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14 Apr 2025, 23:58
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Hey everyone,
Just wanted to share my GMAT Journey here. Most of the blogs I read here make it seem like my story feels like a war rather than an exam.
It's been a long ride (around 2 years), with a lot of ups, downs, restarts and moments where I genuinely believed I would never see that 645 number. But hey, made it to 655 in the end, and for anyone struggling out there - you are definitely not alone.
The Beginning (aka. The Chaos)
I went to visit a career counselor who suggested I start prepping for my GMAT to apply for an MBA. At the time, I had no clue what I was doing - I jumped into it thinking, "it’s basically an entrance exam, how hard could it really be?" Spoiler: VERY HARD
I was working full time as an Investment Banker at a large Indian bank at this point and the urge to push your studies to "tomorrow" was always so high after a 10-hour workday. I'd study in bursts - 2 weeks on, then nothing for a week. I studied halfheartedly for maybe 3 months, and honestly, my fundamentals weren't strong. Verbal felt like a completely different language, Quant wasn't clicking either. I naively studied only from the Official Guides and went to give my first attempt.
First Attempt (GMAT 10th Edition): 450 | December 2022
Restart #1
Life got in the way, and it was several months before I even thought about the GMAT again. I enrolled for an in-person class with a local teacher and studied for a few months but not diligently. For some reason I knew that this would not be the end of my studying journey, but I threw myself into the deep end and gave another attempt at my teachers request (BAD IDEA! He had good reviews, but he was just not the one for me). I was still miles away from my target and I did not have anyone but myself to blame for this. I had not done enough research while choosing my teacher and it really killed the experience for me.
Second Attempt (GMAT Focus): 515 | November 2023
Restart #2
After months of pretending I was prepping, I finally sat down and told myself I needed structure. I bought some online courses (tried a mix of TTP, YouTube, GMATClub - you name it!), but during this period, I was in the process of switching jobs to a Big 4 firm. My ability to study fell flat. There was so much going on with the new job that I had absolutely no time for myself and it really took a toll on me. Work got in the way, and I just stopped studying. I gave up. I still gave another attempt just to make sure I was in the habit of giving exams.
Third Attempt (GMAT Focus): 555 | July 2024
Restart #3
Fast forward to last year - I got serious. I enrolled with another teacher that had helped a distant cousin study for the GMAT. She is an excellent student and is currently completing her MBA at Kellogg, so I hoped and prayed that the teacher I was not getting involved in would be better than my previous experiences. I created a realistic study plan around my job. 2-3 hours on weekdays and 3-4 hours on weekends. I then understood that this exam was not really made for me. It’s just not the way my brain was wired to think at that point in my life. I realized that I would have to make some big changes and study really hard if I wanted to change this. I started focusing way more on why I was getting questions wrong instead of doing 100's of questions a day and burning out.
Quant started making sense to me once I stopped rushing and focused on the concepts being tested. For verbal, I spent time reading explanations (especially SC and CR) and worked on identifying patterns. Constant practice of 10-12 questions of Verbal a day helped a TON. I was much more confident now. I suddenly started seeing 645+ scores in my mocks and I was ecstatic. I had worked so hard and finally I was getting the fruits of my labor. So, I decided to just go headfirst into another attempt.
Fourth Attempt (GMAT Focus): 595 | December 2024
WHAT JUST HAPPENED? I could not believe how badly I had messed up. I guess nerves got the better of me on test day. Maybe I was not paying enough attention during the exam. I had done so well in my mock tests that I took it lightly. I just did not ever assume this would happen. Honestly, I was shattered. I really gave my all in my preparation this time and it felt like the exam had the last laugh. I had to take a break to analyze what had happened and understand how I could never let it happen again.
I was no so worried that I started applying to random schools to just secure a seat anywhere. I got accepted in a few but I knew that this was not what I wanted to do deep down. I wanted to fight. So, I prepped for 1 last push.
THE FINAL PUSH
I gave myself a strict timeline of 3 months, DO or DIE. Else my plan was to move to GRE prep. I went all-in, studying during every minute I got free from work, lunch breaks, post work at night, even listened to YouTube videos on my way to work. I became obsessed. This was a challenge I had to do for myself. I was not aiming for a 645+ anymore - I just wanted to break into the 615+ zone and apply to schools that align with my goals. I worked harder than I have ever worked before. And finally, test day came...
Fourth Attempt (GMAT Focus): 655 | April 2025
I was over the moon. After my last attempt I was sure that I would not be able to get the score I initially aimed for. I broke down the second I came out of the exam hall. It really felt like this was something special.
Now I know we see great stories of how people achieved 700+ scores when they study for 3 months and stuff but that's just not the story, I have for my GMAT experience. 655 might not be a jaw dropping number on paper, especially when compared to Indian students, but after everything I'd put into this journey, managing tough working hours, less study time available and simple ignorance on part, seeing that number pop up after the exam really felt like a personal triumph - a reminder that progress, no matter how slow it is, is still progress. And that if you really want something, put your absolute heart into it and it will definitely pay off.
Key Takeaways
If you are reading this and struggling with the GMAT, just know that you are not alone. We don't often get to hear stories about the other side of all the 700+ blogs, this is one such story.
THE GMAT is tough but it's beatable. Keep going, keep fighting, and I hope this post helps at least some of you going through a hard time.
I am happy to answer any questions you have in the comments.
Just wanted to share my GMAT Journey here. Most of the blogs I read here make it seem like my story feels like a war rather than an exam.
It's been a long ride (around 2 years), with a lot of ups, downs, restarts and moments where I genuinely believed I would never see that 645 number. But hey, made it to 655 in the end, and for anyone struggling out there - you are definitely not alone.
The Beginning (aka. The Chaos)
I went to visit a career counselor who suggested I start prepping for my GMAT to apply for an MBA. At the time, I had no clue what I was doing - I jumped into it thinking, "it’s basically an entrance exam, how hard could it really be?" Spoiler: VERY HARD
I was working full time as an Investment Banker at a large Indian bank at this point and the urge to push your studies to "tomorrow" was always so high after a 10-hour workday. I'd study in bursts - 2 weeks on, then nothing for a week. I studied halfheartedly for maybe 3 months, and honestly, my fundamentals weren't strong. Verbal felt like a completely different language, Quant wasn't clicking either. I naively studied only from the Official Guides and went to give my first attempt.
First Attempt (GMAT 10th Edition): 450 | December 2022
Restart #1
Life got in the way, and it was several months before I even thought about the GMAT again. I enrolled for an in-person class with a local teacher and studied for a few months but not diligently. For some reason I knew that this would not be the end of my studying journey, but I threw myself into the deep end and gave another attempt at my teachers request (BAD IDEA! He had good reviews, but he was just not the one for me). I was still miles away from my target and I did not have anyone but myself to blame for this. I had not done enough research while choosing my teacher and it really killed the experience for me.
Second Attempt (GMAT Focus): 515 | November 2023
Restart #2
After months of pretending I was prepping, I finally sat down and told myself I needed structure. I bought some online courses (tried a mix of TTP, YouTube, GMATClub - you name it!), but during this period, I was in the process of switching jobs to a Big 4 firm. My ability to study fell flat. There was so much going on with the new job that I had absolutely no time for myself and it really took a toll on me. Work got in the way, and I just stopped studying. I gave up. I still gave another attempt just to make sure I was in the habit of giving exams.
Third Attempt (GMAT Focus): 555 | July 2024
Restart #3
Fast forward to last year - I got serious. I enrolled with another teacher that had helped a distant cousin study for the GMAT. She is an excellent student and is currently completing her MBA at Kellogg, so I hoped and prayed that the teacher I was not getting involved in would be better than my previous experiences. I created a realistic study plan around my job. 2-3 hours on weekdays and 3-4 hours on weekends. I then understood that this exam was not really made for me. It’s just not the way my brain was wired to think at that point in my life. I realized that I would have to make some big changes and study really hard if I wanted to change this. I started focusing way more on why I was getting questions wrong instead of doing 100's of questions a day and burning out.
Quant started making sense to me once I stopped rushing and focused on the concepts being tested. For verbal, I spent time reading explanations (especially SC and CR) and worked on identifying patterns. Constant practice of 10-12 questions of Verbal a day helped a TON. I was much more confident now. I suddenly started seeing 645+ scores in my mocks and I was ecstatic. I had worked so hard and finally I was getting the fruits of my labor. So, I decided to just go headfirst into another attempt.
Fourth Attempt (GMAT Focus): 595 | December 2024
WHAT JUST HAPPENED? I could not believe how badly I had messed up. I guess nerves got the better of me on test day. Maybe I was not paying enough attention during the exam. I had done so well in my mock tests that I took it lightly. I just did not ever assume this would happen. Honestly, I was shattered. I really gave my all in my preparation this time and it felt like the exam had the last laugh. I had to take a break to analyze what had happened and understand how I could never let it happen again.
I was no so worried that I started applying to random schools to just secure a seat anywhere. I got accepted in a few but I knew that this was not what I wanted to do deep down. I wanted to fight. So, I prepped for 1 last push.
THE FINAL PUSH
I gave myself a strict timeline of 3 months, DO or DIE. Else my plan was to move to GRE prep. I went all-in, studying during every minute I got free from work, lunch breaks, post work at night, even listened to YouTube videos on my way to work. I became obsessed. This was a challenge I had to do for myself. I was not aiming for a 645+ anymore - I just wanted to break into the 615+ zone and apply to schools that align with my goals. I worked harder than I have ever worked before. And finally, test day came...
Fourth Attempt (GMAT Focus): 655 | April 2025
I was over the moon. After my last attempt I was sure that I would not be able to get the score I initially aimed for. I broke down the second I came out of the exam hall. It really felt like this was something special.
Now I know we see great stories of how people achieved 700+ scores when they study for 3 months and stuff but that's just not the story, I have for my GMAT experience. 655 might not be a jaw dropping number on paper, especially when compared to Indian students, but after everything I'd put into this journey, managing tough working hours, less study time available and simple ignorance on part, seeing that number pop up after the exam really felt like a personal triumph - a reminder that progress, no matter how slow it is, is still progress. And that if you really want something, put your absolute heart into it and it will definitely pay off.
Key Takeaways
- DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE GMAT - It will eat you up and spit you out raw
- Find the right teacher (if you plan to use one) - It will change the way you see the exam
- If you are stuck at a low score, don’t panic, it’s never helped anyone, analyze, work hard and improve. It is 100% possible
- Consistency beats cramming. Life always gets in the way. Even 1 hour a day adds up
- Understand your mistakes. Don’t just move on after getting a question wrong
If you are reading this and struggling with the GMAT, just know that you are not alone. We don't often get to hear stories about the other side of all the 700+ blogs, this is one such story.
THE GMAT is tough but it's beatable. Keep going, keep fighting, and I hope this post helps at least some of you going through a hard time.
I am happy to answer any questions you have in the comments.
15 Apr 2025, 01:06
Kudos
Bookmarks
Your journey motivate me to score above 650+, all the best for your future, Thank you
