Complete GMAT Syllabus 2026: Every Topic You Need (and What to Skip)
The GMAT Focus Edition launched with one major change that most prep resources still haven't fully absorbed: the syllabus is now narrower, but deeper. GMAC stripped out an entire section (AWA), removed Geometry from Quant, killed Sentence Correction from Verbal, and added Data Sufficiency to a brand-new section called Data Insights. The result is a test that covers fewer topics but probes each one more rigorously.
This matters practically. If you're using prep books or question banks from before 2024, entire chapters in those books test topics that no longer appear on the exam. Every hour you spend on Geometry or Sentence Correction is an hour stolen from the three sections that actually count. This guide is the single source of truth for what's on the 2026 GMAT — nothing more, nothing less.
Quick Takeaways
- 3 sections: Quantitative Reasoning (21Q), Verbal Reasoning (23Q), Data Insights (20Q)
- Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes. Each section is 45 minutes.
- No Geometry: Completely removed from the Focus Edition.
- No Sentence Correction: Verbal is now purely CR and RC.
- No AWA essay: The written section has been eliminated.
- Data Insights is new: Combines old Data Sufficiency with Integrated Reasoning — and it's equally weighted.
The Big Picture: 3 Sections, 64 Questions
Every section of the GMAT Focus Edition is 45 minutes long and contributes equally to your total score. This equal weighting is the most important structural fact to internalise. On the old GMAT, a weak Integrated Reasoning performance barely moved your total score. On the Focus Edition, a weak Data Insights performance is exactly as damaging as a weak Quant or Verbal performance.
| Section | Questions | Time | Question Types | Calculator? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Reasoning | 21 | 45 min | Problem Solving (PS) only | No |
| Verbal Reasoning | 23 | 45 min | Reading Comprehension (RC), Critical Reasoning (CR) | No |
| Data Insights | 20 | 45 min | DS, Graphics Interpretation, Table Analysis, Two-Part, MSR | Yes |
| Total | 64 | 135 min | — | — |
You choose the order of sections on test day. Most high scorers recommend starting with your strongest section to build confidence and save your peak mental energy for your weakest section last.
Quantitative Reasoning Syllabus (21 Questions)
The Quant section now has a single question format: Problem Solving. All 21 questions are five-option multiple choice. Data Sufficiency questions have been moved to Data Insights. The content scope is narrower than the old GMAT — no Geometry at all — but the difficulty within the remaining topics is higher. Expect more layered word problems, more nuanced number property questions, and trickier algebra setups than on the pre-2024 exam.
The two core topic areas are Arithmetic and Algebra. Here's the complete topic breakdown with an honest difficulty and frequency signal for each:
| Topic Area | Sub-Topics | Approx. Question Weight | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | Integers & Number Properties, Fractions & Decimals, Percentages & Percent Change, Ratios & Proportions, Powers & Roots, Average / Mean, Weighted Average, Speed-Distance-Time, Work & Rate, Mixtures & Allegations, Simple & Compound Interest, Probability, Permutations & Combinations, Set Theory & Venn Diagrams, Descriptive Statistics (Mean, Median, Mode, Range) | ~55% | 🔴 High |
| Algebra | Linear Equations (1 & 2 variables), Quadratic Equations & Factoring, Inequalities & Absolute Value, Functions & Function Notation, Exponents & Exponential Equations, Algebraic Word Problems, Sequences & Progressions | ~45% | 🔴 High |
Coordinate Geometry (slopes, intercepts, distance between points) still appears in the Algebra topic area — but only from a purely algebraic angle. You will not see triangle or circle problems on a coordinate plane.
Within Arithmetic, the highest-yield topics are Number Properties, Percentages, and Ratios — they appear in roughly 40% of all Quant questions either directly or embedded in word problems. Within Algebra, inequalities and absolute value are the most commonly tested in the 650–750 difficulty band.
Verbal Reasoning Syllabus (23 Questions)
Verbal is now a pure logic and comprehension test. No grammar, no idioms, no parallelism. The two question types — Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning — split the section roughly 50/50, though the exact split varies by test administration. Both test your ability to reason precisely from text, not your knowledge of the English language.
| Question Type | % of Verbal Section | Sub-Types / Skills Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension (RC) | ~50% | Main Idea, Primary Purpose, Supporting Detail, Inference, Application, Logical Structure, Author's Tone / Style, Passage Organization |
| Critical Reasoning (CR) | ~50% | Strengthen the Argument, Weaken the Argument, Find the Assumption, Evaluate the Argument, Draw an Inference, Resolve a Paradox / Discrepancy, Boldface (Method of Reasoning), Complete the Passage (rare) |
RC passages are typically 200–350 words, and most test-takers see 3–4 passages per section with 2–4 questions each. Passage topics span business, science, social science, and humanities — no prior subject knowledge helps or hurts, since the answer is always derivable from the passage alone.
For CR, Strengthen and Weaken question types together account for roughly 40% of all CR questions on most administrations. Assumption questions are the second-most-common type. Master these three and you've covered the majority of the CR section.
For non-native English speakers: RC difficulty comes from argument density, not vocabulary. The passages use precise, academic language — but no obscure words that require a dictionary. Practice reading dense business and science writing daily to build the stamina the section requires.
Data Insights Syllabus (20 Questions)
Data Insights is the section that catches the most people off guard, especially those who prepared primarily with old GMAT materials. It's a hybrid section combining the former Integrated Reasoning (IR) question types with Data Sufficiency (DS) — and it now counts as a full third of your score.
You get an on-screen calculator for Data Insights. Use it strategically — it's there for data-heavy calculations, but most DS and Two-Part Analysis questions don't require heavy arithmetic. Over-relying on the calculator on simple questions will hurt your pacing.
| Question Type | Approx. Frequency | What It Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Data Sufficiency (DS) | ~5–7 per section | Logic: determine whether given statements provide enough information to answer a math or verbal question. You never calculate a final answer — you evaluate the sufficiency of information. |
| Two-Part Analysis (TPA) | ~4–5 per section | Solve a complex problem that has two interdependent parts. Can be quantitative, verbal, or a hybrid. Answers are selected from a matrix of options. |
| Graphics Interpretation (GI) | ~3–4 per section | Read and interpret data from scatter plots, bar charts, pie charts, or statistical curves. Answer drop-down questions by selecting the correct interpretation. |
| Table Analysis (TA) | ~2–4 per section | Sort and filter a sortable spreadsheet-style table. Answer True/False or Yes/No statements based on the data. |
| Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR) | ~2–4 per section | Analyse information across 2–3 tabs containing text, tables, or graphics. Answer multiple questions per MSR set. |
Data Sufficiency deserves special attention because it requires a fundamentally different mindset than problem solving. You are never solving for the actual answer — you're asking: 'If I were to solve this, would I have enough information?' Most errors in DS come from solving the problem rather than evaluating sufficiency.
What's Been Removed — Don't Study This
If you are using prep books published before 2024 (including GMAC Official Guide editions pre-2024, Manhattan Prep Strategy Guides older than 7th edition, Kaplan GMAT Prep older than 2024 edition), skip these chapters entirely.
| Removed Topic | Was In | Why It Was Removed | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry (triangles, circles, polygons, 3D solids, coordinate geometry proofs) | Quantitative Reasoning | GMAC research showed Geometry tested memorisation of formulas rather than business-relevant reasoning | Skip any prep book chapter titled Geometry, Triangles, Circles, Polygons. Do not buy geometry prep materials. |
| Sentence Correction (SC) | Verbal Reasoning | Grammar-testing was seen as culturally biased against non-native speakers and less relevant to business communication | Skip all SC practice, idiom lists, grammar rule cards. Verbal is now 100% CR and RC. |
| Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) | Separate scored section | Low predictive value for MBA success, adds test fatigue without insight | No essay prep needed. You do not write anything on the GMAT Focus Edition. |
| Integrated Reasoning (IR) as a standalone score | Separate section | IR has been restructured and merged into Data Insights, which is now a scored section | Old IR practice materials are partially useful, but DI is more comprehensive than IR was. |
How to Prioritise Your Study Topics
Not all topics within the syllabus are equally represented on the exam. The adaptive nature of the GMAT also means that if you're scoring in the 600–700 range, you'll see more medium-difficulty questions where specific topic categories cluster. Here's a priority framework to guide how you allocate your prep hours:
- Tier 1 — High ROI (study first, spend most time): Number Properties, Percentages, Ratios, Strengthen/Weaken CR, RC Main Idea + Inference, Data Sufficiency logic, Two-Part Analysis. These cover ~60% of questions across all three sections.
- Tier 2 — Medium ROI (study after Tier 1 is solid): Algebra word problems, Inequalities + Absolute Value, CR Assumption questions, RC Logical Structure, Graphics Interpretation, Table Analysis.
- Tier 3 — Diminishing returns (study only after Tier 1+2 are strong): Permutations/Combinations, Probability, Set Theory, CR Boldface, Multi-Source Reasoning advanced strategies, Two-Part Analysis verbal subtypes.
One common prep mistake is treating all topics as equal and studying them sequentially. That approach means most students never make it through their syllabus before test day. Prioritise by impact — the topics in Tier 1 are foundational and appear across multiple question types. Solid Number Properties skills, for example, help you solve percentage questions, ratio problems, and algebraic word problems simultaneously.
How OpenPrep Maps the Syllabus to Your Prep
One of the most common prep pitfalls is not knowing which part of the syllabus you're actually weak in. You might think you're bad at Quant when you're actually only struggling with a specific sub-topic — say, Weighted Averages — while performing well on everything else. OpenPrep's diagnostic maps your accuracy across all 30+ sub-topics in the syllabus automatically, so you know precisely where your prep hours should go.
- Section-level accuracy tracking — see your performance on Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights broken out by sub-topic, updated after every practice session.
- Adaptive question sets — practice questions are pulled from the specific syllabus areas where your accuracy is lowest, not from a generic question pool.
- Error tagging aligned to the syllabus — every wrong answer gets tagged at the sub-topic level (e.g., 'Algebra > Absolute Value'), so your error log is automatically sorted by the syllabus structure.
- Study plan auto-adjustment — as your accuracy improves in a sub-topic, OpenPrep shifts your practice weight toward newer weak areas, so you're never over-drilling something you've already mastered.