Wow, this might be impossible.

That was my first thought while staring at the result of my first GMAT Focus Edition Official Mock: 555 (53rd percentile). My Quant score was particularly brutal; Q72, putting me in just the 21st percentile. Fast forward four months later, and I walked out of the test center with a 695 (98th percentile), including Q85 (88th percentile) in Quant.

That 140-point jump didn't just help get me into one top MBA program. It got me into four: Kellogg, Booth, Haas, and Darden.

Here's the thing that most people don't understand about the GMAT Focus: most of the test is learning how to take the test, not mastering the content. This isn't to say content knowledge isn't important, it is. But even for the notoriously content-heavy quant section, the content serves as the foundation, not the answer, to a competitive score.

If you're struggling with GMAT Focus or wondering how to break through score plateaus, this post breaks down exactly how I went from middle of the pack to 98th percentile in four months of studying.

Study Timeline and Resources

Total Study Time: Approximately 4 months (September - January)

Weekly Target: 20 hours minimum

Study Schedule: Tried to get a minimum of 1 hour every day; heavy weekend sessions

September - Early October: I started with Targeted Test Prep (TTP) because of their aggressive marketing and seemingly comprehensive approach. Big mistake. After 6 weeks, I was making minimal progress and realized at my current pace, I'd need 8+ months to finish their program.

Slow Start: I was learning content but not improving at taking the test.

Set-Back (kinda): I got mono in October and couldn't study for 3.5 weeks straight. That sucked. While it stressed me out in the moment, this hiatus proved to be a great mental reset after a rocky start to my GMAT journey.

November - January: This is when everything changed. I ditched TTP and switched to:

1. GMAT Official Guides
   • Official Guide for GMAT Focus from mba.com
   • Read the e-books for each section and completed all of the practice questions
   • Official practice tests 1-6
2. GMAT Ninja YouTube Videos
   • Leaned on these mostly for quant
   • Helpful combination of strategy and example problems
   • Don't be lazy; attempt each problem before they give the answer
3. GMAT Club
   • Used for specific subtopics I struggled with
   • Reviewed detailed answer explanations
   • Learned from other high scorers' approaches

Resource Review:

• Targeted Test Prep: I felt like the David Goggins of test-taking when I was attempting to complete the TTP Quant materials. Hours of grinding out formulas and problems did not translate to any score improvement for me. This might be great for some people, but I found it to be expensive and ultimately unhelpful.
• Official Guides: Non-negotiable. Nothing beats practicing with real GMAT questions and mock exams. This is the closest thing that you're going to get to the real deal.
• GMAT Ninja: Great free resource on YouTube for both strategy and content.
• GMAT Club: Invaluable for drilling weak areas and learning from detailed explanations. Also nice to see other people struggling with the same topics; you aren't alone!

My Quant Progression

Here's my complete Quant progression across all practice tests:

TTP Period (September-October):

• Mock 1: Q72 (21st percentile)
• Mock 2: Q78 (40th percentile)
• Mock 1 (retake): Q75 (31st percentile)
• Mock 2 (retake): Q69 (17th percentile)

Official Guide, GMAT Ninja, GMAT Club (November-December):

• Mock 3: Q77 (35th percentile)
• Mock 4: Q80 (52nd percentile) - Building momentum

Same Resources, Gamechanging Approach (December-January):

• Mock 5: Q82 (70th percentile) - Implemented 3-step approach
• Mock 6: Q84 (81st percentile) - Approach becoming automatic
• Official Test: Q85 (88th percentile) - Only missed 1 question on test day

How I Messed Up

Mistake #1: The GMAT is not a normal test. Early on, I approached GMAT questions the same way I would for a college exam: see question, solve question. This is exactly what the test makers want you to do because it leads you straight into their traps.

The Fix: I learned that GMAT questions are mini-puzzles designed to be solved in ~2 minutes each. They're not testing whether you can do complex math; they're testing whether you can think strategically under time pressure.

Mistake #2: Grinding content. TTP had me memorizing formulas and drilling problem types for weeks. While content knowledge matters, I wasn't improving because I wasn't learning how to approach the test strategically.

The Fix: Prioritizing strategy, not content. Surprisingly, after I shifted my focus to test-taking strategy, it actually helped me identify where my gaps in content existed. This way, I had a more targeted approach to learning concepts which I didn't have a handle on.

Mistake #3: Skipping analysis. Initially, I'd review wrong answers by thinking "oh, I should have known that formula better." This doesn't help you improve. There's little chance you're going to be able to memorize a formula for every single problem type.

The Fix: I started categorizing every error: strategy errors (approached the problem wrong), content gaps (didn't know the concept), careless mistakes (knew how to solve but made an error), and time management (too much/not enough).

Content gaps were actually some of my least frequent errors, while careless mistakes were rampant.

Quant Game-Changer

Here's the breakthrough that took me from Q77 to Q85: DO NOT start writing as soon as you see a question. The GMAT sets traps, and jumping in immediately is the easiest way to fall for them.

Ask yourself these questions instead:

What information is this question asking me for? Read the question stem carefully and identify exactly what you need to find. Be specific.

What information do I need to get that answer? Identify what data, relationships, or calculations you need before you start working.

How can I get the information I need? Only now do you start calculating or solving. This is when you choose your approach.

This approach consistently saved me time and helped me avoid trap answers. The nuances of applying this under time pressure took weeks to master, but it was the single biggest factor in my score improvement.

Section-Specific Strategies That Worked

Quantitative Reasoning (Q72 → Q85): The 3-step approach was crucial here, but I also had to build content knowledge in areas I'd forgotten.

Data Insights (DI79 → DI81): Data Insights improved downstream from my Quant improvements since they share similar logical reasoning skills. But DI also required its own strategic approach.

The DI Game-Changer: The AD/BCE method for data sufficiency. The hardest part of DI for me was data sufficiency. Every DS question has the same five answer choices, and I used the AD/BCE elimination method to work through them systematically:

Write AD/BCE at the top of your scratch paper for every DS question:

• A = Statement 1 alone sufficient, Statement 2 alone not sufficient
• D = Each statement alone is sufficient
• B = Statement 2 alone sufficient, Statement 1 alone not sufficient
• C = Both statements together sufficient, neither alone sufficient
• E = Even both statements together not sufficient

Work through Statement 1 first, then Statement 2, then both together. Cross out impossible answers as you go. This systematic approach prevented me from getting confused by the complex scenarios that make DS questions feel overwhelming.

Verbal Reasoning (V81 → V87): Verbal was my strongest section from the start, likely because of strong reading fundamentals from ACT prep in high school (I scored a 36 on ACT Reading). While the improvement was smaller, I still had to learn GMAT-specific approaches:

Key Verbal Adjustments:

• Critical Reasoning: Remember that the author believes the argument is correct. Reading every answer choice before answering is important; don't settle on one before you've read every choice.
• Reading Comprehension: Read for main ideas and passage structure, not every detail. I found it helpful to graze the passage, then read the questions. Once you know the question you can go back to the passage for specific information.

The Bottom Line: It's About Strategy, Not Just Content

Here's what I want you to take away from my experience:

1. Most score improvements come from better test-taking strategy, not additional content knowledge. Once you know the basics, focus on approach and timing.

2. The questions are made to be solved in 2 minutes. If your approach is clearly going to take longer than 2 minutes, it's not the correct approach.

3. Official materials are irreplaceable. Some claim to have realistic test questions, but only official questions teach you how the test actually works.

4. Progress isn't always linear. I had plateaus and setbacks (especially during my illness), but consistency and strategic adjustments led to breakthrough improvements.

5. At the end of the day, it's just a test. Remember not to be too hard on yourself throughout your GMAT journey because, well, it's just a test.

If you're struggling with GMAT Focus or want to break through to elite scores, the principles in this post will help get you there. The key is consistent application and systematic improvement of your test-taking approach.