THE GMAT Club Podcast

GMAT 735! Gained 90 Points by Stopping Studying

Episode Summary

Many GMAT success stories revolve around rigorous studying and relentless practice. But what if I told you that too much studying could actually hurt your score? In this video, we talked to Simon, a bright undergrad student from Texas A&M University, who faced an unusual challenge—his mock scores started dropping despite intense preparation. Just two days before his actual test, he scored a disappointing 645 on a practice exam. Instead of pushing harder, he made a bold decision: he completely stopped thinking about the GMAT, focused on relaxing, and reset his mindset. The result? He walked into test day feeling refreshed and scored an incredible 735 which is 99 percentile GMAT score. In this episode of GMAT Success Stories, we talk not only about Simon’s GMAT prep strategy but also about the role of mindset, and how sleep, nutrition, and mental well-being can make or break your GMAT score.

Episode Notes

Meet Simon

Beginning the GMAT Prep

How Gruelling Study Schedules Impacted my Score

How I Reset Mindset a Day before the Exam

Importance of Good Sleep, Nutrition, and Mental Well-Being

Study Strategies for Quant Topics

Study Resources

Overcoming Data Insights Challenge

Advice to GMAT Students

Taking Notes during Study

Deferred MBA Plans