GMATPrep and KAPLAN efficiency

Question

Hi guys, 

The other day browsed Amazon.com and read more than 50 reviews on the Kaplan book. Buried in the comments there laid a hidden gem: 
The scores of many test takers! I took entered them into excel, compiled the data and here is the result:

 Out of 18 people who took the actual GMAT : 

-  22  took  GMATPrep 
-  59  took  Kaplan CATs  (the CD version, not book)

 The averages were: 

-Actual GMAT :  721 
-GMATPrep :  689  
-Kaplan CAT :  589 

Long story short, the average score on the actual GMAT was:
 -32 points higher than on GMATPRep (0 to 70 more is the distribution), 
-132 points higher than on Kaplan CATs (40 to 180 more is the distribution) 

Hope this gives some insight
Manylander

kidderek · Answer

The biggest problem with Kaplan is not their inaccurate scoring methodology, but rather their inaccurate question/answer choices.

manylander · Answer

I agree with that. They fill questions with junk in their attempt to create tough ones rather than create unique, clever tough questions. This issue is most evident in the RC section as well as some parts of PS.
Scoring is on the lowest end of any method I've seen as well.

Regardless of the reason, the quick study is intended to give a basis of comparison. "Why?" is no the issue here.

emoryhopeful · Answer

I feel like this is a critical reasoning, or analysis of an argument question itself. Your "study" is based on 22 GMAT Preps and 59 Kaplan CATs. It doesn't say when these CAT's were taken comparative to when the GMAT was taken. If the GMAT Prep was taken in the first week of study, the Kaplan tests in the second week, and the GMAT was taken after 1 month of study, there really is no corellation. A lot can change in 1 month time.

And, since another thread was locked, I'm posting this here. The two cases that manylander quoted for arguing the 100 point spread also doesn't really say much. It doesn't speak of the conditions of the tester on the day of the test, nor the conditions of the test center. Also, there was a 3 week gap between actual GMAT tests. Believe me there are people on this forum who have scored in the mid 700's with 3 weeks of prep alone. I think it is very feasible to raise a score 100 points in 3 weeks with nothing to do with "luck". Yes, some luck is involved, but 100 points just seems misinformed.

That's just my opinion, no studies were done.

manylander · Answer

Guys, This is of course a "soft study". It has o academic intent :-D

. I spent time on Amazon's reviews section, throughly read reviews (50+), plucked the numbers, and came up with something as opposed to "hearing things from others" all the time. Then I wanted to share it with all the other fellow GMATers here, in case it would provide some clarification, or at least a data point in this huge GMAT ordeal. Analyzing the work with critical approach i.e. time period between tests, which test was taken before etc, is unnecessary, inapplicable. I am very happy to have come accross this website and have benefited from it greatly within the little amount of time I spent here. As my personality goes, I wanted to "give" since I am "taking" a lot from gmatclub.com. I did not want to be the one who just responds, reads but never creates or shares. Honestly I find the criticism here a tad over the top. A study is a study, refute it if you will, but do so emphatically not with prejudgement . manylander

dabots · Answer

you should try out this study with the gmatclub debriefs. we probably have more data point shere. id be interested to see the results.

emoryhopeful · Answer

I don't think that what I said had any prejudgment. And believe me, I appreciate that you are trying to give back. That's what keeps this forum going. I just think that there are more cases on this forum that disprove your numbers, therefore what you've given isn't necessarily a help, but a hindrance. For people to have false hope that they will score a 700 on the GMATPrep, thus resulting in a 730 on the real GMAT is not a good example. I think the shared GMAT experiences would be a great place to try and create one of these studies, as dabots says. There are probably thousands of GMAT test takers to pull from there, not 50. I had no intent to sound like I was judging you for posting what you think is good information. You just have to be willing to listen when others give differing opinions.

manylander · Answer

I agree. My intent has never been to say "This is it". That it is to be taken with a grain of salt goes without saying for any soft study.

In my impatience to give back I might have posted it to an inappropriate area. Besides that I see no harm done. I don't believe it's false hope or hope at all, it is just a small compilation of data...

Cheers!

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