How many MGMAT CAT's should I take?

Question

How many MGMAT CAT's should I take prior to the test. I have roughly 4 weeks unitl I take the GMAT (June 3rd, a Thursday) and am planning on taking one every Thursday unitl my test. What do you think? Should I take more or less?

gurpreetsingh · Answer

IMO its good. Do not forget to include gmatprep multiple times.

bb · Answer

Also good to include the AWA section (at least the last few weeks)

Zarthul · Answer

It can sometimes be a good idea to take two tests in one day, if you have several spare tests. I have found that this helps to boost your mental endurance come test day.

jko · Answer

yeah, if you're trying to fit in multiple tests in one day, to help with the fatigue factor, something ive done is:

1) Take a CAT, one that you havent done before (so that all the questions should be new, and your score will not be tainted by having already known answers to some questions)

2) Take a break, same as your break between Q and V.

3) Re-take a CAT that you've already done (since this second CAT is just to help get accustomed to the mental fatigue, it wont matter that you might encounter several questions youve done before.)

For example, if you have a couple of the mgmat books, you could do CAT2 immediately followed by CAT1, then next week do CAT3 immediately followed by CAT2, etc etc

BM · Answer

Complete all six under timed conditions and include the AWA. Afterward, thoroughly review the questions you feel need to look over. If you respond well to Manhattan-type questions and want more, perhaps you could look into the word banks. Those were okay.

Overall, though, your plan seems fine.

Overall, though, your plan seems fine.

anstance5 · Answer

So far practice questions are helping me learn the most. So IMHO the more CATs the better, just for repetition and "question taking learning" for lack of any other way to put it. Definitely go back over your error log and focus on areas of weakness the most, no doubt. But I'd say it can't hurt.

parker · Answer

I have to disagree with some of the posts above--I don't think taking two tests in one day is a good idea (I don't even think taking two tests two DAYS in a row is a good idea). The potential burnout factor is really high. Often when people take two tests two days in a row, the second score drops from mental fatigue, and they barely remember taking the second test at all--not to mention that you're not giving yourself proper time to review the exam that you did. *And* you've lost half a day that you could have been plugging content holes, evaluating timing strategies, etc.

Burning through a bunch of exams alone will not help your score nearly as much as methodically reviewing your performance (Generate those assessment reports! Break down past performance! Adjust your study strategy based on that analysis! *Then* and only then, after you've had time to adjust your approach and fill identified content holes-- take another test and see if that made a difference in your score.) In a weird way it feels easier to just do, do, do a bunch of exams, but the more difficult (and ultimately more beneficial) habit is to zoom out and self-evaluate to guide your studies moving forward.

If you feel solid on content and are just brushing up process, a CAT once a week is not a bad idea-- as long as you've got the time to take the test AND do a thorough review. The last week (the week before your test) I'd recommend using a GMAT Prep exam...don't use it before then because you don't get that analyzed report data on GMAT Prep, and you want to save the closest thing to the real deal for *right before* the real deal.

***I tell this story a lot, but I once worked with a young woman who started off at a 480 and ended up in the low 700s. Yes, she studied a lot, but her *system* of study was awe-inspiring. She had a detailed system for reviewing every single question she did, and I could bet money that if she had seen a question *ever* in the past, she would be able to kill that question (and others with similar structures) if she ever came across it again. The moral is: working smarter can yield much better results than blindly working hard.***

I do agree that writing the essay is beneficial for endurance training. If you have limited time, though (and don't we all), don't take the essay on every CAT-- twice should be plenty.

valencia · Answer

How are MGMAT CATs compared to actual GMAT? I am getting about 640 to 680 score? what should I expect in actual GMAT?

BM · Answer

Valencia,  this  link is probably what you are looking for. In general, the MGMAT tests are quite good. But the GMATPrep software ranks as the best. Assuming that you took the Manhattan CAT's under timed conditions and included the AWA, you're in decent shape.

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