Integrated Reasoning for the GMAT Exam

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

• !Not pacing for 12 questions in 30 minutes (2.5 minutes per question)
• !Attempting to solve Two-Part Analysis algebraically instead of using answer-choice substitution
• !Losing partial credit on multi-part questions by leaving one sub-question blank

Study tips

• 1Each IR question has sub-parts that must ALL be correct for credit — partial credit is not given.
• 2For Two-Part Analysis, plug answer pairs into the constraints before choosing — algebraic setups often take longer.
• 3Practice IR with the official GMAT Prep software; the interactive table and tab formats are not replicable on paper.

Sample GMAT Integrated Reasoning questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real GMAT questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1. 1

   A Two-Part Analysis question states: "A company needs to select one marketing campaign (A, B, or C) and one distribution channel (X, Y, or Z) such that the total cost is exactly $500K." If Campaign A costs $200K and channel Y costs $300K, this combination:

   • AIs invalid because campaign cost must exceed channel cost
   • BMeets the $500K constraintCorrect
   • CExceeds the $500K constraint
   • DCannot be evaluated without more data
   Why this answer?

   $200K + $300K = $500K, which exactly meets the constraint. Two-Part Analysis questions often have a single valid pair; checking arithmetic first eliminates wrong pairs quickly.