Unexpected drop in score from 590 to 450 with 1 month left

InspiredSoul - Hello. I know how deflating it can be to see such a drop, and there can be a variety of factors that may weigh into it, such as the time of day you took the test, or other issues that may have been on your mind besides executing your techniques. The good news is that you got this reality check more than a month out from the actual test. Imagine how much worse it would feel to have gotten such a shock at the testing center.

To answer your question directly, yes, you should practice other mock tests, specifically the free practice tests (1 and 2) that you can access through mba.com. You should be practicing as much as you can with official material, and no matter how good third-party questions may be--e.g., those from Manhattan Prep, Veritas Prep, or even this site--they pale in comparison to the real thing. Like produces like, and if you want to simulate a real GMAT™ testing experience, then you need to practice actual GMAT™ questions. If you have already exhausted tests 1 and 2, then maybe it is time to spring for another bundle, either 3 and 4 or 5 and 6. When you start seeing consistent results with that set of practice tests, then you will have a more accurate sense of where you stand at the moment.

No matter what, you should take the time to assess where you went wrong in your mock tests, not by looking at the correct answers and justifying them, but by looking at the incorrect answers and seeing if you can understand why they fail. That, in a nutshell, is what a good tutor or study buddy can bring to the table, but I am a strong believer in self-study and self-growth--you just have to spend quality time studying to reach that next level. You still have plenty of room for that, at least.

Good luck to you.

- Andrew