Confused about CAT tests / really need advice

Hey guys,

I posted about a 1 1/2 months ago after receiving a 680 on my first CAT (GMATPrep 1). (Used Kaplan Premier and studied for about a week)

After that CAT, I didn't study for the GMAT for about a month because I had to study for my exams.

Then after Christmas I started Kaplan On Demand. The online course required taking a CAT before starting the course. I knew that my score wouldn't be as high as my first score, because I hadn't looked at the GMAT material at all since my last CAT. Therefore I wasn't really shocked about receiving a 620 on that second CAT.

I completed the last chapter of the online course on Friday and took a Kaplan CAT yesterday. I was really confident and sure that my score would be at least 650. Well guess what... I scored a 620! again. My Quant score was even worse than before the online course!

So I took a MGMAT CAT today after reading in this forum that others experienced similar results on Kaplan CATs. I scored a 670.

Here's a summary of my scores:
11/29/11: GMATPrep1 680 (Q44/V40)
12/25/11: Kaplan CAT 1 620 (Q42/V35)
01/07/12: Kaplan CAT 2 620 (Q40/V37)
01/08/12: MGMAT CAT 1 670 (Q47/V34)

As you can see my scores are really inconsistent.

I have two options now. My GMAT is scheduled on the 21st of March, but I would really like to take it on the 18th of February. I need a score of at least 650 in order to be able to apply to all of my favorite schools, but my target score is in the 680-700 range. I have about 3 weeks that I can study for the GMAT, if I take it in February (Have exams upcoming at the end of January) and 7 weeks if I take it in March. If I take it in March, my chances of getting accepted are much smaller, because most of the schools I want to apply to have several deadlines and I can only apply before the last deadline.

So I really need your recommendations: take the GMAT in February and if my score isn't enough just do it again in March OR wait until March?

And what would you recommend for further studies. I have the MGMAT Strategy books, but I think they are a little much to cover in 3 weeks if want to do the OG too. I can't really tell what my weaknesses are from the CATs, I know RC is my greatest weakness in Verbal and Combination/Permutation in Quant, but according to the Kaplan CATs I'm really week at quant, according to MGMAT I'm quite good...


Long text, I really hope to get some help/advice from you guys. I think the best way now is to take the GMAT in February, work on the OG and maybe focus on weak areas with MGMAT guides.


Thanks a lot!
DDW