GMAT · Guides · October 22, 2026 · 7 min read
GMAT syllabus and exam pattern 2026: sections, question types, Quant topics and timing
The GMAT exam pattern in 2026 is three sections, 64 questions, 2 hours 15 minutes: Quantitative Reasoning (21 questions), Verbal Reasoning (23) and Data Insights (20), each 45 minutes long. The Quant syllabus covers arithmetic, algebra, word problems and statistics, with no geometry; Verbal is Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension, with no Sentence Correction; Data Insights combines five formats built around data, tables and graphs. There is no essay. You choose the section order and can take one optional 10-minute break.
Everything below follows GMAC’s official description of the exam on mba.com and the Math Review in the Official Guide, as of October 2026.
GMAT exam pattern at a glance
| Quantitative Reasoning | Verbal Reasoning | Data Insights | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 21 | 23 | 20 |
| Time | 45 min | 45 min | 45 min |
| Question types | Problem Solving | Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension | Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis |
| Calculator | No | — | Basic on-screen calculator |
| Section score | 60–90 | 60–90 | 60–90 |
The total score runs from 205 to 805, and the three sections carry equal weight. Each section is computer-adaptive at the question level: the first question is of medium difficulty and later questions follow your performance. Every section also contains a few unscored experimental questions, which look like the rest, so treat every question as if it counts.
Quantitative Reasoning syllabus
Quant has a single question type, Problem Solving: a question with five answer choices. There is no calculator, so the topics are tested through reasoning and clean arithmetic rather than heavy computation. The Math Review chapter of the Official Guide groups the content into four areas.
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Value, Order and Factors | the number line, integers, factors and multiples, divisibility, remainders, exponents and roots, decimals |
| Algebra, Equalities and Inequalities | expressions, linear and quadratic equations, factoring, inequalities, absolute value, functions, graphs and formulas |
| Rates, Ratios and Percents | ratios and proportions, fractions, percentages, speed and work problems, mixtures, profit, compound interest |
| Statistics, Sets, Counting, Probability, Estimation and Series | mean, median, standard deviation, sets and Venn diagrams, combinations and permutations, probability, estimation, sequences |
No geometry. Triangles, circles and solids were removed from the current GMAT. The coordinate plane survives only inside algebra, for example reading a line or a function from its equation.
The level is high-school maths. What makes Quant hard is the time, about 2 minutes 8 seconds per question, and word problems where setting up the equation is most of the work.
Verbal Reasoning syllabus
Verbal has two question types. GMAC does not publish the exact split, but a typical section has about four Reading Comprehension passages (13–14 questions) and 9–10 Critical Reasoning questions.
Critical Reasoning
A short argument of up to about 100 words followed by one question. The Official Guide sorts Critical Reasoning into four families:
| Family | What you do |
|---|---|
| Analysis | identify the role a statement plays in the argument, or how the argument is built |
| Construction | find an assumption, draw an inference, explain an apparent discrepancy, or complete the argument logically |
| Critique | strengthen or weaken the argument, find what would help evaluate it, or name its flaw |
| Plan | judge whether a proposed plan is likely to succeed or fail |
Prep companies split these into 7–10 named types (assumption, strengthen, weaken, inference and so on); the skills are the same.
Reading Comprehension
Passages of roughly 200–350 words on the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and business, each with 3–4 questions. Questions ask for the main idea, a supporting detail, an inference, an application of the author’s reasoning to a new case, the logical structure of the passage, or its style and tone. No outside knowledge is required.
Data Insights: the five question types
Data Insights tests how you use numbers, tables, graphs and text together to make a decision. It has an on-screen calculator. Two rules apply across the section: there is no partial credit (a multi-part question counts only if every part is right), and once you leave a screen you cannot go back to it before the end of the section.
| Type | How the screen works |
|---|---|
| Data Sufficiency | a question plus two statements, (1) and (2). You decide whether each statement, both together, or neither gives enough information to answer. The five answer choices are always the same. Questions can be mathematical or verbal. |
| Multi-Source Reasoning | two or three tabs on the left (text, a table, a chart). Questions appear on the right one at a time, usually three per set: either a standard five-choice question or three Yes/No or True/False rows. |
| Table Analysis | a table you can sort by any column, followed by three statements, each with two options such as True/False. |
| Graphics Interpretation | a chart (scatter plot, bar, line, pie or distribution) and a sentence with two drop-down menus to complete. |
| Two-Part Analysis | a list of five or six options and two answer columns. You pick one option for each column; the same option may be right for both. |
GMAC does not publish a fixed mix. Test-takers usually report Data Sufficiency as the most common type, about five or six of the 20 questions, with the other four types sharing the rest.
The format of Data Sufficiency is unique to the GMAT, so it is worth learning early; the planned guide on GMAT Data Sufficiency covers it step by step.
Section order, break and Review & Edit
- Section order: before the exam you choose the order of the three sections. Any order is allowed.
- Break: one optional 10-minute break, after the first or the second section.
- Bookmarks: you can bookmark any question while you work.
- Review & Edit: after the last question of a section, if time remains, a review screen shows all your answers and bookmarks. You can go back and change up to three answers per section.
Review & Edit is useful, but do not plan to rely on it: it uses the same 45 minutes, so you need to finish the section with time to spare. Exam-day rules are collected in GMAT exam rules.
What changed from the old GMAT
The old GMAT (10th Edition) was retired on 31 January 2024. If you use older books or videos, skip the parts that no longer apply.
| Old GMAT | Current GMAT |
|---|---|
| Sentence Correction in Verbal | removed |
| Analytical Writing Assessment (essay) | removed |
| Geometry in Quant | removed; only coordinate work inside algebra remains |
| Integrated Reasoning section | replaced by Data Insights, which also absorbed Data Sufficiency from Quant |
| Total score 200–800 | 205–805, in steps of 10 |
| no way to change an answer once submitted | Review & Edit: up to 3 changes per section |
As a rough guide, GMAC’s concordance puts a 705 on the current scale near a 750 on the old one, and a 655 near 700–710.
How to use the syllabus when you prepare
- Take a diagnostic first. The free GMAT Official Starter Kit includes two full practice exams. One of them shows which section and which topics cost you the most points.
- Fix Quant fundamentals before speed. The four Math Review areas are short to list but deep in practice; ratios, percents and number properties appear across Quant and Data Insights.
- Learn the Data Insights formats. Much of the difficulty is the interface: sorting a table, switching tabs, reading two drop-downs. Practise on timed, realistic screens.
- Study Critical Reasoning by family, not by memorising types. Knowing whether a question asks you to analyse, build, critique or judge a plan tells you what to look for.
For a full plan, see how to prepare for the GMAT. For an overview of the exam, start with what the GMAT is.
Common questions
Is geometry on the GMAT? No. Geometry was removed with the current version of the exam.
Is there an essay? No. The Analytical Writing Assessment was removed.
Which section is the hardest? It depends on your background. Many candidates find Data Insights the least familiar, because its formats do not appear on other exams.
How many questions are in each section? Quant 21, Verbal 23, Data Insights 20: 64 in total.
GMAT™ is a trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). This guide is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by GMAC. It describes the exam format and contains no official GMAT questions.
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