GMAT Focus Edition - Everything You Need to Know On March 8, 2023 GMAC has announced changes to the GMAT Exam and a new version of the exam called " GMAT Focus Edition " (official announcement link) Changes were vaguely described but here is what we know Timeline as of May 2, 2023: GMAT Focus Version available to take: Q4 2023 (as early as Oct but likely Dec, 2023) Registration for Focus opens – Aug 29, 2023 GMAT Prep for GMAT Focus Available – June 6 Old/Traditional GMAT will be available through Q1, 2024 AWA will be removed (official) SC will be removed (official) Quant will only contain PS Questions and DS will be a part of the Data Insights section. More IR will be added into the test 18 questions instead of 12 most likely (not official but Amazon screenshots from the OG prove this) The test will have 3 sections 45 mins each and will be a total of 2 hours and 15 mins long instead of 3 hours and 7 minutes today. No information on breaks or sections or questions at this point The sections confirmed via Amazon screenshot are Verbal, Quant, and IR New O G's announced: Problem Solving, Verbal, and Data Sufficiency Geometry is missing from quant review, so we can assume it will be removed (it is not present in EA either). Link with OG math review contents New deductive and inductive reasoning section added in table of contents (screenshot below) GMAT will remain to be adaptive but you are now able to go back and change answers on up to 3 questions per section. Lifetime and annual test limits of 8 and 5 remain in effect YouTube Panel about GMAT Focus GMAT & Admissions Expert Panel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Oz9XvKcoM We will be featuring a panel with experts GMATNinja , ApplicantLab , ManhattanPrep , and hosted by one of the GMAT Club's moderators and PM Interns and Darden 2024 Class MBA Student, MaliFri about what these changes mean, what you should do if you are preparing, and what does it mean for the GMAT. Amazon.com Screenshots courtesy of doublecool https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=70602 https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=70604 Screenshot-20230310-080143.jpg Comparison of Official Guide Editions: 2022 vs. 2023-2024 OG page 1 comparison.png OG page 2 comparison2.gif What does it mean for Test Takers? Immediately, it is likely noise and distraction and yet one more change to keep track of. This should not impact anyone applying for R1 or R2 next season. 1. The current test format will be available through early 2024, so if you were planning to take the GMAT, I would keep on working on your score. I am expecting that the rollout will be longer than expected and there will be delays so I can expect the original GMAT likely be administered for another year. 2. I don't expect the test to change too significantly. The only change that was announced was that the AWA section was removed. While there is a hint at making the test more data-focused and "tomorrow", that sounds a bit like the IR overview we heard back in 2012 3. Should you buy a course/book/GMAT Prep Practice tests? I think there are some opportunities and threats here. First of all, I would only buy now what you need. If you are planning to study for the GMAT, then get the books you need, get the OG, or courses. However, if you are not ready to take the GMAT yet, I would wait to purchase the GMAT Prep practice tests until you need them. Last time there was a system upgrade from old to new GMAT Prep platform, none of the progress was transferred. 4. Will the new test be easier? Maybe... Some feel EA is easier than the GMAT as it is shorter and you get through it faster. It is still competitive though and whatever skills you have learned on the GMAT, you can apply on the EA (it is Quant, Verbal, and IR). My Take on This Change: There have been rumblings about changing GMAT for a while. Pandemic has forced many changes upon schools and test prep. GMAT suffered during the pandemic and saw its test-taking volume go down 50% since 2018. GRE has been growing in popularity so changes were almost inevitable as the test has been under pressure to evolve. The big question about this transition will be on - what is being prioritized here? Will execution actually pull it off? 1. I am going to go out on a limb and say that the next 6 months will be confusing. Some people have been preparing for years to the GMAT, purchased books, etc, etc - vague announcements like these are going to confuse people and likely only shift people away from GMAT towards tests like EA or GRE 2. GMAT is becoming easier? Hard to tell yet but the messaging seems to imply it or at least market it as such. Anyone else got this feel? 3. We all have seen the execution of GMAT online and shift from GMAT Prep to a new platform. These were painful events. Execution has suffered in the past and I am hoping this will be a better transition that will be easier for test-takers. I am just thinking about comparing your scores from the 800-point test to the new test. Is the test scale going to be the same? This also means that if you are taking the test in the fall, you can take Full Test online, Full Test at a test center, Focused/short test online, or Focused/Short version at a test center. Lots of Choices... 4. No essay seems an interesting change in the world of ChatGPT but the AWA has been dead for a while... 5. 3 sections likely means Quant, Verbal, and IR of some sorts? It would be helpful if they were less mysterious 6. Not surprising GMAT is making changes since the test volume has gone down 50% in the past 3 years. But are these the right changes? 7. I think it would be better for the test to address online testing issues because no matter the length of the test and other changes, if the online test experience is subpar, it is subpar in both formats. 8. This means more confusion among applicants about the GMAT vs. GMAT Focused version vs. EA vs. GRE vs Whatever? 9. I feel that it is insufficient to provide just Official test materials since OG and Tests are such a small portion of the preparation experience and looking at the announcement from GMAC, it seems they are not recognizing the value and the contribution that test prep companies are providing to the success of the test takers and the test itself. I am looking at all the companies that have built courses, products, tests, etc that would have benefited from input and advance warning/notification so that they can launch/build products. Apple does that for their developers even so that they new version of iOS does not show up with out apps.... I feel this was a missed opportunity that would have been so easy to capitalize on. Speculations & Rumors (Officially Unconfirmed) One report (logical enough) indicates that the Sentence Correction portion of the test will be scrapped. This has not been officially confirmed by reported by doublecool Original Announcement sent to a Test Prep Company

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vv65

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24 Mar 2023, 18:44

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vv65

One change/improvement I hope to see is the ability to highlight and annotate text on screen. That would be really useful for Reading Comprehension.

Posted from my mobile device

I think it would be awesome but I strongly doubt it is an option

One can only hope. But GMAT (and GRE) test-takers should not have to deal with artificial unnatural constraints! Annotation is always possible in PDF readers and other such software, and obviously, it's possible on paper.

When the IELTS, the ACT, and now the SAT introduced digital/online tests, the test software came with features that allowed on-screen notes, highlighting, and answer elimination. (Earlier these tests had only paper-and-pencil testing.)

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Totally agree about the announcement rollout. I wonder if the Amazon glitch has significantly accelerated the rollout process and was basically not intended to be communicated for a while? We won't know this for a little while...

Meanwhile the official guide is back on Amazon Italy with the publication date of May 23
https://www.amazon.it/Official-Graduate ... 273&sr=8-1

And Amazon Sweeden has Quantitative Guide with the release date of April 11
https://www.amazon.se/GMAT-Official-Gui ... =8-2-fkmr1

I am thinking these are WRONG old carryover-placeholder dates but who knows

blackswan33

I think the video was removed because the author didn't have enough evidence to support his/her claim

Conspiracy theorists, huddle!

TBH, BB, I think GMAT should've broken the news after providing everyone with enough information instead of sending updates that leave room for speculation. It was interesting in the beginning, maybe, but it feels like forever now that there aren't any updates yet

As you said, we will not know, bb! Either way, GMAC could've done better. There are a lot of things that require a complete overhaul - everything depends on whether or not GMAC wants to accept those facts and head in the right direction.

Well, we'll then have to just get ahold of a gmatclub member from Sweden to find out more, I guess

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25 Mar 2023, 11:26

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To add (very little) to the discussion:

Amazon India now shows a 6 June 2023 date for the imported edition.

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25 Mar 2023, 11:31

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AjiteshArun

To add (very little) to the discussion:

Amazon India now shows a 6 June 2023 date for the imported edition.

To add even less:

🥴🥴🥴

PS. Canada has it as April 11
(Chinese version. What the heck is that?) forgive my coloring skills … I never actually went to kindergarten so that whole set of skills was never mastered….

Update: it seems the Chinese edition existed for a while. Here is OG 17 https://a.co/d/cjwpdtx

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blackswan33

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26 Mar 2023, 07:49

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To add (very little) to the discussion:

Amazon India now shows a 6 June 2023 date for the imported edition.

WAIT. WAITTTTT A MINUTEEEEEEEE - how does it help Chinese learners as the test is conducted in English *scratches head*

Vinit800HBS

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27 Mar 2023, 08:59

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AjiteshArun

To add (very little) to the discussion:

Amazon India now shows a 6 June 2023 date for the imported edition.

To add even lesser than the less

There are atleast 4 books for 2023-24 cycle:

1. GMAT Official Quantitative Review: Data Sufficiency 2023-2024, Book + Online Question Bank Paperback – Import, 6 June 2023
https://www.amazon.in/GMAT-Official-Qua ... ks&sr=1-29

2. GMAT Official Guide Verbal Review 2023-2024: Book + Online Question Bank Paperback – Import, 6 June 2023
https://www.amazon.in/Official-Guide-Ve ... ks&sr=1-30

3. GMAT Official Guide Quantitative Review: Problem Solving 2023-2024, Book + Online Question Bank Paperback – Import, 6 June
https://www.amazon.in/GMAT-Official-Gui ... ks&sr=1-31

4. GMAT Official Guide (the yellow cover one that eventually got removed from Amazon portal but is mysteriously appearing on Swedish and Italian portals of Amazon.)

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27 Mar 2023, 09:28

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The thing is becoming grotesque.............

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27 Mar 2023, 23:07

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AjiteshArun

To add (very little) to the discussion:

To add even less:

Vinit800HBS

To add even lesser than the less

And the winner is (for now, at least):

GMAC

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28 Mar 2023, 07:47

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"Official Prep Available – Late Q2 2023
Registration Opens – Q3 2023
Testing Starts – Q4 2023"

-https://www.gmac.com/gmat-other-assessments/about-the-gmat-focus-edition/gmat-focus-edition

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28 Mar 2023, 10:29

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I guess they have updated the timelines and exam structure

Updated Timelines:

Official Prep Available – Late Q2 2023
Registration Opens – Q3 2023
Testing Starts – Q4 2023

Exam Structure and Content:

Quantitative Reasoning: 21 questions from algebraic and arithmetic (This section no longer contains Data Sufficiency questions)
Verbal Reasoning: It is composed of 23 Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning questions.
Data Insights: It is composed of 20 questions (Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis)

Going by the timelines it is clear that it is not targeted for people applying for Fall '24.

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28 Mar 2023, 10:37

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I guess they have updated the timelines and exam structure

Updated Timelines:

Official Prep Available – Late Q2 2023
Registration Opens – Q3 2023
Testing Starts – Q4 2023

Exam Structure and Content:

Quantitative Reasoning: 21 questions from algebraic and arithmetic (This section no longer contains Data Sufficiency questions)
Verbal Reasoning: It is composed of 23 Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning questions.
Data Insights: It is composed of 20 questions (Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis)

Going by the timelines it is clear that it is not targeted for people applying for Fall '24.

Thank you for sharing!!! Where did you see the 21 QR questions?

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28 Mar 2023, 10:55

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I am unable to post URLs here so I here's where I found it

GMAC's website -> The GMAT Exam and other assessment -> Under GMAT Focus go to Exam Structure, Content & Features
https://www.gmac.com/gmat-other-assessm ... m-overview

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28 Mar 2023, 10:59

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Here you go -

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28 Mar 2023, 11:17

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Watch: Data Insights Explained

https://players.brightcove.net/13172415 ... 3028018112

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28 Mar 2023, 11:33

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New info has come out. Let's start a new forum on GMAT Focus Edition? Cc: BB

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28 Mar 2023, 11:36

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amirsaf1

New info has come out. Let's start a new forum on GMAT Focus Edition? Cc: BB

Thanks

How would it be different?

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amirsaf1

New info has come out. Let's start a new forum on GMAT Focus Edition? Cc: BB

Thanks

How would it be different?

bb would have a black or red vest

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28 Mar 2023, 21:16

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What do business schools think of the new GMAT™ Focus Edition?

https://www.mba.com/exams-and-exam-prep ... e-new-gmat

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Hey guys.Just to be sure,Q4 2023 means Oct'23-Dec'23 right?

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Hey guys.Just to be sure,Q4 2023 means Oct'23-Dec'23 right?

Posted from my mobile device

Yes. And in most development IT companies, it means December 31, 11 PM 😂

This is a joke but when someone tells you the release of the product is a vague date that is six months away, I don’t think they know when it will be exactly and chances are it will be late.

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