Start point

Question

I want to start my preparation from a beginner level, establishing good logic and fundamentals.

The matrial is very vast and overwhelming. 
Please guide how should I start? Which materials to refer to build a concrete foundation.

dotsoftme · Answer

Best of luck for the preparation

kingbucky · Answer

I suggest you to give TTP a try. They offer a 5 day free trial. 
All the best !

bb · Answer

If you are feeling overwhelmed, it is a good idea to get a book or a course - whichever product makes you feel more productive will win!
Books are likely cheaper these days though Magoosh is very economical.

Whatever you get, you will also need the Official Guide for questions.

Vijendra.D · Answer

I would suggest you start with Verbal Section because this Section will need your rigorous practice and it will help you to read structurally and that's needed for all 3 sections.

For building your foundations on the Verbal Section you can follow -

GMAT Ninja Youtube Channel and Live Sessions conducted by Charles on the GMATClub Youtube Channel in 2026. And

GMATWithCj Youtube channel( i used it for RC)

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi SaraKothari,

Before studying in earnest, spend a little time getting familiar with the format and question types of each section: Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights. Then take a free official practice test from mba.com under realistic conditions. That baseline won't hand you a study plan, but it tells you how far you are from your target. The actual plan gets built through the topic-by-topic work that follows, not from the mock itself.

From there, choose a single comprehensive, structured prep course rather than assembling your own curriculum from scattered sources. A good course sequences topics in the right order, isolates one concept at a time, and tracks your accuracy by topic and difficulty, which is exactly what makes a vast subject feel manageable.

The engine of your prep is topical mastery. Take one topic at a time, learn the underlying concepts and techniques thoroughly, then practice only that topic until your accuracy is consistently high before moving on. Don't worry about timing yet. Accuracy comes first, and speed follows naturally once the approach becomes automatic.

Review is where most of the improvement happens. For every question you miss, figure out what went wrong: a concept you hadn't learned, a misread, a careless error, or a trap answer. Then redo it later from scratch to confirm the fix held.

Full-length practice tests become useful only after you've worked through the content this way. Taken too early, they just confirm the foundation isn't built yet.

So: get familiar with the exam, take one baseline test to see the gap, then commit to one structured resource and work through it topic by topic, mastering each before moving on. Going deep with one plan instead of wide across many is what turns an overwhelming amount of material into a clear path.

This article walks through how to get started the right way:  How to Start Studying for the GMAT Focus .

SaraKothari · Answer

sure, i'll definitely check that out!

SaraKothari · Answer

Thank you for your insights Vijendra!

AllisonBell · Answer

Hi there!

I think it’s smart that you want to establish a strong foundation at the beginning of your studies. That’s honestly really important to success on the GMAT. Even the hardest questions are often testing your understanding of the fundamentals — they’re just dressed up to look trickier.

I agree with the advice to take a practice test. It may help you streamline your studies if your score in one or more sections is significantly higher/lower than in others.

If your Quant score is in need of improvement, you're not alone. Many people benefit from a math refresher at the outset of their GMAT studies. A lot of our students find our free Foundations of Math on-demand course, delivered by 99th percentile scoring instructors, to be extremely helpful, especially at rebuilding algebraic concepts and learning efficient tools for doing arithmetic without a calculator. You can find it in our  Free GMAT Starter Kit , which will also help you analyze your first practice test and build a study plan.

Best of luck!

EducationAisle · Answer

What's your educational and professional background  SaraKothari ?

That could determine how you should approach the prep.

Also,  this video  will quickly bring you "up to speed" on the GMAT.

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