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Apr 2512:30 AM EDT
-01:30 AM EDT
At one point, she believed GMAT wasn’t for her. After scoring 595, self-doubt crept in and she questioned her potential. But instead of quitting, she made the right strategic changes. The result? A remarkable comeback to 695. Check out how Saakshi did it.
Apr 2610:00 AM EDT
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Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
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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.
Sidway
Joined: 27 Jan 2026
Last visit: 22 Apr 2026
Posts: 2
Location: United States
Schools: Wharton '27 Stanford '27 HBS '27 Kellogg '27
GMAT Focus 1: 685 Q86 V84 DI82 
GMAT Focus 2: 715 Q84 V90 DI83 
GPA: 8.17
Products:
28 Jan 2026, 05:07
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi everyone,
I recently completed the GMAT Focus for the second time and scored 715. This is a debrief of what worked for me and the key lessons I took away from this experience. Feel free to skip to the sections most relevant to you.
Background
Engineering background. Studied alongside a full-time job. Targeting top US MBA programs (M7, ideally HSW).
Score Progression
What Changed Between Attempts
In my first attempt, I made some silly mistakes and rushed the questions because of time. For my second attempt, I shifted toward overall balance and decision-making under pressure. That mindset change mattered more than anything else.
Section Order: What I Learned the Hard Way
When I started studying, I assumed Quant was my strength and Verbal my weakness. Naturally, I tried beginning with Verbal. However, mock tests showed the opposite pattern: I could handle difficult Verbal questions calmly, but my Quant performance suffered when hard questions appeared later in the test.
I eventually settled on Quant → Break → Verbal → DI.
This let me do 3 things:
Section-Wise Strategy
Quant
You need conceptual knowledge. Lot of people learn this in school but I recommend getting a tutor or a site to help you refresh and make solid your base. I have found that the high school method of solving actually hurts you here since in school you needed to show your work. But in the GMAT, time is of the essence and “gimmicky” strategies like plugging in values is actually useful and recommended.
Verbal
Verbal is not English. Verbal is logic. Anyone can improve in Verbal and get a high score in it. All it requires is a clear sense of thinking and not having leaps in logic. Critical Reasoning is pure reasoning, nothing more. RC is a bit more language focused but with practice, those long passages can be dealt with. The biggest tip I can give you is just practice it a lot.
Data Insights
DI is an amalgamation of the two. If you can learn the first two well, you will do well in DI. I would say this tests your patience and stamina more than anything else. I recommend studying and practicing this only after Quant and Verbal is solid.
Biggest Mental Shift
My biggest improvement came when I stopped chasing perfection and started optimizing for balance. Accepting uncertainty (especially in DI) reduced pressure and improved my overall performance. Trying less hard, paradoxically, helped me do better.
Test-Day Mindset
I did not think about the GMAT score and its implications. I didn’t think about the colleges and my future. I made sure to not even think about the next section. When you are doing the test, you should only focus on the section at hand. If your base is strong and you have practiced your stamina with the mocks, then you will do well.
Resources Used
Final Thoughts
I have read online what people think about 715. Some people say retake if your mocks are higher. Most, however, say that it is a very good score and you should focus on improving other areas. I am happy with this score and I will not be attempting any more. However, I am curious about my chances of getting into M7. I have asked GMATClub to review my profile so let’s see. I hope my debrief has been useful to you. This journey has been a wild ride with ups and downs but its finally over. It took me a lot of effort to get this score and I want to say that you can do it too. Self-belief is absolutely crucial to do well.
Feel free in asking me any further questions. I would have loved to have had someone to talk to when I started so I’m happy to help. Thanks for reading and good luck!
I recently completed the GMAT Focus for the second time and scored 715. This is a debrief of what worked for me and the key lessons I took away from this experience. Feel free to skip to the sections most relevant to you.
Background
Engineering background. Studied alongside a full-time job. Targeting top US MBA programs (M7, ideally HSW).
Score Progression
- Diagnostic: 595
- Official Attempt 1: 685 (Q86, V84, DI82)
- Official Attempt 2: 715 (Q84, V90, DI83)
What Changed Between Attempts
In my first attempt, I made some silly mistakes and rushed the questions because of time. For my second attempt, I shifted toward overall balance and decision-making under pressure. That mindset change mattered more than anything else.
Section Order: What I Learned the Hard Way
When I started studying, I assumed Quant was my strength and Verbal my weakness. Naturally, I tried beginning with Verbal. However, mock tests showed the opposite pattern: I could handle difficult Verbal questions calmly, but my Quant performance suffered when hard questions appeared later in the test.
I eventually settled on Quant → Break → Verbal → DI.
This let me do 3 things:
- Take advantage of easier Quant questions early
- Preserve mental freshness for Verbal
- Enter DI with realistic expectations rather than pressure
Section-Wise Strategy
Quant
You need conceptual knowledge. Lot of people learn this in school but I recommend getting a tutor or a site to help you refresh and make solid your base. I have found that the high school method of solving actually hurts you here since in school you needed to show your work. But in the GMAT, time is of the essence and “gimmicky” strategies like plugging in values is actually useful and recommended.
Verbal
Verbal is not English. Verbal is logic. Anyone can improve in Verbal and get a high score in it. All it requires is a clear sense of thinking and not having leaps in logic. Critical Reasoning is pure reasoning, nothing more. RC is a bit more language focused but with practice, those long passages can be dealt with. The biggest tip I can give you is just practice it a lot.
Data Insights
DI is an amalgamation of the two. If you can learn the first two well, you will do well in DI. I would say this tests your patience and stamina more than anything else. I recommend studying and practicing this only after Quant and Verbal is solid.
Biggest Mental Shift
My biggest improvement came when I stopped chasing perfection and started optimizing for balance. Accepting uncertainty (especially in DI) reduced pressure and improved my overall performance. Trying less hard, paradoxically, helped me do better.
Test-Day Mindset
I did not think about the GMAT score and its implications. I didn’t think about the colleges and my future. I made sure to not even think about the next section. When you are doing the test, you should only focus on the section at hand. If your base is strong and you have practiced your stamina with the mocks, then you will do well.
- Target Test Prep (TTP) gave me the structure I need to just start studying. Having a neat timeline on how much to study everyday let me focus while working and not slacking off.
- GMAT Club is invaluable for free practice questions. It helped me keep my brain sharp for the exam while also providing handy explanations so that there is no confusion.
- GMAT Ninja is what got me into the GMAT in the first place. Their free videos that went over in detail the various concepts of the GMAT gave me the confidence to dig my heels in.
Final Thoughts
I have read online what people think about 715. Some people say retake if your mocks are higher. Most, however, say that it is a very good score and you should focus on improving other areas. I am happy with this score and I will not be attempting any more. However, I am curious about my chances of getting into M7. I have asked GMATClub to review my profile so let’s see. I hope my debrief has been useful to you. This journey has been a wild ride with ups and downs but its finally over. It took me a lot of effort to get this score and I want to say that you can do it too. Self-belief is absolutely crucial to do well.
Feel free in asking me any further questions. I would have loved to have had someone to talk to when I started so I’m happy to help. Thanks for reading and good luck!
Sidway
Joined: 27 Jan 2026
Last visit: 22 Apr 2026
Posts: 2
Own Kudos:
Location: United States
Schools: Wharton '27 Stanford '27 HBS '27 Kellogg '27
GMAT Focus 1: 685 Q86 V84 DI82
GMAT Focus 2: 715 Q84 V90 DI83
GPA: 8.17
Products:
Schools: Wharton '27 Stanford '27 HBS '27 Kellogg '27
GMAT Focus 2: 715 Q84 V90 DI83
Posts: 2
Kudos:
10
28 Jan 2026, 10:13
Kudos
Bookmarks
pintukr
Thank you !
