So, you’ve decided to attend business school and pursue your MBA. You’ve updated your resume or CV, contacted mentors who’ve agreed to write you a recommendation, gathered your academic transcripts from your undergrad days, and now it’s time to prepare for…the GMAT.
As with any standardized exam, the GMAT’s difficulty level may vary for different test takers. In general, it’s considered challenging. But how hard is the GMAT, really?
If you’ve read Clear Admit’s Real Humans of the MBA series, you’ll notice the number one response to the question, What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? is the GMAT. Shayla Ellington of the Johns Hopkins Carey MBA Class of 2026 shared the prevailing sentiment: “I would 100% skip taking the GMAT if I could. The main thing that got me through was recognizing that all I could do is my best and realize that my preparation would kick in once the test began.” Catherine Wei of Columbia Business School’s MBA Class of 2026 answered the question with her tips for success, saying, “Taking the GMAT – Doing a ton of practice eventually helped me prepare, along with meditation to ease the standardized test-taking stress and encouragement from family and friends.” And for Maarten Beckx, Dartmouth Tuck MBA Class of 2026, “The GMAT prep was the most challenging part of the process for me. It was tough to memorize all the small details that could influence the score. However, I got through it by focusing on understanding the material deeply and knowing that performing well would help showcase my academic potential.”
“Like any standardized test, the GMAT is challenging, as it tests a wide range of quantitative and qualitative skills,” explains Clear Admit’s Graham Richmond. “For anyone who has taken the SAT or similar exams, there will be similarities, but even if you’ve never seen a standardized test before, there are ample prep books and sample exams out there to help one get ready.”
In November 2023, GMAC introduced the GMAT Focus Edition, a new version of the exam developed in partnership with schools and candidates that provides a more valid prediction of candidates’ ability to succeed in a business program and assesses more relevant skills for the modern business environment. Gone is the Analytical Writing Assessment (essay) section and Integrated Reasoning was merged into a new section, Data Insights. Sentence correction and grammar problems were removed, as was most geometry. These changes reflect the exam’s emphasis on data analysis and reasoning. The previous version of the exam was retired in January 2024.
The total score range for the GMAT is 205 to 805. While most test-takers score between 400 and 600, a score of 700 or above is what top-tier business schools expect from their applicants. Preparation is critical to doing well on the GMAT. Prospective MBA applicants spend months studying and taking practice exams. Many resources, such as study guides, online courses, and tutoring services, are available to help you prepare.
What Can You Expect from the GMAT?
Below are the three sections of the test and how much time is allotted. Note that you can choose the order of the sections on test day.
Quantitative Reasoning (45 minutes)
Many test-takers are intimidated by the quantitative portion of the exam. There are 21 problem-solving questions requiring a deep understanding of algebraic and foundational arithmetic. However, the math skills tested on the GMAT are generally considered to be at a high school level, specifically fractions, percents, ratios, algebra, statistics, story problems, and number properties. You cannot use a calculator for this section, but the questions rely on logic and analytical skills as opposed to the underlying math skills and are in multiple-choice format. You will receive materials to write out your calculations.
Verbal (45 minutes)
The verbal section tests reading comprehension and critical reasoning in multiple-choice format. There are 23 questions measuring your ability to read and understand complex passages, analyze and evaluate the arguments and ideas presented, and draw conclusions based on the information provided. Reading comprehension questions will test skills such as main idea/supporting idea, inference, application, logical structure, and style. The critical reasoning questions are based on short readings (typically 100 words or less), and ask which options strengthen or weaken an argument, where an argument is flawed, or what supports or damages the argument. No specialized knowledge of the subject matter is required.
Data Insight (45 minutes)
The newest section of the GMAT assesses data literacy skills with 20 multiple-choice questions. You’ll be tasked with analyzing and interpreting data and applying it to real-world business scenarios, assessing how multiple sources and types of data relate. You’ll be working with graphic, numerical, and verbal data. However, you can use an on-screen calculator here.
Questions in this section will fall into five categories:
- Data Sufficiency: requires you to analyze a quantitative problem, recognize relevant data, and determine where there is enough data to solve the problem.
- Multi-Source Reasoning: measures your ability to examine data from multiple sources, including text passages, tables, graphics, or any combination. You’ll have to demonstrate the ability to recognize discrepancies between data sources, draw inferences, and determine what’s relevant.
- Table Analysis: similar to a spreadsheet, you must demonstrate your ability to sort and analyze a data table and determine what’s relevant or meets specific conditions.
- Graphics Interpretation: You’ll be presented with graphical representations like a scatter plot, x/y graph, bar or pie chart, or statistical curve distribution and must determine relationships and make inferences.
- Two-Part Analysis: these questions test your ability to solve complex problems, and can be verbal, quantitative, or both. You’ll have to evaluate trade-offs, solve simultaneous equations, and determine relationships.
What’s Hard about the GMAT?
First, there’s time pressure. With a limited time to complete each section, it can be difficult to read and analyze questions carefully and ensure accurate answers. Choosing the order in which you tackle the sections is essential for your time management. In addition, a new Question Review and Edit feature allows candidates to bookmark and review any number of questions and change up to three answers per section. This can be a double-edged sword for a timed exam.
Second, the GMAT is also a computer-adaptive test. The order of questions is not predetermined, and you receive one question at a time. As you proceed, the difficulty level of the questions adapts to the test taker’s performance. In some ways, it isn’t testing how smart you are, but rather how smart you are relative to others.
Finally, there is your competition. According to data from GMAC, average overall GMAT scores in the United States have consistently increased over the last 20 years. In just the five years between 2017 and 2022, the average score at top MBA programs has gone from 712 to 718. Until recently, MBA admissions used the 80th percentile as the benchmark score for each section of the exam. However, more Chinese and Indian applicants have joined the testing pool. These countries’ academic cultures emphasize math, science, and engineering, increasing scores for the quantitative section so significantly that the same score in the early 2000s, which would have placed you in the 86th percentile, would put you in the 74th percentile a decade later. In response, many schools have moved the quantitative score requirement to the 70th percentile to address this.
How to Prepare for the GMAT
A structured test prep class is a valuable investment, no matter how familiar you are with the skills tested on the GMAT. Taking a course can help keep you disciplined, especially if it’s been years since the last time you were responsible for homework assignments. You’ll practice with sample tests to review the types of questions you’ll see and experience simulated testing conditions with software.
“The other thing to keep in mind is that one can improve one’s score over time, with work, and that many candidates take the test more than once before hitting their optimal score,” says Richmond. “This is why my advice for anyone tackling the GMAT would be to budget plenty of time for preparation (ideally at least 6-12 weeks), to take as many full-length, sample exams that you can (under timed testing conditions), and to budget time for an eventual retake of the exam.”
There are self-study test prep courses, individual tutoring, and group or class-setting courses. Some services are highly personalized and focused on your strengths and weaknesses. There are also classes tailored to students with learning disabilities. While there are in-person options, many are conducted online or remotely. Choose a learning environment and approach that best fits your needs and abilities.
Clear Admit recommends Stacy Blackman Consulting Test Prep Services, whose GMAT and GRE experts have a proven track record of significantly improving test scores. Their test prep is customized to your learning style and foundational knowledge and focuses on a deeper understanding of the content first, followed by efficient test-taking strategies. You can learn more about SBC Test Prep Services here.
This page was last updated February 11, 2025.
