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mcelroytutoring
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GMAT 1: 770 Q47 V48
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Expert reply
Updated on: 16 Jul 2020, 21:18
Originally posted by mcelroytutoring on 20 Apr 2017, 08:38.
Last edited by mcelroytutoring on 16 Jul 2020, 21:18, edited 17 times in total.
Last edited by mcelroytutoring on 16 Jul 2020, 21:18, edited 17 times in total.
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UPDATE 4/5/18: On the updated, shorter GMAT, the number of experimentals has been reduced from 9 to 3 on Quant, and from 11 to 6 on Verbal, beginning 4/16/18. However, the number of experimentals on the IR section (3) has stayed exactly the same. Overall, the percentage of experimental has been reduced from 25.6% to 13.3%, which is a welcome change!
GMAC has shortened the GMAT by 23 minutes as a result of reducing only the number experimental questions from 23 to 12 (6 experimental removed from Quant and 5 from Verbal). By doing so, GMAC has created an easier, fairer test!
The answer: all you need to do is get very lucky.
Did you know that 12 out the 90 questions on the GMAT (13.3% of the test) are experimental (a.k.a. pretest/research) questions that don't count toward your score?
IR section: 3 experimental questions
Quant: 3 experimental questions
Verbal: 6 experimental questions
Let's say that you get all 12 of those questions right. Doesn't matter.
Let's say that you get all 12 of those questions wrong. Doesn't matter either.
Think about this crazy fact: you could get all 12 of those experimental questions wrong, and all the other questions right, and still earn a perfect score with only 87% correct (78/90 = 87% correct), if you happen to have incredible luck. Conversely, if you have terrible luck, then you could get exactly 12 questions wrong, all of which are counted questions, and this might earn you an GMAT score of about 680, even though you answered the exact same percent of questions correctly!
As you can see, the GMAT is a test of skill and preparation, yes, but it is also a test of luck and perseverance.
Keep trying.
-Brian
GMAC has shortened the GMAT by 23 minutes as a result of reducing only the number experimental questions from 23 to 12 (6 experimental removed from Quant and 5 from Verbal). By doing so, GMAC has created an easier, fairer test!
The answer: all you need to do is get very lucky.
Did you know that 12 out the 90 questions on the GMAT (13.3% of the test) are experimental (a.k.a. pretest/research) questions that don't count toward your score?
IR section: 3 experimental questions
Quant: 3 experimental questions
Verbal: 6 experimental questions
Let's say that you get all 12 of those questions right. Doesn't matter.
Let's say that you get all 12 of those questions wrong. Doesn't matter either.
Think about this crazy fact: you could get all 12 of those experimental questions wrong, and all the other questions right, and still earn a perfect score with only 87% correct (78/90 = 87% correct), if you happen to have incredible luck. Conversely, if you have terrible luck, then you could get exactly 12 questions wrong, all of which are counted questions, and this might earn you an GMAT score of about 680, even though you answered the exact same percent of questions correctly!
As you can see, the GMAT is a test of skill and preparation, yes, but it is also a test of luck and perseverance.
Keep trying.
-Brian
24 Apr 2017, 14:37
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Good info, thanks! Although the title is a bit misleading.
livelyangel
Joined: 14 Sep 2012
Last visit: 08 Jan 2022
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Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship
Schools: Mays '19 Georgia Tech '19 Eller"19 Jindal '19
GMAT 1: 650 Q50 V28
GMAT 2: 740 Q50 V40
GPA: 3.2
WE:Engineering (Telecommunications)
04 May 2017, 01:26
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Hi Brian,
I just wonder where you got that information?
I just wonder where you got that information?
