Hi StrugglingGmat2910,
Test Day is a rather specific 'event' - the details are specific and they matter, so you have to train as best as you can for all of them. The more realistic you can make your CATs, the more likely the score results are to be accurate. The more you deviate, the more "inflated" your practice scores can become - and that's what happened here. By taking the CATs at home, retaking certain CATs, etc., you weren't properly training for the FULL GMAT 'experience.' There will often be certain minor distractions on Test Day, but it does not sound as though you were prepared for that either. By extension, your practice CAT scores were likely not accurate.
It was not clear from your answers whether you had a decent night's sleep the night before you took the GMAT, but if you slept poorly (or had trouble sleeping), then that could have impacted your performance as well. Before we can discuss how best to improve from here, I'd like to know a bit more about your studies and goals:
1) How long did you study before each attempt at the GMAT?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) What is your goal score?
4) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich