GMAT Focus Edition — What Changed and How to Prepare

In 2023, GMAC replaced the classic GMAT with the GMAT Focus Edition. The old exam ran for 3 hours 30 minutes. The new one runs for 2 hours 15 minutes. The AWA essay section is gone entirely. A new section called Data Insights has replaced the Integrated Reasoning section and expanded it significantly.

If you are preparing for the GMAT in 2026, the Focus Edition is the only version available. Here is exactly what it contains and how preparation should be structured.

GMAT Focus Edition structure

The total GMAT Focus Edition score ranges from 205 to 805. A score of 655 is approximately the 50th percentile. A score of 715 is approximately the 80th percentile. A score of 755 is approximately the 95th percentile.

What changed in Quantitative Reasoning

The classic GMAT had two QA question types. Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency. The Focus Edition has only Problem Solving. Data Sufficiency has moved to the Data Insights section.

This means QA in the Focus Edition is more straightforward in format but the questions themselves have not gotten easier. The difficulty distribution has shifted upward. Topics remain the same including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, word problems and number properties.

What changed in Verbal Reasoning

Sentence Correction has been removed entirely from the Focus Edition. The Verbal section now contains only Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. This is a significant change for test takers who were strong in Sentence Correction.

Critical Reasoning tests your ability to analyse arguments. You will see questions asking you to strengthen an argument, weaken it, identify an assumption, identify a conclusion, evaluate a method of reasoning, or find a logical flaw.

Reading Comprehension passages are shorter on average in the Focus Edition compared to the classic GMAT. The question types remain consistent with the classic version.

What is Data Insights

Data Insights is the genuinely new section in the Focus Edition. It tests your ability to work with complex, multi-format data. It contains five question types. Multi-Source Reasoning presents data across tabs that you must integrate. Table Analysis gives you a sortable table and asks you to draw conclusions. Graphics Interpretation shows a graph or chart and asks multiple questions. Two-Part Analysis presents a complex situation requiring two related answers. Data Sufficiency from the old QA section has also moved here.

Data Insights is widely considered the most challenging section for first-time GMAT takers. It tests skills that are not typically developed through traditional exam preparation. The ability to work with ambiguous, messy data and still draw defensible conclusions is what business schools most want to see.

Score targets for top programmes

ISB Hyderabad average GMAT score for admitted students is approximately 720. For IIM executive programmes, a 700 or above is generally expected. For global top programmes such as Wharton, Harvard and INSEAD, the median score for admitted students is typically in the 730 to 740 range.

A score of 700 or above is achievable for a well-prepared candidate in approximately 3 to 4 months of dedicated preparation. A score of 750 or above typically requires 5 to 6 months.

How to prepare for the Focus Edition

Start with the Official GMAT Practice questions from GMAC. These are the closest to actual exam difficulty. Third-party materials vary significantly in quality and difficulty calibration.

For Quantitative Reasoning, the fundamentals of arithmetic and algebra need to be solid before attempting higher difficulty questions. Most GMAT prep errors in QA come from weak fundamentals, not from complex concepts.

For Verbal, focus more on Critical Reasoning than RC. CR questions reward structured thinking about arguments. This is a learnable skill that improves significantly with targeted practice.

For Data Insights, practice integrating information from multiple sources. The skill is not mathematical. It is analytical. Practice reading complex data displays and making precise, defensible statements about what they show.