Hi Malharpatel,
Malharpatel wrote:
Hey guys, I took my first blind mock yesterday (Focus edition) without any preparation and got a 675 which seems decent for the first attempt.
That really is an amazing first score. You're most likely going to do very well on the GMAT.
Malharpatel wrote:
Doubt 1 - Is this approach okay? or am I being a bit cocky?
Only today from this group did I get to know that my 675 score actually equates to a 730 GMAT classic score. Considering this, I am thinking of preparing for a few weeks and taking the test now itself. Let’s say I get a 705 (hopefully), which would translate to a 750 classic score.
This is fine. Since you're taking the exam relatively soon, you're not losing much time.
Malharpatel wrote:
Doubt 2 - My concern here is, are we sure the colleges are taking the relative grading into account during admissions? Do any of you have anyone who has experienced admission after the focus edition and gotten reverts from uni’s with lower than classic scores, but similar percentiles for similar profile?
It's safe to say that all good schools are aware of (and will use) the concordance table, if that's what you're asking.
Malharpatel wrote:
Doubt 3 - Percentiles are updated every 3rd quarter of the year I read, so, as a LOT more people give the Focus edition this year, do you think the percentiles will change drastically (since most test takers will still aim for 700+ only, and that corresponds to a 99 percentile+). If this happens, we might be happy with a 700 score now only to realise during applications that the score is not really as good anymore.
Yes, the updated percentiles will be out in Q3. However, we
don't normally expect to see big changes in percentiles over the course of just one year. For what it's worth, I think a 700+ on the new GMAT will remain a very good score even after the new percentiles come out.