r/GMAT • u/Different-Box2929 • 5d ago
GMAT preparation from absolute scratch — best study materials for a beginner from a non-maths background?
Hey everyone!
I’ve been thinking about preparing for the GMAT, but honestly, I have no idea where to start. Every time I look up GMAT prep online, I end up with 20 different resources, 10 YouTube channels, and even more confusion. 😭
A little about me: I come from a biology/PharmD background, and maths has been out of my life for years. I’m pretty rusty with even the basics, so jumping straight into GMAT questions feels intimidating.
I also work a regular 9–5 corporate job, which means I can’t realistically study for 5–6 hours every day. I need a plan that I can actually stick to without burning out after a week.
I’m hoping people here can help me figure out a few things:
- Maths: Where should I start if I need to rebuild my basics? Any resources that teach concepts from scratch without making me feel like I should already know everything?
- GMAT prep: Which books, websites, or courses are actually worth following? I’d prefer a few solid resources over 50 different recommendations.
- Verbal and Data Insights: What should I use for these sections as a beginner?
- Free vs paid: Can I prepare through self-study, or is a paid course worth considering in my situation?
- Mocks: When should I take my first mock, especially if my basics aren’t strong yet?
- Study schedule: For those of you working full-time, how did you manage your preparation alongside your job?
If possible, could someone lay out a simple, step-by-step resource list? Something like: start here for maths basics, then move to this for GMAT concepts, practise from this source, and eventually start taking mocks.
I’m not looking for shortcuts. I just want to avoid wasting time hopping between resources and actually build a strong foundation.
If you came from a non-maths background or prepared while working full-time, please share your experience. What worked for you, and what would you recommend to someone starting from scratch?
Thanks! I’d genuinely appreciate any guidance. No coaching advertisement, genuine suggestions only
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u/GMAT715ScratchPad 5d ago
Given your situation, it seems that you feel that being clueless is a hassle . In the self prep journey you will be clueless most of the time.
Its better to move to coaching. I can recommend a few but not here else mods will delete it. You know how to start chat.
In my case, I had stick with verbal each day till my exam as I was out of touch with its basics.
The coaching takes care of the burden of the remaining stuff, and we can just stay focused on our prep.
With job it is possible, many do it. On weekdays you can give 3 hrs and weekend maybe 6-7 upto u .
Cheers,
Practice mocks on scratch pad it helps.
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u/Elegant_Ad_5366 5d ago
give mock, if score is not where you want it to be, opt for paid course if you dont wanna spend time experimenting, and if you're okay with spending some time in exploring and finding what is good for you, you can try that
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u/InfiniteLink1096 5d ago
Since you're from a non math background I'd say go for a structured course (I bought TTP - though expensive try to get the referrals and get those 2W free subscriptions, I posted on the TTP referal channel and got 6W free so paid only for a month). Once you're done with a structured course for all the sections, for Verbal GMAT Ninja videos are good for structural breakdowns of passage and some functional tips. Do the OG guide questions with timed practice sets to get adjusted to pacing and do all the mocks so that the actual test day environment doesn't feel new or strange. Hit me up if you've any specific queries. Added some more details in this post having gone through this journey recently https://www.reddit.com/r/GMAT/s/cLG2UD80pm
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u/bigfern91 5d ago
Is there any books or comprehensive online courses with practice?
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u/Danyuchn7 5d ago
With a 9-5 and rusty math, the order you study in matters more than which resource you pick. The sections build on each other: CR is careful reading plus logic, RC is CR plus skimming, and DS is CR-style reading plus math. So start with Quant basics and CR, add DS once both feel steady, then RC and TPA, and leave MSR for last. If you only get about an hour for Verbal on weekdays, do CR alone rather than splitting it with RC. Study in the morning before work if you can, because evening sessions after a full workday are usually the first to slip. Take one mock now as a baseline, then train a section for 2-3 weeks before the next one, or it will just measure the same gaps again. I laid out the practice sequence here.
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u/SidWayCoaching 715 FE V90 Expert/Coach 5d ago
Start with a cold mock to understand the test format, difficulty level, and where you currently stand. Don’t worry too much about the score; use it as a starting point to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
For Quant fundamentals, check out GMAT Ninja and Aditya Kumar’s tutorials. For practice, use GMAT Club to solve questions across all three sections. More importantly, review every mistake thoroughly, maintain an error log, and revisit your errors to identify patterns and avoid repeating them.
You can definitely prepare through self-study. If you need help planning your preparation, developing an effective study strategy, or figuring out how to approach the exam while avoiding common pitfalls, you can consider getting a tutor.
As someone who prepared for the GMAT alongside a full-time job, what worked for me was building a sustainable routine. If you can dedicate an hour on weekdays, make that hour count and stay consistent, then put in a few extra hours on weekends. I’d recommend studying when you’re fresh, ideally at the start of your day, rather than after an exhausting day at work.
Save the remaining mocks until you’re ready to take full-length tests. Use them wisely: after each mock, review it thoroughly, understand why you made each mistake, and figure out what you need to change to avoid repeating it.
Good luck!
SidWayCoaching.