BACKGROUND
I’ve been using GregMat and Prepswift to guide my prep, and wanted to reach out for some help in building a focused study plan going forward. I’ll try to lay out where I’m coming from in a bit of detail, since the GRE unfortunately doesn’t give us any detailed score breakdowns, and I think context might help explain where I’m getting stuck.
Attempt 1 – April 25
To be honest, I didn’t study much for this attempt — it was more of a forced “baseline” to push myself into the process.
- I took a cold Kaplan mock and scored a 312 (161Q, 151V).
- I then learned around 6 vocab groups, got a basic understanding of GRE question types, and went through verbal from Week 1 of your 1-month study plan — mainly focusing on Math strategy and the associated homework.
- I skipped Sentence Equivalence since I thought it’s reliant on learning the full vocab groups.
Going in, I knew I wasn’t ready. But I work better with deadlines and shorter sprints, so I used it to get a feel for the test.
Official Score: 314 (158Q, 156V)
- I ran out of time on both Quant (maybe one or both sections, do not remember) and Verbal (maybe one or both sections, do not remember):
- In one Quant section, I couldn’t finish the last 2–3 questions and left them blank.
- In one Verbal section, I had to randomly guess the last 2–3 questions.
Still, the score gave me hope that with actual prep, I could aim higher.
Attempt 2 – June 11
I scheduled this with the intent of serious prep, but life had other plans.
- I got COVID and lost 10+ days of productivity at work (short-staffed team), which also derailed my GRE prep.
- I struggled to get back into it and didn’t start studying seriously until ~2 weeks before the test.
- Even then, I could only manage ~1–2 hours on weekdays, 4–5 hours on weekends. So maybe 25/30 hours of haphazard prep including time spent learning vocab.
Prep this time included:
Quant:
- Went through most of your flashcards to refresh concepts.
- Used Prepswift for topics I was rusty on, and practiced questions that were directly in the video UI.
- My math background is solid or so I think (CS degree + quantitative job), but timing and pressure may be my biggest weakness.
Verbal:
- Learned vocab through Group 10 (with decent recall).
- Rushed through not only the math strategy but other strategy videos (excl. RC) from the Overwhelmed plan.
- Didn’t do a full-length timed mock or mocks or even real practice problems for both Quant and Verbal.
To make matters worse, I scheduled the test for 8AM in the morning. I didn’t get sleep and barely slept for 2.5 / 3 hours before the test.
Official Score: 308 (154Q, 154V)
- Quant: Again ran out of time on one section, missed the last 2 questions. In the last one, randomly guessed 1 or 2 questions.
- Verbal: Guessed the last 1–2 questions on one section.
I thought I’d at least do better than my first test, so seeing my Quant drop was a punch in the gut. It felt like I had regressed, and I honestly left the test feeling dumb.
ADVICE NEEDED
Where I’m at now:
- I can dedicate ~1–2 hours on weekdays and ~7–8 hours on weekends, so ~15 hours/week consistently.
- Assuming ~3 hrs/week go into vocab, I’d have ~72 hours of focused prep over 6 weeks.
- My goal is to hit 330+, ideally in time for MBA Round 1, but I’m OK with taking the test by mid-August and applying Round 2 if needed.
- I know I’m lucky to have the financial flexibility to take multiple attempts if needed, but I really want to make this third attempt count, because I’m not sure how well I would handle the pressure of the 5 attempt limit in 1 year.
- I want to build the right plan and give it my best — not waste another attempt and pile on pressure for future retakes.
What I think I need:
- I’ve realized I struggle to sit through long concept videos (>30 min). That’s why the Overwhelmed plan for content works well for me — it’s digestible and easier to sustain with a full-time job.
- I feel like practice is my biggest gap — both timed and untimed. And then of course, full-length practice tests.
What I’m looking for is a structured way to balance practice with concept reinforcement, ideally using:
- Verbal and Quant practice problems on GregMat
- Prepswift modules
- A 50/50 split of content + application
What I’m hoping you can help me with:
- Is it realistic to aim for 330+ using the I’m Overwhelmed plan plus a focused practice schedule over the next 6 weeks?
- Do you have a recommended structure for practice using GregMat/Prepswift problems — either daily or weekly? And then for when I should attempt to start mocks and how many I should take before the actual test?
- Is there anything in my approach that I should rethink or refine?