“I used to think putting in extra hours would fix everything. Merchant showed me how to actually study smarter.” — Federico

After nearly three months of prep, Federico’s GMAT score had hit a wall: 595. Despite solving more questions and putting in more hours, he couldn’t move the needle. That’s when he turned to Merchant GMAT & Admissions for a smarter, structured approach — and the results followed fast.

Problem 1: Not Classifying Mistakes

Federico’s review process was simple: check answers, read explanations, move on. But he wasn’t learning from his errors.

Our Fix: The STT System

We introduced Federico to our STT system — a framework for classifying every mistake:

• Silly: Careless slips or misreads
• Theory/Strategy: Concept gaps or flawed approaches
• Tough: Advanced problems that genuinely test limits

🧠 Example: On a Critical Reasoning question, Federico initially labeled his mistake as “Tough.” But upon review, he saw he had missed a key word in the argument — a classic “Silly.” This shift helped him spot patterns and reduce careless mistakes by over 60%.

Problem 2: No Test-Day Strategy

Federico aimed for perfection — trying to solve every question — which often left him out of time and under pressure.

Our Fix: Smart Test Strategy

Together, we:

• Built a time management routine
• Practiced when to move on (especially on “Tough” questions)
• Designed recovery strategies after mistakes

🧠 Example: When Federico hit a tricky overlapping sets question in a mock, he made a quick, strategic guess and moved on. Result? He finished strong, with time to review.

Problem 3: Inconsistent Study Habits