What is the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section?
The Integrated Reasoning, or IR, section is a fairly recent addition to the GMAT. Released in June of 2012, IR replaced one of the 30 minute essay type questions.
The IR section is non-adaptive, 30 minutes long and contains 12 questions. The top score is an eight, and this score is separate from the AWA score as well as the general GMAT score, which is out of 800 points.
The IR section is meant to test real world skills that both business schools and the modern workplace seek. The section analyzes your ability to critically interpret and synthesize information presented in various forms and in different steps. You will be asked to analyze data in the form of words, charts, graphs and tables in order to develop key insights.
When you study for the GMAT Quant and Verbal sections, you are learning the basic academic knowledge needed to do well on the IR section. To master the IR section, you will have to get used to new question formats and learn how to sift through information you need versus information you do not.
In the IR section, the answer choices are presented differently than they are on the Verbal and Quant sections. The answer choices in IR can involve multiple answers or drop down menus.
There are four Integrated Reasoning questions types:- Two-Part Analysis
The question prompt may be quite wordy and has a small table attached to it. The question asks you to choose two answers out of five or six.
- Multi-Source Reasoning
The information is presented in multiple tabs (three tabs you can navigate among, individually) and usually revolves around Critical Reasoning type questions, although quant may also be involved.
- Graphic Interpretation
A graph or chart is presented and you must analyze the information presented. There are two questions and the answer choices are presented in drop down menu fashion, each with a minimum of three answer choices.
- Table Analysis
A sortable table is presented along with three questions, each with two answer choices. You must be able to differentiate between useful and non useful data.
The IR section should not cause too much concern:
It is based on what you will have learned in the Quant and Verbal sections.
You need to get used to the visual nature of the question types and to the different types of multiple choice questions presented.
An on-screen calculator is provided (in the Quant section, it is not!).
How the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section is scored
There is much confusion over how GMAC scores Integrated Reasoning (IR). Let’s simplify it!
The IR section is non-adaptive and doesn’t count towards your 200-800 score. There are 12 questions in this section. Of these, two to four can be experimental. No one really knows what the point value of each question is exactly – otherwise we would know exactly how many experimental questions there are. GMAC would prefer that be kept unknown.
The question order and difficulty levels of the questions are random. All questions have the same point value, regardless of difficulty level. It is fair to say that the four questions types will be seen at least once each for each test-taker.
The experimental questions do not count, so the score is based on how many questions one answers correctly out of how many are not experimental. This is your raw score, which is then scaled to a score out of eight. This scaled score is also affected by the general difficulty level of the questions you answered correctly, but the influence is probably minimal. In addition to your raw score, you will also be given a percentile ranking. The percentile rankings have changed since IR’s inception two years ago, but have recently stabilized to the below:
(Percentiles chart from
GMAC)
So remember this:
- Don’t try to guess which questions are experimental.
- Timing is crucial here, but do not get stuck anywhere, and work to your strengths.
- You can make mistakes and receive a perfect score.
- Remember to preserve your brain energy for the Quant and Verbal sections on the exam! They are still the most important sections.
- If you are running out of time, GUESS!
How to prepare for the Integrated Reasoning section
An increasing number of students are asking me how much the Integrated Reasoning (IR) section will matter in business schools’ admissions decisions, and what they should do to prepare for the section.
Applicants’ IR scores may factor in some schools’ decisions. Some consulting firms are also taking the scores into account as part of their hiring process. Big data is taking over and many workplaces are seeking employees who can analyze complex data. The IR section addresses this (well, as much as a 30 minute section of a standardized exam can!).
How much you study for IR should be based on the amount of time you have to prepare for the GMAT, and in what industry you wish to be employed. In my opinion, it’s still far more important to get an impressive Verbal/Quant score.
The IR section comes before Verbal/Quant, but I am not of the opinion that IR will destroy your stamina. After all, the IR section is only half an hour long. It can only hurt the rest of the exam for you if you become stressed about it.
Take a deep breath and recognize that you will have learned most of IR by studying for the Quantitative and Verbal sections. You should still study for the IR so you will know what to expect, and you will therefore worry less. No surprises equals less stress.
Remind yourself of the following:- Have perspective: the IR section is only a half hour long and is not part of the 200-800 score.
- Learn the IR question types and formats.
- Try not to invest too much emotionally into the AWA and IR sections. You should be saving your energies for the Verbal and Quant sections.
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Updated on: 24 Oct 2019, 07:09
