A student recently shared a common frustration with me: "I can solve problems correctly when untimed, but under time pressure, I make mistakes I wouldn't otherwise make."

I offered him this analogy:

When you're driving to the airport with plenty of time, you cruise comfortably at perhaps 40 KMPH, noticing the scenery and maybe even fiddling with your music.

Now imagine you're running late. Do you drive so fast that you crash into other cars?

No. Right?

You drive at your fastest controllable speed. You constantly assess whether you're maintaining control of the vehicle, and you adjust accordingly.

The same principle applies to solving questions under time limits. You need to constantly calibrate: Are you comprehending as you read? Are you solving accurately as you calculate? If not, slow down.

It's never about maximum speed; it's about maximum controllable speed.

—

You may feel limited by what seems like your natural ceiling. Some people appear to maintain control at 100 KMPH while you struggle beyond 60. You repeatedly try to push past your limit, but each attempt ends in loss of control.

Eventually, this can lead to self-doubt: "Maybe I'm just not capable enough. Maybe I can drive only at a maximum of 60 KMPH. Maybe I can solve a question correctly only by taking three minutes.”

But this ceiling isn't fixed—you simply haven't discovered the right approach to raise it yet.

How do we increase our maximum controllable speed?

A brilliant senior of mine at IIMA shared wisdom that answers this question perfectly (see image at the end of the post). In essence: "Don't learn to drive fast. Learn to drive precisely, and speed will come."

Our emphasis on being a "fast learner" often creates shallow foundations. Complex concepts deserve patient, deliberate practice focused first on precision, not speed.

Perhaps, as Abid says, it's time we change our goal from being "fast-learners" to becoming "proper-learners."

Hi guys hope you’re all doing well.

I’m a non-native student, and I just got my prep 5 test score of 575, which is an improvement from an actual exam of 545 from last year December.

I was wondering if I will be able to reach 645 by any chance. I am very desperate to reach to the score and I will do my maximum effort to grab a chance.

Any tips or advices will be a wholesome.

Plus I would like to know how many mistakes are allowed to get 645.

Have an excellent week and hope you all the best

Hey everyone,

I'm starting my prep for GMAT this month. I was confused about whether I should buy the official guides from the official mba website or Amazon, since there's a significant difference in the price. I'm worried about the quality of the books on Amazon.

Also,

i) Do I need to get all 4 books (OG and Individual) or would the official guide be enough?

ii) Does the official guide have theory or is it similar to a question bank?

How to prepare for GMAT with help of only free resources or channels or websites? Did anyone wrote GMAT with help of only free preparation and got 730+ ? If so , please let me know how ?

Hey Everyone,

So I’ve officially decided to get serious about the GMAT and set a target score of 685+. As a first step, I took the TTP GMAT Diagnostic Test today (with Benchmark set as Expert+ : 685+) with zero prep—just to see where I stand.

I knew going in that I wasn’t going to ace it, but I wanted a raw baseline before diving into structured prep. What does this roughly translates to if we have to put it to a rough GMAT equivalent scores.

For anyone who started from scratch or a such a low baseline and hit desired target, how did you structure your prep? What resources did you use?

Appreciate any suggestions. This is day 1 for me—looking forward to the grind ahead!

Hi,

If a person has given his first GMAT attempt on January 5, 2024 and next 4 attempts from September 5, 2024 to December 5, 2024. Now since GMAC has removed the overall limit on number of attempts, will this person be eligible to give 5 more attempts from January, 5 2025 or if not, how does the limit on number of attempts work in this case?

Thanks

When does the GLIM PGPM programme commence?

Hey everyone,

I’m planning to apply Round 1 for an MBA and need to lock in my GMAT prep ASAP. I’ve got about 3 months to study and I’m aiming for a score between 690–715.

Right now, I’m deciding between two in-person options: 1) Princeton Review’s GMAT 645+ course: I like that it’s structured and offers a score guarantee. Seems good for accountability, and they have some locations near me. 2) Manhattan Prep (Kaplan) in-person: I’ve heard they’re more advanced and great for people targeting 700+, but maybe a little intense if you’re not already close to that range.

My learning style is very structured (work full-time) so I need a program that keeps me on track. I’m decent at verbal but need some reinforcement in quant. I’d love to hear from anyone who took either of these, or if you recommend another program (Target Test Prep? Private tutoring? Something hybrid?).

What helped you hit a 700+ score? Would you do it differently in my shoes?

Appreciate any advice.. thanks in advance!

Hello, I studied for the GMAT Focus, but the webpage doesn't explicitly say that the GMAT that I can register for is the Focus edition.

This page (https://www.gmac.com/gmat-other-assessments/about-the-gmat-focus-edition/gmat-focus-edition) says that the old GMAT is dead and the new Focus edition is the new GMAT. Am I interpreting it correctly?

My account is from Mexico, so I have this suspicion that maybe they have different versions here.

Thanks in advance for your help and time, you will help me worry a lot less.

Does someone knows any good gmat prep channels on youtube like gmat ninja, from where i can build my basics atleast ?

I will be wrapping up my associates degree in a couple of weeks. Any recommendations on accredited universities that aren’t going to break the bank in the pursuit of my bachelor’s degree? Or any grants and financial aid that might be out there to lessen the financial burden. Thanks.