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17 May 2016, 14:29
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Hi all. I recently discovered this forum. Wanting some advice, thank you in advance for any insights.
4 months ago I started lightly studying for the GMAT. Just weekend studying while working full time. I chose Princeton Review's online self study course. I got a 520 on their CAT. Studied for one month on weekends, took the real GMAT, and was surprised with a score of 640 on the real test (with 5.5AWA and 3-IR).
Getting that score caused me to change my goals. I want to get a 700+ and go to Harvard. I am now studying full-time for a month (no work).
What's throwing me for a loop are the scores I'm getting on Princetons CAT's. I just took another one and got a 590. I have read on here that Princeton Review is not a popular prep course. I feel like I am learning; I do data analysis in excel on my practice test results and study topics to correct my mistakes. I keep an error log, take notes, and review topics. I'm having a lot of a-ha moments and feel I'm improving. But with the scores Princetons CATs are giving me, I have mixed confidence. I also found a grammar mistake/typo on two of their Math questions, and I find some of their questions to be difficult in needless ways. Ways that do not reflect my Real GMAT experience.
I feel my weakness is quant. On the real GMAT test I got a 41 verbal (94%), and a 35 quant (terrible 32%). What is also throwing me for a loop is that my verbal "score" on Princetons CATs are weaker than my quant score?!!
Am I crazy or is Princeton reviews scoring really this inaccurate? I'm considering abandoning Princeton materials and just using official GMAC prep tests and GMAT Club materials. Maybe try Manhattan too. Did anyone else experience this? A part of me is still in disbelief. I'm almost wondering if it's dangerous to even use Princeton.
4 months ago I started lightly studying for the GMAT. Just weekend studying while working full time. I chose Princeton Review's online self study course. I got a 520 on their CAT. Studied for one month on weekends, took the real GMAT, and was surprised with a score of 640 on the real test (with 5.5AWA and 3-IR).
Getting that score caused me to change my goals. I want to get a 700+ and go to Harvard. I am now studying full-time for a month (no work).
What's throwing me for a loop are the scores I'm getting on Princetons CAT's. I just took another one and got a 590. I have read on here that Princeton Review is not a popular prep course. I feel like I am learning; I do data analysis in excel on my practice test results and study topics to correct my mistakes. I keep an error log, take notes, and review topics. I'm having a lot of a-ha moments and feel I'm improving. But with the scores Princetons CATs are giving me, I have mixed confidence. I also found a grammar mistake/typo on two of their Math questions, and I find some of their questions to be difficult in needless ways. Ways that do not reflect my Real GMAT experience.
I feel my weakness is quant. On the real GMAT test I got a 41 verbal (94%), and a 35 quant (terrible 32%). What is also throwing me for a loop is that my verbal "score" on Princetons CATs are weaker than my quant score?!!
Am I crazy or is Princeton reviews scoring really this inaccurate? I'm considering abandoning Princeton materials and just using official GMAC prep tests and GMAT Club materials. Maybe try Manhattan too. Did anyone else experience this? A part of me is still in disbelief. I'm almost wondering if it's dangerous to even use Princeton.
17 May 2016, 16:41
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Worksmart
Dear Worksmart,
I'm happy to respond.
I will say, even though I am not a cheerleader for Princeton Review, if any material is allowing you to score higher than predicted, higher than expected, then it is most certainly doing its job. My friend, think about it. In the big scheme of things, what really matters? The scores you get on practice tests DO NOT matter: by the time you are accepted to an MBA program, no one in the world, including you, is going to care in the least about what scores you got on the practice tests. The only thing that matters is your score on the real GMAT, and in these terms, your study materials seem to have worked quite well for you.
Also, I will point out that you are exceptionally fortunate to have had the experience of expecting one level of scores on your practice tests and then scoring much higher on the real GMAT. This is NOT typical. See this blog article:
Lower on the Real GMAT than on Practice Tests
THAT is the very common scenario. Compared to that, you are win-the-lottery lucky, and yet you are complaining. Does this make sense?
If you would like more accurate assessments of your future practice tests, I would highly recommend the GMAT Prep software released by GMAC. The first two tests are available with the free software that you can download, and you can purchase more if you like. Those questions are released from the real GMAT, and that testing software is, by legal necessity, the only one that uses the same computer-adaptive algorithm that the real GMAT uses, so this is by far the most accurate predictor available.
Finally, I praise your ambition but I will issue two cautions to you. Only 10% of GMAT takers cross the 700 threshold because that's very hard to do. It's counterintuitive but deeply true that the distance from 640 to 700 is much much larger than the distance, say, from 540 to 640. In order to achieve that level of excellence, you will have to integrate thoroughly the habits of excellence. Do not assume for an instant that you could get to the 700 plateau without blood, sweat, and tears. If you really commit yourself to striving as hard as you have ever striven, then you will be much better prepared for this climb.
My second caution concerns your lofty ambitions for schools. Harvard is a place that regularly rejects people with GMAT scores of 790. A high score helps, but it is far from the most important thing for impressing a top school. You need to have a unique and compelling vision that gets other people excited. You need to have an inspiring dream that ignites the imaginations of others. If there is anything cliche about who you are, what you can do, or what you want to achieve, that significantly diminishes your chances at a top school.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I wish you the very best of good fortune.
Mike
17 May 2016, 18:28
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Thanks for the feedback Mike, and the useful links. I think i'm going to do another Princeton test, learn what I can from it, and then take the GMAC one to see if I can get a feel for where I stand score-wise. As you said, I do think the materials are teaching me what I should learn... But really want a decent estimate before test day.
It would be interesting if other students had similar lower scores with Princeton, or at the least had scores far from Princeton's estimate. Maybe their estimate is just not reliable.
I guess I can look around for posts from other students about practice scores with different companies and then official test scores.
It would be interesting if other students had similar lower scores with Princeton, or at the least had scores far from Princeton's estimate. Maybe their estimate is just not reliable.
I guess I can look around for posts from other students about practice scores with different companies and then official test scores.
