The question types, in plain words

Our 20 practice questions cover each of these, so you can see what they look like before you open a book.

• Problem Solving (Quant): math problems on arithmetic, algebra and word problems like rates and mixtures. No calculator.
• Critical Reasoning (Verbal): a short argument, then a question asking you to strengthen it, weaken it, find its assumption or draw a conclusion.
• Reading Comprehension (Verbal): passages on business, science and social science, with questions on the main idea, details, inferences and how the passage is built.
• Data Sufficiency (Data Insights): a question and two statements. You decide whether the statements give enough information to answer it. You don’t have to find the answer itself.
• Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis and Multi-Source Reasoning (Data Insights): reading tables, charts and several sources of data, with an on-screen calculator.

The questions adapt to you

Every section is computer-adaptive. The exam picks harder or easier questions based on how you’re doing, so two people won’t see the same set.

You can bookmark questions and come back to them, and you can change up to three answers in each section. That’s useful, but it isn’t a reason to rush. Running out of time hurts your score.

Is there a passing score?

No. You get a total score from 205 to 805 and three section scores from 60 to 90. Each section counts equally toward the total.

Business schools set their own expectations. Many publish the scores of the students they admit, so look those up for the programs on your list. Our practice test uses 70% as a target, but that’s only a guide.

What’s no longer on the GMAT: Integrated Reasoning, Sentence Correction and the essay

The older GMAT had four sections, including an essay and Integrated Reasoning, and Verbal included Sentence Correction. None of those are on the current exam. Geometry has also been cut from Quant, and Data Sufficiency moved from Quant to Data Insights. If you’re using older books, skip those parts.