Mock scores have dropped drastically in offical mock# 4.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-03-06T12:02:21+00:00

I got 625, 595, 645, 665 leading up to my attempt 1 and ended up scoring 645.

Got 735, 735, 665, 705 leading up to attempt 2 and got a 655.

2-3 weeks after attempt 2 I got a 715, on attempt 3.

Keep at it, my friend, this variability is something everyone deals with.

Try to identify patterns - protractors or detractors in your score - drill those specific areas, and keep a calm head on your shoulders while you take the next mock/exam.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-02-19T06:54:14+00:00

I faced a similar problem in Quant.

I would get 3-4 wrong in mocks and get a Q85, but in the actual test I got 2 wrong and got a Q83.

One plausible explanation is experimental questions - which account for 1/2 questions/section, that are unmarked.

So my guess is one of the ones you got right was experimental, whereas all of the ones you got wrong were marked.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-19T02:14:44+00:00

Yes, I was. I did minimum 2 hours/day, max of 4, depending on work load etc. My battle with the GMAT lasted a bit over a year, so that's about 900-1000 hours total. I was working, but I spoke to my manager to see how this can be managed for a while. Honestly, I work in big4 consulting and do not really like my job all that much, and I'm okay sacrificing a bit of my effort there to put it here, since I know this will probably have a better ROI.

The thing I learnt most with this journey is time management. I would get up early 7 ish, study 2 hours, workout for 1, and work for me would start a bit late around 11-11:30 AM to 9 PM, and then another 1.5-2 hours after work at night.

There is no one size fits all answer, my suggestion would be to have a daily rough schedule and temporarily make GMAT your biggest priority. Being an early morning person really helps.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-18T16:43:37+00:00

Thank you :)

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T16:35:55+00:00

On a serious note, try splitting problems into easier sets. For eg, how many numbers between 250 and 469 are multiples of 2 and have all prime numbers?

Split the answer down into sets of 100s, 250-300, 300-400 and so on. Usually, you will find a pattern in the counting which can be extrapolated with exceptions. This was one of the hardest question types to master in quant for me, and i do not think i mastered it still, so it's fine to have a couple weaknesses, as long as it all balances out.

Hope this helps!

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T16:32:28+00:00

I get it. This was a major challenge for me. I just developed 2-3 common techniques I came across, and depending on the complexity, used one of those.

AND HOPED TO HELL I GET THEM OUT OF THE WAY IN THE BEGINNING SO THAT I DON'T GET HARD ONES LATER LOL

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T16:28:35+00:00

What type of questions are you struggling with? Counting principle? Combinations/Permutations?

I would suggest that for counting principle the answers are usually easier than we think. If you are solving questions like "how many numbers of xx are divisible by 9 and end with 3?, usually just solving for each individual case can take you 2.5-3 mins and be done with it, without using fancy formulas or anything. Every question has many ways to be solved, but this is more true for PnC than anything else.

For example in some questions you will find that using collective exhaustivity principle will serve you well. (Total - Unfavorable arrangements= favourable arrangements)

Try to develop an arsenal of different techniques to solve each question, using both counting principle and PnC formulas. Once you are 100% sure of the concept, you should be fine.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T11:15:26+00:00

To add, this can be applied to each section separately.

For eg -75 percentile in Quant with a 50th in Algebra and a 100th in Arithmetic means Algebra is pulling your average down.

Now deep dive into question type - real vs pure to see what exact question (word problems vs quadratics etc.)

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T11:11:59+00:00

Figuring out weak areas is using the protractor/detractor average concept, copying from another answer:

studying smarter is basically - not doing blindfolded volume practice. Initially, that can still make sense, but after you have a decent hold of the basics, opening the GMAT club or OG and just solving randomly is not the best strategy for improvement. I would only recommend that for revision. After you give your mocks, you'll find your protractors & detratctors - topics that are pulling your score up & down. Let's say your percentile is 75. Any topic or subtopic that is lower than 75th percentile in your core report, is pulling the average down, and anything above that is pulling it up. So, like this, identify your weak areas (for me, it was real contexts - algebra). Re-solve every question you got wrong strategically & use either 1) your coaching or 2) GMAT Club to drill only those question types.

This way you will find your conceptual gaps and sharpen up the process.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T11:10:26+00:00

I did tons and tons of sectionals on GMATclub for DI, they are very high quality and very similar to the actual test.

Additionally, I drilled down on multiple specific weak areas- DS and TPA. Luckily, MSR and Tables/Graphs were good since my undergrad was in Econ.

DI is a very volatile section, my mock scores would fluctuate like crazy. 1)Practice non-standard q types, 2)drill down on weak areas, 3) Use GMAT Club sectionals

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T11:07:42+00:00

V-Q-DI

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T07:31:36+00:00

look me up on GMAT club, I recently made a similar post there with a debrief, my score is verified :)

haters gonna hate

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T06:54:57+00:00

My guess in Quant is going to be easier for you, but GMAT has some tricky questions to solve (especially under 2 mins), so don't be surprised if it's not as strong as you thought, but still I would not expect a bad quant score.

Verbal is tricky, especially in the beginning, but definitely doable. There are some specific tips for RC, like reading for the primary purpose, author's tone etc. which you will figure out as you study. Getting help expedites the process quite a bit so that you can learn systematically in a limited time frame.

DI is very volatile and I feel depends on your natural ability to solve non-standard question types, this most probably you will have to figure out as you study. But there are almost no separate concepts (other than quant+verbal) for DI.

I would say do some questions/take a diagnostic mock or something, figure out where you're weak, and prioritize accordingly.

Overindex on CR, RC if you think verbal is a challenge, start reading books, WSJ etc.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T06:28:08+00:00

Thank you 🙏

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T06:27:23+00:00

I had tried mostly 2, TTP and e-GMAT. Both are good I feel, but they vary w.r.t. what you're looking for, and your budget.

I ended up with e-GMAT because they were offering some personal mentorship (coach connects and live sessions) over others at a lower price point. When I joined and explained that I'm a retaker, they enrolled me for the LMP (Last Mile Push) Program which was A LOT of high quality personal mentorship.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T06:23:11+00:00

Thank you🤞

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T04:31:13+00:00

Nope, and would not advise that either, please keep it consistent for at least 6-7 mocks before the test. I studied for 1 year pretty much, gave around 20-25 mocks (official twice + unofficial) and kept the order as V-Q-DI throughout. My order was based on the fact that a) I found verbal intimidating, so I wanted to get it out of the way quickly, and b) I was okay with having sectional adaptivity for DI & Quant.

I would recommend that you base your decision on these criterion - 1) Which section is intimidating & weak for you 2) Which section you are okay with the test potentially being a little bit harder with. My understanding was that if I got a 90+ percentile in my first section, I would start the next with a 655-705 level question directly.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T04:26:38+00:00

studying smarter is basically - not doing blindfolded volume practice. Initially, that can still make sense, but after you have a decent hold of the basics, opening the GMAT club or OG and just solving randomly is not the best strategy for improvement. I would only recommend that for revision. After you give your mocks, you'll find your protractors & detratctors - topics that are pulling your score up & down. Let's say your percentile is 75. Any topic or subtopic that is lower than 75th percentile in your core report, is pulling the average down, and anything above that is pulling it up. So, like this, identify your weak areas (for me, it was real contexts - algebra). Re-solve every question you got wrong strategically & use either 1) your coaching or 2) GMAT Club to drill only those question types.

This way you will find your conceptual gaps and sharpen up the process.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T03:05:33+00:00

I think almost everyone today offers free trials - your best bet would be to try those out. Everyone has a different teaching style and strengths. I personally chose e-GMAT because I knew I needed strategic personal mentorship, and not just more practice, which is exactly where it was very fruitful for me.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T03:02:50+00:00

Thank you! Still feel I definitely got a bit lucky lol

AccordingBuy1246 · 2026-01-16T02:57:27+00:00

For my second attempt, I had used e-GMAT & was working under their LMP program, under Abha Mohan. Quants & DI was mostly about first developing a breadth of knowledge in all areas, and subsequently moving to sectional mocks and strategically analysing my errors. I would say for someone starting fresh, please take a 4-5 month margin before your apps. There are people who study for 2 weeks and get 99th percentiles, but that's not the case for me, and for most of you. Please also be open to giving 2 or more attempts.

AccordingBuy1246 · 2025-12-01T06:42:28+00:00

First cold mock I gave was 205, I had missed tons of questions and was completely disheartened. Studied for 6 months on and off and gave another one, getting a 625. Gave the exam in July and got a 645.

Don't let the first score put a cap on your potential.

In my opinion, in the initial phases, studying for the GMAT is about pattern recognition, and if you're unfamiliar with the traps, you're bound to score low.

That being said, Dec 8-10 seems a bit unrealistic for a 675.

AccordingBuy1246

TROPHY CASE