Taking Full CAT Day Before GMAT - good or bad idea?

Question

So, I have three, full-length official GMATs to take (there are 2 free ones, plus 2 you can buy) and four Sundays until my GMAT (which is on Monday, the 27th). Is it harmful to take a full practice CAT the DAY BEFORE the real thing?

I have two options:
1) Get additional study in this Sunday, then take the three CATs each subsequent Sunday. That means my last practice would be the 26th and then I'd take the GMAT on the 27th. 
2) Take the three practices starting this Sunday, leaving the day before the GMAT as a "day off."

The advantage of (1) is that I'd get more studying in. What have other people experienced? Should you take the day off before your GMAT or is it okay to do one last practice?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi jz4analytics,

Taking a CAT the day before your GMAT is NOT a good idea. You're far more likely to 'burn out' a bit than actually benefit from taking that last CAT. You'd be better served taking it easy on that last weekend - maybe a bit of light review, but not much else. Going in to Test Day well-rested and calm will help you far more than trying to cram in one more CAT.

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

jz4analytics · Answer

A follow-up question... is it better to study more or take more CATs? Would it be more beneficial to study for 4 hours and take 2 CATs or take 3 CATs without the extra studying?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi jz4analytics,

In that last month, you should plan on taking about 1 CAT/week AND you should do everything in your power to make each CAT 'event' match up with what you'll experience on Test Day in as many ways as possible (take the CAT at the same time of day as your Official GMAT, take it away from your home, take the FULL CAT - including the Essay and IR sections, etc.).

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

bb · Answer

I would say it depends on the person. I did a rehearsal the say before and woke up/took the CAT exactly at the time I would the following day when I took the real test. I even did the AWA. I started at 8 AM and was done by Noon. I took the rest of the day off....

I did not feel that it hurt my chances. Instead i felt and knew well the stamina I would need to have the following day and how much I would need to pace myself in order to survive to the end and have at least some mental sharpness left for Verbal. I scored 740 on the GMAT Prep the day before and 750 on the actual test....

How important was taking a practice test simulation the day before - no idea... would it be OK to take it 2 or 3 days before? Probably but I wanted to rehearse the whole day with the hope that I would sleep better on the night before the actual test, which I still struggled to fall asleep the night before but scheduling my test for 8 or 9 AM and waking up at 7 the whole week helped.

Good Luck!

jz4analytics · Answer

Thanks. I asked because I could see this going either way... maybe taking a CAT the day before "drains" you, or maybe it's like a workout that puts you in the right state of mind. Again, the benefit of doing one the day before means I get an additional Sunday for studying.

And yes, I've been getting up at 6am on Sundays to study, so that I'm in the rhythm of taking practice at 8am (which is when my GMAT is scheduled for). I am even eating the same breakfast and having the same snacks as I will on test day.

IanStewart · Answer

It really depends on your strengths and weaknesses. If you're at all uncomfortable with the test-taking experience, taking additional tests will help. But three tests is usually more than enough for that purpose. Otherwise, the main reason to take tests is to work on pacing strategy. If your pacing strategy needs work, that's an important thing to address, and the best way to practice is by using realistic (official) tests. If your pacing is fine, there's little value in taking more tests - taking tests is not a very good way to improve your fundamental ability level. You can do that much more easily with focused study - reviewing concepts you could better understand, and answering practice questions in your weaker areas.

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Taking Full CAT Day Before GMAT - good or bad idea?

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