New GMAT ESR released!

Test takers looking for an analysis of their performance on the GMAT exam have always wanted more granular data from the GMAT Enhanced Score Report. With the latest update to the ESR, the GMAC has taken yet another step towards providing test takers more information to understand what went wrong and what went right on test day.

What has changed?

The GMAT Enhanced Score Report has been updated to include a new “Performance by Fundamental Skills” section. Here is the full list:

Verbal

Critical Reasoning
1. Analysis/Critique
2. Construction/Plan

Reading Comprehension
1. Identify Inferred Idea
2. Identify Stated idea

Sentence Correction
1. Grammar
2. Communication

Quantitative

1. Geometry
2. Rates/Ratio/Percent
3. Value/Order/Factors
4. Equal./Inequal./Alg.
5. Counting/Sets/Series\

Performance is represented by a percentage score and is classified into categories (such as “Above Average”, “Strong”, and “Very Strong”).

The other major change is an increase in price. The ESR used to cost $24.95, but will now set you back $30.

Is this the first update to the ESR?

In quite some time, but not the first ever. Here is what the GMAC said about the previous update.

How are they doing this?

Exactly how the GMAC is going about this process is unclear, and we don’t know if or when they will disclose their methodology. At this point, we can only speculate. Given that each question on the GMAT is created to test some very specific skills, maybe all the GMAC did is take all these skills and put them in very broad categories. For example, if an SC question tests skills X, Y, and Z, maybe they said that X and Y come under “Grammar” and Z comes under “Communication”. 2 out of 3 means that this SC question is one that tests “Grammar”.

Now, it would be truly amazing if the GMAC had each and every option classified. That would allow the ESR to show something like this: if in an SC question in which every other incorrect option tests communication, a test taker marks the one incorrect option that tests grammar, then the ESR shows that mistake under “Grammar” and not “Communication”.

Is this a good thing?

I think so, but it really depends on you. The ESR has been getting better over time and now includes some very useful information. It still does not approach the level of detail that practically all good non-official tests include, but then it is really hard to pry anything but very broad conclusions out of what is a pretty small set of questions.

Should I buy the new ESR?

You might not need to! If you have already purchased the ESR, you can request a new link, and you will be able to access the new ESR. If you were thinking about getting the ESR, the new information this update adds can only help. If you weren’t looking to get the ESR before this update, there is nothing so particularly compelling here that you need to change your mind.

From the original post here.