GMAT practice tests accuracy

Question

can anyone please help me out

i recently started with CATs and have been scoring in the range of 690-720 on 6 Princeton Review Practice tests....however when i took the Economist test the scores dropped significantly to 480...I’m really worried about my preparation...can’t gauge whether i’ve been preparing wrong or was the economist test really that tough

please help my GMAT exam is due on 14th November

Gmatsaiyan · Answer

Hey hi,
Don't worry, I would suggest that you give a Official GMAT mock on the mba.com, where you get 2 free mocks.
These mocks are by far the most accurate and as close it can get to the actual GMAT exam.

Please find below overview of gmat practice exams.
https://gmatclub.com/forum/all-gmat-pra ... 28289.html

If you find the post helpful hit the kudos button.

Regards

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi applebear,

The scoring algorithm on the Official GMAT is far more complicated than most people realize. Since that algorithm is proprietary, no GMAT company has an exact match for it, thus CAT scores can vary a bit based on the 'biases' involved in their respective designs. The most realistic CATs available are the 6 from GMAC (the 2 free CATs, and each of the 2 that come with Exam Pack 1 and Exam Pack 2), so have you taken any of those CATs yet? If you have, then how did you score (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)? If you have not, then you should plan to take one soon (perhaps this weekend). Once you have that score result, you should post back here and we can talk through what all of this data means.

Beyond that data, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) How have you scored on EACH of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

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

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

uzumakinaruto444 · Answer

Hello EMPOWERgmatRichC,

thank you for your suggestion; i will take one of the GMATprep tests within this week to get an idea of my preparation level, and let you know how i score on that.
besides that, i've been studying for GMAT for around 4-5 months now. i had taken a local course for GMAT at The Princeton Review (TPR) . I've stuck to OG 2018, TPR books, materials and practice sheets and Powerscore CR Bible. About 2 weeks ago i also started practicing 700-level questions on the GMAT Club for both verbal and quant.

i find myself struggling to solve Probability and Combinatorics questions since the very beginning and even now. don't know whether i should leave these topics or work on them. i also find CR quite confusing as i always end up choosing the wrong option out of the two choices that i narrow down to. however, with GMATCLUB CR practice i have somewhat improved, if not much.

My scores on CATs were as follows : 
690 (Q46, V39)
700 (Q47, V40)
690 (Q49, V36)
710 (Q49, V39)
700 (Q46, V41)

My Goal score is 750 or above.

I'll be applying in business schools in around october 2019.
I'm planning on applying in HBS, Stanford, Wharton, LBS, INSEAD, ISB and others.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi applebear,

I agree with much of what already has been said. Certainly, when you take practice tests from various companies, you may find some variation in algorithms used and thus variations in your score. Thus, please take an official practice test and report back here with your score breakdown. Once I have that information, I’d be happy to provide further advice.

You also may find it helpful to read this article about
 how to score a 700+ on the GMAT .

Feel free to reach out with any further questions.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi applebear,

Since you're not planning to apply to Business School until about a year from now, you have plenty of time to continue studying and improving. A 750+ Score requires a high level of 'precision' in your work - and your CAT Scores so far show a minor degree of inconsistency. Thus, beyond working on specific Tactics, you also have to work on your organizational skills (note-taking, etc.) so that you eliminate little mistakes from your work. We'll be able to discuss all of this in more detail once you have your next CAT Score.

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

uzumakinaruto444 · Answer

Hello ScottTargetTestPrep,
Thank you for your suggestion..i will take the test and report back with my score on the GmatPrep Cat.

Posted from my mobile device

uzumakinaruto444 · Answer

Hello EMPOWERgmatRichC,
Alright, but i wanted to secure the score as soon as possible because I don’t want to delay further. 
And i’ll be glad and grateful if you could provide me with some more suggestions regarding my preparation and the weak areas that i mentioned in my previous reply. Also, if there are any other study materials that could help me improve on those. I want to secure my score by January 2019 at the max.

Posted from my mobile device

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Great! Talk to you soon.

patto · Answer

Hi!!
What was your final score?

I've just taken the princeton review free test and 've scored 720.

I just wanted to know whether those tests reflected how good you were at gmat.

Thanks

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Patto,

I assume that you're currently studying for the GMAT? Do you need advice regarding your study plan?

patto · Answer

Hi Scott! I don't know what to say..

I'm sitting for the exam on march the 25th (two weeks). I don't know whether it will be helpful... You are the expert, just tell me.

uzumakinaruto444 · Answer

Hi, I recently took the exam and scored a 640 to my disappointment. The princeton review tests are good for practice but I feel they overestimate your scores. In my opinion, it would be much better if take the Gmat Prep tests because they are the best estimate of your actual score on the real test. All the best

egmat · Answer

Hi patto , This article on what to do in the days leading up to the GMAT would be a good read for you at this point in time. See if you have all that is mentioned in the article covered, if not then you know what to do and where to spend the next two weeks. If you need any specific GMAT related help, please feel free to write to us at support@e-gmat.com. All the best for your test! Regards, Aditee

egmat · Answer

Hi  applebear ,

I am sorry to know your score was not in line with your expectations. In one of your other posts you have mentioned about ordering an ESR for your previous attempt. Did you get it? Have you created a plan for your retake?

A personalized and milestone-driven plan can help you reach your target score in a more efficient and systematic manner. Below is an example of a milestones-driven plan. With such a plan, you know when to study what and how much thereby saving you time and removing any anxiety that you may face regarding planning of prep! Create one such plan using   Personalized Study Planner  . To create a plan truly personalized to you, use the scores from your ESR. 
 https://e-gmat.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Stage3_660to750.gif

Feel free to reach out incase you need any guidance regarding GMAT preparation.

Regards,
Aditee

uzumakinaruto444 · Answer

Hello egmat I tried out your personalised planner and found it very useful. Thank you for the same.

And yes, I have been studying for the retake for 3 weeks now and plan on taking the exam in around mid-april. I haven't ordered my ESR as yet but do have an estimate of my weak areas based on several practice tests, which I think should suffice.

patilmansi · Answer

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi patilmansi,

Did you have any questions or is there anything GMAT-related that you'd like to discuss? If you would rather discuss your situation privately, then you can feel free to PM or email me directly.

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi applebear,

Sorry to hear how things went with your GMAT. If you decide to retake the GMAT and would like some advice regarding your study plan, feel free to reach out.

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