GMAT Focus Edition vs GMAT: What's the Difference?

With the introduction of GMAT Focus Edition which kickstarted on November 7, 2023, there are quite a few differences between GMAT Focus Edition and GMAT. From shorter duration, sectional slashes and scoring upgradation, a couple of changes have been witnessed on the GMAT Focus Edition from its previous version. 

GMAT Focus Edition vs GMAT

With various changes coming into play on the GMAT Focus or XIth Edition, a couple of major changes are recorded compared to the previous GMAT exam pattern. The table given below provides a comparison between the old GMAT edition and the current GMAT Focus Edition. All the aspects of both the GMAT exam formats have been covered in the table below:

Parameters	GMAT Focus Edition	Old GMAT Version
Acceptance	Accepted by over 7,700 programs at more than 2,400 business schools.
Structure	3 sections (64 questions), completed in the order of your choosing:  Quantitative Reasoning Verbal Reasoning Data Insights	4 sections (80 questions), completed in a choice of three section orders: Quantitative Reasoning Verbal Reasoning Integrated Reasoning  Analytical Writing
Duration	2 hours 15 minutes	3 hours 7 minutes
Review & Edit	Bookmark and review as many of your answers as you want, and you can change up to 3 responses per section.	Not applicable.
Total Score Scale	205-805 All 3 sections are weighted equally towards the total score.	200-800 Only 2 sections, Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning are weighted equally towards the total score.
Your Score	View your unofficial score immediately following the exam. Official Score Reports can be accessed online within 7 business days (but may take up to 10).
Score Sending	Send 5 free score reports to programs within 48 hours of receiving your Official Score Report. Additional score reports are available for a fee.	Test Center: Select up to 5 programs before your exam to receive your Official Score Report at no charge. Online: Send 5 free score reports to programs within 48 hours of receiving your Official Score Report. Additional score reports are available for an additional fee.
Score Validity	Scores are valid for 5 years.
Appointment Availability	Appointments are available up to 7 days a week at a test centre or around the clock for exams delivered online. Can be scheduled up to 6 months in advance.
Reschedule and Cancel	Reschedule and cancel fees based on location, currency and advance notice.
Exam Attempts	5 attempts are permitted in a rolling 12-month period and 8 attempts in a lifetime across both exam versions.
Cost	USD 300 (online at home) and USD 275 (at a test centre)	Fees are based on location and channel (online or test centre) but range from USD 413
Scratch Work Resources	Test Center: 5 laminated pages and 2 dry-erase markers are provided. Online: A physical whiteboard, dry-erase marker, and eraser are permitted, plus access to a built-in online whiteboard.
Accommodations	Additional testing time, breaks, and access to other resources.

In the following section, Let us check out the changes proposed for the GMAT Focus Edition from the previous version of the GMAT exam. 

Comprehensive Changes on GMAT Focus Edition

There are a couple of changes that have been witnessed in the GMAT Focus Edition in comparison to the older version of GMAT. Check them out below:

GMAT 10th & 11thth Edition's Exam Timing

Each section on GMAT Focus Edition is now 45 minutes, that is, for its sections on:

• Quantitative Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning
• Data Insights

In comparison, to GMAT Focus Edition, on the old GMAT version, the following sections were timed differently, like:

• 30 minutes for Analytical Writing
• 30 minutes for Integrated Reasoning
• 62 minutes for Data Sufficiency
• 65 minutes for Verbal Reasoning

Time spent on answering the GMAT Focus Edition questions is also lower than the GMAT exam. 

GMAT Focus Edition Fee vs GMAT Exam Fee

The fee for GMAT Focus Edition is slightly higher than the fee for GMAT on the older version. There are two different fees for appearing for the GMAT exam based on the medium that is, USD 300 for appearing online or USD 275 for appearing at a test centre for GMAT.

But in the case of GMAT Focus Edition, there is a fee variation to appear for the exam based on location and medium. The standard fee is USD 413 which is variable.

Question Type on GMAT Focus Edition vs GMAT

In the previous format of the GMAT exam, there was a mix of questions - MCQs and essay or writing-based questions.

On the other hand, the latest version of GMAT Focus Edition only includes MCQ-based questions and no writing-related questions. Thus, the GMAT pattern has changed to a certain extent in its latest version of GMAT Focus Edition.

GMAT 10th Edition Scoring vs GMAT 11th Edition Scoring

The scoring of GMAT Focus Edition has also changed to 205 - 805 from the 200 - 800 range of score on the GMAT previously.

Thus, each section is marked equally on the GMAT Focus Edition in comparison to just two sections on the previous version of the exam which were scored equally. The scoring range has also been upgraded for GMAT Focus Edition.

GMAT vs GMAT Focus: Section Order

Previously, there were three sectional orders on GMAT, but on GMAT Focus, six variations or sectional orders are possible. Now applicants can take the exam in whichever section order they wish to that is, either:

1. QR, VR, DI, or
2. QR, DI, VR, or
3. VR, QR, DI, or
4. VR, DI, QR, or
5. DI, QR, VR, or
6. DI, VR, QR

Applicants can choose any of these GMAT Focus sectionals in order to attempt the exam. 

Sending Score Reports for GMAT Focus Edition

Applicants can send 5 free score reports to the B-schools they wish to apply to once they receive their scores from GMAC for GMAT Focus Edition. This did not apply to the previous GMAT exam, in that case, applicants had to select five B-schools while registering for the exam and to whom score reports had to be shared once their scores were released.

Thus, this feature has also changed for the GMAT Focus Edition.

More Flexibility on GMAT Focus Edition or GMAT Exam?

Previously, the applicants had to take the GMAT in the order of the chronology of the sections. Plus, there was no review and edit option on the GMAT exam. 

But on GMAT Focus Edition, applicants can pick up whichever section they wish to attempt in the order of their comfort. Finally, to return to the questions, as many questions on GMAT Focus Edition can be bookmarked but only three responses can be changed. The option of review and edit has been introduced for GMAT Focus Edition only. 

What are the New Additions to the GMAT Focus Edition Syllabus?

A new addition of the Data Insights section has been added for the latest version of GMAT Focus Edition. In this exam’s testing, applicants will now be assessed for their data literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The GMAT Focus Edition syllabus has changed slightly in comparison to the GMAT exam syllabus. 

GMAT Exam syllabus included data interpretation but there was no Data Insights section in the exam previously. Thus, this is the new addition to the new exam format. 

GMAT Focus Edition vs GMAT Preparation Timeline

With one whole section getting slashed from the GMAT Focus Edition syllabus as tested on the previous GMAT exam, the time for GMAT Focus Edition preparation has also been slashed. Earlier, GMAT exam preparation took at least 8 weeks on average, but for GMAT Focus Edition there will be only 6 weeks of preparation requirement. 

Sections Removed from GMAT Focus Edition

With the introduction of the new version of the GMAT Focus Edition, the following sections have been removed from GMAT Focus Edition:

• Essay
• Data Integration section
• The grammar Section sees a reduction of the sentence correction questions
• Also, Geometry questions have been removed from the picture

Applicants who have prepared for the previous GMAT exam and will now have to appear for GMAT Focus Edition should know that the type of questions has not changed, only a certain set of the syllabus will not be tested, based on the above-given pointers rest remains the same. 

GMAT Focus Edition vs GMAT Score Comparison

Based on score conversions, the sections on GMAT Focus Edition have an equal weightage of 60 - 80 scores in each of the three sections, whereas the older version of GMAT used scores between 60 - 90 for each of its four sections. The following is a brief breakup of the scores on GMAT and GMAT Focus Edition:

Percentile Ranking	GMAT Focus Edition	GMAT Exam
100%	805	800
	805	790
	795	790
	785	790
		780
99.9%	775	780
	765	780
	755	780
99.8%	755	770
99.7%	745	770
99.5%	745	770
99.4%	735	760
99.2%	725	760
98.7%	715	760
98.6%	715	750
98.1%	705	750
97.9%	695	750
96.9%	695	740
96.7%	685	740
96.1%	685	730
95.2%	675	730
94%	675	720
93.2%	665	720
92.6%	665	710
89.6%	655	710
89.3%	655	700

GMAT Focus Edition vs GMAT Score: How are Scores Calculated?

The scoring system on GMAT and GMAT Focus Edition is based on the following standard parameters set by GMAC: 

• The total number of questions answered.
• If the answers are correct or incorrect (they are marked accordingly).
• Difficulty and/or other parameters of the answered questions. 

The total score range for the GMAT exam was 200 - 800 whereas, the overall score range for GMAT Focus Edition is 205 - 805. Thus, scoring is equal for all sections of the GMAT Focus Edition, the scoring range has been altered.

Which is Better - GMAT Focus Edition or GMAT?

The latest edition of GMAT which is the Focus Edition, is designed to assess the applicant’s aptitude for business courses. With the inclusion of Data Insights, the Focus Edition scores will be in more demand in comparison to the previous assessment of the GMAT exam across top B-schools abroad and also across B-schools in India. The older GMAT exam had an essay section, but it was scrapped in the latest version because it was not a competent tool to assess the business courses’ applicants’ aptitude. 

Thus GMAT Focus Edition is shorter in duration, has more precise sections and the average time on each section has also reduced drastically, hence, it can be concluded that GMAT Focus Edition is better than the older version of the longer GMAT exam. 

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