For GMAT aspirants around the globe, the release of the GMAT Official Guide (OG) 2023 was a highly anticipated event, especially considering the release of the new GMAT Focus Edition. Preparing for the GMAT requires comprehensive study materials, and one of the most trusted resources is the GMAT Official Guide (OG).
The GMAT Official Guide has long been recognized as an essential companion for those aiming to excel in the GMAT. Year after year, the OG has provided test-takers with a comprehensive collection of real GMAT questions that have appeared in the past, to reflect the actual exam’s format and difficulty level.
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In this article, we will delve into the major enhancements and updates introduced in the GMAT Official Guide 2023. We will also evaluate the benefits of purchasing the OG 2023, helping you make an informed decision about whether it is worth investing in.
Overview of GMAT Focus Edition
In response to the rapidly evolving business landscape, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) has recognized the need for a more relevant and comprehensive assessment of the skills required for success. To address this, GMAC has announced a major test change and introduced the GMAT Focus, a brand-new test specifically designed to evaluate higher-order critical reasoning skills and data literacy that is crucial in the business environment of the future.
The new GMAT Focus edition Syllabus introduces several significant changes to the exam. These include the elimination of the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section, improvements to both the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative sections, and the addition of a new section called Data Insights.
To align with this new test format, the GMAT Official Guide (OG) 2023 has been meticulously crafted to better prepare test-takers for the challenges and demands of the GMAT Focus edition.
Attention test takers! GMAC has announced a new version of the GMAT test called the GMAT Focus edition starting from 7th November 2023, while the current version of the test will be available till January 31, 2024.
Read this article to know the GMAT Focus Edition Syllabus.
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GMAT Official Guide 2023-24 || What’s new?
New Data Insights Review chapter
This new chapter in OG 2023 describes the Data Insights section of the GMAT Focus exam, explains what it measures, discusses the five types of Data Insights questions, and offers strategies for answering them. Combining Integrated Reasoning and Data Sufficiency question types, it measures digital and data literacy, highly sought-after skills in the modern business world.
Quant Review and Verbal Review chapters in OG2023
To help students build their foundational learning, Quant and Verbal review chapters are added to the Official Guide 2023 in line with the GMAT Focus Edition.
Here is a table showcasing the number of questions in the Math Review and Verbal Review sections in OG 2023 online question bank.
| eBook | Extra Questions in Online Question Bank | |
| MATH REVIEW | 246 | 19 |
| Easy | 95 | 5 |
| Medium | 63 | 9 |
| Hard | 88 | 5 |
| VERBAL REVIEW | 356 | 34 |
| CR | ||
| Easy | 65 | 5 |
| Medium | 58 | 3 |
| Hard | 64 | 9 |
| RC | ||
| Easy | 50 | 11 |
| Medium | 47 | 2 |
| Hard | 62 | 4 |
The Quant review chapter includes formulas you should be familiar with, whereas the verbal review chapter helps develop skills that will help you analyze and evaluate written texts and ideas.
Topics Included in Quant Review:
In addition to this, the Quant review also incorporates a quick quantitative reference sheet to review basic formulas and key concepts. This comes in handy as a quick refresher when trying to revise and revisit quant concepts.
Topics Included in Verbal Review:
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GMAT Official Guide 2023-24 || Is it enough to prepare for the GMAT?
In our experience, you should use other GMAT Prep materials alongside the GMAT Official Guide. The GMAC also recommends not to depend upon the Official guide completely.
In the GMAT, the ability to apply skills in a logical manner is crucial beyond simply knowing the concepts. However, it is important to acknowledge that individuals have varying starting abilities, influenced by factors such as work experience, innate talent, and prior GMAT exam preparation.
Considering the limited number of questions in the GMAT Official Guide (OG)/e-book, using all the available OG questions for learning purposes may result in a shortage of questions for practice purposes.
| Section (e-book) | Easy | Medium | Hard |
| Quants | 87 | 58 | 83 |
| DI (only Data Sufficiency questions in e-book) | 40 | 33 | 31 |
| CR | 58 | 55 | 62 |
| RC | 45 | 52 | 60 |
Currently, the data insights section in the physical book/e-book has only DS-type questions. For the remaining, you must access the online question bank.
Data Insights online question bank in Official Guide 2023
- Multi-Source Reasoning
- Table Analysis
- Graphic Interpretation
- Two-part analysis
- Data Sufficiency
| EASY | MEDIUM | HARD | |
| Data Sufficiency (online exclusive) | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| Multi Source Reasoning | 12 | 17 | 14 |
| Table Analysis | 11 | 10 | 8 |
| Graphic Interpretation | 10 | 16 | 8 |
| Two-part Analysis | 14 | 21 | 9 |
GMAT Official Guide 2023 -24 || Should you buy it?
The GMAT Focus edition brings notable changes to the exam, including an enhanced Verbal Reasoning section and Quant section, and the introduction of a new Data Insights section. To align with this new test format, the GMAT Official Guide (OG) 2023 has been strategically created to better prepare test-takers for the challenges and demands of the GMAT Focus edition.
If you are planning to give the GMAT Focus Edition, then buying the OG 2023 is worth it. The Official Guide 2023-2024 is available at GMAC’s official site for $47.99
However, if you are planning to attempt the existing GMAT format, then we do recommend purchasing OG 2022 which has a comprehensive collection of 1000+ questions that have been asked in previous GMAT exams, to reflect the actual exam’s format and difficulty level.
The OG 2022 is available at GMAC’s official site for $47.99. You can also check other retailers like Amazon which offer the guide at a discount.
For more details on OG 2022, you may also read our earlier article on OG 2022.
GMAT Focus: e-GMAT Support and timelines.
At e-GMAT, we are fully committed to supporting all editions of the Official Guide (OG), including the newly released 2023/24 edition.
We have been supporting the content of the OG for several years already, ensuring that our resources align with its content and format. Our primary objective is to facilitate your success throughout your GMAT journey.
To know more about How e-GMAT plans to support GMAT Focus you may benefit from our earlier article GMAT Focus : e-GMAT Support.
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FAQ – GMAT Focus Official Guide
GMAT Official Guide (OG) is a comprehensive collection of questions that have been asked in previous GMAT exams to reflect the actual exam’s format and difficulty level.
This majorly depends on when you plan to start applying to colleges. The existing GMAT format will be available to test-takers to attempt till early next year, so if you are planning to give the exam within the given time, you can go ahead with the existing format itself.
You can buy the e-book from Amazon, or GMAC Official site.
