GMAT Focus Edition 2026: Format, Scoring, Fees and Superscore

Last updated: 24 October 2026. Facts come from GMAC, the organisation that runs the GMAT (gmac.com and the mba.com help centre), including its August 2026 percentile and concordance tables.

What you need to know in 60 seconds

• The GMAT Focus Edition launched in November 2023 and has been the only version of the GMAT since 1 February 2024. In July 2024 GMAC dropped the “Focus Edition” name, so it is now simply the GMAT.
• It has three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights. There are 64 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes, and there is no essay.
• Total scores run from 205 to 805. A Focus score is not comparable to an old 200-800 score: a 655 today is roughly a 700-710 on the old test.
• In India the exam costs US$275 at a test centre and US$300 online.
• Since August 2026, GMAC has added a GMAT Superscore, made of your best section scores across attempts, to your score reports automatically and at no cost.

The GMAT format

How the test works on the day

• You choose the section order. Any of the six possible orders is allowed.
• The optional 10-minute break comes after either the first or the second section, not both.
• You can bookmark and review questions and change up to three answers per section, as long as time remains in that section.
• The test is computer-adaptive. The difficulty of each question depends on how you answered the previous ones.
• For Data Insights questions with several parts, you must get every part right to get credit.

How the GMAT is scored

• Total score: 205 to 805 in 10-point steps, so every total ends in 5.
• Section scores: 60 to 90 each for Quant, Verbal and Data Insights. All three count equally towards the total.
• When you see it: your unofficial score appears on screen as soon as you finish. The official score usually follows in three to five days, but can take up to 20.
• Validity: scores stay valid for five years. You don’t need to cancel a weak score, because no school sees it unless you send it.

GMAT percentiles

GMAC’s August 2026 table, based on test takers from July 2021 to June 2026:

Percentiles are updated every year, but your scaled score never changes.

Comparing a Focus score with an old GMAT score

The old scale (200 to 800) and the new one (205 to 805) measure different things, so don’t compare the numbers directly. GMAC’s August 2026 concordance table gives these equivalents:

Old-format scores remain valid for five years from the test date, and schools can receive them until January 2029.

What top schools report now. Poets&Quants’ September 2026 analysis of the Class of 2027 found that Focus scores now outnumber old-format scores at almost every top US school. Reported Focus figures included:

• Median 685 at Harvard and Kellogg
• Median 675 at Booth and Tuck
• Average 690 at Columbia and 689 at Stanford

Schools report these differently (some give medians, some averages), so use them as a rough guide, not a cut-off.

The GMAT Superscore

GMAC introduced the Superscore in August 2026. It takes your highest Quant, Verbal and Data Insights scores across your valid attempts of the current GMAT and combines them into one score on the same 205 to 805 scale.

It is calculated automatically, shown in your mba.com account and included on the score reports you send to schools, at no extra cost. Old-format attempts don’t count towards it. Schools can see the attempts each section score came from, so a Superscore doesn’t hide how many times you took the test. Still, it means a second attempt can only help your best section scores.

Fees and rules for test takers in India

How to prepare for the current GMAT

• Start with an official practice exam. Many older prep books and question banks still teach Sentence Correction and geometry, which are no longer tested. Make sure your material is written for the current format.
• Give Data Insights real time. It’s the section most applicants under-prepare, and it counts as much as Quant and Verbal. Practise reading tables and graphs quickly, and use the on-screen calculator sparingly.
• Plan for a second attempt. With the 16-day gap, three to five days for official scores and the Superscore, it pays to take your first attempt early. For January Round 2 deadlines, aim to finish testing by early December.
• Decide between the GMAT and the GRE early. Our GMAT vs GRE guide explains how the two compare.

Need a structured plan? Our one-to-one GMAT tutoring covers the current format section by section.

Wondering what score you need for your target schools? Get a free profile evaluation, and we will tell you where your score puts you and which schools to aim for. You can also check our MBA application deadlines to plan your test date.