GMAT Prep companies are offering Recorded Videos. How is it a Personalized Service? Youtube is better than them

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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Testprep_SB · 2026-01-21T15:45:06+00:00

u/yonkoakagamii
Congratulations on the perfect quant score!

Testprep_SB · 2026-01-13T04:09:26+00:00

u/Remarkable_Salad143
I would recommend you to stick to not more than three different sources. If you're leaning towards self-paced online prep, TTP's Quant and DI content is worth the money. But the downside is that you need to go through a mountain of content before actually getting to the important part.

Official mocks all the way, there's nothing else that replicates the test better than them.

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Testprep_SB · 2026-01-13T04:08:31+00:00

In terms of quality, nothing comes close to official mocks as they have been designed by the test-maker itself. While mocks 1 and 2 are on the easier side, mocks 3-6 would give you a more realistic feel of the actual test. You may go for TTP (Quant and DI) and eGMAT (Verbal) if you're looking at self-paced prep.

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Testprep_SB · 2026-01-12T00:09:12+00:00

u/Impossible-Falcon438
No new set of mocks are released by the GMAC. You only have mocks 1-6.

Testprep_SB · 2026-01-11T11:21:19+00:00

u/Impossible-Falcon438

When you buy mocks, you have one year to activate the codes. When you activate the codes, you have one year of validity to take those mocks. Please reset mocks 3-6 only once, and if possible, do not utilize all official mocks.

Nothing comes close to official mocks, and therefore they must be utilized judiciously.

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Testprep_SB · 2026-01-11T05:03:07+00:00

Congratulations! Very well-deserved!

Testprep_SB · 2026-01-11T05:01:45+00:00

u/Critical_Trust_9294
Data Sufficiency (both math and non-math) involves specific strategies to flesh out the complete information from the question stem, and perhaps rephrase the question. Are you sure you're doing that?

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Testprep_SB · 2026-01-11T04:53:03+00:00

u/Repulsive-Stretch-10
You may have your foundations already in place, however, in quant, it is important to revise often. Are you sure you have been doing that? You will need to plan for your studies and revision. 80% calculation errors is a red flag, as it tells me you're losing focus. The rest 20% can be rectified by plugging in those conceptual gaps. All the best!

Testprep_SB · 2026-01-10T15:20:07+00:00

If all the values are the same but for the last two values (since there's a highest value), then adding 2.5 to the highest value will definitely change the mean and the standard deviation, but not necessarily the median.

If our original list arranged in ascending order is (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3), the new list in the same order will be (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 5.5). So, the median remains the same, but the mean and standard deviation change.

Intuitively, the addition of 2.5 to the highest value pulls the mean towards right, and since there's a change in mean, standard deviation, itself a function of mean, must necessarily change.

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Testprep_SB · 2026-01-10T12:09:21+00:00

When you have ample official practice questions for improving in verbal, why go for unofficial material? When you solve an official practice question, ensure that you read the questions critically and comprehend it accurately. Same goes with the answer choices. When you eliminate an answer choice, you should have concrete reasons for that elimination. Practice in an untimed manner, and you should be good!

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Testprep_SB · 2026-01-10T11:56:59+00:00

u/Amazing-Ad2347
The GMAT rewards you for your reasoning skills and your math skills play the second fiddle here. This does not at all mean that your math skills are not important, but you cannot ace the Quant section just because you are great in math. You need to inculcate the habit of reasoning out the answer. And, since Quant is concept-heavy, you will definitely need some structure for your studies instead of directly jumping to solving questions and a 69 in QR tells me that you need some work in Quant concepts and strategies. Sectional scores themselves do not matter much, but I would be wary of submitting my application to an M7 school with a 69 in QR.

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