GMAT Syllabus: Quant, Verbal & Data Insights Topics

The current GMAT syllabus is built around three sections:

1. Quantitative Reasoning
2. Verbal Reasoning
3. Data Insights

There is no Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), no separate Integrated Reasoning section, and no Sentence Correction on the current GMAT.

The exam contains 64 questions, with 45 minutes allotted to each section. The most important thing to understand, however, is that GMAC does not publish the syllabus as a long school-style list of chapters. Its official GMAT exam content guide defines the skills and question types candidates are expected to handle.

That distinction matters. A good GMAT study plan should cover the underlying concepts you need, but it should also train you to apply those concepts through the actual reasoning formats tested on the exam.

GMAT Syllabus at a Glance

GMAC's current exam structure confirms that all three sections are 45 minutes long.

If you want to understand the testing structure, section order, scoring, Review & Edit feature, and optional break separately from the syllabus, see our guide to the current GMAT exam format.

Does GMAC Publish an Official GMAT Syllabus?

GMAC publishes an official description of the skills measured and question types used, rather than a chapter-by-chapter syllabus comparable to a school or university curriculum.

For example, GMAC describes Quantitative Reasoning as testing foundational arithmetic and elementary algebra, but it does not publish a fixed list saying that a certain number of questions must come from percentages, ratios, equations, or another individual subtopic.

Similarly, Verbal is defined through Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning skills, while Data Insights is defined through five question formats that combine quantitative, verbal, and data-analysis reasoning.

That means two things for your preparation:

• You should learn the foundational concepts required by each section.
• You should not assume that memorizing a topic list is enough to prepare for the GMAT.

The exam is designed to test how you reason with information, not simply whether you remember formulas or rules.

GMAT Quantitative Reasoning Syllabus

Questions: 21
Time: 45 minutes
Question type: Problem Solving
Calculator: Not available

According to GMAC's official Quantitative Reasoning description, the section measures your foundational knowledge of arithmetic and algebra and your ability to apply that knowledge to solve problems.

GMAC specifically describes the required math as arithmetic and elementary algebra.

What should you study for GMAT Quant?

Because GMAC frames the section around arithmetic and elementary algebra, your preparation should make sure you are comfortable with the concepts that sit inside those areas.

A practical preparation checklist includes:

Arithmetic foundations

Be comfortable working with:

• integers and number properties;
• positive and negative numbers;
• factors and multiples;
• fractions and decimals;
• ratios and proportions;
• percentages;
• averages;
• powers and roots;
• rates and unit relationships;
• estimation and approximation.

These are not separate "official chapters" published by GMAC. They are the foundational arithmetic skills that support the Problem Solving questions GMAC says the current Quant section uses.

Algebra foundations

You should also be comfortable with:

• algebraic expressions;
• linear equations;
• systems of equations;
• inequalities;
• translating words into algebraic relationships;
• manipulating equations;
• relationships between variables.

The goal is not advanced mathematics. GMAC's official Quant preparation guidance emphasizes familiarity with the rules and concepts of arithmetic and algebra and applying them efficiently.

Word problems and quantitative reasoning

Many GMAT Quant questions are difficult not because of advanced mathematics, but because you need to recognize the mathematical relationship hidden inside a written problem.

You may therefore need to translate scenarios involving quantities, rates, ratios, percentages, or changing values into equations or logical relationships.

Your preparation should train both:

• concept knowledge — knowing the relevant arithmetic or algebra;
• problem representation — recognizing how to model the information in the question.

What question type appears in GMAT Quant?

The current Quant section contains Problem Solving questions.

The GMAT Quantitative Reasoning guide covers the section in greater depth.

What Is No Longer in GMAT Quant?

Several topics and formats commonly associated with older GMAT preparation are no longer part of current Quant.

Data Sufficiency is not in Quant

Data Sufficiency still exists on the GMAT, but it has moved to the Data Insights section.

If you are using an old prep book that teaches Data Sufficiency as a Quant question type, it is describing the previous GMAT structure.

Geometry is not a current GMAT Quant content requirement

When GMAC introduced the redesigned exam, it specifically identified questions requiring Geometry as content removed from the new version.

The current official Quant description focuses on arithmetic and elementary algebra.

That does not mean you will never see a shape, graph, or spatial representation anywhere in GMAT material. It means you should not build a current Quant study plan around the geometry curriculum required by the previous GMAT.

No calculator in Quant

You cannot use an on-screen calculator in Quantitative Reasoning.

This makes number sense, estimation, efficient arithmetic, and algebraic manipulation particularly important.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning Syllabus

Questions: 23
Time: 45 minutes
Question types: Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning

The current Verbal section measures your ability to:

• read and comprehend written material;
• understand relationships between ideas;
• draw inferences;
• analyze arguments;
• evaluate arguments;
• determine how evidence affects a conclusion;
• assess proposed plans of action.

GMAC's official Verbal content description identifies two question types:

1. Reading Comprehension
2. Critical Reasoning

There is no Sentence Correction on the current GMAT.

GMAT Reading Comprehension Syllabus

Reading Comprehension is not a vocabulary or subject-matter test.

GMAC states that specialized knowledge of the passage topic is not required. What matters is whether you can understand and analyze the information presented.

The official skills tested include:

• main idea;
• supporting idea;
• inference;
• application;
• logical structure;
• style.

Main idea

You may need to identify the central purpose, argument, or message of a passage.

Supporting ideas

You need to understand how individual facts, examples, claims, and details support the broader passage.

Inference

Inference questions require you to determine what logically follows from the information in the passage without going beyond what the text supports.

Application

You may need to apply an idea, principle, or relationship from the passage to another situation.

Logical structure

You should be able to understand how different parts of a passage relate to one another — for example, whether one paragraph introduces a theory and another challenges it.

Style

Some questions test how the author's wording, organization, or approach contributes to the passage.

For more detailed strategy, see our GMAT Verbal Reasoning guide.

GMAT Critical Reasoning Syllabus

Critical Reasoning questions are usually built around a relatively short argument or set of statements.

GMAC says the section tests your ability to:

• make arguments;
• evaluate arguments;
• formulate or evaluate a plan of action.

In practice, you should be able to recognize:

• premises and evidence;
• conclusions;
• assumptions;
• logical gaps;
• information that strengthens an argument;
• information that weakens an argument;
• evidence that supports or damages a conclusion;
• flaws in reasoning;
• consequences of a proposed plan.

The objective is not to decide whether you personally agree with the argument. The task is to evaluate the logic based on the information given.

GMAC's Verbal preparation guidance specifically recommends identifying what is presented as fact, what follows from those facts, what is claimed to follow, and how well those claims are supported.

Is Sentence Correction Still on the GMAT?

No.

Sentence Correction was part of the previous GMAT Verbal section.

It has been removed from the current exam.

That means you should not devote current GMAT study time to old-style Sentence Correction drills involving grammar rules, idioms, modifiers, parallelism, subject-verb agreement, or sentence rewriting purely because they appeared in the old syllabus.

Good reading comprehension still requires you to understand written English accurately, but Sentence Correction is no longer a tested question format.

GMAT Data Insights Syllabus

Questions: 20
Time: 45 minutes
Question types: 5
Calculator: On-screen calculator available

Data Insights measures your ability to analyze and interpret data and use it to make decisions.

GMAC's official Data Insights description states that questions may require:

• mathematics;
• data analysis;
• verbal reasoning;
• or a combination of all three.

The section contains five official question types.

1. Data Sufficiency

Data Sufficiency tests whether you can determine when the information provided is enough to solve a problem.

You need to:

• understand the question being asked;
• identify the relevant data;
• evaluate each statement logically;
• decide whether a unique or sufficient answer can be established.

The point is often not to calculate a final number. It is to determine whether enough information exists to answer the question.

Data Sufficiency appeared in Quant on the previous GMAT. It is now part of Data Insights.

2. Multi-Source Reasoning

Multi-Source Reasoning questions present information from multiple sources, which may include:

• written passages;
• tables;
• graphics;
• or combinations of these.

You may need to:

• identify relevant information;
• compare sources;
• recognize discrepancies;
• draw inferences;
• determine which data matter to the question.

This question type rewards selective reading and careful integration of information rather than simply processing every piece of data with equal weight.

3. Table Analysis

Table Analysis questions give you a sortable table of data.

You may need to:

• sort values;
• compare categories;
• identify relationships;
• apply a stated condition;
• determine whether statements are true or false;
• isolate the information relevant to the task.

This format resembles working with a simplified spreadsheet.

4. Graphics Interpretation

Graphics Interpretation questions require you to understand information shown visually.

GMAC gives examples such as:

• scatter plots;
• x/y graphs;
• bar charts;
• pie charts;
• statistical distribution curves.

You may need to:

• read values accurately;
• identify relationships or trends;
• compare quantities;
• combine information from text and graphics;
• make supported inferences.

5. Two-Part Analysis

Two-Part Analysis presents a problem with two connected response components.

The content may be:

• quantitative;
• verbal;
• or a combination of both.

GMAC notes that this question type can test skills such as:

• evaluating trade-offs;
• solving simultaneous equations;
• understanding relationships between two entities;
• solving multi-part reasoning problems.

The two parts may be independent or logically connected, so you need to understand exactly what each column or response requires.

For section-specific examples and preparation advice, see our complete GMAT Data Insights guide.

What Should You Study for Data Insights?

Unlike Quant, Data Insights does not reduce neatly to a traditional subject list.

A strong preparation plan should build your ability to:

• interpret tables and graphs;
• recognize relevant versus irrelevant information;
• evaluate data sufficiency;
• combine verbal and numerical information;
• identify trends and relationships;
• work with ratios, percentages, rates, and algebra when they arise in a data context;
• draw careful inferences;
• compare multiple sources;
• evaluate trade-offs;
• use the on-screen calculator efficiently without depending on it for reasoning.

The official Data Insights preparation guidance emphasizes careful source analysis, relevance, inference, relationships, and understanding exactly what each question asks.

Can You Use a Calculator on the GMAT?

Calculator availability depends on the section.

This distinction should affect how you prepare.

For Quant, practice doing the necessary arithmetic and algebra without a calculator.

For Data Insights, learn when the calculator saves time and when the real challenge is reasoning rather than computation.

Current GMAT Syllabus vs Previous GMAT Syllabus

A large amount of GMAT material online still describes the previous exam.

Here are the major syllabus differences:

GMAC's current exam has three sections and 64 questions. The previous GMAT Exam (10th Edition) had four sections and 80 questions.

The redesigned exam was originally introduced under the name GMAT Exam (Focus Edition). It replaced the previous edition on February 1, 2024, and the current test is now generally referred to simply as the GMAT Exam.

If you are still encountering "GMAT Focus" terminology in study material, see our guide explaining the GMAT Focus Edition and current GMAT.

Topics You Can Remove From an Old GMAT Study Plan

If your existing notes or study materials are based on the previous GMAT, you can remove dedicated preparation for:

• Analytical Writing Assessment essays;
• Sentence Correction;
• Integrated Reasoning as a separate section;
• geometry questions requiring geometry knowledge;
• the old Quant-format version of Data Sufficiency;
• old 200–800 scoring assumptions.

Do not throw out all older material automatically.

Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, arithmetic, algebra, Problem Solving, Data Sufficiency, and several data-analysis formats remain relevant — but you need to use them according to the current section structure and question design.

How Important Is Each Section?

All three sections matter.

GMAC's current GMAT FAQ states that Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights each contribute equally to the Total Score.

That makes it risky to treat Data Insights as a minor section simply because it did not exist under that name on the older GMAT.

Your preparation time does not need to be split exactly one-third each. A better approach is to use diagnostic performance to decide where you need the most work.

But your final study plan should develop competence across all three scored sections.

How to Prepare Using the GMAT Syllabus

A syllabus is useful only if you turn it into a study process.

Step 1: Learn the current exam before studying content

Make sure you understand:

• the three sections;
• the question types in each section;
• the 45-minute section limits;
• calculator rules;
• the adaptive nature of the exam;
• Question Review & Edit.

This prevents you from spending time on obsolete material.

Step 2: Take an official diagnostic practice exam

GMAC recommends using an official practice exam to establish a baseline.

Your diagnostic should tell you more than your Total Score. Look for:

• weak sections;
• weak question types;
• conceptual gaps;
• timing problems;
• careless-error patterns.

Step 3: Build Quant foundations

If Quant is weak, first make sure your arithmetic and elementary algebra are reliable.

Do not rush into difficult practice questions when basic relationships, equations, percentages, or ratios are still inconsistent.

Step 4: Build Verbal reasoning skills

For Reading Comprehension, focus on meaning, structure, inference, and evidence.

For Critical Reasoning, focus on argument structure, assumptions, conclusions, and how new information changes an argument.

Step 5: Treat Data Insights as a reasoning section

Do not approach Data Insights as "just data interpretation."

It deliberately combines numerical, graphical, and verbal information. Practice identifying:

• what information matters;
• what can be ignored;
• what can be inferred;
• what is sufficient;
• how different sources relate.

Step 6: Use official-style questions

GMAC's official preparation resources include the Official Starter Kit, official practice questions, and full-length practice exams.

Official questions are particularly useful because they show how the exam turns familiar concepts into GMAT-style reasoning problems.

Step 7: Move from learning to timed practice

Once your foundations are reasonably strong, practice under the actual section limits.

Knowing the syllabus is not enough if you cannot apply it efficiently within 45 minutes.

Step 8: Review why you missed questions

Classify errors by cause:

• concept gap;
• reasoning error;
• misreading;
• calculation error;
• answer-choice trap;
• timing pressure;
• poor guessing decision.

This tells you whether the solution is more content study, more reasoning practice, or better pacing.

For a fuller study framework, see our GMAT preparation tips.

GMAT Syllabus: What to Prioritize

If you are starting from scratch, this is a practical priority order:

Quantitative Reasoning

1. Arithmetic foundations
2. Elementary algebra
3. Translating word problems into mathematical relationships
4. Problem Solving under time pressure
5. Estimation and efficient calculation

Verbal Reasoning

1. Reading for structure and meaning
2. Main idea and supporting evidence
3. Inference
4. Argument structure
5. Assumptions and logical gaps
6. Strengthen/weaken/evaluate reasoning

Data Insights

1. Data Sufficiency logic
2. Reading tables and graphs
3. Identifying relevant information
4. Combining multiple sources
5. Quantitative and verbal inference
6. Two-part reasoning
7. Efficient calculator use

This priority list is a preparation framework, not an official GMAC weighting of topics. GMAC does not publish a guaranteed topic-by-topic question distribution for an individual exam.

Frequently Asked Questions About the GMAT Syllabus

What is the current GMAT syllabus?

The current GMAT tests three areas: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights. Quant focuses on arithmetic, elementary algebra, and Problem Solving; Verbal contains Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning; Data Insights contains five data-analysis and reasoning question types.

How many sections are in the GMAT syllabus?

There are three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights.

Is AWA part of the current GMAT syllabus?

No. The Analytical Writing Assessment was part of the previous GMAT and is not included in the current exam.

Is Integrated Reasoning still on the GMAT?

Integrated Reasoning is no longer a separate section. Several data-analysis skills and question formats now appear within Data Insights.

Is Sentence Correction still on the GMAT?

No. The current Verbal section contains Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning only.

Is geometry on the current GMAT?

The redesigned GMAT removed questions that require geometry to solve. The current official Quant description focuses on arithmetic and elementary algebra.

Is Data Sufficiency still on the GMAT?

Yes. Data Sufficiency is now one of the five Data Insights question types. It is no longer a Quantitative Reasoning question type.

What math is tested on the GMAT?

GMAC officially describes the current Quant section as requiring foundational arithmetic and elementary algebra. The difficulty comes from applying those concepts through logic and analytical reasoning rather than from advanced mathematics.

Is probability on the official GMAT syllabus?

GMAC's current public exam-content page does not publish a detailed chapter-by-chapter list that guarantees specific Quant subtopics such as probability on every exam. It defines current Quant broadly as arithmetic and elementary algebra. Use official current-edition practice material to understand the range and style of questions rather than relying on an old topic list.

What is tested in GMAT Verbal?

GMAT Verbal tests Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning. Officially identified reading skills include main idea, supporting idea, inference, application, logical structure, and style. Critical Reasoning tests your ability to make and evaluate arguments and assess plans of action.

What are the five Data Insights question types?

They are:

1. Data Sufficiency
2. Multi-Source Reasoning
3. Table Analysis
4. Graphics Interpretation
5. Two-Part Analysis

Can I use a calculator for GMAT Quant?

No. An on-screen calculator is available for Data Insights, but not for Quantitative Reasoning.

Are all three sections equally important for the GMAT score?

Yes. GMAC states that Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights contribute equally to the Total Score.

Is the GMAT syllabus the same for online and test-center exams?

Yes. The academic content, sections, question types, timing, and scoring are the same. The main differences between online and test-center delivery involve testing environment and administration.

What is the best way to start preparing from the syllabus?

First understand the current exam and question types, then take an official practice exam to establish your baseline. Use the result to identify which concepts and question types need the most work, build those foundations, and then move into timed official-style practice.

Final Takeaway

The most important change in how you should think about the GMAT syllabus is that the current exam is narrower in traditional subject content but heavily focused on reasoning.

You need:

• arithmetic and elementary algebra for Quant;
• reading and argument analysis for Verbal;
• data interpretation and integrated reasoning for Data Insights.

You do not need to prepare the old AWA, Sentence Correction, or geometry-required content simply because those topics appear in legacy GMAT resources.

Start with the official current exam content, identify your weakest skills through diagnostic testing, and then build a study plan around the concepts and question types that are actually tested today.