GMAT or GMAT Focus for a 2023/2024 application.

Hi shyqa.

I'd go with the current version as the low risk version for this application cycle.

Hi shyqa,

To start, since you are interested in some highly-competitive Schools, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement (and the more time that you have to implement those suggestions, the better). There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

The new GMAT Focus edition is supposedly going to be available to take in the last few months of 2023 (although an official start date has not been locked-in yet). That new version removes SC, Geometry and the Issue essay, BUT places IR in a new section (called Data Insights) - meaning that IR will actually impact your Overall Score, while it currently does not). The current version of the GMAT will also be available to take until some time in early 2024 - meaning that there will be several months in the near future in which you can take EITHER version of the GMAT.

Since the GMAT Focus is essentially a scaled-down and re-organized version of the current GMAT; the biggest adjustment between switching from one Exam to the other would likely be in getting used to how the new Exam is administered (you wouldn't have to learn any 'new' content in the event that you later switched to the Focus Edition). You could certainly switch to the GRE (as you might find that option to be easier), but since you've done some GMAT training already, you'd probably be best served by sticking with the current version of the Exam (with the goal of retaking the current version of the GMAT some time before January, 2024).

1) What study materials are you currently using?
2) When was the last time you took a CAT/mock and how did you score?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at: Rich.C@empowergmat.com
www.empowergmat.com

Hi shyqa,

I would take the current version of the GMAT. If, for any reason you need to pivot to the focus version later on, it won't be a big issue.

Hi shyqa,

Keep in mind that both Harvard and Wharton won't accept GMAT Focus scores for R1/R2 this cycle.