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Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
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Apr 2601:30 AM EDT
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Apr 2610:00 AM EDT
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The Target Test Prep course represents a quantum leap forward in GMAT preparation, a radical reinterpretation of the way that students should study. Try before you buy with a 5-day, full-access trial of the course for FREE!
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
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Apr 2912:30 AM EDT
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Learn how Kamakshi achieved a GMAT 675 with an impressive 96th %ile in Data Insights. Discover the unique methods and exam strategies that helped her excel in DI along with other sections for a balanced and high score.
May 0111:00 AM PDT
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Free- full-length test + 15 concept videos + 150+ short videos + study plan!
May 0306:30 AM PDT
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Verbal trouble on GMAT? Fix it NOW! Join Sunita Singhvi for a focused webinar on actionable strategies to boost your Verbal score and take your performance to the next level.
01 Aug 2025, 17:40
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Getting Started
I initially took a practice exam in December. Scored a 565 and was super disappointed - I was under the delusion that I could get a great score through intuition. Work was super demanding though so I had to pause for a little while, plus I was super stressed about the idea of studying and working that I procrastinated. In April, work had settled down a bit and I wanted to be done with this exam so badly that I decided the only way I would get the studying done was to sign up for the exam and have the impending doom of that date forcing me to study. So I signed up for mid-June. For about a month, I was using free materials online, and I had purchased the GMAT official books online which were helpful... to an extent. They had a great amount of practice questions, but when I would get something wrong, the explanation were not great at telling me the root concept I needed to know.
A bunch of my coworkers had mentioned Target Test Prep to me, especially those who had said that quant was their toughest section (which it was mine as well) so I looked into it, used a free trial week, and eventually decided to purchase a one-month flexible plan mid May.
Building Momentum
The platform was actually super helpful and thorough. I was getting into the habit of going to work at 7am and studying for two hours before work, and then in the evenings would try to study for another hour or two 3x a week. On weekends I was studying ~5 hours a day both Saturday and Sunday, where in the weekends leading up to the exam I was spending Saturday taking a practice exam and correcting mistakes, Sunday continuing to review. Like I said, the lessons are SUPERRRR detailed. I would highly recommend taking the placement test and prioritizing areas where you've been flagged as weak - especially if you are in a time crunch like I was. I read a bunch of sections in quant (for example, I knew I was bad at the distance/rate/time equations - so I read the entire section) and honestly it ended up being an area where I felt super confident afterwards. The sections will break every single problem question type down and give you practice questions which is helpful.
I also think what was great was that the platform has literally a million practice questions. For two months I was cranking through 20-40 quant questions a day and I still had a ton left by the end. My primary focus during the first exam prep was studying quant - I knew I was really weak here (several years out of taking a math class that required recall of some basic math concepts... plus those questions are weird!!) and I knew I was stronger on the verbal side, so I did some lighter reading here and practice questions every once in a while. I was practicing Data Insights primarily when taking practice exams and it was going pretty well - so I practiced less here as well - again, really focused on quant.
First Official Exam – 645 (Q82, V86, DI77)
First attempt, scored a 645 on the GMAT Focus. I thought the quant and verbal sections had gone well, and was taking my break right before taking the data insights section. I started the data insights section and thought it was going pretty well. I remember getting about 3/4ths of the way done with the section when I saw the clock and thought 'wow, there's a lot of time left and I don't have that many questions left to answer - let me take my time and make sure I am answering these questions correctly'. Welp... that turned out to be a mistake. I was on my last 3 questions with ~6 minutes left in the section when I realized ... these questions are really hard. Like I did not have time to answer them correctly - so I guessed on them quickly (because I was scared of leaving one unanswered and taking a penalty) and tried to go back and review them with the little time I had left. I couldn't figure them out AND I was panicking.
I was disappointed with my 645 because it was just BARELY below what I was hoping for... and it was because I had tanked my DI score with these last 3 questions.
Refocusing on Data Insights
Took a long walk... decided what I should do... and realized I should probably just crank out another 16 days of studying and retake the exam ASAP. So I went home, re-signed up for the exam, purchased another month of TTP, and began studying again the next day. Luckily my boss was super sweet and borderline let me study all day while I was at work the next week so I was really grinding - I read through the entire DI section of TTP (which I had neglected on the first time) and worked on pacing myself - especially on questions that shouldn't take that long. Was also doing quant at about the same rate as before to keep the chops up. Since I had scored pretty well on verbal, I really didn't touch it much between the two exams.
Second Attempt – 685 (Q81, V85, DI86)
I took the exam again at the end of June and scored a 685 (Q81, V85, DI86). The quant and verbal scores were roughly consistent, but the 9-point gain in DI made a real impact. More importantly, I felt more confident and in control across all three sections, especially during the timing crunch toward the end of the exam.
Final Thoughts
The GMAT Focus is all about balance across sections, and underestimating any one area—especially Data Insights—can hold back your score. For me, switching to a structured course really helped. It was a lot of work and dedication but it's DONE!
Recommendations
I initially took a practice exam in December. Scored a 565 and was super disappointed - I was under the delusion that I could get a great score through intuition. Work was super demanding though so I had to pause for a little while, plus I was super stressed about the idea of studying and working that I procrastinated. In April, work had settled down a bit and I wanted to be done with this exam so badly that I decided the only way I would get the studying done was to sign up for the exam and have the impending doom of that date forcing me to study. So I signed up for mid-June. For about a month, I was using free materials online, and I had purchased the GMAT official books online which were helpful... to an extent. They had a great amount of practice questions, but when I would get something wrong, the explanation were not great at telling me the root concept I needed to know.
A bunch of my coworkers had mentioned Target Test Prep to me, especially those who had said that quant was their toughest section (which it was mine as well) so I looked into it, used a free trial week, and eventually decided to purchase a one-month flexible plan mid May.
Building Momentum
The platform was actually super helpful and thorough. I was getting into the habit of going to work at 7am and studying for two hours before work, and then in the evenings would try to study for another hour or two 3x a week. On weekends I was studying ~5 hours a day both Saturday and Sunday, where in the weekends leading up to the exam I was spending Saturday taking a practice exam and correcting mistakes, Sunday continuing to review. Like I said, the lessons are SUPERRRR detailed. I would highly recommend taking the placement test and prioritizing areas where you've been flagged as weak - especially if you are in a time crunch like I was. I read a bunch of sections in quant (for example, I knew I was bad at the distance/rate/time equations - so I read the entire section) and honestly it ended up being an area where I felt super confident afterwards. The sections will break every single problem question type down and give you practice questions which is helpful.
I also think what was great was that the platform has literally a million practice questions. For two months I was cranking through 20-40 quant questions a day and I still had a ton left by the end. My primary focus during the first exam prep was studying quant - I knew I was really weak here (several years out of taking a math class that required recall of some basic math concepts... plus those questions are weird!!) and I knew I was stronger on the verbal side, so I did some lighter reading here and practice questions every once in a while. I was practicing Data Insights primarily when taking practice exams and it was going pretty well - so I practiced less here as well - again, really focused on quant.
First Official Exam – 645 (Q82, V86, DI77)
First attempt, scored a 645 on the GMAT Focus. I thought the quant and verbal sections had gone well, and was taking my break right before taking the data insights section. I started the data insights section and thought it was going pretty well. I remember getting about 3/4ths of the way done with the section when I saw the clock and thought 'wow, there's a lot of time left and I don't have that many questions left to answer - let me take my time and make sure I am answering these questions correctly'. Welp... that turned out to be a mistake. I was on my last 3 questions with ~6 minutes left in the section when I realized ... these questions are really hard. Like I did not have time to answer them correctly - so I guessed on them quickly (because I was scared of leaving one unanswered and taking a penalty) and tried to go back and review them with the little time I had left. I couldn't figure them out AND I was panicking.
I was disappointed with my 645 because it was just BARELY below what I was hoping for... and it was because I had tanked my DI score with these last 3 questions.
Refocusing on Data Insights
Took a long walk... decided what I should do... and realized I should probably just crank out another 16 days of studying and retake the exam ASAP. So I went home, re-signed up for the exam, purchased another month of TTP, and began studying again the next day. Luckily my boss was super sweet and borderline let me study all day while I was at work the next week so I was really grinding - I read through the entire DI section of TTP (which I had neglected on the first time) and worked on pacing myself - especially on questions that shouldn't take that long. Was also doing quant at about the same rate as before to keep the chops up. Since I had scored pretty well on verbal, I really didn't touch it much between the two exams.
Second Attempt – 685 (Q81, V85, DI86)
I took the exam again at the end of June and scored a 685 (Q81, V85, DI86). The quant and verbal scores were roughly consistent, but the 9-point gain in DI made a real impact. More importantly, I felt more confident and in control across all three sections, especially during the timing crunch toward the end of the exam.
Final Thoughts
The GMAT Focus is all about balance across sections, and underestimating any one area—especially Data Insights—can hold back your score. For me, switching to a structured course really helped. It was a lot of work and dedication but it's DONE!
Recommendations
- Don’t underestimate Data Insights. If you're coming from a quant/verbal-heavy background, it might be tempting to gloss over DI. I made that mistake the first time around—focusing on it more seriously made all the difference on my second attempt.
- Give yourself time to review. It’s easy to rush to test day once you finish the core material, but having a couple of weeks for focused review and practice tests really helps tie everything together.
- Find a study platform that works for you. Target Test Prep worked for me because it removed the guesswork—I always knew what to study and how to track my progress. Whether it's TTP or something else, that structure matters a lot.
- Simulate real test conditions. Take full-length practice tests without breaks or pauses. My first attempt suffered because I wasn’t used to the pacing and time pressure.
- Be realistic, but focused. You don’t need to study for 6 hours a day, but consistency is key. Even 1–2 hours a day adds up if you follow a plan and stay on track.
avigoesforMBA
Joined: 21 May 2024
Last visit: 26 Apr 2026
Posts: 60
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 27
Location: India
Schools: Sloan (MIT)
GMAT Focus 1: 655 Q79 V87 DI82 
GMAT Focus 2: 665 Q82 V85 DI82
Products:
03 Aug 2025, 22:47
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Can I ask how did you practice for the DI?
gorditogabe
