Using Club Tests Most Effectively

Question

Just bought the Club Tests. It seems there are a million posts attesting to how great they are but I haven't found any threads that discuss how to use these tests most effectively (maybe they're out there and I'm just not seeing them?). I've got few specific questions below that I'd like answered. Of course other input from people who have ideas regarding how to most effectively use these tests are also appreciated.

Questions:

(1) Mean Time: If I click on the "View your Results" link my results are displayed. I just took Quantitative Test #1. I finished 29 questions in the 75 minutes. That works out to 155 seconds a question. However my mean time is listed as 121 seconds. How is mean time calculated? This is an important stat for me as right now I feel my Quant speed is my biggest hurdle.

(2) Club Test Time vs. GMAT Time: Club Tests are widely considered to be more challenging than the actual GMAT test. It therefore makes sense that they would take longer. Does anyone have any idea of how much longer? Should I aim to complete the Club Tests in the allotted time or should I not worry too much if I go over?

(3) Uniform Difficulty: Are the tests of uniform difficulty? If I take Club Test #1 and answer 29 questions correctly, then take test #2 and answer 30 questions correctly and Test #3 and answer 31 questions correctly, etc. am I making progress or are these tests not as finely calibrated for uniform difficulty? I'm guessing it's difficult to compare one test to the next but hoping someone could confirm.

(4) Scoring: At the end of each test I'm shown my percentile amongst other Club Test takers. Anyway to translate my raw score or percentile into approximate GMAT scores?

(5) Error Log: It seems all of my old test answers are saved and I can click on review incorrect to skip to the incorrect answers. This seems to be a very easy way to keep an Error Log. As long as I click on Keep Old Answers after clicking on a test my answers will be saved indefinitely, correct?

jko · Answer

Can only answer (3), but no, they're not of uniform difficulty.

PranavChamp · Answer

use GC math tests for practice. these are no CATs but are good for prac tougher questions.

BM · Answer

You ask some good questions, but it's better to just treat the GMATClub tests as problem practice rather than CAT practice. Learn as much as you can from these tests.

Questions 1 and 2 : 
These questions are very difficult and do take more time to complete compared to standard GMAT problems. Strict timing for most of these questions, then, might frustrate you. I'm not sure why, though, there is a discrepancy in your mean time.

Question 3 : 
The difficulty level is definitely not uniform; some are more challenging than others. But these are scattered throughout the tests.

Question 4 : 
The GMATClub tests are beyond the actual GMAT, so there probably isn't any reliable way to translate your scores. And don't worry about how your performance compares to others on these tests. Many just take the tests over and over, thus increasing their scores.

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