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326 on my first go- with Target Test Prep
[#permalink]
12 Apr 2026, 04:40
12 Apr 2026, 04:40
1
After 5.5 months of test prep...it is finished! And I secured a score within my intended range on my first try (167 Quant, 159 Verbal, 4.5 AWA). 
. Results of my first mock test was 147 Quant, 144 Verbal, and the last time i did anything like the quant section was 8 years ago.
Now I am not gonna lie, I did not find the prep easy...it took 4 months for the material to really start clicking for me, and i was close to giving up many times (I did take a 3 week break away from the material). The GRE was required for a few of the PhD programmes I wanted to apply for so I had to keep going.
I used TTP as it was recommended to me by a friend for the range of practice questions it covered, and how similar the layout of the practice questions were to the actual GRE. I want to highlight 3 positive things I found about their self study plan:
1. Gamified study plan with missions and tasks and progress bars to keep you on track. (& lovely UX too) - these helped me keep consistent with showing up and studying because it was so easy to start getting overwhelmed by the amount of material to cover, and how much i still sucked at the material i have covered. I just made sure to lock in and and focus on finishing the missions. Granted i didnt do all of the practice sets for each topic when i did these missions, i made sure to leave at least half untouched and did the remaining sets after i had gone through everything once.
2. The OnTarget analytics tracked my performance (accuracy wise) on each topic. - combined with my own qualitative analysis around difficulty for each topic, I was able get a more objective assessment of which topics i was weak at, and to be on TARGET (badump-tssss pun intended) with where to direct extra efforts.
3. Special shoutout to the strategy chapters. - funnily enough they addressed a lot of the worries that came up for me during the process of test prep, and around how to prep the week leading up to the exam. I valued the chapters that addressed how to have the right mindset for GRE test prep because it’s true for me that I had to study in a different way for this test, nothing like how I approached subject based exams that i have done in the past.
I would say I spent 4.5 months studying with TTP (including break period), and spent the last month doing mock tests from the official ETS prep website and third party providers (Kaplan, Magoosh, GregMat), to really hone in the timing and pacing for the whole test. I also used GregMat to supplement the Verbal section during my last month of prep as I needed more practice on that, and made my own vocab flashcards on Quizlet that’s tailored to my specific needs- taking words from Magoosh, GregMat vocab mountain and TTP’s flashcards.
I’ll end with the words that Scott (TTP founder) shared with me when I was very close to giving up (during that break period): “every new concept you master is another step closer to an excellent score...It’s going to take exactly as long as it needs to take for you to reach that level of mastery.” I know people that could do this test after a month or two of prep, but that was not me, and that’s ok.
So, all the best to those of you still on the journey! You can do it!
. Results of my first mock test was 147 Quant, 144 Verbal, and the last time i did anything like the quant section was 8 years ago.Now I am not gonna lie, I did not find the prep easy...it took 4 months for the material to really start clicking for me, and i was close to giving up many times (I did take a 3 week break away from the material). The GRE was required for a few of the PhD programmes I wanted to apply for so I had to keep going.
I used TTP as it was recommended to me by a friend for the range of practice questions it covered, and how similar the layout of the practice questions were to the actual GRE. I want to highlight 3 positive things I found about their self study plan:
1. Gamified study plan with missions and tasks and progress bars to keep you on track. (& lovely UX too) - these helped me keep consistent with showing up and studying because it was so easy to start getting overwhelmed by the amount of material to cover, and how much i still sucked at the material i have covered. I just made sure to lock in and and focus on finishing the missions. Granted i didnt do all of the practice sets for each topic when i did these missions, i made sure to leave at least half untouched and did the remaining sets after i had gone through everything once.
2. The OnTarget analytics tracked my performance (accuracy wise) on each topic. - combined with my own qualitative analysis around difficulty for each topic, I was able get a more objective assessment of which topics i was weak at, and to be on TARGET (badump-tssss pun intended) with where to direct extra efforts.
3. Special shoutout to the strategy chapters. - funnily enough they addressed a lot of the worries that came up for me during the process of test prep, and around how to prep the week leading up to the exam. I valued the chapters that addressed how to have the right mindset for GRE test prep because it’s true for me that I had to study in a different way for this test, nothing like how I approached subject based exams that i have done in the past.
I would say I spent 4.5 months studying with TTP (including break period), and spent the last month doing mock tests from the official ETS prep website and third party providers (Kaplan, Magoosh, GregMat), to really hone in the timing and pacing for the whole test. I also used GregMat to supplement the Verbal section during my last month of prep as I needed more practice on that, and made my own vocab flashcards on Quizlet that’s tailored to my specific needs- taking words from Magoosh, GregMat vocab mountain and TTP’s flashcards.
I’ll end with the words that Scott (TTP founder) shared with me when I was very close to giving up (during that break period): “every new concept you master is another step closer to an excellent score...It’s going to take exactly as long as it needs to take for you to reach that level of mastery.” I know people that could do this test after a month or two of prep, but that was not me, and that’s ok.
So, all the best to those of you still on the journey! You can do it!
Re: 326 on my first go- with Target Test Prep
[#permalink]
12 Apr 2026, 05:30
12 Apr 2026, 05:30
Expert Reply
Well, congratulations.
It is a GRE score
It is a GRE score
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 12 Sep 2018
Status:Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
Posts: 2644
Given Kudos: 5
Re: 326 on my first go- with Target Test Prep
[#permalink]
06 May 2026, 12:44
06 May 2026, 12:44
Expert Reply
Congratulations! A 20-point jump in Quant and a 15-point jump in Verbal is a significant climb, and 167 Q, 159 V, 4.5 AWA puts you in a strong position for PhD applications. That is real work paying off.
I remember our exchange during your break. What stood out to me then, and what stands out reading this now, is that you did not let the difficulty convince you that you were on the wrong track. You stepped away when you needed to, came back, and let the material click on its own timeline. That kind of discipline does not show up in a single mock score. Some people get there in two months. Others need six. Neither path is more legitimate than the other, and the test does not care which one you took.
A few things you did are worth flagging for anyone reading this in the middle of their own prep. You combined the platform's accuracy data with your own qualitative read on which topics felt shaky. That is the right way to use analytics. The numbers tell you where you missed. Your own sense of difficulty tells you where you are uncertain even on the questions you got right. Both matter, and one without the other gives you an incomplete picture.
You also held back half the practice sets on the first pass and saved them for later. That is hard to do when you are anxious about coverage, but it gives you fresh problems for reinforcement, which is more valuable than burning through everything at once. That is exactly how a final stretch should be assembled. Official material drives your timing calibration, and targeted work fills the specific gaps your data has surfaced.
The quote you shared at the end is the message I want every student to internalize. Mastery takes exactly as long as it takes. You honored that, and the score reflects it. Best of luck with your PhD applications.
I remember our exchange during your break. What stood out to me then, and what stands out reading this now, is that you did not let the difficulty convince you that you were on the wrong track. You stepped away when you needed to, came back, and let the material click on its own timeline. That kind of discipline does not show up in a single mock score. Some people get there in two months. Others need six. Neither path is more legitimate than the other, and the test does not care which one you took.
A few things you did are worth flagging for anyone reading this in the middle of their own prep. You combined the platform's accuracy data with your own qualitative read on which topics felt shaky. That is the right way to use analytics. The numbers tell you where you missed. Your own sense of difficulty tells you where you are uncertain even on the questions you got right. Both matter, and one without the other gives you an incomplete picture.
You also held back half the practice sets on the first pass and saved them for later. That is hard to do when you are anxious about coverage, but it gives you fresh problems for reinforcement, which is more valuable than burning through everything at once. That is exactly how a final stretch should be assembled. Official material drives your timing calibration, and targeted work fills the specific gaps your data has surfaced.
The quote you shared at the end is the message I want every student to internalize. Mastery takes exactly as long as it takes. You honored that, and the score reflects it. Best of luck with your PhD applications.
