One of the best ways to begin preparing for the GMAT is to take Kaplan’s free online practice test. The format is the same as the actual GMAT you will see on test day, consisting of four sections: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning.
Simulate Test Day conditions with a GMAT practice test
Taking a Kaplan GMAT practice test gives you a better understanding of what taking a timed exam on Test Day is really like, providing a sense of the endurance and pacing strategy you will need. You will see the different question types that appear on a GMAT, and you will have an idea of your strengths and weaknesses once you review your performance.
Kaplan’s practice test is a computer-adaptive test (CAT), just like the GMAT, meaning that in both Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning, the difficulty level of each question adapts based on whether you answered the previous question correctly. When you answer a question correctly, the next question is more difficult, and if you answer one incorrectly, the next is less difficult. Each section is timed the same as the actual GMAT, and you get the same breaks as you will in the testing center. And, just like on test day, you will receive your score as soon as you complete the test!
Explore your in-depth GMAT score report
There are three big differences between a Kaplan CAT and an official GMAT:
- The first is that the Kaplan test is free!
- The second is that your score on the Kaplan test will not be reported anywhere, so if you are not satisfied with the score, business schools will never know.
- And the third big difference is that Kaplan provides a full score report, including explanations for all questions and a breakdown of the types of questions you answered incorrectly.
This third point is the reason many savvy test-takers begin their prep with a Kaplan online GMAT practice test. The post-test score report includes the number of seconds you spent on each question and shows if you changed an answer. Here is an example of what the score report looks like:
In this example report, the student changed her answers on questions 3, 9, and 12. For both 3 and 12, she changed from one wrong answer choice to another wrong one; for question 9, she changed from a wrong answer choice to the correct answer.
This student can also tell that despite spending almost four minutes on question 3 and more than five minutes on question 12, she answered both incorrectly. With this information in mind when she reviews these two questions, the student can decide how best to use her time on challenging problems and plan for deciding whether to continue working or guess and move on to similar questions in the future.
Choose an instructor-led or self-proctored exam
Kaplan’s GMAT practice test can be self-proctored, meaning you can take the test at any time, or you can take it in a live online classroom with a Kaplan instructor as proctor. The self-proctored option is accompanied by video review of certain questions, while the live session features a mini-lesson with a live instructor and Q&A via live chat.
No matter which administration format you choose, a free GMAT practice test from Kaplan is an excellent way to get a feel for Test Day and kick off your prep with a scored exam!
The post Land Your Score: Taking a GMAT Practice Test appeared first on Business School Insider.
