The GMAT Focus Edition, explained

Three sections, equally weighted

Each section runs 45 minutes and counts the same toward your total. That last part matters: Data Insights is as important as Quant, and it's the section most test takers have never practiced properly.

Going deeper: the full GMAT syllabus and exam pattern, topic by topic, and a guide to all five Data Insights question types.

How scoring works

The test is question-adaptive: answer correctly and the next question gets harder, miss and it eases off. Your score reflects the difficulty you can handle consistently, so two people with the same number right can land far apart.

On the current scale, a 645 already puts you around the 87th percentile, and 705 or above is roughly the top 1 to 2 percent. Competitive applicants at top-20 US programs mostly land between 645 and 735. Check the class profile of each school you're targeting rather than chasing a universal number.

The percentile table and school-by-school averages are in what counts as a good GMAT score.

Review and edit, used well

Unlike the old GMAT, you can bookmark questions and return to them before the section ends, changing up to three answers. The strategy implication: stop grinding on a question that's eating your clock. Answer it and bookmark it, then move on. Practicing that discipline is worth real points, which is why our mocks reproduce the mechanic exactly.

How long to prepare

Most people who move their score meaningfully put in two to four months of consistent work. A 30-point lift is a different project from a 130-point one, so start with the diagnostic and I'll show you which one you're actually working on, then plan backward from your application deadlines with a mock every week or two in the final stretch.