GMAT online Scores are Inflated ?

Hi san10789,

While there are certain aspects of the At-home GMAT that make taking that Exam a bit more convenient than taking the GMAT at a Test Center (for example, not having to travel, being able to use your home computer, etc.), there are certain potential drawbacks too (you will be susceptible to local distractions - both in your home and in your neighborhood, certain types of technical issues are more common and you'll be dealing with a Moderator who will almost certainly be covering multiple Exams at the same time). As such, it's not safe to assume that you will necessarily perform better on the At-home GMAT - nor that those results will necessarily be 'inflated.'

You mentioned that you have taken the GMAT once already. Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) On what date did you take your 1st GMAT and how did you score (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
2) How long have you studied in total? How many hours do you typically study each week?
3) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
4) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
5) What is your overall goal score?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

If you took your 1st Official GMAT at a Test Center, then you might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

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

Contact Rich at: Rich.C@empowergmat.com

Thank you Rich for reaching out. PFB inline answers.


Studies:
1) On what date did you take your 1st GMAT and how did you score (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
I have taken it last October. I scored Q49 , V23 .
For verbal I have an excuse that I was rushed to my Computer seat at the time when i wanted to breathe a bit as I was running late. But seriously , I think I need to improve a lot as I am not touching 30s.

2) How long have you studied in total? How many hours do you typically study each week?
I did study for 3 to 4 months, mostly on weekends . Each week 6 to 8 hours.
Now I can say, at that time I was not fully aware how GMAT can play with your mind, tricky questions, and pocket.

3) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
I took Expert Global full course. Mocks from Expert Global. Great for Quant for sure.
Now I have started using GMAT Club mostly.

4) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
I took them over a period of 3 to 4 months over weekends.
I scored Q49+ and V30+ in more than 10 tests.
Also, the official GMAT prep software - I was able to score 700+ after repeated attempts.



Goals:
5) What is your overall goal score?
My Goal score is 680 to 700 range. As the schools i wanted to apply have these as median score.

6) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?
before Year end. IIM A , B, C 1 year programme.

Still the question - are people scoring more in GMAT online compare to test centers and taking the percentile mark for overall candidates to higher level.

It's not that much easier to take the GMAT at home than it is to take it in person. In fact, many people prefer to take it at a test center. So. the effect of the available of the online version likely isn't that great.

Still, logic dictates that, if people who do better taking the GMAT in comfortable surroundings do so and people who prefer to take it at a test center do so, then overall, scores will be slightly higher than they would be if everyone were to take the test at a test center, but I don't think that schools consider online GMAT scores in particular inflated.

That said, there has been some cheating on the online GMAT. So, the online GMAT scores of test-takers who come from regions where cheating is known to have occurred may be viewed with some measure of skepticism, though the GMAT seems to be doing a good job of minimizing cheating.

Boy oh boy! This post reeks of unsubstantiated assumptions. My CR skills got tickled after reading it.

I for one can confirm that the GMAT online is no "easier" choice than the in-centre GMAT. I took one yesterday and had a gazillion issues with the online version. Though I ended up getting a 740, I lost time, patience and focus all because the browser kept crashing. And no it wasn't my system issue. I used a high-end personal computer with the latest components and a high-speed LAN connection.

I gave it from the comfort of my home and though it certainly is convenient, it does not take away extraneous factors such as "loud honking of the school bus", "neighbour choosing to drill his entire house down", "proctor interrupting you every time you look sideways or murmur while reading a passage", etc. And if I had had a choice, I would have chosen the option of in-centre GMAT. The only reason I gave the online GMAT was that I am stationed in a remote region of North East India for my job and there is no physical centre nearby. The nearest one would require a day's travel. So, my friend, there are some benefits of writing a test from the comfort of your home as there of writing it at a centre. But it comes with a price. And it certainly is not a bed of roses as you made it look.

Hi san10789,

The process you mentioned isn't trivial to implement, and schools almost certainly do not do anything like that. When a school says that it accepts GMAT online scores, it is expected to disclose whether applicants who submit online scores are at a disadvantage.

Congrats!! 740 is a wonderful score given the distractions and place you mentioned.