GMAT Exam Focus Edition 2024

GMAT Focus Edition - Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) introduced the GMAT exam - focus edition which is an entrance exam for getting admission into business schools to more than 7000 programs provided by 2400 universities worldwide. GMAT focus edition official preparation is available from June 6, 2023. Registration for the GMAT Exam - Focus Edition has been started on August 29, 2023, while the testing is scheduled to begin on November 7, 2023. The current GMAT test dates are still available up to early 2024.

Everything in the world is getting updated, the technology, and the business landscapes. With these updating trends, the GMAT focus which measures your skill set and knowledge is also upgraded to the GMAT exam - focus edition. This GMAT focus edition meets the demands of B-Schools and focuses on testing higher-order critical reasoning and data literacy skills. The GMAT focus edition accelerates your future career in B-schools. The new pattern of the GMAT exam is efficient, flexible, and insightfully redesigned considering the requirements of leading business schools and its wide number of courses, and programs available worldwide.

The GMAT exam - focus edition is similar to the current GMAT exam, it is a computer-based test that can be attempted from home or at a test centre. A bit of change in the GMAT exam pattern and syllabus which comes in only 3 sections with lowered test duration and insightful GMAT focus edition scoring are discussed in detail in this article.

Changes in the test pattern - GMAT Focus edition

• GMAT exam - focus edition duration will be 2 hours and 45 minutes (exclusive of one optional break of 10 minutes).
• There will be three 45-minute sections and no essay. Candidates can attempt sections in any order.
• Candidates can now bookmark and review as many GMAT questions as they want.
• A new section called Data Insights (DI) will be introduced in the GMAT focus edition syllabus, while sentence correction will be removed.
• The GMAT exam - focus edition score scale will be 205-805. All three sections will be weighed equally towards the total score.
• The 2 reasoning sections of “Quantitative Reasoning & Verbal” will be the same in the GMAT exam syllabus . The syllabus of the newly added data insights section is the only difference.

  Data Insights - This section measures the ability to analyze and interpret data and how you can apply it to real-world business scenarios. The questions require the concepts of math, analysis, and verbal reasoning for solving. A total of  20 questions in the types of data sufficiency, multi-source reasoning, table analysis, graphics interpretation, and two-part analysis are followed in the exam.

The GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) which conducts the GMAT exam - focus edition has very few specifications for getting eligible for the GMAT exam. The GMAT exam eligibility criteria are mentioned below.

• Age- 13 years above

• Identity proof - Passport

• Academic Qualification- Undergraduate degree.

Mode of Payment : Net Banking | Credit Card | Debit Card

The application process for the GMAT focus edition is similar to the current GMAT exam registration . For GMAT exam focus edition registration, candidates have to register for the mba.com account where a few personal and academic details need to be submitted and candidates need to upload the required documents. Once the account is created the candidate can book the slot through which the GMAT exam date , GMAT test centre, and timings for the GMAT focus can be selected based on convenience.

The steps to be followed for the GMAT focus edition registration process are mentioned below.

Step 1 - Log in to your mba.com account with your user ID and password.

Step 2 - Select the GMAT test mode like home or test centre.

Step 3 - Choose the date and time and location for the test.

Step 4 - Make the payments and complete the GMAT slot booking.

Acquiring some GMAT prep tips gives you a smoother push to the preparation. This GMAT exam - focus edition provides students with an onscreen calculator for the data insights section which can relax you during the preparation.

Here are a few basic tips that help you with GMAT focus edition exam -

• Start your preparation with a GMAT diagnostic test - Taking the diagnostic tests help in evaluating your current knowledge and skills in each particular section and help you to know weakness in particular subjects. Based on this you can create a study plan.

• Create or use a study plan- If you are a beginner to GMAT and giving your first attempt, the official GMAC provides the GMAT exam - focus edition study plan, which will be useful for the test takers.

• You can use the existing GMAT study material - As the syllabus has changed only for the data insights section, the candidates can use the available GMAT preparation material for the Qualitative and verbal reasoning sections.

• Create an everyday schedule - Contribute specific hours in a day for your GMAT preparation. Discipline is the one that helps in maintaining the consistency of your efforts throughout the preparation period for your exam.

The GMAT can be only attempted online as computer based test. The new GMAT focus edition format consists of only 3 sections each with a time limit of up to 45 minutes. A new section called data insights is introduced by removing the previous Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessment section. Consequently, the time duration has also been decreased by 1 hour from the existing GMAT test. During the GMAT exam, the candidate can review any question by bookmarking them and can edit up to 3 answers per section. In the GMAT focus, the sequence of attempting the three sections is up to the choice of the candidate.

Test pattern of GMAT Focus Edition

The GMAT practice tests and sample questions are available on the mba.com website. These online GMAT  tests follow the same scoring algorithm which will be followed for the original GMAT focus edition. Two GMAT focus practice tests are available free for the candidates in the GMAT official Starter preparation kits. Through the GMAT focus edition practice test, candidates will be able to analyse the preparation level and know their strengths and weaknesses before the actual exam.