Discrepancies in Practice CATs and GMAT Prep Software

[brianpeterlee]

Hi All,

I've taken the Gmat multiple times now and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I've scored a 560 and a 580 when I've been scoring consistent mid 600s on my practice CATs. I was using Kaplan CATs but my friends told me Manhattan GMATs CATs were way better... bought the books - really only used the SC guide and took some practice exams. I scored the same on the Manhattan GMAT CATs.

The biggest discrepancy I'm finding is my verbal. It's not where my practice CATs are saying that I am. I am happy with my Quant score - if I could improve my verbal, I can get the score that I need. After the offical GMAT, I even went home the next day to take a GMAT prep CAT (Skipping the AWA and IR), I scored a little higher at 600. Which makes sense - my score would be a little inflated because my mind wasn't as fatigued. (Quant was the same as the real GMAT but my Verbal improved a little.) Taking a look at the answers - I didn't get strings of questions wrong either... I don't understand why there are such big discrepancies? What is the GMAT prep software testing vs the Manhattan GMAT Practice CATs?

I've read a lot of posts talking about official test day conditions - but I have taken practice exams at the same test center and under the same test-day conditions... I don't believe it's official test day conditions.

I also don't believe it's timing issue because I'm not really pressed for time - I sometimes spend more than 3 minutes on a question but I always make up for it some way... If anything, I usually have more than enough time and need to pace myself to slow down. When reviewing the wrong answers - I wouldn't have gotten those answers correct if I read the question again.

What is my problem? I am in a tight situation with MBA applications/deadlines approaching and need to figure this out ASAP. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[StaceyKoprince]

First, trust GMATPrep more than any other practice test. As long as you're taking the practice CATs under 100% official conditions (including essay, IR, length of breaks, etc), then GMATPrep is the single best indicator of what to expect on real-test-day. (Naturally, since it's made by the same people who make the real test!)

Next, you are taking the practice CATs under 100% official conditions including everything, right? I know you said so, but lots of people tell me that they're taking them under official conditions but, when I question them further, they tell me they skipped the essay, or they just wrote a quick summary but didn't really write the whole thing they way they would on the real test, etc.

Are you taking the test at the same time of day as the real thing? Are you waking up at the same time every day for 2 weeks before? Etc. It's got to be 100% like the real thing. (Except, of course, for the knowledge that the real thing actually is the real thing. :)

That brings us to our next possibility. Are there anxiety issues going on when you get in there on Real Test Day? Obviously, everybody feels at least a little anxiety, but some percentage of the population is adversely affected by that anxiety. Have you had anxiety issues on previous standardized tests? Have you sometimes underperformed on other "big" tests similar to this one? (eg, SATs)

I'm not really pressed for time - I sometimes spend more than 3 minutes on a question but I always make up for it some way

This comment makes warning sirens go off in my head. Spending extra time is more likely to result in an INcorrect answer (because the whole point is that you're struggling with the problem in the first place). You then need to rush to catch up on other questions, increasing the chances of making a careless mistake on those ones. This kind of "bad habit" can get exacerbated on the real test, where you spend even MORE time on the too-hard-for-you questions, and then you have to rush even more on other questions, making even more careless mistakes.

You said that when you review, you don't typically find many careless mistakes, so perhaps that isn't what's happening in your case - but examine that carefully.

Finally, there's one other main possibility. Verbal, in particular, can carry the "stamp" of the particular question writer or set of question writers - a particular rhythm of language, structure, and logic. Some students are adept at picking up that rhythm. If you're picking up our rhythm more so than the official-question rhythm, then you might have a boost on our exams. If so, make sure that you're primarily using official-source questions for verbal: OG, verbal supplement, GMATPrep free questions, Prep Pack #1 from GMATPrep, etc.