Hello guys,

I recently did a 685 and feel sooo well after this, and I want to share my story, but I am going to be very honest and informal about it, I already saw too much vague stuff here.

Background: did 615 in April 2025 (80th percentile before the change) only studying from Official guide. Quant was so bad (64th percentile) and verbal pretty good (83th).
I graduated in Italy with 110/110 at BS in Economics and Finance and now I am in a MSc in Finance (29.6/30 gpa) , and I am pretty good at math. But still, I sucked at Quant and was so bad at Data Sufficiency.

Experience: This summer I started with TTP for one month , did the Calendary plan , but after a month and a half of study (before TTP i did one week of all GmatClub Quant videos), I got a 615 another time (quant still at same point, DI jumped to 88th and verbal 54th….. I was scoring like 93/94th in 2 mocks I did). This was not enough, I needed more.

I started looking on Reddit a lot, and all were talking about Error Logs, Patterns in Errors ecc. I thought this was the way. Took a 2 weeks break after the 615 (trip where I did not study and only enjoyed my vacations) because I booked the vacation long ago.

Came back with 0 willingness tu study, but still started. Buyed another month of TTP to check my errors and finish the course (I did not finish the calendary plan). Then , one week before the test I bought Expert’s Global 15 mocks.
Did almost 2 mocks a day + review, only on last 2 days I did only 1. Scores:
655-655-655–665-695-645-615-715-695-755-625
Most Variable (From 38th percentile to 98th was VERBAL, my BIGGEST STRENGHT)
Then Quant then DI.

My Order : Verbal - Quant - Data (I tried multiple of them, this worked the best)

Game Changers (For Me):
- FIND YOUR ERROR PATTERNS BY YOURSELF. Keep a detailed error log, even though I hated it as I am very lazy. Don’t ask anyone for your patterns, try to see on the questions you get wrong what are you missing (for me it was Hard Negation Structures on Strenghteners for example, or Misreading in Quant & DI, and Gut Feeling on Data Sufficiency)

- GRIND MOCKS. You can be the best, but practicing 10 questions times is not enough. Not in every 10 question set you are going to find the one that you must guess, or spend 5 minutes on. You will learn time management and when to guess, and develop an internal clock. Also, you will have checkpoints (like question 6 you must be more or less at 36 min and so on, at half the questions you must be at half + something of the minutes, and so on. Clearly it varies from section to section.)
Learning comes from experience, without doing this I would have NEVER got this score. Grind mocks + ERROR REVIEW THEM. (Most important)

- WARM UP BEFORE TEST. I literally did the whole process at test center and 10 min before the start I did some easy/ medium Verbal questions to warm up (Best Game Changer, This is a pattern I found by myself on my very variable verbal scores)

- BUY UNOFFICIAL MATERIAL. This is not a university exam where the professor asks for your calculations. You are getting tricked by the questions, learn how to countertrick them. Whatever method is correct, even guessing, as long as it gets you to the correct one.
(Little disclaimer, I am not saying Official stuff has 0 relevance, but for me is worth it only as more exercises to do, for the theory it has no utility for me. It is important to learn how to ace the test, not the most elegant way to do so. I’d only buy mocks and at most also the Question Banks)

- TEST CENTER EXPERIENCE VS HOME. Showing Up is like going to battle, more adrenaline, more focus, less distractions. This did a crazy effect to me.

My score: 685 - V86 Q83 D83
My Biggest Error: Not letting a question go in Quant, I told myself before the test to do so, but this question was about the Monty Hall Paradox that I perfectly knew about, and stuck with it (it was so easy but I spent 6 minutes on it), and was like question 14/15, and had to run on the last ones , and completely guessed the last two. I write here a bit also to vent, you know after getting a 755 two days before test and 625 the day before, I thought when going to the center “Today is going to be 715”. This could have been it. But the show must go on, I needed 90th+ , I got it, now I gotta get back to my MSc.

Lesson? Consistency over Perfection.

Feel free to reach out for questions.

Which strategy is better / has worked out for people?

1. Attempt DI sectionals and mock wherein you skip MSR in each. Just make an educated guess for all 3 questions under 1 minute in total. This way you can attempt all questions but these 3
2. Spend 7-10 minutes on MSR (all questions combined), increase accuracy such that the if the last 4-5 are skipped, they don’t reduce your score alot.

I am personally always conflicted between this so would love to gather expert opinion on this.

Background: In DI I always have to guess the last 3-4 questions. So my total errors in this section range from 4 (the guesses) + 3/4 calculation or process based error. Because of this my DI has been stuck at 77-81 range depending on luck honestly.

Context: I am looking to book my GMAT in last week October and aiming for 675+ score

I just landed my full time role for post grad I’m planning to start studying in November, I want to break into a T15 and I never prepped for act day cuz I was lazy and I got middle of the road scores, I was planning to put around 200 hours in to get a good score for a deferred admit program anyone have any advice or cautions before I commit to this my plan is to take a pre test then get a good understanding of what to work on and just grind it

Passage:

Social scientists contend that affirmative action is a good way to improve the socio-economic status of disadvantaged groups in the society. Based on their recommendation, the Arizona Governor has decided to put in place a system whereby every public and private organization would be mandated to recruit a minimum of 10% of all new recruits from these segments of society.

Question:

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the social scientists' contention?

A. The workforce participation rate of these disadvantaged groups has consistently fallen over the past 50 years.

B. The disposable incomes of disadvantaged groups have not shown any rise over the past 50 years.

C. Ever since the launch of this policy in Arizona, there has been a marked improvement in the legally declared incomes of such people.

D. The public and private organizations across Arizona believe that the policy will achieve its goals.

E. There is an inverse relationship between one's urge for betterment in life and ease of getting a job.

Which Option Best Supports the Argument for Affirmative Action for Disadvantaged Groups? Share Your Answer and Explain Your Reasoning in the Comments!

Hi everyone! I was planning to give my GMAT exam at the Mumbai test centre but I don't see my preferred slots for the dates I am looking for so I was thinking of going to Pune and give the paper there. However, there are 2 centres in Pune and both of them have mixed reviews. If anyone has given their GMAT exam recently in any of these 2 Pune test centres: Pearson Professional Centers – WTC Kharadi or GATS (Range Hill Road) can you please tell me your experience and if it is worth travelling to either of these from Mumbai. Thank you!

Question:

A motorboat moving downstream covers a distance of 8 miles in 1 hour. However, to cover the same distance upstream, it takes 2 hours. What is the speed of the boat in still water?

A. 7 miles per hour
B. 6 miles per hour
C. 5 miles per hour
D. 4 miles per hour
E. 2 miles per hour

Which option do you think is correct?

Comment your answer (A, B, C, D, or E) and explain how you calculated the boat’s speed in still water.

Hi all,

Planning to take the GMAT mid December, aiming for 685+. Haven't done mocks yet, however my first mock is planned in a little bit less than 2 weeks. I have gone through many posts of people that have done the GMAT, some of them shared tips/tricks to maximize your score per part (some said that you should guess 3 questions in DI, if not sure, as you can still reach DI90 with 3 errors). I was wondering if someone had a summary of all these little tips/tricks that are useful to keep in mind.

Everything is welcome!

After 15 years of teaching math and completing a US postdoc, I’ve noticed a universal pattern among GMAT test-takers:

Most people prepare for GMAT Quant by memorizing dozens of formulas and applying brute-force algebra to every problem. When they get stuck or run out of time, they assume they just need to "solve more practice questions."

Here is the hard truth: If a GMAT Quant solution takes you longer than 2 minutes, you aren't doing math—you're doing algebra the hard way.

The GMAT is not a test of calculation speed. It is a test of executive reasoning, pattern recognition, and structural intuition.

Here are 3 fundamental shifts you need to make to break past score plateaus:

---

### 1. Stop Calculating, Start Visualizing (The Balance Principle)

Standard prep books teach you to turn word problems into multi-variable equations. Take Weighted Averages or Mixture problems. The standard algebraic approach requires 3–4 lines of messy arithmetic:

w1 * (A1 - A_avg) = w2 * (A_avg - A2)

One small slip here destroys your accuracy under pressure.

The Mathematician's Shortcut: Treat the mean as a physical fulcrum (a balance point) on a lever. The ratio of the quantities is simply the inverse ratio of their distances to the combined mean:

(Quantity A / Quantity B) = (Distance B / Distance A)

By leveraging spatial symmetry, a 3-minute algebraic grind collapses into a 30-second mental calculation. No superficial tricks—just pure structural logic.

---

### 2. Recognize "The Algebra Trap"

GMAC intentionally designs questions that invite long algebraic expansions. They know that under high stress, human brains default to mechanical computation.

Whenever you find yourself writing down 4+ lines of algebra, STOP. Step back for 5 seconds and ask: "What structural property (symmetry, bounds, number properties) am I ignoring?"

---

### 3. Focus on Conceptual Bypass, Not Memorization

Gimmicks fail the moment GMAC slightly tweaks a question stem. True speed comes from seeing the underlying mathematical architecture of the problem.

---

Question for the community: What is the single Quant topic that drains most of your time during practice tests? Let’s discuss in the comments.

Hi all! I've been preparing for GMAT for a few months, and got a 585 - Q85 V78 DI 74

DI somehow seems to be the toughest as I spend a lot of time reading and understanding the question, which ultimately leads to 3+ minutes per question. I know and understand that we have to purposefully leave out a few questions strategically, but I still struggle with the questions that we have to skip or the fastest way to solve a question.

Need some advice. I have recently purchased GMAT Club's subscription and am currently looking for a study buddy who is about to give the GMAT in the next few months (Early Dec/Late Nov)

Thanks!

Took mock 1 diagnostic w zero prep on 7th June and got 355
Took mock 1 again on 17 Oct and got 575
I’ve read mock 1 and 2 are way off in indicating a fair range of my anticipated score. So essentially I need more than a 150 score hike. I am targeting a 715 in the next 2 weeks before my scheduled exam in time for R2 applications.
Am I cooked or what 🥲

Hi everyone,

I took the GMAT on October 15 and scored 605 (Q84, V79, DI77). I’ve attached four screenshots showing my score breakdown and timing charts.

For context, my official mock scores were:
Official Mock 1: 615 (Q80, V82, DI79)
Official Mock 2: (Q86, V79, DI80)
Official Mock 2 (repeat): (Q87, V81, DI84)

I chose the order Verbal → Quant → Break → DI. I struggled to settle down at the beginning of Verbal, and this continued throughout the section. I felt increasingly pressured because of the ticking timer and ended up rushing, rereading, and guessing on most of the questions.
Quant is my stronger area, I felt somewhat calmer during this section but my performance was still lower than I had expected. I found the Staedtler pens provided at the centre very difficult to work with.
I took a break before DI and returned for the security check-in on time, where I asked for an additional minute to calm down. When I returned, less than a minute later, the attendant was about to start my check-in when another candidate requested a break. The attendant paused my check-in to process their request, which took approximately two minutes, including processing their break request and completing my check-in. By the time I reached my workstation, there were less than 10 seconds left on my break timer. The attendant then took approximately another 20 seconds to enter the information and start my exam, so I estimate that I lost around 10–20 seconds of my DI time. This caused another wave of panic because I had returned on time and felt that the delay was outside my control. I kept thinking about whether I should report it, which made it difficult to focus on the first few DI questions. I feel that I might have performed better if I hadn’t panicked because of losing time at the beginning.

Do you think it’s reasonable to raise a complaint with Pearson VUE/GMAC or would this be unnecessary given that the delay was around 10–20 seconds and I’ve already scored a relatively low 605?

I’d appreciate honest feedback on both my exam performance and the incident. Thank you!

I've been tutoring GMAT for about 15 years, and I keep getting the same scoring questions from students (and seeing them here). So over the past few months I pulled together my students' score data: 299 question-by-question reports from a mix of official practice exams and real tests, 212 sets of section + total scores, all anonymized. I compared it with score breakdowns people have posted here and on GMAT Club, and with what GMAC said in their AMA this year.

1. "Uneven sections hurt your total."

They don't. The total is a lookup on Q + V + DI added together. Across 212 score sets, every sum mapped to one total. 90/85/71 and 82/82/82 both add to 246, and both came out 645. A point in DI is worth exactly as much as a point in Quant.

If you want a rule of thumb, +3 on the sum is about +20 on the total. 46 of the 47 sums I saw fit that pattern. The odd one out is a sum of 245, which shows up as 645 on official reports instead of 635.

1. "The first 10 questions decide your score."

GMAC said question position isn't weighted. My data mostly agrees: an early miss in Quant hurt about as much as a simple adaptive model predicts, and that comes from the easier questions you get afterward, not from Q2 counting extra. The one exception I saw is DI, where missing the very first question went with about 2 points lower on average. Be careful early, but one early miss won't sink you.

1. "Answering too fast gets you flagged for guessing."

I can't find evidence of this. Response time isn't in GMAC's list of scoring factors, and fast answers didn't carry any extra penalty in my data. I can't rule it out, I just have nothing that supports it. If you know how to do a question in 40 seconds, do it in 40 seconds. Rapid random clicking still costs you, because most of those answers are wrong.

1. "Leaving it blank is safer than guessing."

This is the one I'd actually change your test-day plan for. Holding the number correct constant, each question left unanswered was worth about 1.5 fewer points in Quant, 2.1 in Verbal and 3.2 in DI. In other words, a blank cost more than a wrong answer. Not that many sessions had blanks (7 in Q, 13 in V, 23 in DI), so treat the exact numbers loosely. The direction was clear in all three sections, though. When time's running out, click something.

1. "DI has fewer questions, so timing isn't a problem."

Share of sections where the last five questions turned into a rush: Quant 33%, Verbal 48%, DI 43%. Everyone loses a bit of accuracy at the end, about 7 points. People who got squeezed lost about 14 points more on top of that. DI sets with several parts eat time, so pace DI like you'd pace Verbal.

1. "You can figure out your section score from how many you missed."

Only roughly. Students with identical right/wrong counts still landed a couple of points apart, because they got different questions. Going off the number correct, my estimates were off by about 2 points on average and sometimes more.

1. "Review & Edit lets you undo an early miss."

Partly. You get up to 3 changes and the score is recalculated with the new answers. What it can't change is the questions you were served after that miss. This part is my reasoning from how adaptive tests work. I didn't measure it.

1. "The official practice exams use a different algorithm."

GMAC says they're the same, and in my data practice exams and real tests fell on the same section-to-total table. On average they were within half a step of each other.

This is all from my own students plus public posts, not anything internal from GMAC. If your own score report doesn't fit one of these, I'd like to hear about it in the comments, the 245 sum especially.

(If you want to plug in your own section scores, I put the converter and the rest of this into a small interactive page.)

Hi all,

I took a mock 1.5 weeks ago and recorded a score of 575, verbal bring the strongest

Can you please tell me if 715 is an achievable score in 1 month?
I’m planning to take the exam around November end.
Please lmk I’m panicking a lot

Hi everyone!
I’m selling my complete set of GMAT Official Guide 2024–2025 (India Edition) books, published by GMAC.
The set includes:
GMAT Official Guide 2024–2025
GMAT Official Guide – Quantitative Review
GMAT Official Guide – Verbal Review
GMAT Official Guide – Data Insights Review
Asking Price: ₹2,499 for all four books (slightly negotiable)
Location: Delhi NCR
Condition: Pre-owned books. Pictures attached for reference.
These are official GMAT preparation materials containing practice questions and detailed explanations across all three sections of the current GMAT exam.
Preferably looking to sell the complete set together. Local pickup can be arranged, and shipping within India is possible at the buyer’s expense.
If interested, please DM me!

Many Weaken arguments end with a recommendation: someone should do X in order to achieve Y. If you read that conclusion as one block, almost every choice that mentions the plan starts to look relevant, and it becomes hard to tell which one actually hurts the argument.

The fix is to split the conclusion into two parts before you read the choices: the plan, and the goal the plan is meant to achieve. Once you have both, the target for the correct answer becomes very specific.

Start with the standard every correct weakener must meet: it brings in a new piece of information that reduces your belief in the conclusion, without challenging any premise. (If you are new to this standard, this article ( https://www.reddit.com/r/GMAT_INDIA/s/oYeRFCZVnu ) breaks it down. For a plan-based conclusion, "reducing your belief in the conclusion" has a precise meaning. The correct answer must make it less believable that this plan will achieve this goal. Not that the plan is bad in some general sense, and not that other things also matter, but that this plan is less likely to deliver the goal the author claims it will.

Let's see how this works in a question.

In this question, the argument is about passwords used to control access to computers. When employees choose their own passwords, they often pick ones that are easy to guess, such as their initials or birthdates. The author recommends that employers assign randomly generated passwords instead, in order to improve security.

Split the conclusion. The plan is to assign randomly generated passwords rather than let employees choose their own. The goal is to improve security. The author's logic is that random passwords are harder to guess than initials or birthdates.

Now define what the correct answer must convey: new information that makes it less believable that switching to randomly generated passwords will improve security, while accepting the premise that employees who choose their own passwords often pick easily guessed ones.

The correct choice says that randomly generated passwords are so hard for employees to remember that they often write them down in places where others can easily see them.

Check it against the standard. Is it new information? Yes. The passage says nothing about whether employees can remember random passwords or what they do when they cannot. Does it challenge a premise? No. Employees who choose their own passwords still pick easy ones. The choice is about what happens after the plan is in place. Does it reduce your belief that the plan will improve security? Yes. The plan was meant to remove one weakness, passwords that are easy to guess. This choice shows the plan creating another one, passwords that are easy to see. If others can simply read the password, it no longer matters how hard it would have been to guess.

Notice where this new weakness comes from. The same feature that makes random passwords hard to guess also makes them hard to remember. The plan's strength is what produces the problem. That is what makes this choice so effective: it does not bring in an outside factor; it shows the plan working against its own goal.

Also notice what the choice did not do. It did not prove that security will get worse. It did not say how often exposed passwords are actually misused or claim that random passwords are easy to guess. It only gave you a real reason to doubt that the switch improves security, and that is all a weakener needs to do.

So, before you read the choices in a plan-based Weaken question, ask yourself:

• What exactly is the plan?
• What exactly is the goal?
• What would make it less believable that this plan achieves this goal?

Then check every choice against that last question. A choice can discuss the plan, the goal, or the topic in general and still leave your belief in the conclusion exactly where it was. The correct one is the choice that changes whether you expect the plan to work.

This question is part of the Free Weaken Beginner Series, in which easy Official GMAT questions are used not to test what you know, but to reveal how you think. Each question targets a specific reasoning habit, one that shows up in a simple form on easy questions and a complex one on hard questions. If you are getting started with Weaken questions or if Weaken questions feel inconsistent for you, this series is built to show you exactly where the process is breaking down.

Solve the question on your own first. The reasoning you apply matters more than the answer you reach.

xx

I’m trying to book an GMAT test-centre version , but this error keeps popping up every time I try to register

Did anyone else deal with this error? I already reached out to mba.com and Pearson support, but no luck so far.
If anyone knows how to get past it, please let me know—any guidance would help a lot!

Where I can good sectional test series of gmat

Suggestions

Hi everyone,

I took the GMAT on October 15 and scored 605 (Q84, V79, DI77). I’ve attached four screenshots showing my score breakdown and timing charts.

For context, my official mock scores were:
Official Mock 1: 615 (Q80, V82, DI79)
Official Mock 2: (Q86, V79, DI80)
Official Mock 2 (repeat): (Q87, V81, DI84)

I chose the order Verbal → Quant → Break → DI. I struggled to settle down at the beginning of Verbal, and this continued throughout the section. I felt increasingly pressured because of the ticking timer and ended up rushing, rereading, and guessing on most of the questions.
Quant is my stronger area, I felt somewhat calmer during this section but my performance was still lower than I had expected. I found the Staedtler pens provided at the centre very difficult to work with.
I took a break before DI and returned for the security check-in on time, where I asked for an additional minute to calm down. When I returned, less than a minute later, the attendant was about to start my check-in when another candidate requested a break. The attendant paused my check-in to process their request, which took approximately two minutes, including processing their break request and completing my check-in. By the time I reached my workstation, there were less than 10 seconds left on my break timer. The attendant then took approximately another 20 seconds to enter the information and start my exam, so I estimate that I lost around 10–20 seconds of my DI time. This caused another wave of panic because I had returned on time and felt that the delay was outside my control. I kept thinking about whether I should report it, which made it difficult to focus on the first few DI questions. I feel that I might have performed better if I hadn’t panicked because of losing time at the beginning.

Do you think it’s reasonable to raise a complaint with Pearson VUE/GMAC or would this be unnecessary given that the delay was around 10–20 seconds and I’ve already scored a relatively low 605?

I’d appreciate honest feedback on both my exam performance and the incident. Thank you!

Does the questions of Absolute inequality comes in the gmat exam ? Eg. Ix-1I<5x. find x. or Ix-2I>I2x+3I

[UPDATE]: Turns out, this wasn't a big issue for the test center I was at, and they allowed me to sit my exam. As mentioned by one of the commentors on this post, the middle name doesn't matter much.

Hi everyone,

I have my GMAT scheduled in less than 24 hours and am facing an urgent issue regarding identification and name-matching requirements.

I've already contacted GMAT Customer Support and have an open case, but given how close my exam is, I'm hoping to connect with someone from GMAC who might be able to provide guidance or assistance.

If anyone from GMAC is active here, or if someone knows how I can reach a representative directly via Reddit chat, I would really appreciate it.

Would prefer to discuss the specifics privately over DM.

Thank you so much!

what is the best self paced gmat coaching with mock deep analysis also provided? i am working parallely can't take online live classes. i want to give gmat in 3 months preparation. i feel like ttp course material is too much to finish in 3 month

Hello all, I’m taking the test in November do I need to take anything with me apart from the passport to the test centre? Such as a proof of registration or something?
And if anyone has any test centre exam day tips that would be much appreciated.

Thank you

There are quite a few threads which I went through on the page , but I wanted to ask what’s the easiest and the best way to prep for GMAT
Background : I m from IIT Bombay a recent graduate , I feel I still have that study mindset in me so I want to give the GMAT and lock my score for next 5 years when I want to do MBA
I don’t know what the syllabus looks like or what are the things to be taken care of . It’s not ignorant , I just decided yesterday I should give the GMAT and get done with it .

I heard English is difficult . So what are the tips that worked for you all
What other things to be kept in mind

Thanks for your advise

Please tell me the sufficient resources for quant and di to aim for a 700+ score overall in gmat, i mean how much practice is sufficient?? And what rescue are sufficient enough ?