struggling w DI

Question

no matter how many questions i solve, or how much i try to time myself - ive been struggling with DI really badly. it's where i lose my most points, esp w data sufficiency and TPA and im frankly tired of just trying to aim in the darkness. can you suggest anything that will help, should i take up any particular course, what do you suggest i do?

yc168 · Answer

If you don't mind sharing what materials you have been using and your prep approach, people may be better able to provide you with effective alternatives.

shii002 · Answer

Adding on to what  yc168  mentioned, your resources play a key role
Also, how are your Quant and Verbal Prep? IMO DI is just an annoying version of Verbal and Quants put together and being really observant

I would suggest brushing up your concepts with TTP, max of 1 month should suffice. apply those on OG and gmat club questions, that's what i've been doing

I've been there, struggling with DI, I still do, but there's a significant improvement from scoring 65 to 80 sometimes 80+. All that I did was strengthen CR with GMAT Ninja videos. I am quite good at Quants being a final-year engineering student. After a lot of back and forth, I took up the 1 month TTP self-study plan to brush up quants, its been quite helpful, especially with DS questions.

Do let us know your prep resources, the community is always happy to help!

ManifestDreamMBA · Answer

DI can be really tough, especially with the time pressure and the unpredictability of question types like TPA and Data Sufficiency. One thing that might help is first analysing what exactly is going wrong. For example: Are you misunderstanding the question due to phrasing or missing key terms? Is it a timing issue — like you could solve it if given more time? Or are the graph/chart types unfamiliar or just hard to interpret quickly? Once you identify the core issue, it becomes easier to choose the right resource or strategy.

All the best!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi mimundertaker,

When students struggle with DI questions, the first thing I always ask is whether they have fully completed their quant and verbal prep. Not doing so can really affect how well you handle DI questions, as many of those questions involve quantitative and verbal concepts. So, would you say you are in that boat?

In addition, one way to improve each individual DI question type is to engage in topical practice. Doing so lets you pinpoint your weak areas in JUST ONE question type. For example, when practicing TPA questions, perhaps you see a pattern that you struggle with 3-part ratios or weighted averages. If you can find those micro weaknesses, you can fix them in real-time and thus improve your accuracy in DI questions..

Lastly, when working on DI questions, for the time being, make sure to practice them untimed so you can focus on JUST accuracy. As you become more familiar with these question types and get more accurate, better timing will follow.

For more advice, check out this article:  How to Prepare for GMAT Data Insights

Feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

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struggling w DI

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