Do you MUST attempt IR and AWA to get scores on GMATPrep tests ?

Question

Hi all,

I am planning to take my first GMATprerp test soon. I would like to know if I can skip the IR and AWA part and still get the estimated score ?

Many thanks.

doublewhammy · Answer

Hi,
You can skip (you will have to register responses though) those sections and still get the composite score (out of 800). Sure, this will provide you with valuable insight, but, sitting that extra hour for practise is crucial, as it builds endurance and will definitely be needed on the actual test day.

Side note: AWA isn’t graded on gmatprep tests irrespective

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altairahmad · Answer

Thanks for the response.

So even if I write AWA, I still wont get to know how well I did ? And this is the case for ALL the GPrep practice tests ? So I must buy the GMATWrite if I want to get AWA graded ?

Thanks.

doublewhammy · Answer

I am not sure about how GMATWrite works, but your AWA won’t be graded on any prep mocks for sure.

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ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi altairahmad,

To get the most accurate baseline score possible, take all 4 sections of your practice exam. If you need some further advice after taking it, feel free to report back with your score breakdown.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi altairahmad,

Back in May, you posted that you were planning to take the GMAT in 1-2 months (which would have been June/July). Did you end up taking the GMAT as planned (and if you did, then how did you score)? In addition, while it sounds as though you have not taken any of the Official GMAC practice CATs yet, have you taken any CATs from any other sources?

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

altairahmad · Answer

Hi Rich,

No I wasn't able to take the GMAT. I had hoped that in-person testing would be resume if I could delay and it indeed has resumed in my country. I havent taken any CATs yet. I, however, plan to take a CAT (MGMAT and others) every few days going forward now until the D-Day (I will pick a date once I feel confident).

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EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi altairahmad,

A CAT is really a 'measuring device' - when used correctly, it will give you a realistic score and help define your strengths and weaknesses, but it will NOT help you to fix any of those weaknesses. To raise your scores, you have to learn the necessary Tactics and put in the proper practice and repetitions. The CAT will show you whether your studies are helping you to improve or not. In addition, the process of taking (and reviewing) a CAT requires a significant amount of energy and effort - and takes time to 'recover' from. This is one of the reasons why you typically shouldn't take more than 1 CAT per week - and your last CAT should be taken about 1 week before Test Day. By extension, taking a new CAT "every few days" is not a good idea.

Once you have your first Score, you should post back here (or you can feel free to PM me directly) and we can discuss the results and how you might best proceed with your studies.

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

altairahmad · Answer

EMPOWERgmatRichC   ScottTargetTestPrep

Thanks for your replies.

I went ahead with my first CAT (GMATPREP Exam 1) and scored a 630 (Q44, V33).

Here are some of the important observations :

1. I got '1 Minute remaining' timer popup at Q25 in Quant and Q26 in verbal. Timing was a huge issue for me. I randomly guessed 7 questions on quant (got 2 correct though) and a full 11 questions (got 4 right) on verbal including 2 full length passages (about 8 questions from RC alone). I must admit that until now I had been practicing without timing my response times. I hadn't thought timing would be such a big issue for me but as it turns out, I missed giving my all to a good 27% of the test !!!

2. Now to the part that I did attempt. Red flags here as well. I got questions wrong on almost all sections which I would NEVER have gotten wrong in a non-exam environment. I reviewed my wrong questions by solving them again and except a couple I got them all correct.

One thing that I observed was I didn't feel any conceptual issues on the quant section.

How can I improve my timing ? I am a good 15 minutes slow per section.
How can I normalize the exam-pressure ? On many SC questions I had to re-read because my brain wasn't relaxed enough to take in all the information in one go and I was reading too fast. Should I do some non-official CATs like MGMAT's to normalize my brain with this environment ? What other strategy can I use ?

Will appreciate your feedback.

Btw my target score is 720+

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi altairahmad,

A 630 is a strong initial CAT score (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 550 most years). Many GMATers face pacing issues in the Quant section, the Verbal section or both – so you are not alone. However, it's important to remember that pacing problems do NOT exist on their own - they're the results of OTHER problems. One of the great aspects of GMAT questions is that they can almost always be approached in more than one way. Thus, you have to be careful about assuming that because you correctly answered the question means that you are approaching that question in an efficient way. From what you describe, there are likely a number of different issues with how you work through questions (including the Tactics you use, how you take notes, how often you waste time doing work "in your head", etc.).

Raising a 630 to the point that you can consistently score 720+ will likely require at least another 2 months of consistent, guided study - and you'll have to make significant improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level.

1) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
2) Are you planning to take the At-home GMAT or are you planning to take your GMAT at a Test Facility?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

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