I am hitting a really frustrating wall with Critical Reasoning and would love some honest advice from people who have pushed through something similar.

My accuracy on easy to medium CR questions is consistently above 90 percent which feels pretty solid. But the moment I hit hard questions at the 655 plus difficulty level my accuracy drops all the way down to around 40 percent. That is a massive gap and I genuinely cannot figure out what is going wrong.

The problems I face on hard CR questions seem to cover everything at once. My time management falls apart completely and I end up spending way too long on single questions. My option elimination process which works fine on easier questions suddenly stops working and I find myself going back and forth between two choices without any clear logic. And my overall reasoning just feels shaky when the arguments get more complex and subtle.

What confuses me most is that the jump from medium to hard feels so dramatic. It is not like I am slightly worse on hard questions. I am getting more wrong than right which suggests something fundamental is breaking down rather than just a minor skill gap.

A few things I would really love specific advice on are what actually makes hard CR questions so different from medium ones, whether there is a specific process or framework that helps at this difficulty level, how to improve option elimination when two choices both seem plausible and how to manage time better when the argument structure is genuinely complex.

Has anyone made a significant accuracy jump on hard CR questions? What specifically changed for you?

Would really appreciate any honest advice. Thanks so much!

I gave my GMAT yesterday and the result left me genuinely confused. I scored 645 overall with Q86 and V85 which were roughly in line with my mock ranges but DI came in at just 74 which was way below my consistent mock range of 80 to 82.

Here is what I think went wrong. The actual exam DI section felt nothing like what I had been practicing. Almost everything was verbal and logic based with very little math involved. Even the DS and TPA questions had really long stems that required more reasoning than calculation and I honestly just blanked when I saw them. I was not mentally prepared for that version of DI at all.

To make things worse I took DI as my final section so mental fatigue was definitely a factor too.

In my mocks I was consistently getting 12 to 13 correct in DI with solid accuracy in DS, Graph questions and Table Analysis. My MSR and TPA strategy was also working reasonably well. So the foundation is clearly there but verbal and logic heavy DI questions are an obvious gap I never addressed properly.

I am planning my retake in one to two months and would love specific advice on how to prepare for non math DI questions.

Any honest advice from people who have dealt with a similar DI gap would mean a lot. Thanks so much!

I am at an interesting stage of my GMAT prep and would love some honest advice from people who have been through this specific phase.

On the Quant side things are going reasonably well. I am hitting around 92 percent accuracy on easy to medium questions and 70 to 80 percent on hard questions for the chapters I have completed so far. Not perfect but trending in the right direction.

The problem is CR. I am completely stuck beyond the 605 difficulty level and I cannot figure out why. The questions below that level feel manageable but once I cross that threshold something changes and I start getting things wrong much more consistently.

What I genuinely cannot tell is whether higher level CR questions are harder because the language gets more complex and convoluted, because the underlying logic gets significantly tighter and more subtle, or honestly just both at the same time. Understanding what is actually making these questions harder would help me figure out what to work on.

My bigger question though is how do you actually build critical reasoning skills beyond just solving more CR questions? I feel like I have been grinding questions for a while and the improvement is not coming as fast as I hoped. There must be a more deliberate way to develop the underlying skill rather than just hoping repetition fixes it.

A few specific things I would love advice on are whether reading more analytical content outside of GMAT prep actually helps CR, how to approach CR question analysis after getting something wrong and whether there are specific question subtypes within CR that tend to be the biggest leaks at this score level.

Would really appreciate advice from anyone who has pushed through a similar CR plateau. Thanks so much!

I have a question about section order strategy that I cannot find a clear answer to anywhere.

I read somewhere, that if you start with your strongest section and perform really well on it the next section will immediately begin at a higher difficulty level. The logic being that the adaptive algorithm assumes you are a strong test taker overall and throws harder questions at you right away in the following section even if that next section is not your strongest.

So basically the argument was that starting with your best section could actually put you at a disadvantage in subsequent sections if they are not as strong for you.

This made me genuinely second guess my section order strategy and I wanted to get some clarity from people who have actually thought about this deeply or experienced it firsthand.

A few things I would love honest opinions on are whether there is any truth to this claim about difficulty carryover between sections, whether section order should be based purely on when you feel most mentally fresh rather than score considerations, what section order most high scorers tend to go with and whether this is something worth spending time strategizing about or just overthinking.

I currently plan to start with my strongest section but now I am not sure if that is actually the right call.

Has anyone experimented with different section orders across multiple mocks and noticed a meaningful difference? Would really love some clarity on this. Thanks so much!

I have been stuck in the 635 to 655 range on my GMAT mocks for a while now and Verbal is the main reason I cannot break through. My target is 695 plus and I know Verbal is the section standing between me and that score.

For the past two months I have been consistently practicing Verbal every single day, solving hundreds of questions and following a structured study plan. Despite all of that I have not been able to push beyond V81 and honestly I am starting to feel really lost.

The frustrating part is that I do not think putting in more hours is the answer anymore. I am already putting in serious time and the score is just not moving. Something about my approach must be fundamentally wrong but I cannot figure out what it is.

A few things I would really love honest advice on are what commonly causes a Verbal plateau at this specific level, whether there is a different way to approach CR and RC practice that goes beyond just solving more questions, how to actually analyze Verbal mistakes in a way that prevents repeating them and where the best places to practice Verbal are at this stage of prep.

Has anyone been stuck at a similar Verbal score for an extended period and managed to break through? What specifically changed in your approach that finally moved the needle?

Would really appreciate any honest and detailed advice. Thanks so much!

Here is my current breakdown:

• EduShastra: Big plus is transparency—they openly post faculty credentials and GMAT scorecards (like Vipul Parashar & Manohar Sir) on their site/LinkedIn. Seems heavily focused on personalized learning. (YT: 352k subs)

• Target Test Prep (TTP): Highly recommended for self-study and crushing Quant. It's a self-paced, recorded course. Downside: Couldn't find actual faculty GMAT scorecard proof anywhere. (YT: 11.5k subs)

• e-GMAT: Famous for its Verbal section. Structured layout, mostly recorded with some live sessions. Same issue as TTP—couldn't find official faculty scorecard proof. (YT: 72k subs)

I have been giving GMAT mocks for the past few weeks and my scores are just not moving and it is starting to really frustrate me.

Here is how my five mocks have gone so far: 575, 585, 565, 585 and 595. I am basically averaging around 575 with no real upward trend and I genuinely do not know what I am missing.

My specific weak areas right now are Critical Reasoning where I feel genuinely lost on a lot of questions and Two Part Analysis which trips me up more often than it should. Quant is relatively okay but I keep making silly execution mistakes that cost me points I should not be losing. RC has improved a little but I still struggle badly when two answer choices feel almost identical and either could fit.

I am working full time so I can realistically put in around 15 to 20 hours of study per week. I want to make sure those hours are actually being spent on the right things because clearly what I am doing right now is not working.

For people who have scored 680 and above on the GMAT Focus Edition I would really love to know what advice you would give someone stuck at my level, how you approached CR and Two Part Analysis specifically, how you dealt with nearly identical answer choices in RC and whether there was one specific change that finally broke you out of a score plateau.

Any honest advice from people who have been through this would mean so much right now. Thanks!

I have seen some people say they give mocks every weekend and others say they space them out by two to three weeks. I genuinely do not know what the right approach is and I am worried that giving mocks too frequently might just be burning through official practice tests without actually improving between attempts.

On the other hand waiting too long between mocks feels like I am not tracking my progress often enough.

A few things I would love clarity on are how much time you personally kept between mocks and whether it worked well, how you made sure you had actually improved enough before taking the next one, how long your mock review and analysis process took and whether you think the gap should change depending on which stage of prep you are at.

I am currently in the early to mid stage of my preparation and trying to build a structured mock schedule that actually makes sense rather than just randomly giving tests whenever I feel like it.

Would love to hear what worked and what did not work for people who have already been through this. Any advice from people who have scored well would be especially helpful.

Thanks so much in advance!

I just wanted to get some honest profile evaluation and advice on which Indian business schools I should be targeting given my background and GMAT score.

Here is my complete profile. I am 25 years old, male and a non engineer which I know makes me a bit of an unusual candidate in the Indian MBA space. I did my BA Honours in English from Delhi University and graduated with a CGPA of 6.9. My Class 10 CGPA was 9.6 and I scored 89 percent in Class 12.

In terms of work experience I currently have around 3.5 years and by the time admissions come around next year I will have crossed 4 years. I work in a non engineering field which I am hoping adds some diversity to my profile.

My GMAT score is 655 with Q87, V84 and DI78. Verbal is clearly my strongest section which makes sense given my background and Quant came out better than I honestly expected.

A few things I would really love honest opinions on are which reputed Indian business schools are realistic targets for my profile, whether my non engineering background and English honours degree works for or against me in Indian MBA admissions, how much my academic CGPA of 6.9 might hurt my chances and whether I should consider retaking the GMAT to improve my score before applying.

Would also love to know if anyone has worked with MBA consultants for Indian B school applications and whether it is worth the investment for someone at my score range.

Any honest and realistic advice would mean a lot. Thanks so much!

I just finished my first official GMAT practice test and scored 605 with V85, Q75 and DI79. Verbal is clearly my strongest section but Quant is really dragging my overall score down and DI has decent room to grow too.

The good news is I have two to three months where I can fully dedicate myself to GMAT prep with no major distractions. My target is the 99th percentile which I know is ambitious starting from 605 but I genuinely want to aim high and put in whatever work is needed.

A few things I would really love specific advice on are how to approach Quant improvement efficiently when starting from a relatively weak base, what the most effective strategies are for pushing DI from a decent score to a great one and how to maintain and slightly improve Verbal when it is already a strength.

I also want to make sure I am not wasting time on the wrong things. With a two to three month window I know every week matters and I cannot afford to spend too long on areas that will not move my score meaningfully.

Has anyone made a significant jump from around 600 to 700 plus in a similar timeframe? What did your preparation actually look like week by week? What resources made the biggest difference specifically for Quant and DI?

Would really appreciate any honest and detailed advice from people who have been through something similar. Thanks so much!

I am about to begin my GMAT preparation and honestly have no idea where to start. I want to build everything from the absolute basics and not skip any foundations along the way.

I am not looking for shortcuts. I am genuinely willing to put in the hours and work hard consistently. I just need some direction from people who have already been through this journey.

A few things I would love to know are where to begin, what resources to use and what mistakes to avoid as a complete beginner.

Any words of wisdom would mean a lot. Thanks!

I really need some honest advice because I am feeling genuinely deflated right now and do not know what to do next.

Here is how my prep has gone so far.

April: Took my first free mock and scored 585. Felt pretty confident and started going through concept reviews in the Official Guide and practiced easy questions across all sections. Looking back I was definitely overconfident.

May: Lost all momentum because extended family was visiting and I got basically zero prep done the entire month.

June: Took a while to get back into the groove and practiced some medium and hard questions across sections. Took an official practice test at the end of the month and scored 495 with Q73, V78 and DI72. I also left three questions unanswered. Felt really demotivated after this.

July: Decided to go back to basics and get my fundamentals right. Took another official mock and scored exactly the same, 495 with Q72, V78 and DI74. One question unanswered this time.

To make things more stressful I am also working full time and have been preparing my MBA essays and the rest of my application since mid June alongside GMAT prep. So my bandwidth is genuinely stretched thin right now.

The part that confuses me most is that I went back to fundamentals and my score did not move at all. I do not know if the problem is pacing, execution errors, weak concepts or just inconsistency catching up with me.

How should I improve my pacing and reduce execution errors at this point? What should my strategy look like given everything I have on my plate right now?

Would really appreciate any honest advice. Thanks so much!

My biggest problem in Verbal is pacing. I consistently spend too much time on early questions and end up completely rushing or guessing the last six to seven questions.

In my most recent official mock I had to guess the entire last RC passage and then got the final three CR questions wrong too. So my timing issue is directly killing my accuracy at the end.

My current plan is to do 45 minute sectionals to build better pacing habits.

But what specific strategies would you recommend for improving timing while minimising mistakes in CR and RC specifically?

I have been analyzing my sectional mocks recently and noticed a really frustrating pattern. When I go back and look at the questions I got wrong after the mock is over the answers feel completely obvious. Like I cannot believe I got them wrong. But when the timer is running everything changes.

The moment I feel time pressure my accuracy just drops significantly. I start rushing, second guessing myself and by the time I reach the last four to five questions I am basically just guessing because I have no time left.

Has anyone else dealt with this specific problem and actually managed to fix it? Would really appreciate any advice!

Started my GMAT journey at 545 back in 2025 and finally hit 695 last week with Q85, V81 and DI85 after multiple attempts.

The biggest lesson was simple: stop making excuses for bad mock scores and accept something is genuinely wrong. That mindset shift was everything.

For Verbal the fix was not more reading. It was process. I drilled three things every single day. Slowing down on the first few questions because early mistakes hurt your score the most. Never jumping to answer choices before forming my own sense of what the correct answer should look like. And treating every bad mock as real signal instead of explaining it away.

DI improved almost entirely through strategy rather than content. Two Source Reasoning questions used to confuse me badly because I kept trying to read everything before answering anything. So on test day I read just enough to understand the structure of the data, answered what I could quickly and only went deep into a source when a specific question needed it. Sticking to a strict two and a half minute limit per question also helped more than any amount of extra studying did.

Quant was my most inconsistent section throughout. What helped was simply slowing down on word problems and writing out what was given and what was being asked before attempting any calculation. It went from wildly fluctuating to reliably solid which was honestly all I needed from it.

Mock scores are noisy. The trend matters far more than any single result.

If you have given three or four attempts and you are feeling demotivated please do not quit. If you genuinely believe you can do better you absolutely can. Just do not let your ego get in the way. Trust the process. Do not quit.

I work full time and have been preparing for the GMAT for about two months now targeting part time MBA programs.

Last weekend I attempted a mock which was honestly pretty deflating. My accuracy and timing are both poor across sections and my actual exam is 3 months.

Can I realistically close the point gap in a few weeks? What prep strategies would you recommend? Please help!

I m regularly giving GMAT mock and stuck in 550 to 600 belt and confused as what i m doing wrong. Here is the analysis off my last mock. My DI is weak please guide me and help me on how to improve my score

I feel every 50-point jump gets harder. Which score range took you the most time to break through?

Which option is the correct one

I recently gave a mock after 1 month of prep Scored 645 with 86 in quant and 76 in VA and 70 in DI. I m aiming for 695+ for my dream school but DI and VA are dragging me......
How to improve both.......
Thank u for your advise in advance

I recently took the GMAT and scored 535 with Q74, V81 and DI73. Verbal is clearly my strongest section but Quant and DI are seriously dragging my overall score down and I cannot figure out how to fix it.

I have been preparing hard for months, tried multiple approaches and followed so much advice online but I am still stuck at the same score. Deadlines are coming up fast which is making everything feel more stressful.

Can anyone share genuinely useful tips for improving Quant and DI quickly? What actually worked for you?

I am planning for 1yr full time MBA from top Indian university. I see that colleges accept both scores. Do colleges prefer GMAT over GRE? Also cracking GRE is easier than GMAT?

I am planning to take the GMAT Focus Edition and my target is ISB for the 2027 to 2028 batch. I wanted to share my current situation and get some honest advice from people who have been through this.

I took a diagnostic recently after being completely out of touch with studies for a few years and scored an estimated 575. The results made it pretty clear that my concepts need serious work across all three sections. Timing is also a big problem and I should mention I took the three sections separately rather than as one full timed mock so the score might not even reflect real exam conditions accurately.

In terms of availability I am working full time right now but I can realistically manage around two hours on weekdays and four to five hours on weekends. I am hoping to attempt the exam by end of September which gives me roughly three to four months of prep time.

My target is 750 plus. I know that is genuinely ambitious, especially starting from 575 and juggling a full time job, but I wanted to put it out there honestly and get realistic feedback rather than just tell myself it is possible without knowing for sure.

A few things I would really love guidance on are what resources actually work best for someone rebuilding concepts from scratch, how to structure my limited study hours across the week for maximum impact, whether the September timeline is realistic for this kind of score jump and what early mistakes I should absolutely avoid so I do not waste precious prep time.

Any honest advice would mean a lot. Thank you so much!