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Apr 2512:30 AM EDT
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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.
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Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
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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
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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.
31 Jan 2026, 01:43
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I honestly couldn’t believe it when I saw my final score: 715 (Q89, V90, DI78) - first attempt. On my first mock, I scored 635, and going in, I only had one month to study due to approaching Round 2 application deadlines. My initial goal was modest—around 675–685—so this outcome far exceeded my expectations.
In terms of materials, I relied almost entirely on TTP, supplemented lightly with YouTube content (mainly GMAT Ninja for Verbal and Aditya Kumar for certain Quant topics), along with occasional readings from GMAT Club and Reddit. Given the tight timeline, I decided to fully trust Scott’s advice to stick with TTP end-to-end and avoid jumping between too many resources, which could create confusion. That decision clearly paid off.
1. Study Plan & How I Used TTP
2. Advice by Section
A) Quant
In my opinion, there is no other GMAT resource that provides foundational Quant knowledge as thoroughly and clearly as TTP. The curriculum appears to be closely grounded in official GMAT material, but what really differentiates it is the depth of insight and practical tips contributed by the TTP team. Concepts are broken down very intuitively, and there were very few instances where I couldn’t understand the material on the first read. This clarity allowed me to move quickly through the lessons despite my tight timeline.
This is especially notable given that I do not come from a strong Quant background. I was an English major in school and hadn’t seriously engaged with topics like probability or combinatorics in years. TTP did an excellent job of refreshing these concepts and rebuilding my Quant foundation from the ground up.
My main advice for Quant is to follow the TTP sequence exactly as laid out and not skip any content. Each topic builds on the previous one, and the structure really matters. That said, I found Aditya Kumar’s YouTube videos to be a very helpful complement—particularly for some of the hardest topics and questions. His intuitive explanations helped me push through the final stretch and likely contributed to achieving Q89. However, that last-mile improvement would not have been possible without first mastering the foundational material through TTP.
B) Verbal
Verbal was relatively stronger for me to begin with. I enjoy reading and regularly engage with long-form content from sources like The Economist or The Atlantic, so I believe a baseline level of reading comfort is important for my advice here to fully apply.
That said, my Verbal score still improved significantly—from around V78–80 on my first mock to V90 on the actual exam. TTP played a major role in this improvement. While the Verbal approach can sometimes feel quite structured, I can see how this would be extremely effective for students who benefit from a clear, step-by-step framework. More importantly, the thinking process behind TTP’s Verbal instruction is very strong.
The course takes the time to explain how to identify assumptions, analyze them, and apply that analysis systematically—particularly in Critical Reasoning. This approach dramatically improved my performance on harder and more deceptive questions.
I also complemented my study with GMAT Ninja videos, which offered a different perspective and some useful heuristics. I’d recommend them as a supplement, especially once you already have a solid framework from TTP.
C) Data Insights (DI)
DI is largely integrated into Quant within the TTP course, which makes sense given how much Quant reasoning the section requires. Overall, I felt well prepared and was exposed to virtually every question type I encountered on test day—which is critical, since DI can be unforgiving if you’re caught off guard.
That said, this is one area where TTP could potentially improve further. Certain question types—particularly Two-Part Analysis—are both prevalent and challenging, and I found that alternative explanations (again, from Aditya Kumar) were sometimes more intuitive. Still, TTP covered all the major formats and logic patterns, and that breadth of exposure was invaluable.
In the end, I felt confident walking into the DI section, and I think that familiarity with question types was the most important factor in my DI78 performance.
3. Test Day Experience & Tips
There are many small but important factors that can make or break performance on test day. While I’m generally comfortable with exams, I found TTP’s dedicated test-day guidance—almost an entire handbook of tips and caveats—extremely helpful in setting the right expectations and mindset.
For section order, I chose the traditional sequence: Quant → Verbal → Data Insights. Since Verbal was my strongest section, this strategy allowed me to focus all my mental energy on Quant first, when I was freshest. I could then ease into Verbal with more confidence, as it felt less mentally taxing for me. DI was more of a wildcard, so placing it last made the most sense.
By test day, I felt very confident in my grasp of the material. The questions did not feel harder than the practice questions or official mocks—in fact, some of the mocks felt more difficult. After scoring Q89 and V90, I found the DI section started with particularly high difficulty, which likely capped my score there. Still, the overall result was very satisfying.
A few personal test-day tips (I took it offline):
Best of luck to everyone! Cheers!
In terms of materials, I relied almost entirely on TTP, supplemented lightly with YouTube content (mainly GMAT Ninja for Verbal and Aditya Kumar for certain Quant topics), along with occasional readings from GMAT Club and Reddit. Given the tight timeline, I decided to fully trust Scott’s advice to stick with TTP end-to-end and avoid jumping between too many resources, which could create confusion. That decision clearly paid off.
1. Study Plan & How I Used TTP
- Followed TTP’s learning sequence strictly
I stuck closely to the TTP study plan exactly as it was laid out, without skipping around or reordering topics. This helped me move efficiently and ensured I didn’t miss foundational concepts. - Time commitment
I studied around 2–3 hours per weekday, and significantly more on weekends, totaling 100+ hours of study within one month. - Practice strategy under time constraints
Due to limited time, I couldn’t complete all the practice questions. Instead, I focused on quality over quantity:- Completed one Easy section
- One Medium section
- One to two Hard sections
This approach still gave me enough exposure to different difficulty levels while keeping the pace manageable.
- Mocks saved for the end
As TTP recommends, I left all mock tests until after I had gone through the core learning material. Once I felt solid on the content, I completed Official Mock Exams 1–4. By the third mock, I had already reached my target score and decided to take the test.
2. Advice by Section
A) Quant
In my opinion, there is no other GMAT resource that provides foundational Quant knowledge as thoroughly and clearly as TTP. The curriculum appears to be closely grounded in official GMAT material, but what really differentiates it is the depth of insight and practical tips contributed by the TTP team. Concepts are broken down very intuitively, and there were very few instances where I couldn’t understand the material on the first read. This clarity allowed me to move quickly through the lessons despite my tight timeline.
This is especially notable given that I do not come from a strong Quant background. I was an English major in school and hadn’t seriously engaged with topics like probability or combinatorics in years. TTP did an excellent job of refreshing these concepts and rebuilding my Quant foundation from the ground up.
My main advice for Quant is to follow the TTP sequence exactly as laid out and not skip any content. Each topic builds on the previous one, and the structure really matters. That said, I found Aditya Kumar’s YouTube videos to be a very helpful complement—particularly for some of the hardest topics and questions. His intuitive explanations helped me push through the final stretch and likely contributed to achieving Q89. However, that last-mile improvement would not have been possible without first mastering the foundational material through TTP.
B) Verbal
Verbal was relatively stronger for me to begin with. I enjoy reading and regularly engage with long-form content from sources like The Economist or The Atlantic, so I believe a baseline level of reading comfort is important for my advice here to fully apply.
That said, my Verbal score still improved significantly—from around V78–80 on my first mock to V90 on the actual exam. TTP played a major role in this improvement. While the Verbal approach can sometimes feel quite structured, I can see how this would be extremely effective for students who benefit from a clear, step-by-step framework. More importantly, the thinking process behind TTP’s Verbal instruction is very strong.
The course takes the time to explain how to identify assumptions, analyze them, and apply that analysis systematically—particularly in Critical Reasoning. This approach dramatically improved my performance on harder and more deceptive questions.
I also complemented my study with GMAT Ninja videos, which offered a different perspective and some useful heuristics. I’d recommend them as a supplement, especially once you already have a solid framework from TTP.
C) Data Insights (DI)
DI is largely integrated into Quant within the TTP course, which makes sense given how much Quant reasoning the section requires. Overall, I felt well prepared and was exposed to virtually every question type I encountered on test day—which is critical, since DI can be unforgiving if you’re caught off guard.
That said, this is one area where TTP could potentially improve further. Certain question types—particularly Two-Part Analysis—are both prevalent and challenging, and I found that alternative explanations (again, from Aditya Kumar) were sometimes more intuitive. Still, TTP covered all the major formats and logic patterns, and that breadth of exposure was invaluable.
In the end, I felt confident walking into the DI section, and I think that familiarity with question types was the most important factor in my DI78 performance.
3. Test Day Experience & Tips
There are many small but important factors that can make or break performance on test day. While I’m generally comfortable with exams, I found TTP’s dedicated test-day guidance—almost an entire handbook of tips and caveats—extremely helpful in setting the right expectations and mindset.
For section order, I chose the traditional sequence: Quant → Verbal → Data Insights. Since Verbal was my strongest section, this strategy allowed me to focus all my mental energy on Quant first, when I was freshest. I could then ease into Verbal with more confidence, as it felt less mentally taxing for me. DI was more of a wildcard, so placing it last made the most sense.
By test day, I felt very confident in my grasp of the material. The questions did not feel harder than the practice questions or official mocks—in fact, some of the mocks felt more difficult. After scoring Q89 and V90, I found the DI section started with particularly high difficulty, which likely capped my score there. Still, the overall result was very satisfying.
A few personal test-day tips (I took it offline):
- Bring light snacks and water. Something simple like a banana and water helped me reset and re-energize during breaks.
- Have a clear note-taking system. I divided each scratch page into four sections, each representing one question. Before starting the exam (while reading instructions), I would also note how much time I should ideally have remaining after finishing the last question on the page. This helped with pacing and kept my notes organized.
- Take care of yourself before the exam. Get adequate sleep, eat properly, and avoid unnecessary stress. By test day, preparation should already be complete—your job is simply to execute.
Best of luck to everyone! Cheers!
Archit3110
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31 Jan 2026, 02:41
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Congratulations for score.. all the best with applications
poojaarora1818
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31 Jan 2026, 02:52
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Congratulations on hitting the target score. Many thanks for taking the time and for posting a debrief on your prep journey. I agree that jumping into many resources may lead you directionless at times, but sometimes, complementing your prep with other good resources does a world of good. I wish you all the best with the applications.
Best of Luck!
Best of Luck!
sednesciunt
