Are MGMAT mocks adaptive AT ALL??

Question

So, I took an MGMAT mock an hour ago, and scored a miserable 560 (Q33,V34) (after having scored a 670 on a fresh mba.com mock with Q49 two weeks ago!). However, I don't know whether I should be dismayed and destroyed after seeing this miserable score or really reconsider the idea of taking all the remaining MGMAT mocks. Out of the first 20 questions that I got, 17 were 700-800 level questions! I mean, is it a joke?!

As much as I have read about CATs, they are supposed to adapt to your level of proficiency. Right? The questions adapt! In my case, there was an unbroken streak of fourteen 700-800 level questions. Then came in a 600-700 level question, and then another 700-800 level question!

In addition, as much as I know, and correct me if I am wrong, GMAT usually starts at medium level and then the questions vary according to your performance on the previous questions. So the first ten questions might involve some medium level questions as well. The most important implication of this fact is that you get to take less time on the first ten questions than it took me on this MGMAT mock. I really struggled with time, and why would I not? I was constantly bombarded with unnecessarily complex questions - the likes of which I never saw on official mocks or any other mocks for that matter. I know MGMAT professes that it wants to prepare its test takers for higher level difficulty but it doesn't mean you start creating questions that are almost impossible to do in two minutes, and then you keep repeating those questions without an iota of adaptability.

I am shocked. What do I do? My official mocks tell me I'm at around Q47-48 level. MGMAT says I am at Q33. My real GMAT is around the corner in almost two weeks! :/

bb · Answer

Hi. Yes, MGMAT practice tests are adaptive. Their quant is said to be harsher than the real scoring so you can bump your quant score probably 2-3 points to Q37. But interesting question streak and quite a bit of a score difference.... this is unusual though not unheard of. We have had a debrief of someone take GMAT Prep and score 690 and then 530 on the GMAT a few days later... still scratching my head about that one.

Louis14 · Answer

Hi. If anything, that 690 on the official mock to 530 on the real one is all the more dismaying. And, only 2-3 points improvement? Really, given the rigidity of the questions' pattern - absolutely non-adaptive!? In my LONG journey of GMAT preparation, one thing that I have read the most is that the most reliable GMAT mocks are the official ones. And my fresh, official mock gave me a Q49 just two weeks ago. I have been preparing during the two weeks time, so no breaking of momentum either. What would explain a 16 points dip in quant scores in two weeks time? Trust me, the MGMAT mock was absolutely, ridiculously difficult to the point where I really started "mocking" the mock in my head. "Is that even a GMAT type question?" I remember asking myself while I still pushed through comprehending it and doing it.

Mizar18 · Answer

Hi  Louis14

I scored a Q49 a year ago and since then I have been improving at quant, and depite that improvement I got Q43-Q47 at Manhattan's mocks, while getting between Q49 and Q51 at Gmat Prep. Therefore, do not pay too much attention to any other prep mocks but official ones.

You are going to do well, just try to stick to official mocks and keep developing confidence.

Best,

Louis14 · Answer

Thanks for your encouraging words! Unfortunately, I have exhausted all my official mocks. Apparently, Q43-47 is still a great score by Manhattan standards. Even if I had gotten a Q40, I would have been like okay, it's Manhattan, it's supposed to be difficult but 33 is shocking. But then again, the test was ridiculously difficult. As you said, I am trying to keep my head off of it.

bb · Answer

Whatever the score, I would focus on the mistake analysis and see what you can improve. Hopefully you can gain some good lessons and arm yourself better for the real attempt.

PS. I agree about the puzzling gap. Perhaps ignore. Was this the free test?

Posted from my mobile device

Louis14 · Answer

Well, I'm doing my mistake analysis right now, and the very first question was at the difficulty level of 65% on GMATClub and the second one was at 95%! I mean, the test has just begun! I am trying to learn from my mistakes. Thanks! No, it wasn't the free one. I BOUGHT it! Remember the guy asking whether Manhattan retails its mocks? That was me.

Vishh13 · Answer

Hey!

Even I gave an  MGMAT  mock yesterday despite getting the first question wrong I still got a Q41 and I hardly got 2 or 3 700 level questions right

Posted from my mobile device

Louis14 · Answer

Really? How many 700-800 level questions did you get? Can you share a screenshot of your quant section? Would really appreciate.

bb · Answer

OP, Were you trying to answer e wet question and ended up running out of time half way through and then guess the rest or leave them unanswered?

It would be helpful if you posted your performance details (screenshot)

Posted from my mobile device

Louis14 · Answer

That's exactly what happened. I was of the view that the initial few questions are of moderate difficulty (as has been the case generally with every mock I took), so I naturally was inclined to give some more time to the initial questions, not knowing that I was under heavy shelling of 95%ish difficulty level questions. I was actually pretty frustrated after like the first five questions because they were SO difficult and yet I still kept believing that they were moderate level questions and that the problem was with me. Had I realized that MGMAT could go so unconventional, I would have paced myself accordingly. I almost ran out of time by my 19th questions on quant, so then I had to guess on almost all the remaining questions, excepting a couple.

Btw, what's OP?

Vishh13 · Answer

I got around ten 700 level questions in which I got 3 of them correct

Vishh13 · Answer

Is real GMAT test similar to  @MGMAT ?. Does the questions adapt after every question or else the first set of questions are of medium difficulty level only?

Posted from my mobile device

bb · Answer

OP - original poster. 
I think we found the reason for your score. This is not Manhattans fault. You did not manage your timing. It sounds to me like the test did everything absolutely correctly but instead you spent the time you did not have.

Don’t feel frustrated. Everyone needs to learn this lesson. GMAT is not about answering every question correctly but about entering the maximum number of questions correctly within the given amount of time. If you try to answer every question correctly you see what happens, you run out of time. You should’ve managed your time differently and guessed intermittently. Because if you keep using time and get questions correctly, you only get half the questions and you only need more time to answer them.

It is quite possible you were at your usual Q 49 a Q 50 at the time you were on question 15 but with all the guessing, the system graded you much lower and while you could say that’s not your accurate score, I wouldn’t say there’s any fault to the system.

Important lesson that you learned that many fail to learn for a long time.

bb · Answer

First off, nobody knows the algorithm of the Real GMAT for sure. It is a trade secret that's not disclosed. At the same time, we know how it works in general fairly well with only a few unknowns.

MGMAT, Veritas, GMAT Club, GMAT Prep, etc all work in a similar way to the official GMAT. The very basic principle is that once you get a question right, you get a harder one. That's in principle. In reality there are many other variables that may not always follow that pattern. I even feel that GMAT does not follow that pattern every time per se. One, there are experimental questions and they can be any difficulty. Two, it is expensive to create very hard questions, and thus high scorers don't really get all super-hard questions all the time since that would be very costly and wasteful, but that's not something you need to worry about - that's usually something IanStweart, myself, and a few others like to speculate/debate/rehash in details but not anything that helps regular users in any way. I would say the less you try to trick the test, the better. Your goal should be to get through all questions and answer all questions not spending more than 2 mins on average and not more than 3 mins on any single question. The timing is very important on the GMAT (as explained above in my post immediately before this one).

If you are curious about the algorithm, you are welcome to go deep. Here are a few links

https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-does-the ... 20297.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-prep-so ... 46146.html

Vishh13

Is real GMAT test similar to @MGMAT?. Does the questions adapt after every question or else the first set of questions are of medium difficulty level only?

Posted from my mobile device

https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-does-the ... 20297.html https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-prep-so ... 46146.html

Louis14 · Answer

I think you're right. My timing sucked, but I am not to be blamed entirely though, because I got multiple 700-800 level questions wrong at one point put the system kept giving me harder and harder questions. That needs some explaining. But, overall, yes my timing was an issue. Now it sounding like the egg and hen debate: what came first?

But what would you suggest I do now? Take another mock, and try to approach the test with the intent of answering as many questions right as possible as you said? Do you think I should take another mock in a couple of days?

bb · Answer

There are multiple elements involved in a successful test:
1. Understanding basics of the math and grammar
2. Strategies for questions and how to solve them
3. Test & Timing strategies

There is no point in doing Test & Timing strategies if you have not matered the other two, so I would only start taking mocks when you are mostly done with #1 and 2. What other reason you have to take a practice test and waste 4 hours of your life?

Mizar18 · Answer

Hi again Louis14 Do not blame yourself, you got a lot of 700-800 questions in a row and as a consequence you felt frustrated and overwhelmed, this would not have happened in the real GMAT because the exam would "adjust" the level according to your performance. Given that I also ran out of official mocks, I used the "fake tests" suggested by GMATNinja , but you need to buy Question Pack 1 from mba.com. In addition, they have recently released Question Pack 2, so you can "simulate" 04 or so additional "fake tests". More about fake tests here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/experts-topi ... 44293.html Finally, since when you take a GMATPrep mock you only got exposed to a few questions, you can start doing the rest of the questions of the pool of questions from Exam 1 and Exam 2 (the pool of questions from exam 3,4,5, and 6 is pretty limited). You can find source of Exam 1 and Exam 2 here: https://gmatwithcj.com/about-me/ Build your own tests, get used to the fact that if you want to get a high score you have to learn to "let go" some hard questions, and ,again, build confidence. Best,

Louis14 · Answer

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Louis14 · Answer

Doesn't the fact that I've recently scored a Q49 on official mock tell that I have almost mastered the basics of maths as well as the right strategies? Sure, there must be some more to learn in those areas, but I guess at this point, I'm pretty comfortable with quant basics. On gmatclub forum, for example, I quite speedily and conveniently solve 600-700 level questions. What else can I do?

Are MGMAT mocks adaptive AT ALL??

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