GMAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern
What the current GMAT tests: every section, question type, topic and timing rule, and what was removed when the Focus Edition replaced the classic exam.
By Mark Khoury, Founder
Updated October 3, 2026
Section overview
| Section | Questions | Time | Question types | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Reasoning | 21 | 45 min | Problem Solving | Not permitted |
| Verbal Reasoning | 23 | 45 min | Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning | Not offered |
| Data Insights | 20 | 45 min | Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis | On-screen calculator |
Quantitative Reasoning
All 21 Quant questions are Problem Solving, the standard five-choice format. GMAC's content outline names arithmetic and elementary algebra as the knowledge the section requires: integers, fractions, decimals, ratios, percents, powers and roots, descriptive statistics, counting and probability on the arithmetic side, and algebraic expressions, linear and quadratic equations, inequalities, functions and exponents on the algebra side.
Three things the current Quant section does not contain: geometry is not part of the outline, Data Sufficiency moved out to Data Insights, and no calculator is available. Word problems are the vehicle: most questions wrap the arithmetic or algebra in a real-world scenario.
The Quant topic list
Arithmetic: integers and their properties, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios and proportion, powers and roots of numbers, descriptive statistics, sets, counting methods, and probability basics.
Algebra: simplifying algebraic expressions, linear and quadratic equations, solving equations with one variable and two variables, inequalities, absolute value, functions, and exponents.
Applied word problems: rate and work, mixtures, interest, discount, profit and loss, and data interpretation inside a scenario.
Verbal Reasoning
All 23 Verbal questions split between two formats. Reading Comprehension gives you a passage of roughly 200 to 350 words and asks about the main idea, supporting detail, inference from the text, the author's tone or role, and the logical structure of the argument. Critical Reasoning gives you a short argument and asks you to strengthen it, weaken it, find the assumption behind it, evaluate a plan, or resolve a paradox.
Sentence Correction is gone. The section no longer tests grammar or vocabulary at all; GMAC's own FAQ says the exam does not test vocabulary or grammar. If a prep book spends pages on idioms, it is preparing you for the pre-2024 exam.
Data Insights
Data Insights is the section the classic exam did not have: 20 questions in 45 minutes, mixing five formats around charts, tables and multi-source texts, with an on-screen calculator. Multi-part questions require every part to be answered correctly for credit. Data Sufficiency, the classic Quant format, lives here now.
The five Data Insights formats
| Format | What you get | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Data Sufficiency | A question and two statements | Decide whether the statements give enough information to answer the question |
| Multi-Source Reasoning | Two or three tabbed sources: text, tables, or both | Answer questions that cross-reference the sources |
| Table Analysis | A sortable data table | Answer yes or no, or true or false, about the data |
| Graphics Interpretation | A chart or graph | Complete a statement by choosing from a dropdown |
| Two-Part Analysis | A problem with two linked components | Choose one answer for each part |
Retired content that still shows up in old materials
The Focus Edition replaced the classic GMAT on February 1, 2024. Sentence Correction, the Analytical Writing essay and the standalone Integrated Reasoning section are retired, and Data Sufficiency moved from Quant to Data Insights. Any course or book that still drills Sentence Correction or AWA essays is teaching a different exam.
Syllabus questions
Is geometry on the GMAT?
No. GMAC's content outline for the current Quantitative Reasoning section names arithmetic and elementary algebra only. Circles, triangles and coordinate geometry left the exam with the Focus Edition.
Is there an essay on the GMAT?
No. The Analytical Writing Assessment was removed when the Focus Edition launched. The exam has three multiple-choice sections and no writing task.
Where did Sentence Correction go?
It was retired in 2024. Verbal Reasoning now contains only Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning.
Where did Data Sufficiency go?
It moved from Quantitative Reasoning to Data Insights, where it sits beside Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis and Multi-Source Reasoning, with an on-screen calculator available.
How many questions are on the GMAT?
64: 21 Quantitative Reasoning, 23 Verbal Reasoning and 20 Data Insights, in 45-minute sections.
- 1GMAC, mba.com, GMAT exam structure (checked October 2, 2026)
- 2GMAC, mba.com, GMAT exam content (section outlines) (checked October 2, 2026)
- 3GMAC, mba.com, GMAT FAQs (Focus Edition replacement, February 1, 2024) (checked October 2, 2026)
- 4GMAC help center, GMAT calculator and scratch paper / note-taking policies (checked October 2, 2026)
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