Score went down after studying?

Question

Hello everyone! Here’s my situation: I took a practice GMAT Focus in September (I think through Princeton Review) and got a 665. This was before any studying and I wanted to use it as like a baseline score. Since then, I’ve done a bunch of practice problems from the GMAT website and the official guidebooks (by “a bunch” I mean like finished 3.5 of the 4 books 😅). Well today I took another practice test on the GMAT site and my score dropped all the way to 625 😭 so my question is for people who have taken multiple mock exams: how much did your scores fluctuate? Is what I’m describing consistent with others’ experiences with practice tests, or was it a more steady improvement? I figured my scores would fluctuate a little as I took the mock exams but it just seems like kind of a big drop, so I guess I was curious what’s typical for the size of the range of mock scores.

From what I gather, the OG mocks are a better predictor, which is good to know but that means that I'm in worse shape than I thought. Top choice is Booth so I was aiming for 715-735 range, which felt possible with a 665 baseline, but now I feel it may not be feasible. However, I'm taking the test December 20th, so I still have some time. Also, I'm planning to apply in the fall 2025 cycle (to start school fall 2026) so I can retake it over the next year. How feasible is this improvement? 
 
Also, I may be ~running out of resources~ from the official GMAT guide so is there anything besides the official guide that others found helpful?

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi tjogallagher, Try not to compare nonofficial and official score estimates. Both the algorithms and question pools are different, and (as you mentioned) the official practice tests are a better predictor. I get that going from 665 to 625 may not be ideal, but for what it's worth, you almost certainly don't need to target 715-735 either, so your target was most likely higher than it really needed to be.

That said, given that you have plenty of time to continue prepping, I don't see any reason why you can't continue working towards a really high score. As for practice material, there are many more official GMAT practice questions that you can use. You can also use LSAT/GRE questions.

Archit3110 · Answer

Yes official mocks are good score predictor use them judiciously .
Practice topic wise using GC tests work on weakness.. give mock once a week.. its enough to gauge performance..

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

If you're looking for more official questions to practice with but you've gone through all of those in the Official-Guide 2024, consider checking out the Quant, Verbal, and DI 2024 2024 Review guides. In a sense, you can think of them as additional question banks. You could also check out the online only question banks available on the MBA website. The Share GMAT Experience subforum could be helpful to look through as well. May help give a sense how long/likely different score jumps may be and there may be some quick tips you can take in addition to seeing what others have done/used to improve or score well.

All the best on your next attempt.

How to score high on the GMAT. Why solving approach is important.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi tjogallagher,

While I do believe that you can improve your score by your test date, one change I think you need to make is with your study plan. When I look at your prep routine, I see the main issue is that it's very question-heavy, which is likely why you have not seen the improvement you'd like to see. The good news is that if you can adjust your prep strategy to a topical learning and practice approach, I do think you'll see the improvement you are looking for. Let's use quant as an example.

For instance, let's consider your study of Number Properties. First, immerse yourself in all aspects of this topic, and then, focus solely on Number Property questions. After each problem set, take the time to delve into your incorrect answers. This self-reflection is a powerful tool that allows you to understand your learning process and make significant improvements. For instance, if you made a mistake in a remainder question, ask yourself why. Was it a careless error? Did you not apply the remainder formula correctly? Was there a concept in the question that you didn't grasp?

By meticulously analyzing your mistakes, you will efficiently address your weaknesses and, consequently, enhance your GMAT quant skills. This process has been unequivocally proven to be effective. Number Properties is just one example; follow this process for all Quant, Verbal, and DI topics.

For some more tips on the best way to structure your studying, here is a great article:

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