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Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
28 Apr 2026, 05:57
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Hey everyone,
I wanted to share my prep experience because I think the first 3–4 weeks of GMAT prep are where most people go wrong (including me). I prepared for around ~3 months while working full-time (2 - 3 hours on weekdays, more on weekends), and ended up with a 695. But honestly, if I had to restart, I would change how I approached the beginning, not the end.
Where I messed up initially
First few weeks were messy:
What I realized later (this is the important part)
Most people don’t fail because they can’t solve GMAT.
They fail because:
What I’d do if I was starting again
Instead of jumping into everything, I’d follow a simple structure:
1. First 1–2 weeks: don’t chase score
Just:
2. Start tracking mistakes early
This is something I started late but should’ve done from Day 1.
Just 4 buckets:
3. Keep resources limited
I wasted time switching.
What actually worked:
4. Don’t skip phases
This is something I understood much later.
Prep is not random.
It’s more like:
5. Have a simple system
The biggest improvement for me came when I started doing this consistently:
Final thought
If I had to summarize:
I wanted to share my prep experience because I think the first 3–4 weeks of GMAT prep are where most people go wrong (including me). I prepared for around ~3 months while working full-time (2 - 3 hours on weekdays, more on weekends), and ended up with a 695. But honestly, if I had to restart, I would change how I approached the beginning, not the end.
Where I messed up initially
First few weeks were messy:
- Too many resources
- No clear plan
- Solving questions without really knowing what I’m improving
- Thinking “just do more and it’ll work out”
What I realized later (this is the important part)
Most people don’t fail because they can’t solve GMAT.
They fail because:
Quote:
I didn’t either in the beginning.
What I’d do if I was starting again
Instead of jumping into everything, I’d follow a simple structure:
1. First 1–2 weeks: don’t chase score
Just:
- Understand question types
- Get familiar with format
- Light practice
2. Start tracking mistakes early
This is something I started late but should’ve done from Day 1.
Just 4 buckets:
- Concept
- Logic
- Careless
- Timing
3. Keep resources limited
I wasted time switching.
What actually worked:
- Official material
- GMAT Club explanations
- Official mocks
4. Don’t skip phases
This is something I understood much later.
Prep is not random.
It’s more like:
- Foundation -> understand
- Build -> timed practice + weaknesses
- Optimize -> mocks + decision-making
5. Have a simple system
The biggest improvement for me came when I started doing this consistently:
- Attempt
- Understand why wrong
- Write 1-line takeaway
- Apply it in the next set
Final thought
If I had to summarize:
Quote:
I also wrote a guide to help people starting with their GMAT journey: https://16-day-gmat-jump.vercel.app/roadmap
Moderator:
