Last visit was: 12 Dec 2024, 04:45 It is currently 12 Dec 2024, 04:45
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Reviews
Social
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
avatar
brashid91
avatar
Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Last visit: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
1
Posts: 12
Kudos: 1
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 24 May 2017, 11:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi all,

I'm approaching my test date, for a second attempt. Hoping to earn a score of 700+ (or close to). I'm currently just hammering in drills for the next two weeks until my date, the 6th of June.

I'm basically redoing all of the exam questions in the Exam packs with a breakdown I found online.

I wanted to ask the community if this is a good e/m/h question breakdown for what my goal is, or if anyone could tell me if what I'm doing is not a good idea. I'm concerned the breakdown has too many easy questions, but I wanted to ask if these are reasonably realistic to expect on the real gmat.

Ive attached images below!
Attachments

File comment: Screen shot of GMATPREP spread - Verbal
Screen Shot 2017-05-24 at 2.19.03 PM.png
Screen Shot 2017-05-24 at 2.19.03 PM.png [ 673.29 KiB | Viewed 1464 times ]

File comment: Screen shot of GMATPREP spread - Quant
Screen Shot 2017-05-24 at 2.18.39 PM.png
Screen Shot 2017-05-24 at 2.18.39 PM.png [ 720.48 KiB | Viewed 1438 times ]

User avatar
EMPOWERgmatRichC
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Dec 2014
Last visit: 31 Dec 2023
Posts: 21,807
Own Kudos:
12,056
Given Kudos: 450
Status:GMAT Assassin/Co-Founder
Affiliations: EMPOWERgmat
Location: United States (CA)
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 21,807
Kudos: 12,056
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 24 May 2017, 18:41
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi brashid91,

If your 'goal' with this task is to receive a realistic score result as a means to assess your readiness to take the GMAT, then what you're discussing will NOT do that. The only real way to get that type of assessment is to take a FULL-LENGTH CAT (with the Essay and IR sections) in a realistic way that matches up with what you'll experience on Test Day. The assignment that you're considering won't adapt to you, won't include experimental questions, isn't a full test and presupposes the number of questions that you'll receive at each "level." For general practice purposes, it's okay - but it's essentially a quiz of random questions that (from what you've described) you already know the answers to.

Assuming that your interested in using these last couple of weeks to hone your skills and 'shore up' any weak spots, it would help to know how you've been performing on your CATs:

1) How have you scored on each of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores on each)?
2) Did you take the FULL CAT each time (with the Essay and IR sections)?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
avatar
brashid91
avatar
Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Last visit: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
1
Posts: 12
Kudos: 1
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 24 May 2017, 18:43
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
My issue is. This is my second time taking the real gmat. I've already used the gmatprep cat exams. I've ended up remembering the pool of questions. So I can't generally rely on them to be an accurate representation of my ability, as I'm scoring above 730 on them, since I'm used the questions.


Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatRichC
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Dec 2014
Last visit: 31 Dec 2023
Posts: 21,807
Own Kudos:
12,056
Given Kudos: 450
Status:GMAT Assassin/Co-Founder
Affiliations: EMPOWERgmat
Location: United States (CA)
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 21,807
Kudos: 12,056
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 24 May 2017, 18:56
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi brashid91,

While the most realistic CATs available are the 6 from GMAC, the CATs from Kaplan, MGMAT and Veritas are all 'close enough' to the real thing that they will give you a reasonably accurate score result (assuming that you make sure to use those CATs correctly).

1) How did you score the first time you took the GMAT (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
2) When was the last time you took a NEW CAT (meaning that you hadn't seen any of the questions before) and how did you score?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
avatar
brashid91
avatar
Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Last visit: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
1
Posts: 12
Kudos: 1
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 24 May 2017, 19:02
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
1.) i scored well below 700, at about 580 due to a combination of nerves and unorganized strategy. I knew the content but was poor on time Managment.

I believe my spread was around 34q 32 v first time, back in march.

2.) it has been a few weeks since I have taken a full cat exam. I have been reading mixed messages about the efficacy of the aforementioned test preps, with the exception of mgmt. which seems unreasonably difficult in quant sometimes.





Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatRichC
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Dec 2014
Last visit: 31 Dec 2023
Posts: 21,807
Own Kudos:
12,056
Given Kudos: 450
Status:GMAT Assassin/Co-Founder
Affiliations: EMPOWERgmat
Location: United States (CA)
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 21,807
Kudos: 12,056
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 24 May 2017, 19:33
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi brashid91,

Have you purchased the Enhanced Score Report for your 1st GMAT? While the ESR doesn't provide that much information, there are usually a few data points in the report that we can use to define the areas that you need to work on to improve your scores. If you have not recently taken any "new" CATs, then there's really no way to accurately assess your current skills. To start, I highly recommend that you take one of those 3rd party CATs (and make sure to take it in a realistic way that matches up with what you'll face on Test Day). Once you have that score, you should report back here and we can discuss how best to proceed. Based on what you have described so far though - you might want to consider pushing back your Test Date.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
avatar
brashid91
avatar
Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Last visit: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
1
Posts: 12
Kudos: 1
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 25 May 2017, 08:38
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
EMPOWERgmatRichC
Hi brashid91,

Have you purchased the Enhanced Score Report for your 1st GMAT? While the ESR doesn't provide that much information, there are usually a few data points in the report that we can use to define the areas that you need to work on to improve your scores. If you have not recently taken any "new" CATs, then there's really no way to accurately assess your current skills. To start, I highly recommend that you take one of those 3rd party CATs (and make sure to take it in a realistic way that matches up with what you'll face on Test Day). Once you have that score, you should report back here and we can discuss how best to proceed. Based on what you have described so far though - you might want to consider pushing back your Test Date.

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


I did in fact purchase my ESR. I will be taking a MGMAT CAT today and reporting back with my findings!
avatar
brashid91
avatar
Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Last visit: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
1
Posts: 12
Kudos: 1
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 25 May 2017, 14:55
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Exam Overview

Integrated Reasoning 1.7 1 - 2
Quant 47
Verbal 45
Total 740

I took the MGMAT exam, however there seemed to be a substantial amount of ridiculous questions on the quant section, and a lot of strange question types on the V that I hadn't really seen before. I seem to be suffering quite a bit in IR as well.
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatRichC
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Dec 2014
Last visit: 31 Dec 2023
Posts: 21,807
Own Kudos:
12,056
Given Kudos: 450
Status:GMAT Assassin/Co-Founder
Affiliations: EMPOWERgmat
Location: United States (CA)
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 21,807
Kudos: 12,056
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 25 May 2017, 16:02
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi brashid91,

A 740 is a significant improvement over your 580 on the Official GMAT from 2 months ago. Since there was some question as to how accurate your other recent CAT scores were, I have a few questions about how you took this CAT:

1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take it at home?
3) Did you take it at the same time of day as when you plan to take your Official GMAT?
4) Did you do ANYTHING during this CAT that you won't be allowed to do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)?
5) Have you taken this CAT before? Have you seen any of the questions BEFORE?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
avatar
brashid91
avatar
Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Last visit: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
1
Posts: 12
Kudos: 1
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 25 May 2017, 16:24
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Took the entire thing. IR and Essay included. I will say I was testing a lot higher than a 580 prior to my first official test as well. So that test was a bit of a shock.

Today's test the only things I deviated with included:


1.) I had a bottle of water on my desk and drank occasionally.

2.) midway through my quant portion. My pen for the erasable noteboard stopped working. So I briefly paused for about a minute to switch to pen and paper.
3.) I had not taken this exam before.

4.) I began the test around 12:30. My scheduled exam is for 12.
Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatRichC
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 19 Dec 2014
Last visit: 31 Dec 2023
Posts: 21,807
Own Kudos:
12,056
Given Kudos: 450
Status:GMAT Assassin/Co-Founder
Affiliations: EMPOWERgmat
Location: United States (CA)
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 21,807
Kudos: 12,056
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 25 May 2017, 18:34
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi brashid91,

I'd like to see your ESR. If you're comfortable sharing that information, then you can either post it in the thread or PM it directly to me.

In your last post, you noted how you were scoring at a much higher level right before you took your first Official GMAT. As such, we should also consider other factors that could have impacted your performance - so I have a few additional questions about the lead-up to Test Day and Test Day itself:

1) What did you do in the 3 days before your GMAT?
2) How did you sleep the night before your Test?
3) How long was the ride to the Test Center from your home?
4) Were there any distractions at the facility or during the Test?
5) What did you do during the two 8-minute breaks?
6) Did you finish any sections early?
7) Did you have to rush to finish any sections (and guess on questions just to finish on time)?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
avatar
brashid91
avatar
Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Last visit: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
1
Posts: 12
Kudos: 1
Timed Drills Question Pack Spread 25 May 2017, 18:56
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
EMPOWERgmatRichC
Hi brashid91,

I'd like to see your ESR. If you're comfortable sharing that information, then you can either post it in the thread or PM it directly to me.

In your last post, you noted how you were scoring at a much higher level right before you took your first Official GMAT. As such, we should also consider other factors that could have impacted your performance - so I have a few additional questions about the lead-up to Test Day and Test Day itself:

1) What did you do in the 3 days before your GMAT?
2) How did you sleep the night before your Test?
3) How long was the ride to the Test Center from your home?
4) Were there any distractions at the facility or during the Test?
5) What did you do during the two 8-minute breaks?
6) Did you finish any sections early?
7) Did you have to rush to finish any sections (and guess on questions just to finish on time)?

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


Sure, I will PM it to you after I redownload it.

1.) 3 Days, if I recall correctly, I just did practice questions from GMATprep alternating quant/verbal
2.) Not well, if I admit honestly. I was in denial as far as stress was concerned, I recall ignoring the stress I was feeling.
3.) About an hour, I also made a large mistake of taking a 4:30 exam. I had never taken an exam at that time, however there were no other time slots available. I arrived at the test site roughly 90 minutes early.
4.) No distractions, I had never taken an exam with other people in the room, so while technically not loud distractions, I was distracted somewhat by the movement occurring behind me. I had also not previously studied with the overhead headphone/earplugs they provide you. They were uncomfortable, I remember consciously thinking about those as well.
5.) I went and ate some nuts, drank some gatorade and ate a banana.
6.) I did not finish any sections early.
7.) I recall rushing to finish both IR and Quant, verbal I finished on time.
Moderator:
MBAACCOUNT2025
General GMAT Forum Moderator
137 posts