GMAT Question Types

Below we introduce each GMAT question type and discuss how it fits within its section. Separately we devote one page to each major question type, providing a thorough description and a sample question of above average difficulty along with a detailed explanation.
 

The Quant section consists of 21 Problem Solving (PS) questions, which are traditional multiple-choice math questions. You have 45 minutes for the section, giving you an average of just over 2 minutes per question. PS questions rely on various arithmetic and algebra concepts, both in word-problem and non-word-problem formats. Concepts are interspersed throughout the section; they do not appear in discrete blocks. Several questions, particular difficult questions, make use of multiple concepts.

The Verbal section consists of 23 Critical Reasoning (CR) and Reading Comprehension (RC) questions. You have 45 minutes, giving you an average of just under 2 minutes per question. Expect 9 to 13 CR questions and 10 to 14 RC questions across 3 or 4 passages. The CR and RC questions are intermingled, except that all RC questions related to a given passage appear consecutively. Process of elimination is important on verbal questions, since they ask you to pick the best answer. You will often find it easier to eliminate three answers, whereas deciding between the other two may be trickier. Review all five answers, unless low on time, even if you come across one that you like.

The Data Insights section consists of 20 Data Sufficiency (DS) and Integrated Reasoning (IR) questions. You have 45 minutes, giving you an average of 2 minutes 15 seconds per question. Expect 5 to 8 DS questions and 12 to 15 IR questions, intermingled throughout the section. IR questions include four distinct question types: graphics interpretation, multi-source reasoning, table analysis, and two-part analysis. Most IR questions are accompanied by two or three sub-questions to answer.