Are the Practice Tests really CAT?

Question

I took my first official full length practice test yesterday via Kaplan. I scored a 620 (34Q, 43V). It's still early in my studying so I realize this is just a starting point. The results analysis said that I answered 88% (36/41) of the verbal questions correctly, but the score still seems very low to me. This would tell me that I'm not getting to those high value 700+ level questions. However, I don't understand why I'm not getting to those questions (e.g. boldface CR questions). At one point I was on a roll of 21 questions in a row correct. Isn't the test supposed to adapt for this? Or are the practice tests just on a computer but the questions are preset? 
Can anyone shed some light on this? What type of raw score (i.e. % correct) do I need to get a verbal score in the high 40s to possibly even a 50+? Am I looking at this wrong? Please help!

Thanks!

shrouded1 · Answer

Hey

The maximum score you get is 51. And 43 is a very good verbal score ! 
I had a v=41 and that is 92 percentile so with 43 you are looking at a mid 90s percentile already

If you want to improve your overall score you need to shore up the quant

The test does adapt for how many you answer etc that's why you got the 43 .... if you want a verbal score of 48 or so you are probably looking at 2 or 3 wrong at most out of 41

cheetarah1980 · Answer

Thank you so much for the response. Oh I definitely know that my Quant needs major work. Trust me, it's actually gotten better, but I still have a long way to go. Data sufficiency is my biggest weakness as I only got 29% of those questions right. I was able to get 70% of the PS correct, but I'm still not as comfortable as I would like to be. Solutions, probability, and work rate problems scare the crap out of me and I tend to panic. 
My thing is that knowing the Quant is where I struggle I really need to maximize the Verbal score as much as possible. I'm pretty balanced across RC, CR, and SC, but I think I can cut down on errors in SC and CR the most. Thanks again for the feedback.

shrouded1 · Answer

More people struggle with verbal than quant ... verbal scared me, so it's awesome if you find that stuff easy to deal with

The thing with quant in my opinion is that there is a finite number of concepts out there ... and then its just application (verbal is so much more ambiguous, so you've got the tough part sorted)

KapTeacherEli · Answer

Hi cheetarah,

A few of Kaplan's tests are non-adaptive, such as the free test given at live-online events. Meanwhile, we have updated our scoring recently for the classroom CATs; we're working on adapting this new technology to the CD with our Premier book, but haven't done so as of yet. If you can specify which test you took, I'll be able to give you a more concrete answer.

But regardless, congratulations for starting a Kaplan program. All of our tests, regardless of scoring algorithm, have the same goal--to help you evaluate your relative strengths and weaknesses, and to practice the variety of question types that you will see on Test Day. So take a look not just at your numbers, but at individual question types. Did you do better on Geometry than Algebra? On SC than on CR? All of that is valuable data that will help you maximize the efficiency of your Kaplan programs.

Let me know if I can answer any more questions!

cheetarah1980 · Answer

Hi Eli! Thanks for the reply. I took the GMAT Free Practice Test from the Kaplan Website. Is this the same as the free test given at live events? I don't know if there is a more specific name for the test to give you a better idea of which one I took. In verbal I missed 1 RC, 2 SC, and 2 CR questions. In the math my problem areas are in algebra, probability, work rate, geometry, exponents (basically EVERYTHING). Often my issue is not seeing simple concepts in the presentation of the questions.

KapTeacherEli · Answer

Hi Cheetarah,

You are correct--this is the same test. It is not adaptive. However, if you purchase a Kaplan Premier book or take one of our on-site of Classroom Anywhere classes, you'll get access to a number of our adapative tests.

Dawgie · Answer

Amazing verbal score, nice starting point. I would recommend the Math workbook from Kaplan.

shaselai · Answer

verbal def good. boost quant and your dream come tryue!

sandeep800 · Answer

Thanx for the Info..I was also confused with same issue...

phoenixrulzz · Answer

your verbal score is really good!! A bit more in quant will take your score higher!

dokiyoki · Answer

Wow, Envy your verbal strength, dude :-D

Some more brushing up on the Quant section and you are set for the Exam !

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