Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
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.
11 Nov 2024, 03:28
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hey everyone,
I recently scored 725 on the GMAT (Q90/V88/D80), improving from a 655 to 725 in just 21 days. Wanted to share my journey since this forum has helped me tremendously.
Timelines
615 to 655 : end May to end September
655 to 725: 21 days to end October
Like many others here, I was trying to balance GMAT prep with a full-time job. My initial approach was scattered - I'd study for a month, take a mock, see no improvement, get discouraged and take a break for 3-4 months. Each time I returned, I had to relearn concepts, wasting valuable time.
💡 Key insight: Consistency isn't about studying 5 hours daily - even 1-2 focused hours make a huge difference if you stick to it.
The real breakthrough came when I switched to a job with a better work-life balance and made three key changes to my prep:
- Blocked 9PM-12PM daily for GMAT study
- Stuck to a structured study plan with weekly milestones
- Focused on quality practice over quantity
Verbal (V83 → V88)
The Verbal section was my biggest challenge initially. Though my starting score of V83 might seem good, I knew I needed significant improvement to hit my target. My key realization was that GMAT Verbal ultimately boils down to comprehension - whether it's CR arguments or RC passages.
💡 Key insight: The biggest improvement in Verbal came not from learning new concepts, but from changing how I approached the questions.
Critical Reasoning
Like most test-takers, I initially approached CR by reading the passage and jumping straight to answer choices, relying mostly on intuition. When e-GMAT introduced pre-thinking, I was honestly skeptical. It seemed like a waste of precious time to pause and think before looking at options.
💡 Key insight: Sometimes what feels like a time-waste (like pre-thinking) actually ends up saving time by making you more confident in your choices.
During practice, I noticed that on questions where I accidentally started thinking about possible answers before looking at options, I was more confident in eliminating wrong choices. This sparked a change in my approach. I started deliberately taking 20-30 seconds after reading a question to think "what would weaken/strengthen this?" Before I knew it, this process became second nature.
Reading Comprehension
My improvement in RC came from a simple realization - I was diving too deep into details on my first read. Through e-GMAT's Master Comprehension module, I developed a more efficient approach:
- Quick summary in my head after each paragraph (no physical note-taking)
- Focus on understanding the author's main point and tone
- For complex passages, asking myself "why is the author telling me this?"
💡 Key insight: Building reading stamina isn't about reading more passages - it's about reading them the right way.
I specifically targeted long passages in practice to build mental stamina. By the time I reached test day, even the longest passages didn't feel daunting.
Quant (Q85 → Q90)
Coming from strong quant background, I initially thought Quant would be my strong suit. My starting score of Q85 seemed to confirm this - until I realized GMAT Quant isn't really about complex math, but rather about logical thinking and attention to detail.
💡 Key insight: Your background can sometimes work against you - overconfidence in my 'strong' areas led to careless mistakes.
Through detailed analysis of my mistakes in Scholaranium, I discovered something crucial - when I reviewed questions later, I could solve them correctly. This meant my issues weren't conceptual but behavioural. In an attempt to save time, I'd rush through questions, missing key constraints or overlooking data points.
The e-GMAT PACE engine was a game-changer here. After taking the initial diagnostic, I could skip several basic concept lessons while focusing on advanced topics. This saved me 42 hours of prep time. Using Scholaranium's detailed analytics, I could see that my errors weren't from lack of knowledge but from rushing through questions - especially in Number Properties where I had a clear weakness.
💡 Key insight: Sometimes slowing down actually saves time - thorough reading prevents costly rework.
Data Insights (D74 → D80)
Data Insights, being a mix of quant and verbal abilities, required familiarizing myself with various question types - from graphical interpretation to MSR. Interestingly, even though this was a new section in GMAT Focus, MSR became my strongest area - a pleasant surprise given its complexity.
💡 Key insight: Success in DI comes from flexibility - being able to switch between different question types efficiently.
What really helped was practicing with questions that closely mimicked actual exam patterns. Through practice, I discovered efficiencies - like with graphical interpretation, sometimes you can attempt questions directly from looking at the graph without extensive calculations. This kind of pattern recognition saved valuable time during the actual test.
Last Mile Push Program
The LMP program with my mentor Rida was a major differentiator in my journey to 725. After our initial call, Rida helped create a customised roadmap for the next four months with clear milestones. Having someone experienced analyze my performance made a huge difference.
💡 Key insight: Having a mentor isn't just about guidance - it's about having someone who believes in you even when you doubt yourself.
For instance, when my CR cementing accuracy wasn't improving, Rida helped me realize the issue wasn't my concepts but my approach to specific question types like Inference and Boldface. In Quant, our data analysis showed I wasn't making conceptual errors but rushing through questions - something I wouldn't have identified on my own.
The regular calls with Rida kept me accountable and focused on the right areas instead of randomly practicing questions. Her data-driven approach to identifying weak areas and setting clear metrics before moving forward ensured every hour of practice counted.
💡 Key insight: Real improvement comes from targeted practice, not just putting in more hours.
Test Day Experience
On test day, I was surprisingly calm - having a 655 from my previous attempt gave me a safety net mentally. At the test centre, everything was familiar since I'd given my last attempt there too.
Started with Quant and faced an early challenge - my second question took almost 5 minutes. Instead of panicking, I made an educated guess and moved on. This decision proved crucial as I had 6 minutes left for review at the end, helping me secure that Q90.
💡 Key insight: Test day performance is more about mindset than last-minute preparation.
I maintained this calm approach throughout, treating it like just another practice session. When I saw 725 flash on the screen, I immediately called my friends to share the news - I had finally done it!
Final Thoughts
Between my 655 and 725 attempts, interestingly, I didn't learn any new concepts or techniques. The real change was in strengthening what I already knew and fixing small but crucial gaps. I focused on:
- Being more attentive while reading questions
- Not rushing through "easy" questions
- Maintaining consistent practice daily to keep momentum
💡 Key insight: The jump from good to great often comes from refining what you already know rather than learning something new.
Looking back, while my quant background gave me a head start in Quant, it was the structured approach and consistent effort that made the real difference in achieving a 725.
Good luck to everyone preparing - remember, the key is to stay consistent and focused rather than trying to reinvent your entire approach close to test day!
I recently scored 725 on the GMAT (Q90/V88/D80), improving from a 655 to 725 in just 21 days. Wanted to share my journey since this forum has helped me tremendously.
Timelines
615 to 655 : end May to end September
655 to 725: 21 days to end October
Like many others here, I was trying to balance GMAT prep with a full-time job. My initial approach was scattered - I'd study for a month, take a mock, see no improvement, get discouraged and take a break for 3-4 months. Each time I returned, I had to relearn concepts, wasting valuable time.
💡 Key insight: Consistency isn't about studying 5 hours daily - even 1-2 focused hours make a huge difference if you stick to it.
The real breakthrough came when I switched to a job with a better work-life balance and made three key changes to my prep:
- Blocked 9PM-12PM daily for GMAT study
- Stuck to a structured study plan with weekly milestones
- Focused on quality practice over quantity
Verbal (V83 → V88)
The Verbal section was my biggest challenge initially. Though my starting score of V83 might seem good, I knew I needed significant improvement to hit my target. My key realization was that GMAT Verbal ultimately boils down to comprehension - whether it's CR arguments or RC passages.
💡 Key insight: The biggest improvement in Verbal came not from learning new concepts, but from changing how I approached the questions.
Critical Reasoning
Like most test-takers, I initially approached CR by reading the passage and jumping straight to answer choices, relying mostly on intuition. When e-GMAT introduced pre-thinking, I was honestly skeptical. It seemed like a waste of precious time to pause and think before looking at options.
💡 Key insight: Sometimes what feels like a time-waste (like pre-thinking) actually ends up saving time by making you more confident in your choices.
During practice, I noticed that on questions where I accidentally started thinking about possible answers before looking at options, I was more confident in eliminating wrong choices. This sparked a change in my approach. I started deliberately taking 20-30 seconds after reading a question to think "what would weaken/strengthen this?" Before I knew it, this process became second nature.
Reading Comprehension
My improvement in RC came from a simple realization - I was diving too deep into details on my first read. Through e-GMAT's Master Comprehension module, I developed a more efficient approach:
- Quick summary in my head after each paragraph (no physical note-taking)
- Focus on understanding the author's main point and tone
- For complex passages, asking myself "why is the author telling me this?"
💡 Key insight: Building reading stamina isn't about reading more passages - it's about reading them the right way.
I specifically targeted long passages in practice to build mental stamina. By the time I reached test day, even the longest passages didn't feel daunting.
Quant (Q85 → Q90)
Coming from strong quant background, I initially thought Quant would be my strong suit. My starting score of Q85 seemed to confirm this - until I realized GMAT Quant isn't really about complex math, but rather about logical thinking and attention to detail.
💡 Key insight: Your background can sometimes work against you - overconfidence in my 'strong' areas led to careless mistakes.
Through detailed analysis of my mistakes in Scholaranium, I discovered something crucial - when I reviewed questions later, I could solve them correctly. This meant my issues weren't conceptual but behavioural. In an attempt to save time, I'd rush through questions, missing key constraints or overlooking data points.
The e-GMAT PACE engine was a game-changer here. After taking the initial diagnostic, I could skip several basic concept lessons while focusing on advanced topics. This saved me 42 hours of prep time. Using Scholaranium's detailed analytics, I could see that my errors weren't from lack of knowledge but from rushing through questions - especially in Number Properties where I had a clear weakness.
💡 Key insight: Sometimes slowing down actually saves time - thorough reading prevents costly rework.
Data Insights (D74 → D80)
Data Insights, being a mix of quant and verbal abilities, required familiarizing myself with various question types - from graphical interpretation to MSR. Interestingly, even though this was a new section in GMAT Focus, MSR became my strongest area - a pleasant surprise given its complexity.
💡 Key insight: Success in DI comes from flexibility - being able to switch between different question types efficiently.
What really helped was practicing with questions that closely mimicked actual exam patterns. Through practice, I discovered efficiencies - like with graphical interpretation, sometimes you can attempt questions directly from looking at the graph without extensive calculations. This kind of pattern recognition saved valuable time during the actual test.
Last Mile Push Program
The LMP program with my mentor Rida was a major differentiator in my journey to 725. After our initial call, Rida helped create a customised roadmap for the next four months with clear milestones. Having someone experienced analyze my performance made a huge difference.
💡 Key insight: Having a mentor isn't just about guidance - it's about having someone who believes in you even when you doubt yourself.
For instance, when my CR cementing accuracy wasn't improving, Rida helped me realize the issue wasn't my concepts but my approach to specific question types like Inference and Boldface. In Quant, our data analysis showed I wasn't making conceptual errors but rushing through questions - something I wouldn't have identified on my own.
The regular calls with Rida kept me accountable and focused on the right areas instead of randomly practicing questions. Her data-driven approach to identifying weak areas and setting clear metrics before moving forward ensured every hour of practice counted.
💡 Key insight: Real improvement comes from targeted practice, not just putting in more hours.
Test Day Experience
On test day, I was surprisingly calm - having a 655 from my previous attempt gave me a safety net mentally. At the test centre, everything was familiar since I'd given my last attempt there too.
Started with Quant and faced an early challenge - my second question took almost 5 minutes. Instead of panicking, I made an educated guess and moved on. This decision proved crucial as I had 6 minutes left for review at the end, helping me secure that Q90.
💡 Key insight: Test day performance is more about mindset than last-minute preparation.
I maintained this calm approach throughout, treating it like just another practice session. When I saw 725 flash on the screen, I immediately called my friends to share the news - I had finally done it!
Final Thoughts
Between my 655 and 725 attempts, interestingly, I didn't learn any new concepts or techniques. The real change was in strengthening what I already knew and fixing small but crucial gaps. I focused on:
- Being more attentive while reading questions
- Not rushing through "easy" questions
- Maintaining consistent practice daily to keep momentum
💡 Key insight: The jump from good to great often comes from refining what you already know rather than learning something new.
Looking back, while my quant background gave me a head start in Quant, it was the structured approach and consistent effort that made the real difference in achieving a 725.
Good luck to everyone preparing - remember, the key is to stay consistent and focused rather than trying to reinvent your entire approach close to test day!
Moderator:
