OffiGMAT Practice Exam vs. Manhattan CAT Exam, what's the discrepancy?

Hi Focused21,

To start, the scoring algorithm on the Official GMAT is far more complicated than most people realize. Since that algorithm is proprietary, no GMAT company has an exact match for it, thus CAT scores can vary a bit based on the 'biases' involved in their respective designs. The most realistic CATs available are the 6 from GMAC, but the CATs from Kaplan, MGMAT and Veritas are all 'close enough' to the real thing that they will provide you with a relatively realistic score assessment (assuming that you use the CAT correctly).

When a big drop in your CAT Scores occurs, you have to consider a number of different variables - and some of those variables can only be defined after you review the questions that you got wrong (and your work/notes for that CAT). The first factor to consider is the number of questions that you got wrong that you COULD have gotten correct. Between the Quant and Verbal sections, there are only 67 questions in total, so you cannot afford to 'absorb' lots of little mistakes. Other factors include where you took your CAT, the time of day, how tired/distracted you were, etc. To receive a realistic Score on a CAT, you have to go to the extra steps of making sure that you are taking each CAT in a realistic fashion (meaning that you take the FULL CAT - with the Essay and IR sections, take them away from your home, at the same time of day as when you'll take the Official GMAT, etc.).

Before I can offer you any additional advice, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) How have you scored on EACH of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your goal score?
5) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
7) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich