The new Focus Edition of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) has a scheduled launch date of November 7, 2023 and will replace the original version.
The GMAT is the most widely-accepted admissions test for graduate business programs in the world. Whether you’re planning on staying close to home or flying out of the country for part of your education, there’s a very good chance that it will help you get into the school of your choice.
The GMAT is not an abstract test that measures general knowledge – it seeks to measure the skills that businesses actually care about and the things that a graduate program is intending to teach. It’s also widely believed to be a good indicator of how well you’ll perform in the classroom – so doing well on the test is a great way to establish yourself as the kind of serious student schools are searching for.
GMAT Focus
GMAT Focus test dates start Nov. 7, 2023. Be cautious about whether to take the new Focus test. Some schools will only accept the new version for the next season. For example, Wharton will accept the Focus Edition only after Jan. 31, 2024, after Round 2 deadlines and Harvard has made a similar announcement for its regular admissions MBA program. Other top-ranked business schools should be open to the new Focus version.
The three sections of the Focus edition include quantitative, verbal, and the new data insights. Data insights questions will include questions from the previous integrated reasoning section, along with data sufficiency questions. Data sufficiency has been scaled back, with fewer pure math questions and more word problems. The Focus edition will not have: geometry, sentence completion, and the essay. So, the integrated reasoning questions are now more important than before.
The Focus edition will be on an adjusted scoring curve and total scores will be adjusted downward on the new test. 665 on the new test, according to a comparison table GMAC released. Here’s an overview:
What Kind Of GMAT Services Are Available?
By this point, you might be starting to feel a little nervous – but relax, because it’s easier to get a good score than most people realize. There are options like Mock Exams, Prep Books, and Dedicated Courses that focus on teaching you the things you’ll need to pass this test.
You’ll also have the opportunity to read reviews from people who’ve made use of these services – and you should absolutely do so before using any of the services listed above. Those help services can be expensive, and you shouldn’t gamble your future on a course that won’t actually help you pass the exam.
Ignore the hype, ignore the marketing, and listen to what real people are saying before you make a decision. That’s the best way to focus your learning and make sure you can get the most from your preparation and final score.
That’s the kind of help we offer here at MBA Insight. Check out our GMAT Test Prep Reviews to find the perfect fit for your test preparations.
Questions & Answers with our Test Prep Partners
Target Test Prep (TTP): How is TTP adjusting to the GMAT Focus edition?
The Target Test Prep team has been hard at work for months to bring our award-winning GMAT study method to students planning to study for the Focus Edition, and we launched a brand new course for students preparing for the GMAT Focus Edition. The GMAT Focus course retains all of the features that have made our standard GMAT course a favorite among test-takers but is designed to empower them with the knowledge and skills they need specifically for the GMAT Focus Edition. For students who already use the Target Test Prep online self-study course, they can toggle between our standard GMAT course and our GMAT Focus course for FREE with a simple click. So, GMAT test-takers don’t have to worry about incurring an additional cost if they’ve changed their mind about which GMAT they want to study for.
Target Test Prep: What advice do you have for GMAT Focus students that is different than GMAT regular edition students? For example, should they prepare for as many hours or will it be less time investment because the Focus is shorter?
It’s true that the removal of Sentence Correction in Verbal, Geometry questions in Quant, and the AWA section means that there is less content for GMAT Focus test-takers to prepare for. So, there is no denying that, in total, students should be able to shave some time off their preparation. That said, given the increased emphasis on Data Insights, test-takers may want to devote more time to studying for that section than standard GMAT test-takers typically have devoted to studying for Integrated Reasoning.
Additionally, our analysis of the predicted score percentiles released by GMAC indicates that GMAT Focus Quant is significantly harder than standard GMAT Quant. So, Focus test-takers may need more time to prepare for that section to reach their score goals than standard GMAT test-takers, particularly if it has been a while since they’ve been exposed to the math concepts tested.
In fact, predicted GMAT total score percentiles indicate that, overall, the GMAT Focus Edition is somewhat harder than the standard GMAT. So, while test-takers should be able to reduce their preparation time somewhat for the Focus Edition, we would caution people against assuming that the difference in prep time needed will be massive. Of course, how high a test-taker’s score goal is and how far that person is from the goal will be important factors in determining the study time necessary.
eGMAT: How is eGMAT adjusting to the GMAT Focus edition?
We have invested more than 20,000 hours (about $1M) creating our Focus Edition course. First of all, we have created a Personalized Study Planner, that gives each student a precise estimate of how long they need to prepare. Our execution tracker then enables them to track their preparation. We have completely revamped our Quant course, aligning them closely with the changes on the Focus Edition. Similarly, we have completely revamped our DI courses. Overall, we have added 1200 brand new DI questions. Finally, we are the only company that offers Section and question adaptive full length mocks. Our students are reporting tremendous success with the focus edition. Since March, our students have reported 60% of all 645+ scores reported by any GMAT Club partner.
eGMAT: What advice do you have for GMAT Focus students that is different than GMAT regular edition students? Should they spend more time!
Whether students should spend more time preparing for the GMAT Focus Edition depends on their academic and professional background as well as their learning style. Arts and Humanities graduates might find the test challenging due to its emphasis on analytical skills, while STEM and Business graduates might find it more manageable due to their quantitative and data-centric backgrounds. In addition, the way each person absorbs, processes, and applies information can drastically influence their GFE journey. For example, learners who prefers to delve into fewer concepts but ensure a profound understanding of each, may find the GFE easier since the test places significant emphasis on the application of core principles in varied situations. ,
Similarly, Surface Skimmers – those who lean towards acquainting themselves with a wide range of concepts without diving too deep into each may find the test more challenging. Regardless of your learning style, the GMAT is a very conquerable exam – you can score 685+, if you put in the effort.
eGMAT: What do you recommend for GRE prep? What do you recommend for EA prep?
Many EA students use our course for EA prep. We enable the SC course for them. While we do not offer a GRE course, students do reach out to us to purchase our course for a month for GRE Verbal.
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The Princeton Review: How is the Princeton Review adjusting to the GMAT Focus edition?
- Continue to use our methods and approaches that apply to GMAT Focus
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- The good news is that many of our core methods — the ones we know produce the best score improvements — apply to GMAT Focus
- This is particularly true for the Quant and Verbal sections
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- Develop new material as needed, particularly for the Data Insights section
- Make use of the GMAT Official Guide from the test writers
- Update our practice tests to match the functionality (such as the ability to select section order and change the answer for up to 3 questions per section) and content distribution of GMAT Focus
- Train our teachers to extend their GMAT expertise to GMAT Focus
The Princeton Review: What advice do you have for GMAT Focus students that is different than GMAT regular edition students? For example, should they prepare for as many hours or will it be less time investment because the Focus is shorter?