How do you study for the GMAT?
Take an official practice exam first, then study by section: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights. Each section has 45 minutes, and you pick the order. Drill your weakest section with official questions, keep an error log, and take timed full exams as test day gets close. Many people plan two to three months, depending on the target score.
The current GMAT, called the Focus Edition, has three sections and takes 2 hours 15 minutes. Quant covers arithmetic and algebra, with no geometry. Verbal covers reading comprehension and critical reasoning. Data Insights is the newest part, with tables, graphs and data sufficiency questions. Scores run from 205 to 805, and there is no essay.
The test is adaptive by question, so accuracy early on matters. Official practice material is the best match, and the GMAT Official Starter Kit includes free practice exams, though you should check mba.com for what is included now. Your target score should come from the schools you want, so look at the typical scores in each program's class profile before you set a number.
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Reasoning | 21 | 45 minutes |
| Verbal Reasoning | 23 | 45 minutes |
| Data Insights | 20 | 45 minutes |
| Total | 64 | 2 hours 15 minutes |
- 1Take an official practice exam to get a baseline score and see which section is weakest.
- 2Set a target score from the programs you want, pick a test date and plan the weeks backward from it.
- 3For Quant, refresh arithmetic and algebra and build speed on word problems.
- 4For Verbal, summarize each reading passage in one sentence, and on critical reasoning find the conclusion and the premises first.
- 5For Data Insights, practice tables, graphs and data sufficiency until the formats feel familiar.
- 6Keep an error log, take a full timed exam every one to two weeks, and practice choosing your section order and using your answer edits.