[HOW TO] GMATPrep 2012: obtain exam logs, timing, AWA essay.

Question

Hi all,

Many of us have been seeking to obtain exam logs once you exit the test on the new GMAT Prep software (2.1.279) which is based on Adobe Air. The software does NOT let you see the info once you exit the test review screen. Here's how to get the question numbers, your answer choices, timing per question etc. Importantly, this is the only way (to my knowledge) of recovering the text of your AWA essay which you wrote during each practice test.

GMATPrep 2012 saves a file called ‘preptool.vb’ in the following (hidden) directory:
C:\Users\[replace this with your name]\AppData\Roaming\GMATPrep\Local Store\

This ‘preptool.vb’ file is the log and can be opened using a SQL viewer/editor. I used 'SQLite Database Browser 2.0' (google it - no URLs allowed, yet!)
1. Open the file with SQLite browser.
2. Click on the 'browse data' tab then select the 'table' of interest. The exam log is saved under 'used_items'.
3. Export the data (File>Export>table as CSV file). You can also browse the data without exporting.
4. Open the CSV file with Excel and you have everything you need. Answer choices and timing for each question.

Sections are numbered as: 1. AWA, 2. Quantitative, 3. Verbal, 4. IR. Peculiarly, questions are numbered from '0' not '1'. Quant questions numbers are prefixed with '187:', verbal with '188:' and IR with '211:'. Time is displayed in seconds.

Finally, the log contains the data from both tests. I haven't tried ‘re-setting’ the tests to see if the program keeps adding data to the same 'preptool.vb' file so you should copy this file to another location before re-setting (just in case it does delete your first two attempts).

There are other potentially useful data in the other tables but I haven't got round to exploring them yet.

Enjoy! I hope this helps :-)

PS. the (hidden) question pool is listed in C:\Program Files (x86)\GMATPrep2012\pack0\pack0.db
PPS. there is a (hidden) file, intriguingly called 'scoring.db', in C:\Program Files (x86)\GMATPrep2012\

PS. the (hidden) question pool is listed in C:\Program Files (x86)\GMATPrep2012\pack0\pack0.db PPS. there is a (hidden) file, intriguingly called 'scoring.db', in C:\Program Files (x86)\GMATPrep2012\

kkma2000 · Answer

As a reminder, the available versions of the 'official' GMAT software are:

1. PowerPrep - oldest (quite out of date?)
2. GMATPrep v1.
3. GMATPrep v2.
4. GMATPrep 2012 (with IR; current version: 2.1.279).

By the way, the questions in GMATPrep v2 and GMATPrep 2012 are identical as far I can see. There is already a guide on how to obtain logs from the older version(s) but nothing on the new, Adobe Air-based version as far as I can find.

bb · Answer

Thank you. Very interesting and helpful! I will add it to my GMAT Prep thread - gmat-prep-power-prep-official-free-gmat-tests-77548.html

souvik101990 · Answer

Hey
Right now I dont have gmatprep installed.
I ll do it and check it out.
But just to satisfy my instantaneous curiosity, what is the content of the question pool?

kkma2000 · Answer

@bb
Thanks for all you've done here - I have benefited immensely from your contributions - this is my little 'thank you' to the community.

@souvik101990
I haven't managed to open the question pool database, yet. I only managed to discover to unwrap the software one day before my real GMAT (which was yesterday!). We'll get there soon I'm sure :wink:

However, the questions in this version (2012) seem identical to those in GMATPrep v2. I think someone already retrieved/compiled those questions (or was this GMATPrep v1?).

pashraddha · Answer

Very insightful. Thank you. Kudos awarded

rockthegmat007 · Answer

this looks pretty useful. any idea how do i locate this file on mac?

sa2222 · Answer

How to locate log files on MAC? Did not see any posts for MAC.

KamiG · Answer

You can find the MAC files here: ~/Library/Preferences/GMATPrep/Local Store

To get to this directory, open a Finder, press Shift-CMD-G and copy and page the address above in the box. On MAC, the filename is preptool.db (not pretool.vb).

Burlak · Answer

In used items I foung only a couple of sentences from my essay. Are there any other tables I can look at?

NothingComes3asy · Answer

Here is a guide to getting all the times from the GMATprep software.
1. Download "sqlitebrowser" or an equivalent software for navigating databases. Install the program
2. Navigate to the folder that contains database by:
a) opening Finder
b) clicking on Go, and then "Go to Folder..."
c) type in "~/Library/Preferences/GMATPrep"
3. Click on the "Local Store" folder and select "Make Alias" (we need to do this step because the database browsing app, mentioned in step 1, won't allow you to enter an address)
4. Drag this alias to your desktop
5. Open sqlitebrowser and click on "Open Database" (second button from the left)
6. Navigate to your desktop and click double click on the Alias folder you just created and navigate to the "Local Store" folder (if you followed the instructions above correctly you should be here already). Now select "preptool.db" and click open.
7. Now select "Used_Items" in the window on the right (scroll down, I'm not 100% sure if this step is necessary). From the menu bar, click on "File", then "Exports", and then "Table(s) as CSV file" (see attached screenshot).
8. Open the file with excel
9. take some time to understand what it and you're all set!

Extra notes: 
1. its easy to find your sessions because they are all numbered
2. Question numbering starts from 0 (i.e. question 3 will be number 2 in the CSV file)
3. All times are in seconds, you can easily convert it to minutes and seconds (google search it)
4. I like using conditional formatting for the times. So that you can see the where you went wrong.

bellabear · Answer

HI  kkma2000 
Hoping you still here! 
I have downloaded my SQL. However, I could find the GMAT software from the location you told+ I was stuck at the process no.2 Once i clicked on table..it does not allows me to. Button turned grey..please advice! Thank you!

maverickfhs · Answer

Sorry to bump this one, just curious if score and correct answers can be deduced from 'used_items.csv' export? I have an export from one of my practice test and that's kinda of lost now

Any help would be appreciated

Thank you.

	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

[HOW TO] GMATPrep 2012: obtain exam logs, timing, AWA essay.

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards