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Mock CATs and schedules

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adityanarayanan01
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Mock CATs and schedules [#permalink] New post   08 Aug 2016, 23:30
Dear Experts,

considering a month to go before the GMAT test. how do i schedule mock CATs? do I take tehm every week? more frequently ? or less frequently?
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EMPOWERgmatRichC
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Re: Mock CATs and schedules [#permalink] New post   09 Aug 2016, 11:01
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Hi adityanarayanan01,

At this point in your studies, you should plan to take 1 FULL CAT per week. When you take a CAT, if your goal is to receive a realistic score assessment, then you really have to be strict about HOW you take the CAT. The more the 'CAT-taking event' deviates from what you'll face on Test Day, the more likely the score is to be inaccurate (and in most cases, that means "inflated"). As such, you should make sure to take a NEW CAT each time, with the Essay/IR sections, away from your home, at the same time of day as your Official GMAT, etc.

Beyond those details, it's important to remember that taking lots of CATs will NOT make you a better Test Taker. A CAT is really a 'measuring device' - when used correctly, it will give you a realistic score and help define your strengths and weaknesses, but it will NOT help you to fix any of those weaknesses. To raise your scores, you have to put in the necessary practice and repetitions. The CAT will show you whether your studies are helping you to improve or not. As such, you really shouldn't take more than 1 FULL CAT per week.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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ScottTargetTestPrep
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Re: Mock CATs and schedules [#permalink] New post   09 Aug 2016, 17:18
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Hi adityanarayanan01,

Since you are about a month away from your GMAT, you may consider taking one test each week to track your progress. At this stage you want to affirm that no “rust” has accumulated on the topics that you have studied. I am not certain whether you have exhausted the official practice exams, but if not, I find that those exams most closely represent what you will see on the real GMAT. Currently, there are 6 total practice exams offered by GMAC: two free exams, exam pack 1 and exam pack 2. As mentioned above, taking practice exams is a great way to track your progress. After finishing each exam, spend some time reviewing your wrong answers. Do some deep analysis of why your responses were incorrect, reviewing, if necessary, your notes concerning your weakest topics.


When taking your practice exams try to replicate the test day experience as much as possible. Take your exam in a quiet location, preferably at the same time and day that you will take the scheduled exam. For example, if your GMAT is scheduled for 11am on a Saturday morning, take your practice exams at 11am on Saturdays so that by the time your test rolls around, you will be mentally prepared for an exam given then.

One last point to consider. If you find that, on your practice exams, you are not scoring within your desired score range, you may want to give yourself more time to prep for your upcoming GMAT.

If you have any further questions, or would like to provide us with some more insight into your current situation with the GMAT, feel free to reach back out.
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OptimusPrepJanielle
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Re: Mock CATs and schedules [#permalink] New post   10 Aug 2016, 20:22
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adityanarayanan01 wrote:
Dear Experts,

considering a month to go before the GMAT test. how do i schedule mock CATs? do I take tehm every week? more frequently ? or less frequently?

With just one month left in your preparation, you should aim to take one mock CAT every week. Your best bets would be the official mock CATs by GMAT Prep.
You can download 2 for free and can purchase additional 4 from mba.com

In addition to taking the tests, make sure that you take out ample time to analyse each test thoroughly. Try to devote at least 2 - 3 hours for each test once you have competed it.
Also, make sure you make en error log and record all the questions that you got incorrect. Post this, try to understand the concept behind it and reach the fundamentals, so that you do not make the same mistake again.
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GMATPILLBILL
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Re: Mock CATs and schedules [#permalink] New post   19 Aug 2016, 20:41
Hi adityanarayanan01,

It looks like you need a study plan that you can stick to. Here is a customized one month study plan that can help boost your score: https://www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-t ... study-plan

Use this as a guideline. You don’t have to follow it exactly but the structure of the study plan should be the same structure that you take in your approach. This helps to optimize your retention and learning.

As you study, we recommend that you focus on one particular subsection for multiple consecutive days before moving onto the next. You can see this in our study plan where we recommend 5 days on nothing but SC -- before moving onto CR and then RC.

Here is a sample SC video to help you start your journey: https://www.gmatpill.com/sentencecorrect ... ythons.mp4

Best of luck - we are here to help.
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adityanarayanan01
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Re: Mock CATs and schedules [#permalink] New post   24 Aug 2016, 03:06
ScottTargetTestPrep wrote:
Hi adityanarayanan01,

Since you are about a month away from your GMAT, you may consider taking one test each week to track your progress. At this stage you want to affirm that no “rust” has accumulated on the topics that you have studied. I am not certain whether you have exhausted the official practice exams, but if not, I find that those exams most closely represent what you will see on the real GMAT. Currently, there are 6 total practice exams offered by GMAC: two free exams, exam pack 1 and exam pack 2. As mentioned above, taking practice exams is a great way to track your progress. After finishing each exam, spend some time reviewing your wrong answers. Do some deep analysis of why your responses were incorrect, reviewing, if necessary, your notes concerning your weakest topics.


When taking your practice exams try to replicate the test day experience as much as possible. Take your exam in a quiet location, preferably at the same time and day that you will take the scheduled exam. For example, if your GMAT is scheduled for 11am on a Saturday morning, take your practice exams at 11am on Saturdays so that by the time your test rolls around, you will be mentally prepared for an exam given then.

One last point to consider. If you find that, on your practice exams, you are not scoring within your desired score range, you may want to give yourself more time to prep for your upcoming GMAT.

If you have any further questions, or would like to provide us with some more insight into your current situation with the GMAT, feel free to reach back out.



hi Scott,

i'm facing a bit of a gripe in prep. ive given total of 3 CAT scored 480,610,570 on them . but im facing inconsistent results despite prepping well. i cant seem to improve my scores. i practice only from GMAT prep/OG/Quant+Ver reviews for original GMAT questions. please help!!
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EMPOWERgmatRichC
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Re: Mock CATs and schedules [#permalink] New post   24 Aug 2016, 12:28
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Hi adityanarayanan01,

In your original posts, you stated that your score goal was 600+; a couple of weeks ago, you asked about what it would take to improve to the 700+ level. Each of those 2 goals would require different advice, so what is your current score goal? And are you still planning to take the GMAT on September 2nd?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Re: Mock CATs and schedules [#permalink]
24 Aug 2016, 12:28

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