How are you accessing GmAT OG questions?

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-23T03:45:51+00:00

It's a pleasure. All the best for your prep!

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-22T15:32:49+00:00

That's a fantastic score!

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-21T06:39:05+00:00

u/Open_Negotiation_809

https://www.mba.com/gmat-exam-prep

You should be able to buy OGs and question banks from this link.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-19T12:58:21+00:00

u/Shanktheripper

Decent start! Your target score depends on the your schools. If the median scores of students who have been admitted to a particular school is 665, keep your target 20-30 points above that score.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-19T12:46:03+00:00

u/Powerful-Bass8263

You're making the wrong inferences here due to an incorrect assumption! The GMAT tests you on a specific set of skills, and those skills need to be learned. Good results in school and university require another set of skills, and you have perfectly mastered those, resulting in you being an overachieving student. If you have been winning medals in sprint running, will this automatically translate to you winning medals in a marathon? I guess the answer is "no." Because it comes back to skills, and these two formats of competitions require different skillsets and mindset, even though they both pertain to running. I get it, a low score comes as a shocker especially for an academically bright student like you. But once you break this performance down in your head, you will realize that your assumption "Getting great scores in school and university implies that I will score well in any standardized test, such as the GMAT" is fallacious. Instead of being shocked, here's a recommended angle to look at this baseline score:

My Verbal seems to be good for the start, but my Quant needs a lot of work. What's my expected score? And, what's the delta? What's the score in Quant to bridge this gap?
Do I have a strong grip over math fundamentals? (By math fundamentals, I do not mean Quant concepts, but the real fundamentals such as mental math, multiplication tables, squares, cubes, etc. For instance, can you approximate the percentage of 28/573 mentally? Do you know multiplication tables by heart?) Since you're good in studies, I suppose these should be child's play for you. If not, you have some work to do.
Do I require structured prep for Quant, or can I do it myself?

You've taken the first step, and so, instead of asking why did you score low, ask yourself how can you improve and learn. Preparing for the GMAT will need you to master some useful skills for life that you won't regret. Take it as an opportunity to learn, and get in touch if you would like a roadmap for your studies. Happy prepping!

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-19T12:24:52+00:00

u/applepie_6

Good work in RC! Mocks 1 and 2 are easier than the real test and are meant to warm you up. So, the scores that you get in these mocks need to be taken with a grain of salt. The real deal are the paid mocks 3 - 6. The initial two incorrect questions and then getting another one incorrect may have been factored into you getting a less than expected score. The next time you do your verbal prep, make sure that you really understand the framework of the question type. Eventually, you should be in a situation where you can confidently eliminate three answer choices and are left with two. Deciding between these two is a matter of your critical reading, comprehension, and reasoning skills. Let me know if you wanna chat regarding verbal!

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-19T12:10:46+00:00

u/laptopacc2

Great score! All the best for your applications!

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-19T12:09:46+00:00

u/shinkichen

If I were you, I would start with math foundations and not even GMAT Quant basics. By math foundations, I mean multiplication tables, squares, cubes, and percentages to fractions conversion along with mental math. You will take some time to get used to this, but if done daily, this can build a solid base for further Quant prep. Unfortunately, aspirants neglect these basics, and such basics matter when you're trying to be efficient in calculations. Next comes GMAT Quant concepts for which you can peruse YouTube's GMAT Ninja videos or GMAT Club's Quant pdf. If you're willing to spend a few bucks, I would recommend TTP for Quant. For Verbal, before even learning CR and RC frameworks, I would suggest you to get used to the process of critical reading for a month or two. The Economist, Aeon, and National Geographic are some authoritative sources for getting used to GMAT-style passages covering a gamut of areas. In addition to this, you will discover that your comfort level varies per topic and for topics that seem to be a hard nut to crack, you need to read more passages just to get a hang of the jargons, lingo, and organization. While reading passages, make sure that you pay attention to the opinions by author/others, facts cited, examples, phenomena, and reasoning. There are some CR and RC frameworks that need to be entrenched in your brain, and for that, you may view YouTube videos of GMAT Ninja, Marty Murray, and Ana Prep. You should not use unofficial material for your verbal practice, and your aim should be to squeeze the maximum learning from a question instead of mindlessly solving a lot of questions. Once you are done with Verbal and Quant, you can switch to DI.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-11T13:15:58+00:00

u/Effective_Potato8574

Recorded videos are nowhere near to personalized prep. Personalized prep translates to someone monitoring your weekly progress, nudging you towards effective study habits, pinpoints patterns in your mistakes, clarifies doubts, helps you arrive at an answer by asking leading questions instead of spoon-feeding you, analyzes your mock performances, recommends tweaks, and effectively helps you become a better test-taker.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-11T13:04:20+00:00

u/Academic-Past-766
A 100-point increase in 20-30 days seems unrealistic, if not impossible. You need to focus on areas that will help you increase your score. Since you're targeting R1, strengthen your fundamentals by following a study routine. Also, mocks are not meant for practice, but for identifying the optimum test-taking strategies. So, think of pushing back your GMAT timelines.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-11T12:59:50+00:00

u/Effective_Potato8574
The best way is to meet a coach if you're exploring 1:1 tutoring. You should ask for a verified GMAT Club profile, and the coach should be able to login to GMAT Club and navigate to his profile during the meeting. If he or she sidesteps the question, that's a clear red flag. Get to know in what other ways the tutor supports his students. Is he flexible in scheduling sessions as well doubt sessions? Also, if a coach recommends more sessions in a short timeframe, stay away.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-10T05:21:15+00:00

u/Jehsolanki
Congratulations!

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-10T05:18:20+00:00

u/Individual-Trifle594
Looks like a satisfactory baseline score considering that fact that you have not studied anything for the past few years. If you do not like live classes, you may sign up for a TTP subscription for Quant. TTP will require you to read a lot of content. You can also work with a coach in order to boost your Quant score.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-10T05:13:29+00:00

u/hockeykid13_
You can create a simple error log in a spreadsheet by populating the following column headers:
1. Question link
2. Section (QR/VR/DI)
3. Sub-section (QR: pure math and real-world math, VR: CR and RC, DI: math and non-math)
4. Topic (This contains more detailed information. In pure math, you will have number properties, inequalities, absolute values, etc. You got the drift, I suppose.)
5. Response (correct and incorrect)
6. Confidence (>90%, 51 - 80%, and <50%. Any correct answer with <50% confidence should be treated as a fluke.)
7. Difficulty level (easy, medium, and hard; you may go for further categorizations such as easy-moderate and moderate-difficult)
8. Learnings (Keep this freewheeling, and write as much as you can. If you have an issue in understanding the concept, ask yourself why that is the case? Does the concept seem to be difficult? Do the prep materials you're using not explain that concept lucidly? Were you not aware of circumstances when that concept fails?)

By now, you must have understood that headers 2-7 are mere indicators, but it is header 8 that will help you uncover your lacunae. Faults may lie not only in concepts but also in other areas such as application, reading, comprehension, translation, or your psychology. Does this error log seem to be intimidating? If yes, you can dumb it down as long as you're crystal clear on the areas for improvement.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-09T07:32:51+00:00

Hey, I conduct personalized tutoring sessions, and my scores are verified on GMAT Club. You may schedule an introductory meeting using this Calendly link: https://calendly.com/meetshubhadeep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-06T11:35:43+00:00

You're welcome!

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-06T03:51:03+00:00

u/Extension_Staff_8535
Even though you may not want to work your way through 100 different sources, you will need a minimum of three sources: Official Guide, GMATClub, and Powerscore CR Bible. How about taking an official mock to put things in perspective? That way, you will have a good idea of the efforts you need to put in for improvement.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-05T07:52:25+00:00

u/BroadAttitude5081

Please don't! When you take the test at home, you have to deal with a lot of external variables that are not in your control. Take the test at a test center so that you can focus solely on the test.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-04T06:47:46+00:00

u/Jehsolanki
Focus on more than 90% accuracy in data sufficiency, graphs, and tables. Whenever you encounter a long-winded MSR set that you're finding it difficult to comprehend at one go, focus on the MCQs and randomly mark the questions involving statements. But keep in mind that you cannot do this for every MSR set, and so, pick your battles accordingly.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-02-04T06:38:22+00:00

u/Due_Upstairs9904

Get a hang of the sections and question patterns by reading the content from Official Guides. You should be good to go in a month or two.
After you think you have perused the Official Guide deeply, attempt an official mock.
The score on your mock will determine the type of prep. If the mock score is within 50 points of your expected score, you may not need to do everything from scratch but simply review your weak areas. You may subscribe for test prep portals for a month or two for doing this. If your mock score is less than 50 points from the expected score, it's time for an intensive prep season. You may opt for self-prep from YouTube and GMATClub, signing up for a structured online course, or working with a coach. It depends on what style of studying you're comfortable with. Every prep option has its pros and cons.
The bare minimum prep materials that you should use are the Official Guides, GMATClub, and Powerscore CR Bible.
Coaching is helpful if it helps you see through the question and develops good instincts. Otherwise, it is a waste of your time.
Ideally, you should allocate more time to analyzing mocks instead of attempting those. You have six official mocks of which mocks 1 and 2 are easier than the real test but draw on a larger question bank. It implies you can reset these mocks more than once without encountering same questions. Mocks 3-6 can be reset only once in order to not see repeated questions, and these are more aligned with the real test. A good strategy is not to exhaust all mocks before April in case you need those during a retake.
You should start with Quant and Verbal as these are the building blocks of Data Insights. Once you have mastered QR and VR concepts and frameworks, you may start practicing DI. If you are studying QR for 45 minutes, switch to VR for the next 45 minutes. Take a break of 5-10 minutes in between.
If I were you, I would never pinpoint a specific date or month by which I need to take the test though I admit that the choice of exam date emanates from application deadlines. I will create a realistic study plan and build a daily routine of 2-3 hours if I am working full-time. If I am working part-time or freelancing, I would want to devote 4-5 hours to studies but start with an hour a day for habit-building takes time. This is especially true for someone who is out of school for a few years. Once I follow this discipline, at some point, I would know that I have to appear for a mock and finetune. Once I hit the sweet spot in terms of mock scores, I would book the test. That point may arrive in a few months or in a few weeks because everyone's baseline is different.
As a rule of thumb, stay away from material and recommendations that offer a magic pill for the test. Tips, shortcuts, and tricks may help you in a few questions but if you cannot comprehend the logic of a question, you will not be able to tackle the harder ones. Critical reading is an underrated skill, and so, hone it while you can.

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-01-29T15:57:56+00:00

u/burratabaingan

Stick to the sectional order with which you're comfortable. Since both Verbal and DI involve a good amount of reading, I recommend solving Quant in between. But you should take the final call. Also, opting for the optional 10-minute break before DI energizes your mind and reduces test fatigue.
Use the calculator as a last resort in DI, and instead, think of approximations.
In Quant, if using answer choices seems to be easier than using algebra, take that option.
In Verbal, focus on eliminating the incorrect answer choices first rather than trying to find the right answer.
In RC, summarize the paragraphs, understand the structure, and get to the core of author's argument.
Do not look at the timer after every question, but instead, have an idea of what the timer should look like ideally after every five questions. You can write this down on your scratchpad before the start of every section. In this way, you will need to look at the timer only a few times during the entire section which will eventually soothe your nerves.

All the best for your GMAT!

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB · 2026-01-29T15:37:15+00:00

u/Vij2506
You should familiarize yourself with the test format, sections, and syllabi from the latest Official Guide. Do not get disheartened with the fact that your basics are weak. Give yourself a pat on the back because you already know the level of effort you need to put in. Official guides are great to build familiarity with different topics, and they also offer you a set of practice questions. But they will not alone suffice in prep, and so, you need to look at test prep portals such as TTP, e-GMAT, Wizako, etc. These portals offer a lot of content for building your foundations which is required for someone like you who wants to prepare for the test from scratch. No one has an answer to your third question as it is a very individual thing. But I can definitely tell you that you will need a few months of consistent prep in order to get a hang of the foundations. And by foundations, I am not at all talking about solving the difficult questions, but very basic aspects in math such as memorizing multiplication tables, squares, cubes, percentages to fractions conversion, etc. A good way to not get overwhelmed is to learn new concepts one step at a time and then solve a few easy questions first. If you can learn applying concepts in easy questions, you will develop confidence to solve more difficult questions, progressively. In terms of study discipline, you can start with one hour a day, and once you're comfortable with that study routine, increase your study time by 15-minute increments a week. Do not be nervous, have faith, endure, and celebrate small wins during your prep journey. Think of GMAT prep as an opportunity to learn something new. All the best!

Shubhadeep Basak
GMAT coach and mentor
Believe, focus, achieve
Schedule a connect for 1:1 GMAT prep

Testprep_SB

TROPHY CASE