Integrated Reasoning: Your Questions Answered Regarding the Next-Generation GMAT
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February is upon us, meaning that we are just four short months away from the launch of the new GMAT Integrated Reasoning section this June. As 2012-13 application hopefuls begin to gear up for summertime GMAT appointments, we’d like to take this opportunity to answer your most-common questions regarding the new section:
When will the new Integrated Reasoning section be included on the GMAT?
The new section will appear on June 4, 2012, when the Next Generation GMAT debuts.
What exactly is the new Integrated Reasoning section?
In short, it asks students to analyze a small compilation of data — presented various forms, including words, charts, and tables — and pull out key insights to answer multiple questions about the data. The questions will vary by type, and may ask the test taker to judge whether a statement is true or false or to interpret the cause of a certain trend in the data.
What will the Integrated Reasoning section replace on the current GMAT?
GMAC has announced that it will replace its Analysis of an Issue question on the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA). When the Next Generation GMAT appears on June 4, 2102 there will be one AWA essay (Analysis of an Argument) and the Integrated Reasoning section, in addition to the Quantitative and Verbal portions of the exam.
How long will the Integrated Reasoning section be?
The Integrated Reasoning section will be 30 minutes long. There will be one 30-minute AWA essay (Analysis of an Argument) and the 30-minute Integrated Reasoning section.
How will the Integrated Reasoning section be scored?
The Integrated Reasoning section will be given its own score, very similar to the AWA section today. The “main” GMAT score — say, 720 — is going to be instantly comparable to others, whether you take the test today, tomorrow, or in late 2012, and all indications are that business schools will continue to use that score as their primary standardized metric.
Should I take the GMAT now or wait until June, 2012 when the Integrated Reasoning section will be included?
Our advice to our students continues to be the same: You should take the GMAT when you are ready to do your best on the exam. If you are ready to take the test before June, 2012, then you should take it before then so that you don’t need to go through the extra effort of preparing for a whole new question type. However, if late May comes and you still are not ready to take the exam, then we advise waiting until you are ready, even though this means you will also need to prepare for the new Integrated Reasoning section.
If I already took the GMAT but won’t apply to business school until next year, will I need to take it again after June, 2012?
No, you will not need to retake the exam. Your GMAT score is good for five years from the date you take it, and this will be the same when the Next Generation GMAT launches in June, 2012. Any scores earned on the old GMAT will still be valid for five years, and business school admissions officers will still evaluate those scores the same way as before.
What is considered a good Integrated Reasoning score?
GMAC has stated that it will not release a score scale for the new Integrated Reasoning section until April, 2012. We will provide more information on the new score scale when it becomes available.
How will Integrated Reasoning factor into my overall GMAT score?
Much like the AWA, the Integrated Reasoning section will have its own score, separate from the overall 200-800 score that you earn for the GMAT. Once the Next Generation GMAT appears, you will get an AWA score (from 0 to 6), an Integrated Reasoning Score, a Verbal raw score (from 0 to 60), a Quantitative raw score (also from 0 to 60), and an overall GMAT score.
How will MBA admissions officers use Integrated Reasoning scores?
Realistically, it will probably be a year or two before MBA admissions officers start to rely heavily on Integrated Reasoning scores when evaluating applicants. Keep in mind that Integrated Reasoning is not only new to you, but it’s also new to admissions officers. It will likely take at least a year before admissions personnel become familiar enough with the Integrated Reasoning score scale to place a great deal of emphasis on it when making admissions decisions. While a low Integrated Reasoning score will certainly not help your admissions chances, in the near term we expect that admissions officers will still place much more emphasis on your scores on the other parts of the GMAT.
Where can I find Integrated Reasoning sample questions?
We have multiple questions from each of the four Integrated Reasoning questions types available on our website. You can try out the problems here and also receive solutions for each.
Will the Graduate Management Admissions Council release new materials that include the Integrated Reasoning section?
Yes. In April, 2012, GMAC will release updated versions of its GMATPrep practice tests and of the Official Guide for GMAT Review (a 13th edition!).
When is the last day I can take the current version of the GMAT exam?
For those of you who feel that it’s just not a true GMAT without two AWA essays, you should take the exam by June 2. No GMATs will be administered on June 3 and 4, as test centers prepare to offer the new exam.
What’s in it for me?
The Integrated Reasoning section is true to its name – integrated. It predominantly tests the same families of skills – problem solving, logic, efficient math, organizing information, interpreting word problems – as do the Quant and Verbal sections. Studying for the IR problems will help you improve on other problems, and vice versa. And performing 30 minutes of IR work before you delve into the Quant and Verbal sections should serve as an effective warm-up to get your mindset where it needs to be. Don’t believe us? Practice some sample problems and see for yourself.
