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When thinking about applying to business school, prospective students often ask, "just how difficult is the GMAT"
The GMAT is often touted as one of the tougher graduate entrance exams, but how hard is it really? In determining the difficulty of the GMAT in 2026, it’s important to look at all of the components of the exam, including structure, content, and exam style. In this resource guide, we discuss how the GMAT is scored, what makes the exam so difficult (especially as compared to other grad school exams), and the different sections of this test.
How Difficult Is The GMAT?
Obviously, the better you score on the GMAT, the better your chances are of getting into the MBA program you want. The GMAT is hard for most test takers because it compresses math, reading, logic, and data interpretation into a tight timed format. It is not just content knowledge. It is pacing, decision making under pressure, and accuracy across multiple question types. If you have been out of school for a while or you are not confident in quant, it can feel especially tough.
Before getting into the actual difficulty of this test though, it helps to know how this graduate entrance exam is scored.
This computer-based test begins with questions that are of medium difficulty. When you answer these questions correctly, you are presented with more difficult questions to further test your abilities across all three sections (Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights). If you are new to the format, see our guide on how long the GMAT is, including timing by section.
As a result, your score on the GMAT is determined by your level of ability using an algorithm that also calculates the level of difficulty of questions you reached during the test.
When determining the GMAT difficulty, you’ll need to know the average scores, statistically speaking. The verbal and quantitative sections are scored from 60 to 90. On average, the mean score for the verbal is 79 and the quantitative is 78.
Overall, you have the potential to reach a combined score of 205 to 805, with 805 as the top score. However, the mean score is 555.
Each MBA program determines their minimum GMAT score to accept, with some flexibility. If you are planning test day strategy, see our guide on using a calculator on the GMAT.Nationally though, the top 10% of students who take the GMAT score 655 or higher (90th percentile), with 25% scoring at approximately 605 or above (75th percentile).
It’s comforting to know, when wondering about the difficulty of the GMAT, that 50% of most test takers score at or around 555.
What Makes The GMAT Hard?
This is a question that varies in answer, as your ability to score well depends upon your test taking skills, your preparation and your knowledge base. For some, the unique computer format is a factor.
The GMAT allows you to bookmark questions within a section and change up to 3 answers per section before you submit that section. Once you move to the next section, you cannot go back. Those who have scored well have found that the best strategy is to be prepared to answer difficult questions at a quick pace.
The time limit is another factor that can make the GMAT hard for some. Factoring in breaks (which are highly recommended), the exam totals roughly two hours and fifteen minutes. As of 2026, you are allotted the following time slots when taking this computerized exam.
Verbal: 45 minutes (23 questions)
Quantitative: 45 minutes (21 questions)
Data Insights: 45 minutes (20 questions)
Optional Breaks: One ten minute break
Another factor that makes the GMAT tough is how long you’ve been out of school. For many individuals, they have been out of college for years. Taking a standardized exam is something they haven’t done in a very long time, and can feel almost foreign.
But more than anything, the hardest part for most everyone is the math. Quant doesn’t come easy to all, and the GMAT places a big emphasis on it. To effectively tackle these challenges, consider a prep course with a focus on quant, such as Target Test Prep.
Background About The GMAT
Known as the Graduate Management Admission Test, the GMAT is a computer-based standardized exam with multiple choice questions that is globally required for entrance into an MBA program. Your test score from the GMAT is used, alongside academic transcripts and work experience, to determine eligibility into graduate school programs.
Similar to tests such as the GRE and the LSAT, the GMAT is designed to measure your skills and understanding of data analysis, critical reasoning and algebra. The test also features questions that measures your ability to interpret complex data sets and make data-driven decisions.
Breaking Down The Different GMAT Sections
The GMAT features three sections that require test takers to apply analytic and critical thinking skills. The sections consist of:
Verbal
Quantitative
Data Insights
You do have some freedom when taking the GMAT, as sections can be taken in any order. In order to be prepared for this decision and gain an in-depth understanding of the GMAT, let’s look at each section.
Verbal: As expected, the verbal portion of the GMAT measures your understanding of written English. The test features 23 questions on reading comprehension, and critical reasoning. Note that Sentence Correction questions were removed from the GMAT Focus Edition.
Quantitative: Get ready to test your understanding of basic math concepts in this section of the GMAT. The quantitative section includes 21 problem-solving questions focused on algebra, arithmetic, and number properties. Note that geometry questions are no longer in this section, and data sufficiency questions were moved to the Data Insights section.
Data Insights: This portion of the GMAT features 20 questions including data sufficiency, two-part analysis, multi-source reasoning, graphics interpretation, and table analysis to test your analytical and critical thinking skills. You will interpret visuals and data using an on-screen calculator.
Be Sure To Plan Ahead For The GMAT
In order to do your best on the GMAT, you’ll need to plan ahead. For the 2026 testing cycle, most test takers prepare for at least two months before the exam and take online practice exams or complete worksheets. Others allow up to six months. Pick a timeline that best meets your circumstances.
It’s best to work on one section of the GMAT at a time, which requires reviewing basic math principles and then moving on to reading comprehension. It will also help to practice your pacing when taking practice tests for the GMAT.
Time yourself to see which principles slow you down during the test and spend more time on those concepts so you can answer quickly and advance to the more difficult questions during the test.
The bottom line is that the difficulty of the GMAT depends on your level of preparedness, so study, study, study!
FAQ
How difficult is the GMAT?
The GMAT is a very tough graduate school entrance exam. Though only 2 hours and 15 minutes in length, it is no joke. It will test your quant skills, mastery of the English language, and data inference abilities.
How hard is it to get 645 on GMAT?
The short answer is fairly hard. To score a 645 or better, you’re going to need to score better than just about 9 out of every 10 candidates. In other words, you need a top 10% score.
