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Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.

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apjoshua92
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Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   08 May 2015, 06:34
My preparation for GMAT has been going since December 2014. I used both the GMAT prep tests twice and scored in the range of 600-640. Then I bought GMAT prep exam pack 1 and Manhattan CATs. After two months (march and april 2015) of disciplined studying I scored a 710(Q49, V37) on an official GMAT prep test. I was so ecstatic after I saw the score. It felt good that all the hard work was visible finally.

Just after 4 days of the official test (today), I took the 3rd Manhattan CAT. It's IR section was difficult, which somehow affected my psychology and I entered the quant section with low confidence. I took a lot of time in some of the earlier questions which made me run out of time in the latter questions. This further spoiled my mood and I felt I screwed the verbal section too. Then finally the score came and it was 640 (Q40, V37) :oops: ... Although I expected a lower score, it was very disheartening :cry:

This result has confused me. Did I get a 710 on GMAT prep because of my abilities or was it pure luck? Another thing I noticed was that my verbal score in Manhattan CAT was at par with my GMAT prep score (V37). But I have never scored below 44 in Quant in the official practice tests. A Q40 is just way below my expectations. Seeing a Q49 made me so confident, I had dreams of scoring a perfect Q51 on the actual test. But a Q40 on the Manhattan test means that I need to study the basics :? ...

My actual GMAT is on 30th May so I still have three weeks left. How can I stay on the track of improvement and score a 750 on the actual GMAT?

Your thoughts please. :)
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   08 May 2015, 10:34
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Hi apjoshua92,

Based on what you've described, I think that you've seen some "inflated" CAT scores during your practice.

What were your Scores (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores) when you took the GMAT Prep CATs EACH time? (so I'd like to see all 4 sets of scores, if you have them).

Retaking a CAT almost always involves seeing some questions that you've already answered. The result is almost always a higher, artificially "inflated" score (since you don't face the same challenges that you would face if you saw a Test full of "new" questions). So it could be that this 640 is actually accurate. If that's the case, then to hit your score goal, you might have to consider pushing back your Test Date so that you can continue studying.

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apjoshua92
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   08 May 2015, 14:42
I agree that I took the test twice. But amazingly I didn't see a SINGLE repeat question. I'm 100% sure about this. My last Gmat prep score was 640 (Q 44 V 35). I have studied quite a lot after that. I'd hate to know that the 710 I got was an inflated score :(. But if it's the reality then I accept it.

Thanks.
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   08 May 2015, 15:32
I heard that Quantitative section in Manhattan CAT is more complex than real GMAT math and Manhattan CATs are good for tutors who want to score high. But this is personal opinion. So i think you shouldn't give up. Keep working!
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   08 May 2015, 18:16
The Manhattan tests have Quantitative section that is both challenging and time consuming. Another aspect is that as you mentioned the IR section way more difficult than the GMAT Prep IR. So that makes our mind more tired by the time we reach Quants.

These observations are from my personal experience. I got Q49 in GMAT Prep 1 and the next week Q43 in Manhattan test.

Dont worry and continue your practice. Some days you may feel low and think GMAT is unbeatable. Just feel sad for few minutes and then analyse each and every mistake that you have comitted.

You will surely get 750+ in your GMAT. All The Best..!!!!! :)

Thanks,
Ram.
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   09 May 2015, 04:58
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No company test uses the actual GMAT scoring algorithm, and no company can do the same testing and calibration of test questions that GMAC does. So you really shouldn't take scores on company tests very seriously. GMATPrep will give you a far better estimate of your level. If your test is this month, I wouldn't recommend doing other tests besides GMATPrep (you may want to buy the additional official tests if you haven't already).

I disagree with the suggestion, in the other expert post above, that you've experienced 'score inflation'; that's putting too much faith in company test scores. But there is an even more important reason to think your company test score is not a fair reflection of your ability. You conceded that your performance on the Quant section was affected by the difficulty you had in the IR section. So you did not perform to your normal ability in Quant. It's crucially important to learn from this experience - for almost every test taker, things go wrong on test day. It's actually the nature of adaptive testing - on an adaptive test, questions will get harder and harder until they are too difficult for you. That happens even to 750-level test takers, but those test takers understand that will happen, and do not let it affect their performance during the test. So when you take your next diagnostic, go into it with the understanding that you won't likely answer everything correctly, and that the test is likely to seem very difficult. If you don't let that bother you, you'll be far more likely to perform at your true ability.
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   09 May 2015, 05:22
Thanks all for the replies :). Special thanks to the experts!
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   09 May 2015, 14:52
Agree with the comments above. No prep companies know the exact algorithm that the actual test guys use -- we can only do our best to guess. We can get pretty darn close - but there can always be results that are not quite accurate. As such, you shouldn't lend too much credence or weight to the numerical score. What you should pay more attention to is how many and what types of questions you do get wrong. Your mentality should be that as long as you continually improve and learn from your mistakes -- eventually there can be no more mistakes you can make. So keep recognizing an understanding your weaknesses and adjust your thought process so you can more efficiently arrive at the right answer.

Regarding IR -- indeed, you do not want your performance here to affect your performance on the stuff that really counts -- the stuff AFTER the essay and IR portion. That's why you should approach the teach with a marathon-like mentality -- not a sprint.

Hope that helps.
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   09 May 2015, 22:58
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It's certainly true that our CATs can't be as accurate as the official practice tests. However, we do frequently calibrate them against official scores, so they are fairly predictive. I wish I could say that my students end up scoring drastically higher on the real test than they did on their final Manhattan CATs, but that isn't what happens (except on IR). Still, the GMATPrep result is probably going to be more accurate if you truly didn't get any repeat questions.

Anyway, the important thing is to use each test (no matter what the source) as a way of identifying your strengths and weaknesses and finding elements of your performance to improve. In the end, the only score that matters is the real one.
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink] Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score.   10 May 2015, 10:23
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DmitryFarber wrote:

Anyway, the important thing is to use each test (no matter what the source) as a way of identifying your strengths and weaknesses and finding elements of your performance to improve. In the end, the only score that matters is the real one.

Yes this is the essence of GMAT!=)). No matter how but the final result is all that matters!
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Re: Feeling low because of Manhattan CAT score. [#permalink]
10 May 2015, 10:23