Extra Practice CAT Resources?

[siobhan]

Does anyone know where to find extra CAT exams and there relative quality?

I looked at Kaplan, but couldn't find an option to just purchase practice tests.
I found a single practice test (which seems free) on Princeton Review
GmatPrep doesn't work on Mac, which is completely ridiculous
Powerprep has some, but I hear they are outdated.

Any advice here?

[siobhan]

Found an answer to my own question and thought I'd share. Not sure if it's accurate because it's hosted by GmatClub.com, but still interesting.

http://gmatclub.com/forum/all-gmat-cat-practice-tests-links-prices-reviews-77460.html

[StaceyKoprince]

I haven't checked out the tests of our competitors, but the GMATClub thing looks like it's based on votes from students - if so, that's always a good way to get advice (from people who've actually used the stuff). You may also want to check on Beat The GMAT - they don't make their own materials, so they're not biased in that sense, and students there tend to use lots of different materials.

It's really annoying that GMATPrep doesn't work on Mac; they said last week that they're working on a Mac version, but I don't know when it's coming out. PowerPrep is older, yes, but it's also from GMAC (the people who make the GMAT), so it may be worth using. (You may also want to try going to a library or something where you can use a PC so you can try GMATPrep - or borrowing a friend's computer.)

You say you're looking for extra tests, so I'll assume that means you already have ours. Can you tell me why you're looking for more? I just want to make sure you aren't taking too many tests (yes, it's possible to take too many!). CAT exams are really good for (a) figuring out where you're scoring right now, (b) practicing stamina, and (c) analyzing your strengths and weaknesses. The actual act of just taking the exam is NOT so useful for improving. It's what you do with the test results / between tests that helps you to improve.

Taking a test is DOING, it's not learning. You're just trying to spit back everything you learned before you started the test. Your review, analysis, and continued study is where you learn, before you go take a test again.

Basically, if you haven't done substantial work since your last test, it's a waste of time to take another. Earlier in your prep, substantial work typically takes people 2-4 weeks. Later in your prep (the last 2-3 weeks before the official test), you may want to take them as frequently as once a week, but there's really no good reason to take tests more frequently than that.