Composition of Magoosh practice exam questions

Try practicing with the the Official Gmat Prep software - it's litterally the same algoritihim and everything on test day - regarding Magoosh software - I haven't a clue but would like an answer to that as well - however for any time you're slow or solve a Magoosh problem incorrectly - immediatley watch and review all related videos with that question - learn what you did wrong - and learn more about that topic.

Dear tobey87,

I'm happy to respond.

First of all, congratulations on all your hard work.

Unfortunately, the Magoosh practice test has some issues. You see, if you haven't answered any Magoosh questions yet, then it is highly adaptive. If you already have been practicing in Magoosh, then the default algorithm for practice has been set to adaptive already, so for ordinary practice you have been using the question in your optimal difficulty range. When you take a practice test, the algorithm reaches first for questions you haven't seen yet. Now, if the question most appropriate to your level already have been answered, it has to give you other questions: whether it gives you slightly harder or slightly easier questions, I am not sure, but this may be an issue: it's not perfectly adaptive, because some Magoosh questions already have been answered.

The Magoosh practice test gives its most accurate prediction before the student has answered many Magoosh questions. I wouldn't think that answering only 100 or so questions of our 1000+ questions would have that big of an impact, but perhaps it did. It's true, in the study plans, we recommend the Magoosh practice test right at the beginning, and recommend other practice tests, including GMAT Prep, more toward the end of one's practice.

Finally, I will say, my friend, be patient with yourself. The body & psyche has natural tidal rhythms that are hard to discern on the surface. Some days we are sharper and clearer, and other days not. As you take practice tests, do not expect a straight linear rise in your scores. It's perfectly natural that learning involves some ebbs and flows. You may want to journal about what subtle factors (sleep, diet, mood, etc.) impacted each performance. The more awareness you can bring to the effect of these factors, the more you can ensure that you are walking into the test in peak condition.

Does all this make sense?
Mike