GMAT questions on the exam a lot harder than many practice questions?

Question

Hey all!

After solving a fair bit of questions from various sources (OG, GMAT Club, random questions online) + doing practice tests from Kaplan, Veritas, the Economist & GMAT Club, I developed this theory that due to more and more students scoring high on GMAT nowadays, the creaters have significantly altered the questions, which makes a lot of older material simply too easy for practice.

I scored just ok on many of the tests (not GMAT Club ones though), did many 600-700 exercises regardless of the topic correctly. But when doing GMAT Club tests and the official free GMAT prep test, I realised that the original questions (and GMAT Club questions) are much harder than the ones I often see online. I have developed a false sense of security that I can solve many questions just to realise that I actually can't.

Any thoughts on this?

AjiteshArun · Answer

1. More and more high scores: this is not true, or it is  extremely  unlikely to be true. At least where it matters. The average GMAT (total) score has not changed much in the last 10 years or so (only quant percentiles have changed significantly).

2. Old material is too easy: how old? OG questions are still very representative of what the GMAT tests. You should be fine using them, as long as you keep in mind that the OGs are not meant to provide you with only "700-800 level" questions. The GMAT itself does not have a particular difficulty level (it's an adaptive test). So yes, if you are very good, most OG questions will be easier than the ones you'll see on the exam.

3. Doing "600-700 level" questions correctly: it's very hard to put questions into such categories, and the GMAT itself does not use them. Use the GMATPrep practice tests to get a better idea of where you are. Do your practice sets/drills under timed conditions.

4. False sense of security: (from the earlier point) don't use practice questions to determine your current ability level. Use the GMATPreps. Even the GMATPreps won't account for exam day pressure though.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi fantaisie,

The GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam - it has to be, since scores are valid for 5 years (and scores have to be 'comparable' to one another, otherwise Business Schools wouldn't be able to gauge a score from 3 years ago compared to one from this year). While the questions that you'll face on Test Day will be ones that you have NOT answered before, the style of the questions, the concepts tested, the format, etc. will likely all be the same as the ones that you've already practiced.

1) Have you taken the Official GMAT? How did you score (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?

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

fantaisie · Answer

Hi! Thank you very much for your answer!

No, I haven't yet taken the Official GMAT, it's in 2 days. I will let you know how it goes.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi fantaisie,

Since you're so close to Test Day, you might be tempted to try to 'cram' in a lot of practice, but that might actually do more harm than good - especially if you 'burn out' before Test Day and are unable to perform up to your potential. You'll be best served by keeping your studies light and making sure that you get some extra rest and a good night's sleep before your Exam. Test Day is a big day, but it is predictable. You should absolutely post back here with your score results and we can talk through what it all means.

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

OptimusPrepJanielle · Answer

A few pointers to keep in mind during your test:

1. Do not think about the final score at any point of time
2. Once done with a section forget about it and concentrate on the next one.
3. Take both the breaks. It helps you to freshen up
4. Take a note of the time when you are out for break. Do not exceed the break
5. Do not rush through the last 5 questions in the verbal sections in a bid to see your final score
6. Make sure you complete the section. There is a high penalty for not completing the test.

All the best!

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GMAT questions on the exam a lot harder than many practice questions?

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