GMAT Data Insights Explained

GMAT Data Insights is the newest of the exam’s three sections. It features 20 questions in 45 minutes, with five different question types. It is the only GMAT section with an on-screen calculator, and it accounts for a third of your total score. This guide explains what’s on the GMAT Data Insights section, how each question type works, and how to prepare for it without treating it like an afterthought.

What Is the GMAT Data Insights Section?

Data Insights arrived with the November 2023 redesign of the GMAT, absorbing the old Integrated Reasoning section’s question types and adding Data Sufficiency from the quant section. (Here’s the full story of where Integrated Reasoning went, and if you’re catching up on the redesign generally, Sentence Correction left verbal at the same time.)

The vital statistics, per GMAC’s official exam structure: 20 questions in 45 minutes, alongside Quantitative Reasoning (21 questions) and Verbal Reasoning (23 questions) in a 2-hour-15-minute exam. You can take the three sections in any order, and like the other sections, Data Insights lets you bookmark questions and edit up to three answers before time expires.

Two features make Data Insights unlike anything else on the exam. First, the on-screen calculator is available here, and only here; the full details are in our guide to the GMAT calculator. Second, it’s the only section that blends verbal-style and quant-style reasoning in one place, along with a heavy dose of sometimes-odd data displays. That’s exactly why business schools like it: the task of finding insights in a large, quirky pile of data is as close to real MBA coursework as a standardized test gets.

Data Insights counts fully toward your 205-805 total, with the same weight as quant and verbal. The instinct to treat Data Insights as an afterthought is among the most expensive prep mistakes we see on the current exam.

The Five GMAT Data Insights Question Types

Data Sufficiency. This question format is one of the oldest on the GMAT. It asks whether a question could be answered with certain pieces of information, not what the answer actually is. You’re always given two statements, the same five answer choices every time, and a mindset shift that deserves its own guide: Beginner’s Guide to GMAT Data Sufficiency.

Multi-Source Reasoning. This challenging question type presents you with two or three tabs of text, tables, and charts, followed by a cluster of three questions. For a more in-depth look, visit Beginner’s Guide to GMAT Multi-Source Reasoning.

Table Analysis. You’re given a sortable table and a set of statements to evaluate against it. This question type feels a bit like using Excel or Google Sheets, and sorting is your best friend: Beginner’s Guide to GMAT Table Analysis.

Graphics Interpretation. This question type features a graph or chart, often a genuinely ugly one, and a multi-part question based on that data. The key is to start with the big picture before you obsess over every detail: Beginner’s Guide to GMAT Graphics Interpretation.

Two-Part Analysis. Questions with two answer columns, many of which are quant word problems or Critical Reasoning arguments in different clothing: Beginner’s Guide to GMAT Two-Part Analysis.

Per GMAC’s published breakdowns, no single type dominates the DI section. Table Analysis and Two-Part Analysis each account for 10-20% of DI questions, Graphics Interpretation is featured in 20-30% of questions, and Data Sufficiency appears in 20-40% of the total; you’ll also see one or two Multi-Source Reasoning “tab sets,” each of which includes three questions.

In other words, expect a genuine mix of question types and be prepared to switch gears constantly, from “quant brain” to “verbal brain” and back, sometimes within a single question.

How Is GMAT Data Insights Scored?

Data Insights produces a section score on the same 60-90 scale as Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning, and all three feed equally into the 205-805 total. To understand how your performance compares with other test-takers, see our GMAT Percentiles guide.

One scoring nuance worth understanding: because DI mixes so many skills, a weak DI score can be hard to interpret. Your underlying weaknesses might be primarily related to quantitative skills, data-reading ability, time management, shaky logic, careless errors, or something else entirely. The section-level score won’t tell you much, so keep a detailed error log from day one to help you spot patterns in your mistakes.

GMAT Data Insights Tips: How to Prepare

Give it real prep time. A third of your score deserves roughly a third of your attention. Most study plans still over-emphasize quant, and treat DI as an afterthought.

Master Data Sufficiency’s logic first. DS rewards a repeatable evaluation process more than any other question type, and the skills you need for DS translate to the rest of the DI section.

Practice shifting gears. Mixed sets of official DI questions train the quant-verbal switching that makes the section uniquely challenging and exhausting.

Use the calculator as a tool, not a habit. It’s there when you truly need it to generate a precise number, and it’s a time-sink if you use it for anything else. If you’re reaching for it on every Data Sufficiency question, something has gone wrong.

Official questions only. Official questions are always king, but that’s particularly true here: DI’s ambiguity and format quirks are the hardest thing for test-prep companies to imitate. If you have pre-2023 prep materials, official Integrated Reasoning questions from the old GMAT remain fair game for four of the five types; for more, see our Integrated Reasoning guide.

Expect time pressure. Twenty questions in 45 minutes sounds generous until the first set of Multi-Source Reasoning questions eats eight minutes. According to GMAC’s own data, more students struggle to finish Data Insights than any other section. If you’re struggling with a question, don’t waste precious minutes spinning your wheels: just guess, flag the question, and move on. You can always revisit the question if you have time left at the end of the section. 

  The flail-and-bail discipline from our verbal timing guide applies here with full force.