As a test taker, the biggest concern I had after trying every mock was "Is this score reliable?". I tried over 12 Mock Tests from different institutions, and my marks across these varied from as low as 620 to as high as 780. While most of these mock tests were the ones which were freely available, they provided a good sense of which ones should I trust more, and if I opt to appear in the exam again, I certainly have my mind made up.
To start, let me give this disclaimer that the tests I am referring to and the reliability were according to my preparation and my taste. Not everyone may agree to this, nor is this meant to say anything against any of those institutions as they are all wonderful and have helped multiple aspirants achieve their goals. Its just that for someone like me, it gives an assessment of which one is better suited for my preparation strategy.
So here we go. I have benchmarked these tests on a chart with:
X axis representing the resemblance of questions which appeared. This is really to highlight a key query with most of us regarding whether the questions in a test series are deliberately put more difficult or too easy.
Y axis representing the resemblance of scoring algorithm to the actual GMAT exam. Some of the tests are scored more strictly where even 2-3 mistakes on 700-level questions can penalize you to a great extent, and this factor is to incorporate that.
Size of the bubble representing the overall reliability of the test considering all the other factors such as the above two factors, completeness of all the sections, test interface, etc.
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This re-iterates the fact which everyone keeps repeating "
GMAT Official Tests are the only ones which you should trust for reliability". All the others can provide you a good picture, but not to such a great extent. Among these, I personally liked
Experts' Global,
e-GMAT, and
GMAT Club Tests.
All the other tests, while can be amazing preparation materials, shouldn't be bothering even if you're not scoring 750+ in any of them. They can be great indicators of which areas do you need more practice on, but I really won't take them as indicative of my level.
This was my side of the story, happy to hear opinions or take queries, if any.
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17 Jul 2020, 10:32
