GMAT Prep Mocks 3&4 vs. 5&6

Question

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to purchase additional GMAT Prep practice exams. Is there any difference between exam pack 3/4, and 5/6. I have heard that exam pack 5/6 contains newer questions and thus would be more representative of the real thing. I have also heard that exam 6 has very few questions of high difficulty, so the questions would be easier but the score would be representative. Given the mixed reviews, I'm confused between the packs- and whether it matters in the first place.

Has anyone noticed any differences between these 2 exam packs?

Please share your thoughts!

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi va789,

It doesn't matter. You can safely choose either {3&4} or {5&6}.

va789 · Answer

Thanks a lot  AjiteshArun !

Any thoughts on the similarity/difficulty between the exam packs and the official GMAT?

bb · Answer

These are pretty much the same but if you are going to be only using one of these, I would go for 3&4.

The 5&6 have gotten some bad press with scores not being as accurate (this is purely anecdotal and I suspect that's due to exam 6 having fewer than usual hard questions but this is simply a suspicion). Most people end up using all 4. The last 2 get the most dirty looks.

va789 · Answer

That's helpful  bb . Thanks a lot!

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi va789,

Keep in mind that the official practice tests run on the same algorithm as the actual GMAT, with a couple of differences:

1. The algorithm doesn't present experimental questions on practice tests.

2. The algorithm doesn't implement test security measures on practice tests.

Both of these are advantages, in the sense that (in isolation) they make the test more accurate. The question pools for the actual GMAT are bigger though, which allows the GMAT to be more adaptive than the practice tests. You won't really feel this on the free practice tests (1&2), as they share a relatively large question pool. The paid practice tests, however, have relatively small question pools (3&4 share one pool, and 5&6 share another pool). Apart from that, {5&6} are newer than {3&4}, which in turn are newer than {1&2}.

You now have all the information you need to take a call on this. Any other information, as bb pointed out, is just speculation.

bb · Answer

I don't know if it is speculation. Just a pattern I have noticed - people mostly (though not exclusively) complain about scores on tests 5 and 6, and specifically about getting a lower than expected score.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-prep-test-368410.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-prep-test-349153.html

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi bb,

I did not mean to question the opinions or experiences of other forum members. You can correct me if I misinterpreted this portion of your post, where you use the phrase "purely anecdotal":
 
For what it's worth, I do think we should be careful about taking everything that has been mentioned in those two posts at face value.

bb · Answer

Totally fair. I’m just providing some references

Posted from my mobile device

va789 · Answer

Thanks a lot  bb  and  AjiteshArun !

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi va789,

If possible, I recommend purchasing and taking all 4 of those practice exams.

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