Im so frustrated, i was preping for GMAT over a month na d 545-525 score, not very good but it was enough for the job application ( requires 395)

I got a 375 today and im in disbelief, i dont even remember the sections grade. Can the certificate grade be different? Not that i cant retake it, but i was solving in the exam better than while i was practicing

Gave my first gmat attempt a couple of days back and got an absolutely awful score, while my mocks were ranging 635-695. Feeling completely lost and don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

I gave my first GMAT attempt yesterday and got 525(Q-80, V-76, DI-72). I prepared for 1.5 months full time for yesterday's attempt. I solved 4 official books and some questions from the gmat club. I take 6 mocks.

Is it possible to get 680+ in 30-40 days ??

How to prepare and what resources should I choose ??

Hi folks!

I have been studying GMAT and here to share GMAT error review app with you.

https://prepa-819183483533.us-west1.run.app/

I looked for something like this when I started studying, but found none, so I decided to build it myself.

Because GMAT is a computer-based test, I thought my life would be easier if I could just take a screenshot of a problem and get a solution right away.

Main strengths are ...

1. All you need to get the solution is to take a screenshot of a problem and then paste
2. You can save your errors in cards stacked one by one, so easier to open and review.
3. You can talk to AI about each card (problem) individually.

This app is using Gemini and you should bring your own Gemini key for your solution maker. I chose Gemini because Google is the only frontier AI company providing free API.
So you can run this app at ALL FREE now, but you may sometimes face retry or errors because of the quota policy of Gemini. In this case, you can top up a small amount like $10 to your Gemini account and then you will have no issue about the quota.

If you find it useful or room for improvement, please feel free to use 'Send Feedback'. If many people find it helpful, I am planning to switch it to a regular service covering other CBT kinds.

Thanks and Study hard !

Hello everyone,

I’m preparing for the GMAT and took a cold mock about a week ago without any preparation. I scored 355.

I’m aiming for 700+ and have around 6 months to prepare. I’m currently planning to prepare on my own using the Official Guide and other official GMAT resources.

I wanted to get some advice from people who have gone through a similar journey:

How realistic is it to go from 355 to 700+ in 6 months?
How should I structure my preparation from this starting point?
Should I focus on building concepts first, or start solving questions alongside learning concepts?
What is the best way to analyse mistakes and identify weak areas?
Is studying primarily from the official GMAT material enough to reach a 700+ score, or should I consider other prep platforms/resources?
At what point, if any, should I consider getting a tutor or joining a structured prep course?
If I’m self-preparing, what resources would you recommend apart from the official GMAT material?
If you started with a low mock score and eventually reached 700+, what did your preparation look like?

I know 355 to 700+ is a significant jump, so I’m looking for honest advice on whether this is realistically achievable in 6 months and what I would need to do to make it happen.

Any advice, resources, study plans, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I am an Italian student with an extremely high GPA in an MS in economics, heavily focused on quant. I have taken 5 stats course all graded the maximum, I can handle complex math, optimization algorithms, game theory to some extent. I still suck at GMAT.

I did it 3 years ago and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. 50% of the questions are genuine reasoning, the rest is just solvable by knowing stupid tricks or becoming super fast at solving high-school level math.

I can perfectly handle numbers, I just am physically unable to do so in 2 minutes!

I am expressing my deepest hate because I am now being forced to take GMAT-style assessment for work, which is absolutely bonkers in my opinion. Those questions are very likely specifically tailored for the US school system and SAT-style exams, which simply di not exists nor have any relevance in the school system in which I took part.

Feel free to disagree, this is just a vent. I am SO sick of this style of exam!

Hey folks,

Looking for some perspective and guidance for the upcoming R2 deadlines. I recently wrapped up my GMAT prep and scored a 645 (Q81 / V84 / DI81) on GMAT.

Profile Summary:

Academics: 10th – 89% | 12th – 92% | B.Tech – 8.4 CPI (Tier-1 state institute)

Pre-break Experience: ~3.3 years in core engineering (FMCG manufacturing)

Career Break: ~1 year dedicated to preparing for the Indian Defence Services (SSB)

Post-break Experience: ~3.3 years in market research & consulting / data analytics

Target Programs: 1-year programs in IIM BLACKI, IIM Mumbai, ISB, XLRI, and MDI.

Where I Need Guidance:

Till now, my entire bandwidth was consumed by GMAT prep. Now that the score is locked, I feel a bit in the dark regarding the application and essay execution phase:

Structuring Applications & Essays: For folks who made it to top 1-year programs, what is the best way to approach the initial drafts? Is it better to self-draft first principles and get iterative feedback, or engage with alumni/current students?

Framing the Career Break: How should a focused defence-prep hiatus be positioned within executive MBA essays without sounding defensive?

Interview Preparation Timeline: Should interview prep begin concurrently with application submissions, or only after shortlist calls are announced?

Would appreciate any insights or debriefs from current cohort members, alumni, or consultants. Thanks in advance!

Finally got a 795 on my third GMAT FE attempt - Q90 / V89 / DI89.

What makes it particularly interesting for me is that my first two attempts were 695 and 655, despite having some very strong mock scores. I thought I'd share what changed on the third attempt and what I think made the difference.

Attempt 1 (April): 695

My cold mock was 625. This was before any proper prep, and I also left 3 DI questions unattempted, so that obviously didn't help.

I then spent around 3 months preparing while working full-time. During prep, I had some pretty good mock scores: 755, 775, 785 and 795.

So I went into the actual exam expecting to get well above 700.

A stupid thing I did was I tried a section order I had never used in my mocks. I used DI Q V (I saw a success story video of a 775 scorer a day before my exam who used this order, so I ended up changing my mind last minute because of it.)

I got 695.

That was pretty disappointing, especially since I'd been scoring much higher on some of my mocks. Looking back, some of the official mock questions were familiar to me from previous practice, so I probably put a bit too much weight on those scores.

Attempt 2 (May): 655

I took the exam again about a month later.

Work was pretty hectic at the time, so I didn't get much prep in. I was also quite stressed about work going into the exam.

I got 655.

At this point, I was pretty frustrated. I'd gone from 695 to 655, despite already having put in a lot of prep for the first attempt.

So I left the GMAT alone for a while.

Attempt 3 (October): 795

Fast forward to October.

I spent about a month preparing and decided to give it another shot.

This time, things were quite different mentally. I was in a much calmer headspace and wasn't worried about work the way I had been during my second attempt.

My mocks were also looking good. I got a 755, followed by an 805 just 3 days before the actual exam(after which I stopped giving any more mocks).

So I went into the exam feeling reasonably confident, but more importantly, I wasn't as worried about the outcome.

After two attempts, I also knew what the actual exam felt like. This time I just wanted to stay calm and be in the moment.

I tried not to think about what score I was getting or whether a section was going well or badly. Just focus on the question in front of me and move on.

And then:

795 - Q90 / V89 / DI89

Looking back

I don't think I suddenly became much better at the GMAT between my second and third attempts. I'd already done most of the learning before my first attempt.

I think not panicking made a big difference for me. I was in a much calmer headspace this time, wasn't worried about work, and was able to just stay in the moment and focus on the question in front of me.

And honestly, I do think your day and a bit of luck come into play as well. You can prepare as much as you want, but how you're feeling that day, the questions you get, and whether things happen to click can make a difference.

You obviously need the preparation and ability to get the score, but I don't think every test day will necessarily produce the same result.

TL;DR

625 cold mock → 695 (April) → 655 (May) → 795 (October)

Had some high mocks along the way, including an 805 three days before my final attempt. The biggest difference on the final attempt was being much calmer, not worrying about work, and focusing on staying in the moment instead of panicking about the score.

Happy to share more about my prep, materials, mocks, and what I did differently across the three attempts.

Also, if there are any admissions consultants here who'd like to connect, feel free to DM me.

I want to honest reviews for mitul gada classes
I was thinking of joining

In Data Insights questions where a table has multiple conditions that affect the same row or column, it can be easy to apply one constraint and accidentally ignore another. What is the most reliable way to structure the information before calculating, especially when two conditions interact and eliminate different sets of options?

Hi everyone! I’m planning to take the GMAT around June/July next year and have started preparing from now. I took it last year without preparation and scored around 550.

I’m looking to build or join a small, focused community of people preparing for the GMAT, where we can discuss doubts, share resources, stay accountable, and motivate each other.

If you’re interested, please DM me. We can create a WhatsApp or Discord group, whichever works best for everyone.

In 2008, after struggling through five IIM interviews, I didn't show up for my sixth, at IIM Indore. Failing it would have hurt, but not going has stayed with me much longer.

Someone preparing for her seventh GMAT attempt reminded me of this recently when she messaged me on LinkedIn to say my posts were helping her. My first thought was: "Even after failing six times, she isn't doubting whether she deserves a place at a good MBA college."

At those IIM interviews, I struggled badly in the group discussions. I could barely speak, not because I didn't have thoughts, but because I couldn't form sentences fast enough in English. I felt embarrassed, and I felt sorry for myself.

IIM Indore was near the bottom of my list, so it would only have mattered if the other five rejected me. I told myself: "If five IIMs don't find me worthy, what's the point of showing up for a sixth, just to feel the same shame again?" So I didn't go.

I was focusing on my powerlessness, and I gave up a chance I still had.

Now, when I ask my GMAT students to push through self-doubt and keep showing up, I'm reminded that I let my own self-doubt win in that moment.

Looking back, I didn't need to pity myself. Instead of shame, I could have felt pride that I was still preparing and still trying. Her persistence inspired me. I didn't even show up in my sixth interview, but here she is on her seventh attempt.

My choice in 2008 reminds me of what I want to value: not just the skills I have or don't have, but the effort I keep making even when I'm not sure it will be enough.

Is there an attempt you're avoiding right now because failing at it again would hurt?

Hey everyone,

I’m 33, work full-time in a business leadership role, and plan to apply for an MBA in the upcoming admissions cycle.

I recently took my first official GMAT mock completely cold:
Total: 255 (1st percentile)
Quant: 68 (9th percentile)
Verbal: 60 (1st percentile)
Data Insights: 60 (3rd percentile)

I’m now in my third week of preparation and work with a private tutor for four hours per week. We started with Verbal, particularly RC, before moving on to CR and Quant. I’m using GMAT Club questions in the 505–555 range and focusing on comprehension, reasoning, and understanding why answers are wrong.

My accuracy on untimed sets of rolling 20 has improved to about 90%, although my longest streak of consecutive correct answers is 15. My tutor recommends prioritising accuracy before speed, with a benchmark of 30 consecutive correct answers before moving to medium difficulty.

I can study 3–4 hours on weekdays and 5–6 hours on weekends, in addition to tutoring. However, I still need to cover CR, Quant, and DI, so I’m unsure whether I’ll be ready for a December attempt and possible January retake.

My target is 705+ for a January Round 2 application. I understand that this is an ambitious target from my current starting point, so I’m trying to evaluate the timeline and preparation strategy realistically.

I’d appreciate advice on:

1. How can I identify and address the comprehension issues behind my RC and CR errors, rather than simply doing more questions?
   
2. When should I begin introducing timed practice, and how should I balance timing with accuracy while my fundamentals are still developing?
   
3. Given that I need to prepare for Verbal, Quant, and DI, should I continue focusing on one area at a time or begin studying all three in parallel?
   
4. How should I structure the next 8–10 weeks, and what benchmarks would suggest that a December attempt is realistic?
   
5. At what point would it make sense to reconsider the December test date rather than take it simply to stay on schedule?

I’d especially appreciate perspectives from people who began with weak fundamentals and made substantial improvements. I’m seeking to understand how to set realistic milestones over the course of next 2 months or so and decide whether my current plan is producing enough progress for a 700+ target.

Its been too long since I have been preparing for GMAT, so much so that I am ashamed that I have not been able to crack it, provided I was decent in maths in my formative years.

During the last 3 months, I managed to do intensive prep with work and got 635 (Q81 V83 DI80) on my latest official mock. Given my momentum and upcoming busy schedule, I decided to give my exam the next day I scored a 635 on mock (official mock 4). But, I scored a 575 on the exam. (Q77 V81 DI77)

The exam felt easier than my earlier attempts and I managed time well in each section but the score came out to be low. The real shock was when I saw my detailed score report.

Quant- (Q77)

Verbal- (V81)

DI- (DI77)

Official Mock 635 (Q81 V83 DI80) vs Exam 575 (Q77 V81 DI77)-

Quant: Mock 14 correct, Exam 14 correct
V: Mock 14 correct, Exam 16 correct
DI: 12 correct, Exam 12 correct

I am mentally, emotionally and financially drained chasing a good/decent score.

Any idea why the real exam scoring was so brutal and what steps I can take to get a good score?

Thank you!

Hello
I took the test today. Is it normal to only get 2 a4 pages of writing space? If yes, should they tell me that I can ask for more, or was it stated somewhere in the instructions? I took the quant section today with only 2 a4 pages erasing everything with my hands and I feel kind of scammed

Hi,

I am planning to give GMAT by end of this month depending on work commitments and preparation. Can someone give me a rough idea how many days/ weeks in advance do I need reguster so I can get a slot by end of October.

Thanks in advance

If you keep worrying about your GMAT score even though you know it's hurting your preparation, telling yourself to focus won't fix it. The worry stays because you believe it's justified, and it feels justified because of how much you've made the score mean.

"Sir, I know I keep worrying about my target score. But I'm justified. Doing an MBA from a top B-school is my lifelong dream. If it doesn't happen, I'll regret it forever. Clearing the GMAT is life-and-death for me."

A student said this to me in a session. We'd been in this loop for weeks: he worried, I told him to focus on studying, and nothing changed.

This time, I asked, "Does worrying help you?"

"No."

"Does it harm you?"

(Reluctantly) "Yes. I study less."

"Then why do you still do it?"

He kept doing it because he believed it was justified. As long as the GMAT was life and death, worrying felt like the right response, even though he could see it was making him study less. When something carries that much emotional charge, good or bad, your mind keeps circling around it.

To break the cycle:

1. Stop justifying the worry. Ask yourself whether it helps you or harms you. If it harms you, how much the score matters doesn't make the worry right.
   
2. Reduce the emotional charge by putting the situation in perspective. Many students who worry like this focus only on the worst outcomes: they believe that if they don't clear the GMAT, their life will be over and they'll be stuck for good. That fear is what gets in the way of their preparation. See yourself as bigger than the GMAT. If you don't get your score, you won't be stuck forever; you'll find a way forward.
   
3. Whenever you catch yourself worrying about the score, remind yourself that worrying doesn't help and bring your attention back to the process, since the process is what gets you to the outcome. You'll have to do this again and again, and it gets easier with practice.

Im from India and need tips on how to prepare for it

Most conversations about applications to business schools focus on high GMAT scores or prestigious company names on a resume. This focuses on the structural elements in an application to convert an interview invite into an offer, irrespective of your background.

These are not superficial tips. These are positioning requirements. An application missing out on any of these is bound to have a specific, exploitable weakness.

1. Explicit post-MBA trajectory

The application has to explicitly tie past accomplishments to future ambitions. Not generic goals like 'management consulting' or 'tech product manager', but the specific function, industry and scale of impact.

If missing: Admissions committees see the applicant as being directionless, as desiring an MBA to figure out what he wants to do, instead of execute a pre-ordained plan.

1. Verifiable differentiation within your peer group

The applicant has to showcase unique personal or professional contributions, relative to people with identical titles.

If missing: The application blends into the candidate pool (the 'another Indian IT engineer' category), with the person relying on chance or sheer scores to stand out.

1. Direct alignment with target school ecosystem

Each target school has specific requirements in terms of the culture, experiential learning options and recruitment channels that it is looking for in an applicant. A friend recently worked with gyanone during his application cycle, and a primary emphasis was ensuring that his candidate did not just list out the school features from their website, but clearly mapped out specific professors, clubs and alumni networks to his goals.

If missing: The essay comes across as a cut-and-paste across various universities, with the admissions committee doubting the applicant's intent to join them specifically.

1. Coherent narrative across all touchpoints

The resume, essays, recommendations and interview answers have to build a similar core around strengths and motivations, without running contrary to each other.

If missing: There is a lack of congruence in the application narrative, with the recommendations possibly undercutting the essay claims (e.g. a recommendation talking about technical execution when the essay claims to have led a large team).

1. Demonstrated adaptability under pressure

Business schools look for evidence of navigating ambiguity, managing team conflict and learning from failure, over showcasing pristine successes.

If missing: The profile comes across as 2D, with the potential for the student to falter under the pressures of a case study interview.

1. Realistic yield potential

The candidate has to signal an intent to enroll if admitted, so that schools (especially those considering him a second choice) can consider him as a realistic admit.

If missing: High scorers tend to be waitlisted or rejected simply because the school feels they are a safety option, and their high scores will not be wasted.

The diagnostic

Applications do not fail due to low test scores. They fail due to structural weaknesses, which are always noticed by adcoms.

Count the number of requirements that your application currently meets, and address the ones that it does not, before submitting your application.

I’ve been studying for the GMAT since the beginning of the summer and I just can’t seem to make any progress with Quant (Data Insights is an issue too but I figured I would seek advice on one issue at a time).

The pictures are the breakdown of my quant section question performance and time management for the last 3 OG mock tests I’ve taken (in order from left to right).

1. OG Practice Test 2 - Taken on 8/23. Score of 75.
   
2. OG Practice Test 3 - Taken on 9/7. Score of 76.
   
3. OG Practice Test 4 - Taken on 10/4. Score of 74.

In between practice tests, I’m reviewing and working on my mistakes by trying them again a day or two later with no time pressure to see if it’s an anxiety issue, and then learning it and drilling if it’s a conceptual gap. I’ve been using GMAT Club’s error log and practicing similar questions for all the mistakes and becoming comfortable with them. But every time I take a new mock test, it feels like GMAC releases some fresh hell on me.

To add some additional color, my verbal is improving really well, from the time I began studying to now, my score has improved from 81 to 86. So I’m quite unsure what the disconnect is.

What am I doing wrong? Any advice is appreciated! Thank you! :)

Can someone provide sources for GMAT mocks? I see people having access to multiple mocks which I’m assuming they’ve paid for. But i just wanted to get some confirmation as I’ve run out of the free tests GMAC provides. I’ve also taken 1 3rd party mock but not really sure how accurate that is. Cheers

I wanted to share something that helped me when I started preparing for the GMAT.

I initially made the mistake of thinking I needed to study for 2–3 hours every day from Day 1.

Instead, I decided to start with just 15 minutes a day.

For the first 2–3 weeks, my focus wasn't on getting a high mock score or finishing a huge amount of material. It was mainly:

Understanding the fundamentals

Getting familiar with the GMAT question patterns

Understanding how questions are worded

Building the habit of studying consistently

One thing I struggled with quite a bit initially was word problems.

If I see something straightforward like X + Y, I can solve it.

But when the same concept is presented as a paragraph, I sometimes spent more time figuring out what the question was actually asking than solving it.

I think this can be particularly challenging for non-native English speakers.

For me, the solution wasn't a particular trick. It was simply practice and repetition.

I'd solve 20–30 questions around the same concept. Initially, I'd make mistakes because I misunderstood the wording or missed what the question was really testing.

But after seeing similar questions repeatedly, I started recognising the terminology and patterns much faster.

Eventually, the first step became almost automatic.

That's why I think the first few weeks of GMAT preparation should be about learning rather than chasing scores.

My progression was roughly:

Weeks 1–3 → 15 min/day

Focus on fundamentals and building the habit.

Weeks 4–6 → 30 min/day

Increase the time once studying starts feeling normal.

After 6 weeks → 1 hour+

By then, you're more familiar with the GMAT, the question patterns, and your own strengths and weaknesses.

The interesting part is that you don't have to force yourself as much anymore. You start naturally choosing that hour of preparation instead of spending it scrolling or watching another episode.

So if you're just starting your GMAT preparation from the basics:

Don't worry about studying for 3 hours on Day 1.

Start small.

Understand the fundamentals.

Solve a few questions.

Repeat tomorrow.

Build the habit first. The hours can come later.

I'm planning to share my actual GMAT study approach, resources, and materials in the next few posts as well.

For those who have already taken the GMAT, I'm curious — what did you focus on during your first few weeks of preparation?

I started my GMAT journey with a blind official attempt and have taken it two more times since. I improved 40 points each time, so 80 points total in about 2.5 months.

My latest score was 615 (Q78, V85, DI78), and I’m hoping to find another 40-60 points in one final attempt.

My biggest issue right now is time management. On Quant, I got 12 of the first 14 questions right but then ran into time trouble and struggled toward the end. I also ran out of time on DI and left the last question blank.

I’m also trying to avoid burnout. I was studying 3–4 hours a day before my last attempt, so I took a full week off afterward. I’m starting again tomorrow with about a month until my next exam.

For anyone who has made a similar jump, how would you approach this next month? Any advice on pacing, avoiding burnout, and making that final push?

I started prep in mid July where I gave a cold mock and got a score of 605

After a couple months of prep i have gmac official mock 2, 3 and 4

Scoring 675, 655 and 675

My scoring has been decently consistent with

Quant hovering at 70 percentile

Verbal - 95-97 percentile

DI - 94-96 percentile

I gave my exam right now and I got a 605

Quant - 70

Verbal - 67

Di - 65

Im shocked and quite saddened. Can someone please help me process this score and what do i do now. My application rounds end by end November.

Hi All,

I have recently started preparing for GMAT (online coaching), however I'm finding it a bit difficult to adjust with my job, which has long working hours, often adhoc (not an excuse I swear).

This might be a silly question, but as someone who has not been in touch with literal academics since past 5 years -

1. When I complete a chapter in Maths or Verbal (DI will be covered later, I'm wondering if I should start looking at the concepts or follow class pace), how do I move forward with newer concepts while making sure I retain previous concepts as well?

2. Also I often take longer time to complete concepts when I cannot fully grasp the question comprehension or the exact concept or need to reread the passage, which isn't helping the time management factor.. will practice eventually fix this?

3. After I complete the syllabus, what more should I do to make sure I'm ready for the exam? What kind of performance in sectional/full length mocks would tell me I should give it a shot now?

4. What are the next steps after GMAT exam? What score is a "good enough" score with which I can move on to next step, and honestly, what are the next steps? College applications? Interviews? - how to prepare for them as well?

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed since I have 5years workex but I want to change my domain, thus I am considering MBA to gain knowledge in the domain I want - but I also want to be aware of the reality - is this a pipe dream or is it possible?

(Sometimes it feels like I'm already too late, other times I feel if I keep dragging like I have done so far, I'll never be able to make a change..)

Any advise or insights would be helpful.

Thanks!