What is the GMAT Focus Edition?

The GMAT Focus Edition is the modern version of the GMAT used for business school admissions. It is shorter than the classic GMAT, more focused on reasoning skills, and uses a new 205–805 scoring scale.

Instead of testing everything, the Focus Edition concentrates on the skills schools care about most: how you reason with numbers, arguments, and data under time pressure.

GMAT Focus exam structure and scoring

The GMAT Focus Edition has three sections:

• Quantitative Reasoning – problem solving, arithmetic, algebra, rates, percentages
• Verbal Reasoning – critical reasoning and reading comprehension
• Data Insights – data interpretation, data sufficiency, multi-source reasoning, charts & tables

There is no essay (AWA) and no Sentence Correction. Geometry is also much less important than in older versions of the exam.

How long should you study for GMAT Focus?

The right prep time depends on your starting point and score goal. As a very rough guideline:

Score goal (total)	Typical study time
~555–605	4–6 weeks
~605–655	6–10 weeks
~655–705	2–3 months
705+	3–5+ months

What matters most is not just time, but how structured your practice is: which questions you choose, what you do after mistakes, and how you adapt week-by-week.

12-week GMAT Focus study plan

Below is a simple but effective 12-week plan. You can stretch it to 14–16 weeks by slowing the pace, or compress it if your fundamentals are strong.

Weeks 1–3 – Learn the exam and fix fundamentals

• Understand the exact exam format and timing
• Review basic arithmetic, algebra, fractions, percentages, and word problems
• Learn how GMAT critical reasoning questions are structured
• Get familiar with Data Insights question types (tables, charts, multi-source)

Daily target (rough):

• 10–20 Quant questions (untimed at first, focus on understanding)
• 10 Verbal questions (critical reasoning, short passages)
• 5 Data Insights questions
• Review every mistake and write down why it happened

Weeks 4–6 – Build core GMAT Focus skills

Now you increase difficulty and start introducing light timing.

• Move to medium-difficulty Quant and Verbal questions
• Mix in more Data Insights, especially data sufficiency and data interpretation
• Do short timed sets (e.g. 10 questions in 20 minutes)

At the end of week 4, take your first full mock test in realistic conditions:

• Same section order and timing as the real exam
• No phone, no interruptions
• Review all sections the next day

Weeks 7–8 – Adaptive training and timing

Here you focus more on timed blocks and working under pressure.

• Do 20–30 question sets with a timer
• Practice skipping questions strategically instead of getting stuck
• Pay attention to how your accuracy changes when you’re under time pressure

End of week 6: take your second mock test and compare:

• Which section improved the most?
• Are there specific topics that always show up in your mistakes?
• Is your pacing more stable now?

Weeks 9–12 – Score maximization and polishing

In the last phase, you focus on your weak spots and try to make your performance more consistent.

• Targeted practice on your worst topics (not random questions)
• 3-4 full mocks per week
• Deep review of every wrong answer and every guess

Your goal is to reach a point where your mock scores stay within roughly ±30 points of your target score.

Section-by-section strategies

Quantitative Reasoning

• Focus on translation – turning words into equations
• Learn to simplify expressions before calculating
• Recognize common patterns (ratios, percentage change, distance = rate × time)
• When stuck, plug in numbers or test simple cases instead of freezing

Verbal Reasoning

• For critical reasoning, always identify: conclusion, evidence, and assumption
• For reading comprehension, read actively – predict the author’s main point
• Eliminate answer choices that distort, exaggerate, or introduce new claims
• Don’t read options first; understand the question stem and passage first

Data Insights

• Get comfortable reading tables, charts, and multiple sources quickly
• Practice data sufficiency logic: decide if you have “enough” information, not the exact answer
• Use estimation – you rarely need exact numbers
• Learn common trap patterns: overlapping sets, percent of percent, conditional statements

How to use mocks and analytics the right way

Full mock tests are one of the most powerful tools in your prep – but only if you review them properly.

Checklist for each mock test

• Review every wrong answer and every lucky guess
• Tag mistakes by type: content gap, misread, rushing, running out of time
• Note which question types consume too much time
• Adjust the next week’s practice to target those weaknesses

A good platform should also give you progress graphs and a history of your attempts so you can see:

• Which sections are improving fastest
• Which question types you’re still weak in
• How your estimated score changes over time

Free GMAT Focus practice with GradUnlimited

A study plan is only useful if you combine it with the right kind of practice. GradUnlimited is built around exactly that idea: thousands of GMAT-style questions, an adaptive test environment, and clear analytics – without paying hundreds of dollars for “strategy videos”.

• 10,000+ realistic GMAT questions with explanations
• Full test simulations (up to 5 per day on Premium)
• Adaptive environment and estimated GMAT score
• Personal progression graph and detailed review mode

You can try a free preview of the platform here:

Try free GMAT Focus questions

When you’re ready to commit, you can compare plans and pricing here: GradUnlimited GMAT plans.

Final tips

• Be consistent – even 60–90 minutes a day beats long, irregular cram sessions
• Review your mistakes carefully; that’s where most of your score gain will come from
• Don’t chase every “trick” – focus on core reasoning and clear thinking
• Use mock tests to rehearse test day, not just to see a score

With a realistic plan, solid practice, and a bit of discipline, the GMAT Focus Edition is very manageable. When you’re ready to turn this plan into action, you can log in to GradUnlimited and start practicing today.