Key takeaways
- Data Insights: 20 questions, 45 minutes, five types. It counts as much as Quant or Verbal.
- It is the only GMAT section with a calculator, and that one is on screen.
- GMAC says Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis and Graphics Interpretation give credit only if every part is right. Treat Two-Part Analysis the same way in practice.
- Teach the types in a planned order, and count multi-part practice items all-or-nothing.
Nine at night in Pune. An online GMAT batch logs in after office hours. Most are engineers, and Quant feels easy. Then the teacher shares a Table Analysis question with three statements. A student gets two right and smiles.
On the GMAT, that answer scores nothing. Here is how to teach this section to batches like this one.
Data Insights in one table
The section has 20 questions in 45 minutes, about 2 minutes 15 seconds each. GMAC’s school presentation lists five types and says a question may need math, data analysis, verbal reasoning, or all three. It counts equally with Quant and Verbal.
The five types
What the student sees, and what earns the mark
| Type | On screen | Answer | Credit needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Sufficiency | A question and two statements | One of the same five choices | One answer |
| Multi-Source Reasoning | Several sources: text, tables, graphics | Five choices, or statements judged true or false | All parts |
| Table Analysis | A sortable table, like a spreadsheet | Statements judged against a condition | All parts |
| Graphics Interpretation | A graph with unfinished statements | A drop-down choice for each blank | All parts |
| Two-Part Analysis | A quant or verbal problem | Two linked choices | Both choices (treat as all parts) |
The calculator rule. Data Insights has an on-screen calculator. Quant and Verbal have none, and personal calculators are banned. Keep Quant practice calculator-free, and teach when estimating beats the calculator in Data Insights.
One detail for your first class: a student who does not pick a section order within two minutes gets the default order, which starts with Data Insights.
No partial credit on multi-part items
For Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis and Graphics Interpretation, GMAC is plain: “You must mark all parts of the question correctly to receive credit.” Three true-or-false statements give eight possible answers. One scores. Treat Two-Part Analysis the same way in practice: both choices right, or no mark.
How students feel
“Nearly there.”
What the GMAT records
Wrong. Same as zero out of three.
So a practice set that gives a third of a mark per statement flatters the student. Count a multi-part item right only when every part is right. Students learn to check the last statement as hard as the first.
A teaching order for the five types
Any type can turn up in the section, so students need all five. The order you teach them in is your choice. We suggest moving from closest-to-Quant to heaviest reading.
Suggested order
Five types, five classes
- 1Data SufficiencyClosest to Quant. The five choices never change.
- 2Graphics InterpretationOne chart, read carefully.
- 3Table AnalysisMany rows, one condition. Teaches scanning.
- 4Two-Part AnalysisTwo linked answers, sometimes verbal.
- 5Multi-Source ReasoningSeveral sources, the heaviest reading. Keep it for last.
Teach each type live, then set a short practice set that evening. Vacademy runs live classes through Zoom, Google Meet or YouTube Live, with email and WhatsApp reminders and automatic attendance. See live online classes on Vacademy.
Building practice sets in Vacademy
First, the limits. Vacademy has no GMAT-style screen, no sortable tables and no drop-down answers. Students use the standard test screen, so pick the closest question type for each item.
Closest question type
How each type can be built
One limit to know. Vacademy marks each sub-question on its own, so a Graphics Interpretation or Two-Part Analysis item built from sub-questions gives part marks. When you go through results, count the item right only if every sub-question is right.
That is why one multiple-correct question is the better build for statement sets. Vacademy’s report splits answers into correct, partially correct, incorrect and skipped. On the GMAT, “partially correct” scores zero, so that list is who to coach next.
Upload your own question bank
Your institute's worksheets as a PDF or Word file become questions, with answer keys if the file has them.
Timed sectional tests
A Mock Assessment of 20 questions with a locked 45 minutes.
See a 20-question timed sectional test in action
We will set one up with a 45-minute lock and show you the time-per-question and distractor reports.
After each sectional test, read two reports. Time per question shows who loses four minutes on one set. Distractor analysis shows the wrong choice the batch picked most. More in spotting learning gaps early and creating assessments in Vacademy.
Honest limits
- Sorting a table and using drop-downs are screen skills. Students should meet them in GMAC’s official practice.
- AI can draft questions from a topic, but a teacher must check every number in a Data Insights item.
- Vacademy tests are not adaptive, so a sectional score guides pacing; it does not predict a GMAT score.
For exam technique, see our post on the GMAT Review & Edit rule.
Self-check
Your batch needs Data Insights drills if...
- Students call two right out of three statements "nearly there".
- Your practice scores give part marks on multi-part items.
- Quant-strong students run out of time on Multi-Source Reasoning.
- Students reach for the calculator for every sum.
- Nobody checks time per question after a Data Insights set.
Two or more of these? Start with the teaching order above.
Questions GMAT teachers ask
How many questions are in GMAT Data Insights?
20 questions in 45 minutes, from five types: Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation and Two-Part Analysis.
Is a calculator allowed in GMAT Data Insights?
Yes, the on-screen calculator built into the exam, in Data Insights only. Quant and Verbal have none, and personal calculators are not allowed.
Is there partial credit in GMAT Data Insights?
Not on multi-part items. GMAC says that for Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis and Graphics Interpretation, every part must be right to get credit. Treat Two-Part Analysis the same way in practice: count it right only when both choices are right.
Which Data Insights type should students learn first?
We suggest Data Sufficiency, because it builds on Quant and always has the same five choices. Keep Multi-Source Reasoning for last. This is a teaching choice, not a GMAC rule.
Can Vacademy build Table Analysis or Graphics Interpretation questions?
Not with sortable tables or drop-downs; there is no GMAT-style screen. Institutes use comprehension-based and multiple-correct questions as the closest match. Vacademy marks each sub-question on its own, so count a multi-part item right only when every part is right.
GMAT™ is a trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Vacademy is not affiliated with or endorsed by GMAC. Facts summarized from GMAC’s public pages, read on 13 November 2026.
Build your Data Insights module on Vacademy
Live classes, practice sets and timed sectional tests in one place.