How the Revised GMAT Differs from Its Predecessor

The revised GMAT exam launched in June, 2012. Its overall structure (shown below) is the same as the old exam structure, except that a new 30-minute section called Integrated Reasoning replaces the 30-minute Analysis-of-an-Issue writing task as section 2 of the exam. Total testing time is unchanged.

The Revised GMAT — Exam Structure
(Total testing time: 3 hrs., 30 min.)

SECTION 1: AWA—Analysis of an Argument (30 minutes, 1 essay)

SECTION 2: Integrated Reasoning (30 minutes, 12 questions)

Timed break (optional)

SECTION 3: Quantitative Section (75 minutes, 37 questions)

Problem Solving (23-24 questions)
Data Sufficiency (13-14 questions)

Timed break (optional)

SECTION 4: Verbal Section (75 minutes, 41 questions)

Sentence Correction (14-15 questions)
Critical Reasoning (14-15 questions)
Reading Comprehension (4 passages, 12-14 questions)

Analysis-of-an-Issue Section Eliminated

The revised GMAT eliminates the Analysis-of-an-Issue section — one of the two 30-minute Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) sections. The revised exam includes just one 30-minute writing task: Analysis of an Argument. This writing task is unchanged in its format, and test takers are awarded a separate AWA score on a 0-6 scale — just as before.

A New Exam Section: Integrated Reasoning

The revised GMAT exam introduces a new 30-minute section called Integrated Reasoning. This new section is designed to gauge your ability to interpret, analyze and evaluate textual and graphical information presented in realistic, business-related formats. Test takers are awarded a separate score for this new section, on a 0-8 scale — as distinguished from the 0-60 scale used for the Quantitative and Verbal sections.