GMAT Official Practice Test 760 - should I be worried or happy?

Question

Hi! So I already took real GMAT before and to my unpleasant surprise got 680, after consistently scoring 700+ on practice tests. After getting some advice on this forum about the way I should study and practice - such as not pausing tests, taking exact time, etc. - I worked for the last 4 weeks without practice tests, improving my fundamentals, and just now finished my practice test from GMAC.

Got 760, Q48 (First time I ever got 48, so I'm pumped), V46 (made 2 mistakes). I did not stop or pause the test, did not look up answers, did not take more time than in the real exam, did not use a calculator, took the test in 1 sitting and had an exact 8-minute break in between, during which I just sort of sat there. I feel like I should be happy about this, but I just feel even more worried now, because I already had a similar kind of result before real GMAT, which I f***cked up. From your personal experiences, can I assume that this is in some ways indicative of my current GMAT ability?

I know this whole post may seem like I'm just being a crybaby, but it's just that I've already been on the receiving end of overconfidence, and this makes me even more worried.

souvonik2k · Answer

Hi
You can trust your score in the Gmatprep test, unless you have seen or attempted same questions earlier.
Assuming you did not see any repetitive question, you can rest assured.
Go through the error log and keep revising. All the best.

Crimsonette · Answer

I got a 750 on my real exam but had gotten only as high as 740 on a practice. And I always cheated on my practices too (pausing, getting a snack, etc.). I wouldn’t worry. Go kill it!

Posted from my mobile device

Hovkial · Answer

A practice test is just a practice test. Sure, taking it in as "realistic" an environment as possible may provide some feel of a test like experience, but doing so is not necessary.

Yours is a good example. This practice test was quite different from the real test environment and yet, you not only scored higher, but did very well.  achbaa  So, do not worry too much about "realistic" simulation.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi achbaa,

Have you taken this practice CAT before (or seen any of the questions before?)? I ask because I know that you've previously taken Official CATs 1-3, but I'm not sure whether you've taken any of the other 3 Official CATs or not. While the most realistic CATs available are the 6 from GMAC, retaking a CAT that you've already taken is NOT a realistic way to assess your skills - since you will likely see some 'repeat' questions that you have already faced. Unfortunately, seeing even a couple of repeats can 'throw off' the Scoring Algorithm and impact your pacing, energy levels, fatigue, etc. (meaning that they would likely all appear to be better than they actually are).

It's certainly possible that you have the necessary knowledge and skills to have earned this 760. You've taken the Official GMAT, so you know the exact details of Test Day. Did you take this CAT in a realistic fashion that matches what you faced when you took the Official GMAT? If you did, then this Score could very well be an accurate assessment of your current skills.

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

achbaa · Answer

Hi! No, this was Test 4, which I did not attempt before. I tried to replicate the test conditions best I could, but I obviously took it in comfort of my own home and wrote with pen in paper rather than market and pad. Apart from that I think everything was identical to the real exam. I hope so, because I’m super nervous that I’m cheating myself somehow and will fall again on test date!

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi achbaa,

Taking the extra steps to make sure that you are taking your CATs in a realistic fashion is one of the keys to properly preparing for the Official GMAT (and at the bare minimum, that would mean that you take the FULL CAT - with the Essay and IR sections, take it away from your home, at the same time of day as when you'll take the Official GMAT, etc.). By taking that CAT at home, you side-stepped a number of issues that you WILL have to face when you take the Official GMAT, so this score result could be a bit inflated.

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi achbaa,

760 is a fantastic practice test score. Regarding your ability to replicate that score on test day, why don’t you take another official practice exam to see how you score? This time, take the test in a library to better mimic test-day conditions. If you score in a similar range on the next practice exam, I’d say that you certainly have a shot at a great score on your GMAT.

Once you take your next practice exam, feel free to reach out. Also, you may find it helpful to read the following article:

Taking GMAT Practice Tests

GMAT Official Practice Test 760 - should I be worried or happy?

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