GMAT Focus Edition: what changed

The short version

Here is the short version for anyone comparing the exam to what they remember. The GMAT Focus Edition runs 2 hours 15 minutes and asks 64 questions in total (accessed 2026-08-07). Those 64 questions split into three sections, Quantitative Reasoning with 21 questions, Verbal Reasoning with 23, and Data Insights with 20. You can also take the three sections in any order, so you are free to lead with your strongest area and save the rest for later.

The two carried-over sections still test familiar ground. In the current content outline, Quant measures your algebra and arithmetic foundations, while Verbal covers Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning (accessed 2026-08-07). If you have prepared for a graduate admissions test before, that mix will feel recognisable, even if the packaging is new.

What was removed

The clearest change is what is gone. The Focus Edition trimmed the Verbal section by removing Sentence Correction (accessed 2026-08-07), so the old grammar drills no longer earn points. It also has no Analytical Writing Assessment, which means there is no timed essay to plan, draft, or practice. If you built a study plan around the previous exam, those two areas can come straight off your list. That leaves more of your limited prep time for the sections that still carry weight, which is usually a good trade for most test takers.

The new Data Insights section

The headline addition is Data Insights, which is unfamiliar to many test takers. It covers data sufficiency and integrated reasoning (accessed 2026-08-07), pulling together skills the older format kept in separate places. The section holds 20 questions (accessed 2026-08-07) within the published structure, the same as the count listed there. In practice that makes reading tables, charts, and mixed sources a graded skill in its own right, rather than a side task you can skim. Treat Data Insights as a genuine third pillar of your study plan and give it dedicated practice time.

The new 205 to 805 score scale

Scoring changed too, and this is where old habits mislead people most. The Total Score now runs from 205 to 805, and every total ends in a 5 (accessed 2026-08-07). Crucially, this new scale is not on a common scale with the old 200 to 800 scores. So a Focus total and a legacy total are not directly comparable, even when the two numbers happen to look close. Before you judge your gap, check whether a target range you are reading refers to the new 205 to 805 scale or the older one, because the same digits can mean very different things.

Sources

Every source below was accessed on the listed date. Pages — especially department admissions pages — change without notice; the links go to the live versions.

1. GMAT Exam Structure — GMAC. Accessed 2026-08-07.
2. GMAT Focus: Is the GMAT Test Prep Different? — GMAC. Accessed 2026-08-07.
3. GMAT Exam Content — GMAC. Accessed 2026-08-07.
4. Evolving the Score Scale with the GMAT Focus Edition — GMAC. Accessed 2026-08-07.