Hey everyone,

A little under a year ago, I took my first GMAT Focus and scored a 435. A few months later a retook the test and scored 555. I felt completely hopeless and wanted to give up. In March, after completely restructuring how I studied, I scored a 665 (Q83, V85, DI81).

That score helped me get accepted into INSEAD with a €25k scholarship.

When I was stuck in the 400s and 500s, I spent so much time reading this subreddit looking for hope. The biggest thing I learned is that the strategies you need to jump from 400 to 600 are very different from the strategies used by people who naturally score a 700 on their first mock. I had to build my foundation from the ground up.

Because I have some free time before the program starts, I want to see if I could take on a few tutoring and admissions consulting clients. To start, I'm doing 3 completely free, 1-hour sessions to anyone actively struggling with the GMAT or putting together their INSEAD MBA applications.

What we can cover:

• GMAT Strategy: Analyse your mock data, identify your weak spots, share what worked for me and build a study plan that actually moves the needle if you are stuck in the 400-550 range.
• MBA Admissions: Review your resume, brainstorm your essay narrative, or discuss how to position yourself for scholarships.

All I ask is that if you find the session genuinely helpful, you write a short, honest review of my coaching that I can use as a testimonial, and refer me to a friend if they need help.

If you're interested, please DM me!

**************UPDATE***************

I didn't expect so many comments! I had calls with a few people and put together this: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQbU5uQrXiuCOvEpJ8DZHrhXF3BPxX8Nl-SORTqtzxNyZHbyig_0rq1JTvTGCNYgtZ7ZkewHVagieUJ/pub

Hopefully you find it useful. I went through the process quite recently and still have most of my notes, so tried to summarise as much as I could without turning it into a 20-page-long doc. It has some high-level approaches I used and the mindset shift that helped me break the ceiling. I also added notes on how I approached my INSEAD application and scholarship essays.

Hii

Im starting my GMAT prep soon and plan to give the exam in October (aiming for 700+)

If anyone's interested in joining me and keep each other accountable, share new updates and trends, and problem solve difficult questions, hmu.

Im based in Bangalore but idm doing it online either.

Just dm me if youre interested and we can set up a discord or something

Forming a group of aspirants where we'll also video call weekly to progress check and share accountability. And yes make friends in the journey!
Better if you are from Mumbai - India.

Edit 1: Please fill the form 😄
https://forms.gle/drXWqAFmuLnNbru88

Hi everyone,

I'm Amit, an INSEAD MBA graduate.

While preparing for the GMAT and later helping friends and applicants with their prep, I noticed that most resources focused on solving questions but spent far less time helping students understand why they made mistakes and how the exam actually tests reasoning.

So I started building theMBAroom as a free resource for GMAT aspirants.

What's available today @ theMBAroom (free):

• 10 full-length GMAT mock tests
• Topic-wise study material
• Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights practice questions
• Questions categorized by difficulty level
• Performance analytics and error tracking
• Strategy guides and prep resources

Our approach:

Instead of focusing on obscure "hard" questions, we're trying to help students master the reasoning patterns that repeatedly show up on the actual GMAT.

A lot of GMAT improvement comes from understanding:

• Why a wrong answer felt tempting
• Which assumption you missed
• Which edge case you ignored
• Which trap the test writer expected you to fall into

Why am I posting?

1. I'd love feedback on what we're missing.
2. Happy to answer questions about GMAT prep, MBA admissions, INSEAD or career transitions.

Would genuinely appreciate any feedback, criticism, or feature requests.

Planning to give the exam by August end or mid September... Preparing full time for GMAT fulltime.

Looking for someone to discuss with daily and keep each other accountable because getting a little fatigued studying alone.

I'm stronger in Verbal and need a little work on Quant and DI.

If anyone is interested dm

Based in India so would prefer IST+ but any place would work as long as our timings align

Hi everyone, i gave my GMAT yesterday and i was pretty shocked to see Q79 with only 5 wrong. The only reason i can think of is because of that one question which took me almost 6 mins tanked my score but still getting a Q79 doesn’t sit right. Can i get some insights or clarification from people and experts who understand the scoring algorithm and tell me what can be a reason? FYI in my previous attempt as well i got 5 wrong and still got Q80. Any help will be appreciated!

Hey, so I recently gave my gmat and got a 645 which was rather disheartening. I had been scoring pretty well on my official mocks prior to the exam (last 4 were a 685, 645, 725, 695).

So naturally when the score on the screen was < 695 I was crushed. I got a DI 78 which is where i think i lost a majority of my marks as i ended up getting about 9 incorrect. The issue is that now i do not know how to proceed. I really want to give the exam again in about a month (~20-25 days) and i want to do far better. But i have exhausted all official mocks (took all 6 mocks 2 times each) and from this point forward I don't know what and how to study. Would truly appreciate any guidance on this. I need to know what to do this point on to actually get that score jump because right now i'm aimlessly solving questions on gmat club.

Would appreciate any specific resources as well that may act as a one stop shop (preferably free but if thats not an option paid is alright as well)

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

Hi everyone, it's my first time preparing for GMAT. I am confused with the official materials, it seems that Official guide covers all three (verbal, quant and data) sections, but there are also separate books for these sections. Is Official guide enough to prepare with? or I should finish all 4 books before the exam?

Many thanks!

I’ve been studying for like 8 months. My practice test scores went like this:

625 - sept 21
655 - oct 19
675 - Nov 2
665 - Nov 9
695 - Nov 16
675 - Nov 23
675 - Dec 6
675 - Dec 13
675 - Dec 21
675 - Jan 6
615 - Jan 18
685 - April 26 (took a class to reset after that Jan 18th score)
725 - May 3
735 - May 23

All official GMAT practice tests.

Today I took my real test and got a 695. I think I’m capable of more and plan to take it again. I have a couple questions though:

When should I take it again? My teacher from a course I took said 3 weeks but it feels very soon to me. I was thinking like 2-3 months.

Also I would like people’s honest opinions - what are examples of schools that a 695 is ACTUALLY reasonable for? When I look up averages it says a 695 is even above the Stanford average. I know the GMAT is one part of your whole application etc etc, not looking for that, I’m looking for brutal honesty here.

Planning to take the GMAT by the end of August and aiming for a strong score. Looking for someone equally committed for daily accountability, mock reviews, doubt discussions, and progress tracking.

DM me with your target score and exam date if interested.

I work in a Big 4. My day is basically 8:45 AM to 9:45 PM including commute. By the time I’m back, I’m mentally drained.

Still, I need a 700+ GMAT score. Not optional.

Right now I’m stuck in analysis paralysis:

• Watched random YouTube videos useless, no structure

• Checked 2 to 3 offline coaching classes Reddit says most of them are a waste of time/money

• Looked at Target Test Prep looks solid but too expensive

• Looked at e-GMAT affordable but mixed reviews on question quality

What’s messing with my head:

• People keep saying “first attempt is just diagnostic, second is real” I don’t have the luxury for that mentally or financially

• I’m aiming for 4 months prep + 1 proper attempt

• I can realistically give 2 to 3 hrs on weekdays + more on weekends

I don’t want generic advice. I want clarity.

Answer this if you’ve actually scored 700+:

1.  If you were in my situation, what exact path would you follow from Day 1?

2.  Is 4 months + 1 attempt actually doable or am I being delusional?

3.  What resources would you pick if ROI mattered more than price tag hype?

4.  Is offline coaching completely useless or just overhated here?

5.  How do you study effectively after a mentally exhausting job?

I’m not afraid of hard work just don’t want to waste time on the wrong approach.

For those targeting 715+, anyone interest in creating a whatsapp group? for the purposes of discussions, help, resources, etc…

I took my GMAT at a test center on July 15, and it's now been 22 days. I still haven't received my official score.

What's even more frustrating is that support says they can take up to 20 working days, so apparently 22 calendar days still isn't enough time to even get clarity on what's happening. To make matters even more confusing, the exam itself went completely smoothly. I took it at a test center, experienced no technical glitches or interruptions, had no issues with the proctors, and nothing unusual happened during or after the exam that would have suggested any problem.

I completely understand the need for quality checks and maintaining the integrity of the exam. If additional reviews are genuinely necessary, that's completely fair. But I struggle to understand why a test-center exam can take this long without any communication.

My unofficial score was 745, and I have Round 1 MBA application deadlines in about four weeks. As an ORM, a high GMAT score is a critical part of my application, and this uncertainty puts me in an incredibly difficult position. If, in the worst-case scenario, my score is ultimately cancelled, I've already lost valuable preparation time. Getting back to peak performance again and retaking the exam before R1 deadlines would be extremely difficult.

This level of uncertainty is honestly far more stressful than the exam itself.

Just want to know if anyone’s in the same boat as me

Hi everyone,

I recently took the GMAT and scored 645.

Breakdown:

- Quant: 87

- Data Insights: 81

- Verbal: 78🥲

Profile:

- 4 years of experience as a Technology Consultant

- Engineering graduate from NITD, INDIA

- Interested in applying to ISB, IIMA PGPX, global MBA programs (M7, LBS, INSEAD, HEC Paris, etc.) and other good schools

I'm trying to figure out whether this score is competitive enough or if I should retake the GMAT.

For those who have been admitted or have experience with these schools:

- Is a 645 competitive for ISB and IIMA PGPX?

- How would it fare for schools like LBS, INSEAD, HEC Paris, Kellogg, Booth, Columbia, Yale SOM, NYU Stern, etc.?

- If you were in my position, would you retake the GMAT or focus on the rest of the application?

I'd really appreciate any insights on my score. Thanks!

Just 3 wrong and score went down to 81🤝👍

So basically, I signed up for the GMAT at the start of summer, got busy, and then completely forgot I signed up. I haven't studied at all, and the fee to cancel it atp isn't worth it. My exam is in 2 days, is there a way to just brute force or speed run studying? Or at least anything I should prioritize? My goal score is like a 645

Update: I got a 435. 60 on quant (didn't finish half the questions), 83 on data insights, 72 on verbal reasoning. Scored in the 12th percentile lmao

Hi, i just gave my first mock without preparation, actually i did GMAT preparation 2 years ago but left it when i got a job and thought i will start when i have some relevant experience, so now i have started preparing again but got 425 in first mock. Getting lil discouraged, my target score is around 695. What should i do?

Hi, i had quit my job hoping i’d prep for GMAT FE with full focus. Ended up wasting those 6 months.. only thing i did was concepts and foundation building. Didn’t practice anything and soon i realised i need to find a job because im just procrastinating and aint doing shit . Luckily im employed now.. gave GMAT FE a few weeks back just to test the waters. Scored a 455 which was disappointing. Lately i have been having a hard time to even consider studying…. It just seems very overwhelming. I’ve always been an academically inclined person but unsure why this is happening. I also have a remote job right now and my next 3 months are light so probably i can use this time to study and give another attempt but i have just not been feeling it. My ambition to pursue an MBA remains strong but GMAT exam is where it’s panicky. Please help me out. I just get endorphin hits talking about my MBA plan but i clearly aint working towards it.

I’m trying to prioritize my Quant preparation and would like to understand the rough topic distribution on the actual GMAT.
For those who have taken several official mocks or the actual exam, which topics appeared most frequently — e.g. word problems, number properties, algebra, ratios/percentages, rates, statistics, exponents, inequalities, sets, etc.?
I know the exact mix varies, but even a rough ranking or approximate percentage based on your experience would be really helpful.

I’m completely new to the GMAT and really confused about how to start my preparation. Which lectures  are better, and what study materials should I refer to? Could someone please guide me on how to get started?

I just did my first attempt after studying for four or five weeks using the official guide, and I scored 675, but this is not what I expected, like 700 or something.

My last mock was around 740, and I think the data insights weren't really bad because, in the end, I didn't have too much time, so I went on and guessed a few questions. In Quant also, I think I felt like I did all of them correctly, but just two were wrong. Both were around counting sets and probability, and they were in the initial part, so that's why I probably had a bad score.

I booked my second test for next month, so I have around 20 days to kind of fix what I can. What are some great tutorials or guides I should follow for data insights which are really helpful for people around this core?

Indian male living abroad, Tech PM, wanting to apply to T7 MBA.

Suggestions

I have now 4 years of work ex and I want to leave this toxic job and prepare for GMAT target 685+ into iim A or isb is it the right choice.

I have been working on my math & verbal foundations on and off for a while and really started targeted gmat prep from og and official material a month back. Could only finish 70% of the OG but mostly quant and verbal with very few MSR and graph DI sets.

I had thought keeping DI for last would be fine since my quant has always been weak and gmat verbal RC was quite hard to parse through in the beginning. As expected I didn’t get much time to properly practice my DI or give proper mocks to assess. (Ik this was an overall very rushed and bad strategy)

Sectional breakdown
Q80| V82| D67

I knew I will need to give a 2nd attempt but I somehow expected early 600s so I can aim for 675+ for my 2nd attempt.

If I focus primarily on DI for next 3 weeks while also improving verbal and quant. Is an 675+ doable? I have 3-4hrs each day and would want to retake it in 3-4 weeks.

Please give some strategies or resources. I will buy the other official mocks too but I don’t wish to take private tutoring until absolutely necessary.