Are Gmatprep tests reliable?

Question

I've taken in 3 weeks 3 gmat practice tests and because of my scores I'm wondering if they are reliable or not.
The first time I was a bit stressed and I scored 600 (Q. 46, V. 26). I was surprised because i never thought I would have scored so low in verbal. After that test I tried again the following week and I was less anxious scoring 650 (Q 48, V32). 
Yesterday I took the gmatprep test number 3 and I scored 710 (Q.48 and v.39). 
What is that? Is it luck? is it anxiety? Why there are great differences among the scores?

Ps: from the first score to the second and third I changed the order of the section from V-Q-I-AWA to Q-V-I-AWA

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

The Official Mocks are the gold standard, I daresay. It would be funny, though, if a 3rd party Mock was more reliable!

PietroGirardi · Answer

Yes but i can't explain to myself the volatility of the results. All three mock tests were gmat official mock tests.

chrtpmdr · Answer

It is most likely luck, the probability that you've gained that amount of conceptual knowledge to have such an increase in your verbal score is very limited. I would advise you to  not  exhaust official mocks. They are extremely important in gauging process, especially later on in your prep. The fact that you 'threw' 2 tests out of the window will haunt you later on, trust me.

How you should do it is to keep enough time between mocks to work up on all your weaknesses before you move on to your next mock. You then give yourself another window of time to get even better and give another mock. This will give you a reliable indication of where you are at and what you need to work on.

In terms of general validity of mocks: from anecdotal evidence I would suggest that people score in general about 30-40 points lower on their real exam than on the mock exam. While indeed there are some wizards who manage to score just in the same range, most people will score certainly lower. The real exam is just a completely different beast - don't underestimate test day pressure and the difference in performance when all is on the line.

GMATinsight · Answer

GMAT prep test sgiving a score on lower side are more reliable than giving score onhigher side.

The reason is simple. Most test prep companies prepare the practice questions around teh concepts used in official questions and therefore they become predictable and hence takers get inflated score in GMAT prep. However, those questions are the closest (or past) questions of the actual exam and hence they reflect the correct scores if given on the lower side.

I am sorry to write a response that's not much encouraging but absolute clarity of the test score analysis is a necessary to keep ourselves on track rather than keeping in dark.

All the best!!!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi PietroGirardi,

That type of Score improvement in such a short period of time IS questionable, so you are correct to be a bit suspicious of this recent result. The Official CATs are a great way to assess your skills, strengths and weaknesses, but there are a variety of factors that can influence your performance, including the time of day that you take the Tests, the section-order, the testing 'environment', how well-rested you are, if you have seen any of the questions before, etc.

At the end of August, you posted that you were planning to take the GMAT in 1 month and your Score Goal was 650+. Are you planning to take the Official GMAT soon (and is your Score goal still 650?)?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

gmatgames · Answer

Gmat prep mocks are the best https://gmatclub.com/forum/all-gmat-pra ... ml?fl=menu

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi PietroGirardi, The official mocks are undoubtedly the most reliable ones. The huge disparity in your scores might be because of a bit of luck. Ask yourself whether you got lucky with any guesses. These things play a very important role because guessing a couple of 700 level questions and getting them right could hugely impact your score. If that is the case, then I recommend you to take a considerable gap before taking the next mock. Try learning the concepts and most importantly the methodology. If you observe, you might have noticed that your approach of solving questions was not very consistent in the three mocks. You have to make sure that you learn the right methodology to solve questions and apply the same whenever you take the test. Hope it helped. All the best

PietroGirardi · Answer

When I scored 600 I had the verbal section before the quantitative and this slowed me a lot because I was too anxious and I couldn't read and think for the first 5/6 questions (I'm non native). I had also drunk alcohol the night before and I'm not used to and maybe this could have affected my performance.
After i changed the section order it feels different. I am still very anxious on the first 5/6 questions of the quantitative but i can handle them quicklier and safer. In my last attempt (710) I felt more determined and i knew I could handle the exam.

I want to add that I've never prepared for the CR and RC part because my priority was to pump up my quantitative skills. should I prepare those part as well? I don't find them too challenging and I also feel that they can't be learned

homersimpsons · Answer

Gmatprep mocks are the most reliable mocks

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi PietroGirardi,

In general, would I say that the GMAT prep practice exams are reliable? Yes, I would. However, given your practice test timeline, it does seem somewhat likely that luck did have some sort of role in your score increase. To help you figure all this out, I'd love some more information about your situation with the GMAT.

-- for how long have you been studying?

-- what resources have you been using?

Also, when do you plan to take your next official practice exam?

PietroGirardi · Answer

I've been studying since august 18 and I'm going to take my first shot in october.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi PietroGirardi,

Taking the Exam in a different section-order could very well have been beneficial to your overall performance (and taking a CAT after a night of drinking likely did hurt your performance on that first attempt) - so there clearly ARE factors that have to be considered (and potentially others that we have not discussed yet).

The immediate questions are about about your timeline and goals:
1) Have you scheduled your GMAT yet (and if you have, then when is it?)? 
2) Are you planning to take the At-home GMAT or are you planning to take your GMAT at a Test Facility?
3) Is your Score Goal still 650 or is it something else?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

PietroGirardi · Answer

1) Have you scheduled your GMAT yet (and if you have, then when is it?)?
5 october but if I fail Im planning to do it in december or january or february ( Im going to apply for LBS, bocconi, Lse, imperial college)
2) Are you planning to take the At-home GMAT or are you planning to take your GMAT at a Test Facility?
Test Facility
3) Is your Score Goal still 650 or is it something else?
I have 4 gpa so i think it could be enough to score 680+

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi PietroGirardi,

Since your Official Exam is now just a few days away, you should limit your studies to general practice and light review (NO CATs and NO 'cramming') - you would be better served by getting some extra rest so that you can go into Test Day calm, clear-headed and ready to work. After you've received your Score, you should post back here (or you can feel free to PM me directly) and we can discuss the results.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

PietroGirardi · Answer

I took the exam today and I scored 680 (q.44 v.38)

Posted from my mobile device

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

I see you took your exam today. Did you hit your score goal?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi PietroGirardi,

This 680/Q44 is a great overall Score - and you appear to have hit your Score Goal (whether 650 or 680), which is great! Are you happy with this result?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

PietroGirardi · Answer

Thanks! Yes I’m relatively happy with the result! When I first started the preparation I would have never imagine to score 680, however now I think that I could have scored higher in the quantitative section.

I’m going to apply for R2 at LBS (Master in Financial Analysis). Do you think i can make it through with a good profile and this gmat?

I have also another question. I think that I can definitely score better in the Q section so I want to retake the gmat. When do you think could be the best time to try again? I was thinking about 20 December, do you think is too far in time? 
And do you think it is bad to stop studying for one/two weeks (I was thinking to take a break from gmat and focus on my university exams right now)?

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi PietroGirardi,

You're ultimately asking Admissions questions, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

Since you're interested in a Finance-based Program, raising your Quant Scaled Score would likely be beneficial to your overall application. With a Q44, you were good on most of the 'math questions' that you faced in the Quant section, but you made some little mistakes as you worked through that section AND you missed out on LOTS of 'strategy-based' questions. The Quant section of the GMAT is NOT a 'math test' - it's a 'critical thinking test' that requires lots of little calculations as you work through it. If you do choose to retest - with the goal of scoring at a much higher level in this section - then you need to become more of a 'strategist' and less of a 'mathematician.'

With the proper focused, guided Study Plan, you could potentially retest in a month and score higher. Taking 1-2 weeks 'off' from your GMAT studies likely would not be an issue (GMAT skills do 'fade' over time, but it would be surprising if you lost most of your skills that quickly). If you decide that you want to continue your studies, then you should post back here (or you can feel free to PM me directly) and we can discuss how you might best proceed from here.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

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