When it comes to studying for the GMAT, there are a variety of ways to approach the process. Regardless of how you might formulate your study plan, CATs are essential to your improvement as a Test Taker and to help you prepare for what you will eventually face on the Official GMAT. Unfortunately, many Test Takers mis-use their CATs and end up not properly prepared on Test Day. Using your CATs in a rather specific way will help you to maximize your performance on the GMAT.<\/p>\n
First off, it\u2019s important to understand that a CAT is a \u2018measuring device\u2019 \u2013 it will not inherently make you a better Test Taker. Like a bathroom scale that measures your weight and provides a result, a CAT (when properly used) will measure your general Test Taking skills and provide results. If you use the CAT incorrectly, then the score results will not be accurate and you\u2019ll have an incorrect idea of your readiness for Test Day.<\/p>\n
To properly utilize a CAT, there are a number of parameters that you must follow:<\/p>\n
1) You MUST take the FULL CAT, including the Essay and IR sections. Skipping sections will shorten the Test, which inherently makes the Test easier to deal with. During practice, you want REALISTIC results \u2013 the reality of Test Day is that you have to deal with an Essay, an IR section and a \u2018break\u2019 before you see a single Quant question and almost 3 hours will have gone by before you see your first Verbal question. Skipping the early parts of a CAT is a mistake that many Test Takers make.<\/p>\n
2) You should try to take your CATs at the same time of day as your Official GMAT is scheduled for. Doing so will help you to train to perform at a high level at the same time of day that you will need to perform on Test Day.<\/p>\n
3) You need to take the CATs at a location OTHER than your home (if possible) and you need to account for how long it will take to get to the Test Center. For example, if the Test Center is 30 minutes from your home, then you should plan to drive around for 30 minutes before taking your CAT at a library, office space or other similar location.<\/p>\n
4) It\u2019s best to make sure all of the little details \u2018line up\u2019 with Test Day as much as possible \u2013 do NOT pause the CAT, don\u2019t use a pencil\/eraser and paper to take the CAT, use a desktop computer (if possible), don\u2019t do ANYTHING that you\u2019re not allowed to do on Test Day, etc.<\/p>\n
5) Do NOT reuse a CAT that you\u2019ve already taken IF your goal is to receive a realistic score. You can always retake a CAT to get in some extra repetitions, but your score result from doing so will almost certainly be \u2018inflated\u2019 (meaning that it will be higher than it should because you have seen some of the questions already).<\/p>\n
As far as scheduling your CATs is concerned, you should plan to take 1 CAT\/week at the most. Since taking a CAT won\u2019t make you a better Test Taker, taking more than 1 per week will provide no real advantage. Taking CATs throughout your studies will help you to identify (and fix) issues that take time to improve \u2013 endurance, pacing, energy levels, general attitude, stresses (both physical and mental), etc.<\/p>\n
Improving your scores requires review and an insistence on precision in your work. Your CAT results will provide LOTS of useful information, including what you got correct\/incorrect and how much time you spent on questions. Your analysis of your own work will help to identify WHY you got certain questions wrong and provide insights into the areas that you need to focus on. Putting in the necessary time between CATs to work on those issues is what you ultimately need to do to improve.<\/p>\n
If you find that you\u2019re \u2018stuck\u2019 at a particular scoring level, taking more CATs is NEVER the solution. Oftentimes the BIG problem is the process one uses to attack the Test. Acknowledging that your study plan and approach might not be sufficient to help you achieve your goals, and then investing in new resources that will help you to improve, is the big adjustment that most Test Takers fail to make. There are some amazing solutions to whatever challenges you face, but blowing through lots of CATs isn\u2019t one of them.<\/p>\n
GMAT assassins aren\u2019t born, they\u2019re made,
\nRich<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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