Answering more 800L Qs correctly still lead to a lower score

[pradeepbr86]

I fail to figure out the explanation behind this!

This is my MGMAT#4 Verbal score

Score : 36 & %-ile : 79

Question level : Correct
600 - 700 : 4
700 - 800 : 22

And this is the score by my friend for the same test
Score : 38 & %-ile : 85

Question level : Correct
500 - 600 : 4
600 - 700 : 12
700 - 800 : 10

Both of us got the same no. of questions wrong. In fact, I answered more difficult questions correctly. Shouldn't this naturally lead to a better score? I can’t figure out what went awry!

Thanks!

[StaceyKoprince]

Nope, not necessarily. The scoring algorithm is a LOT more complicated than that.

For starters, the GMAT is a "where you end is what you get" test. So you could get a lot of hard questions right and then have a slide in your performance (due to timing issues, say, or mental fatigue), and there goes your score. The issue is not how many hard questions you get right - it's having a relatively steady performance all the way to the end.

I'm guessing that your friend had steadier performance throughout the section than you did, while your score might have jumped higher at points but then dropped by the end of the section. You can look at your own test to see whether you had this "up and down" performance. Did you have a greater incidence of wrong answers towards the end? How was your timing? Did you spend too much time on those harder questions and then have to start rushing, causing your score to drop?