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sslondon
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Varying Mock Test Scores, Need Help! 08 Oct 2013, 04:29
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Hello
I took the GMAT 4 years ago and scored 630. Due to personal circumstances, i could not apply for an MBA back then.

I am aiming for 700 this time. For preparation I am doing the following:

GMAT Prep Now Video course (found it very useful)
13TH OG - keeping an error log and making flash cards
MANHATTAN GMAT 10 book series - only done 2 so far, these require a lot of time

My mock test scores have been varying a lot, following are the tests scores and dates they were taken:

18-Sep-13 - MGMAT, 660(Q44, V36)
25-Sep-13 - MGMAT, 670(Q43, V38)
29-Sep-13 - GMAT Prep, 600(Q42, V31)
08-Oct-13 - MGMAT, 620 (Q39, V36)

I didn't particularly find the recent tests any harder than the earlier ones. I was hoping that with more preparation and error review, my scores will improve. Not sure what to make of it.

Has anyone had a similar experience or offer any advise?
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Varying Mock Test Scores, Need Help! 08 Oct 2013, 07:27
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sslondon
Hello
I took the GMAT 4 years ago and scored 630. Due to personal circumstances, i could not apply for an MBA back then.

I am aiming for 700 this time. For preparation I am doing the following:

GMAT Prep Now Video course (found it very useful)
13TH OG - keeping an error log and making flash cards
MANHATTAN GMAT 10 book series - only done 2 so far, these require a lot of time

My mock test scores have been varying a lot, following are the tests scores and dates they were taken:

18-Sep-13 - MGMAT, 660(Q44, V36)
25-Sep-13 - MGMAT, 670(Q43, V38)
29-Sep-13 - GMAT Prep, 600(Q42, V31)
08-Oct-13 - MGMAT, 620 (Q39, V36)

I didn't particularly find the recent tests any harder than the earlier ones. I was hoping that with more preparation and error review, my scores will improve. Not sure what to make of it.

Has anyone had a similar experience or offer any advise?
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Yes, it happens. Once you take a mock, you much do a in depth review of it, jot down the sections, subsections, ques type where you got wrong. Go back to theory books, reread the material, practice again and target 90% accuracy.

Once you are through take another mock.
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ajay2121988
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Varying Mock Test Scores, Need Help! 30 Apr 2016, 07:46
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Hi,

Bit confused. Booked the GMAT appointment for June first week, my mock scores are as follows.:

5Jan - GmatPrep-first free mock (given without any preparation)- 470
15feb -Economist free test - 600(Q44,V30)
23Mar - Gmatprep 2nd free mock - 560(Q43,V25)
3Apr- Old Gmat prep mock 1 - 610(Q44,V31)
30April - MGMAT free test - 580 (Q41,V30)

The scores are hovering around 560-610 bracket. Need to get out of this bracket asap!!

Using following books & maintaining an error log in excel.
1. OG16 - covered all SC,CR, RC pending ; PS completed; DS is 25% covered.
2. A classroom instructor led course & solving the course material provided by them.
3. Thursdays with Ron sessions
4. MGMAT SC - haven't covered it fully.
5. E-GMAT all free courses & free tests.

Any idea how to go about this?
Thanks!
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Varying Mock Test Scores, Need Help! 30 Apr 2016, 10:43
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Hi ajay2121988,

With your current Test Date, you have about 5 weeks of study time remaining, which may or may not be enough time for you to hit your goal score. I'd like to know a bit more about your studies, how you took your CATs and your timeline/goals.

1) What is your study routine during a typical week?
2) What is your overall goal score?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

When you took your CATs:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take them at home?
3) Did you take them at the same time of day as your Official GMAT?
4) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)?
5) Did you ever take a CAT more than once? Have you come across questions on your CATs that you had seen BEFORE?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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ajay2121988
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Varying Mock Test Scores, Need Help! 30 Apr 2016, 20:50
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Hi Rich,

Please fine the responses inline.

EMPOWERgmatRichC
Hi ajay2121988,

With your current Test Date, you have about 5 weeks of study time remaining, which may or may not be enough time for you to hit your goal score. I'd like to know a bit more about your studies, how you took your CATs and your timeline/goals.

1) What is your study routine during a typical week? - on weekdays 8pm-12am with an hour of break - after coming back from work; weekends - 2-3 hours each in afternoon & night
2) What is your overall goal score? - 760( If it helps in anyway,I have 5 years of Indian telecom industry exp & have travelled a lot in India & Bhutan.)
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School? - planning for R1, that is, R1 deadlines are 3-4 months away.

When you took your CATs:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)? - No, I always leave AWA. Attempted IR only during 2 GMATPrep tests.
2) Did you take them at home?- Yes, all at home, in perfect test conditions. I make sure phones & bells don't ring during my test & I don't talk to anyone during the breaks, as I would do in the test centre.
3) Did you take them at the same time of day as your Official GMAT? - No, I have generally taken them after 8pm, but the MGMAT one I took yesterday was in afternoon, which is closer to my actual GMAT time.
4) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.) ? - I skipped AWA at all times,did IR only during GMAT Prep tests (old gmat tests had no IR);never paused the test, never skipped Q or V, never took longer breaks.
5) Did you ever take a CAT more than once? Have you come across questions on your CATs that you had seen BEFORE?- No, I have never taken the same CAT twice.Never reset the answers. In GMATPrep-old test mock1 quant section, I saw 2 questions that were a repetition of GMATPrep new mock1. Rest I have never seen a repetition.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Varying Mock Test Scores, Need Help! 01 May 2016, 10:52
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Hi amt88,

The extra information that you've provided is quite useful, as it helps to define some 'problems' with how you've been taking your CATs. In real basic terms, you took your CATs in such a way that you were NOT properly training to face the Official GMAT - so these score results are likely not accurate.

Test Day is a rather specific 'event' - the details are specific and they matter, so you have to train as best as you can for all of them. The more realistic you can make your CATs, the more likely the score results are to be accurate. The more you deviate, the more "inflated" your scores can become - and that's what happened here. By skipping sections, taking the CATs at home, taking the CATs at a different time of day, etc., you weren't properly training for the FULL GMAT 'experience.'

Thankfully, this is a relatively easy set of problems to fix. The big question now is "how long will it take you to properly get 'used to' taking the full GMAT in a way that will mirror what you'll face on Test Day?" To get a more accurate sense of your current skills, I suggest that you take a new FULL CAT (with the Essay and IR sections) and in a way that better aligns with your current Official Test Date. Once you have that score result, you should post back here.

Beyond that though, with your score goal, you're likely going to need another 2-3 months of consistent, guided study to get to that level. You can still take the GMAT in June, if you like - but you'll almost certainly end up taking it again later. To save some money, you should consider paying the rescheduling fee and pushing back your Test Date.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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ajay2121988
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GMAT 1: 650 Q49 V30
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Varying Mock Test Scores, Need Help! 08 May 2016, 07:12
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Thanks Rich for the inputs.

I am preparing with renewed energy & efforts.

I'll be back with a bang!!

Will keep this forum updated.

Thanks a lot :)


EMPOWERgmatRichC
Hi amt88,

The extra information that you've provided is quite useful, as it helps to define some 'problems' with how you've been taking your CATs. In real basic terms, you took your CATs in such a way that you were NOT properly training to face the Official GMAT - so these score results are likely not accurate.

Test Day is a rather specific 'event' - the details are specific and they matter, so you have to train as best as you can for all of them. The more realistic you can make your CATs, the more likely the score results are to be accurate. The more you deviate, the more "inflated" your scores can become - and that's what happened here. By skipping sections, taking the CATs at home, taking the CATs at a different time of day, etc., you weren't properly training for the FULL GMAT 'experience.'

Thankfully, this is a relatively easy set of problems to fix. The big question now is "how long will it take you to properly get 'used to' taking the full GMAT in a way that will mirror what you'll face on Test Day?" To get a more accurate sense of your current skills, I suggest that you take a new FULL CAT (with the Essay and IR sections) and in a way that better aligns with your current Official Test Date. Once you have that score result, you should post back here.

Beyond that though, with your score goal, you're likely going to need another 2-3 months of consistent, guided study to get to that level. You can still take the GMAT in June, if you like - but you'll almost certainly end up taking it again later. To save some money, you should consider paying the rescheduling fee and pushing back your Test Date.

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