bigoyal wrote:
If the above score is from Kaplan CAT tests, then believe me, you are already above your target score. Actual GMAT test is way easier than Kaplan tests. I would suggest you to attempt couple of GMAT Prep tests. These tests will give you an idea of where you stand. GMATPrep tests are close to actual GMAT tests.
Btw, here is my GMAT debrief. In case you find it inspiring, I had been scoring very badly in Kaplan tests, but in actual GMAT my performance was much better.
done-730-50q-38v-thanks-a-lot-guys-81912.htmlI don't know if the Kaplan CATs are different for the course vs. what others use (CD Rom?), but this HAS NOT been my experience. I took the Kaplan course, I was always optimistic thinking that I'd get an easier test on the GMAT. I don't know if the GMAT that I got was some sort of black sheep, but at least in my case this was not my experience. I should qualify that. The verbal RC and CR, I felt was easier than Kaplan's. Especially the RC. I got a 690 on the strength of my verbal and I feel like those RCs really helped me with my pacing and score. The RCs are the main reason people struggle with verbal. However, every passage that I got was relatively easy to understand. My weakness is natural science passages. In my first Kaplan CAT, I got 2 such passages despite getting a 510 and completely bombing the verbal. None of those passages on the GMAT for me. So at least parts of the test WERE easier. I ended the verbal at faster pace than I probably have ever (3 minutes to spare). Though the SC was about the same as Kaplan.
HOWEVER, the quant was as difficult as any Kaplan quant. Tougher than some. I have finished my last 4 Kaplan CATs with 88th percentile, 75th percentile, 84th percentile, and 75th percentile. My GMAT quant percentile? 69th percentile (44). I also had to pretty much guess about the last 10 questions. Worst pacing I've had since the first CAT when I got a 510 and bombed both sections. Although, I think my nerves got the better of me indirectly. I was worried to look up at the time (I would look up earlier on a practice CAT) because I didn't want to start panicking. Still, very difficult, as are most Kaplan Quants.
Overall, this was the 3rd best score I got, if you take into account Kaplan. However, Kaplan's scoring is screwy. For example I got 710 twice in my CATS. Once with a Q47 V45 and once with a Q48 V45. Looking at the scores on the real GMAT here that would probably be in the 740-760 range (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I won't say that the GMAT overall more difficult than the Kaplan CATs. However I won't say it's easier either. Don't bank on the real thing being easier.
Regarding your question. After that 510, my next CAT spiked to a 710 (Q47 V45). However after that I had 3 straight tests of 610, 600, and 600. My goal was always 700 (which unfortunately I barely missed) and I was really bummed, especially about that last one. The first 600 had my nerves get the better of me and answer something like 6 out of 15 problem solving questions right. I got nervous and started to panic. I couldn't read and comprehend questions. I went into a mental block. I did have a decent data sufficiency result of 11 out of 15. Which is weird because I struggled with those before. Anyway, I went over the questions and answered almost all of them correctly without the explanation. I thought to myself "if I don't let my nerves get the better of me I'll do a much better job at this. I know that I can answer most of these, my nerves are the only thing standing in my way". That was last time that I let Quant get the better of me to such an extent. Sure, questions here and there, but I never had a complete meltdown like I did with that test. However, my next test I felt much better and then I saw that this time my data sufficiency was 6 out of 15. I was distraught. I thought "will I always be stuck with a 600?" What was disappointing is that I thought that maybe I solved my data sufficiency problems. The problem with data sufficiency for me was that I always felt like I was taking a stab at the dark. There seemed to be no structure and a whole lot of me answering questions with no confidence. However, I can't quite pinpoint it, it may have been a
Manhattan GMAT Numbers propety book, but I seriously improved my "rephrase the question stem and statements and strategy", I also just became more cognizant of cues like integers, more than 0 and would try plugging in "unusual" numbers such as decimals, 0, and negatives if allowed. My last 4 Kaplan CATs DS out of 15 were 11, 11, 12, and 11. So now with my nerves more managed for problem solving and my improvement in data sufficiency I improved my quant for the last 4 tests. Because of the improved quant I got myself out of the low 600s rut. I had a 660, 640, 710, and 650 for my last 4 Kaplan Quants and 690 on the real thing. I also tried improving my verbal by buying SC and CR
Manhattan GMAT books as my verbal really slipped since I focused on quant too much. The 660 was a 49 in quant, but something like 29 or 28 in verbal (I actually think that a 660 may have been generous). The verbal books worked for the first CAT that I took after I started studying (V45- 98th percentile), but not the second one (don't remember the scaled score but the percentile was in the 60s), but I did get a V41 (92nd percentile) on the real GMAT. Still, I think what got me out of the rut was a tangible improvement in data sufficiency and less nerves in problem solving is what got me out. My advice is to try to figure out a weakness or two and work on it if you can't figure them all out and work on them. If you improve a question type or two that should be enough to lift your score significantly.
Sorry for the long novel!