GMAT prep software

[anis_dz006]

Hey everyone,

Well, I am pretty disappointed and feel down today! and that's why I am writing this so I can get some insight. Just took practice test 1 of the new GMAT prep software and got a shameful and embarrassing 590 (Q42, V30), I have no idea what went wrong. The thing that actually made it worse was that I couldn't even review my answers after I ended the test (a big disadvantage). Anyway, I have taken two MGMAT tests so far and scored 630 and 650. My conclusion is that either MGMAT scores are dangerously inflated or something, which I can't figure out, went wrong during the GMAT prep test.

Despite the normal stress and fatigue that both top and low scorers experience, I felt pretty confident and was happy with my work along the way, especially in the verbal section, but I ended up getting a confidence-shattering 30 :(((( even though English is not my first language, I always get ALL SC questions right even the TOUGHEST ones, and most of RC questions right. I do struggle a bit with CR but I get the easy-to-medium ones correct most of the time. My score in the Q section has been consistent all through my MGMAT as well as Kaplan practice tests (43 to 47). I've done tons of practice questions using MGMAT and Kaplan books and been doing pretty well too. So, what's wrong with me?

I am planning to take the exam (the actual one :0) in a month, and now with my confidence level hitting a record low, I don't really know what to do.

If anyone can give me some useful advice, I'd very much appreciate it.

Have a good day all!

[StaceyKoprince]

We actually recalibrate our tests periodically to make sure they are matching the data / scores from the real test - and we just completed our most recent recalibration about a month ago.

But, here's the thing: all tests have standard deviations. The SD on the official test is about 30 points; on our tests, it's about 50 points. So your test scores are generally within range of each other. "Dangerously inflated" would be a test telling you that your score is 750 when GMATPrep says it's 600. :)

That's not really comforting though, is it? You want to know why you went from 650 on your most recent MGMAT to a 590 on your first GMATPrep.

First, note for future - you can review GMATPrep questions as long as you do so immediately after the test and without clicking into any OTHER areas of the GMATPrep software. You have to stay within the area where you just took that test. After you go to a different area or close the software, though, you lose the ability to view the questions again, so take screen shots of everything right after you're done with the test.

Next, did you take all of these tests under 100% official conditions? Did you skip any sections (including essay, IR)? Did you take longer breaks during any? Did you take them at different times of day? Were you more or less well-rested for some tests? In other words, did you change the testing conditions at all for any of these, and could that help to explain the drop for the 3rd test?

Also, did both your quant and verbal scores drop? Or was the overall drop mostly attributable to one section? It looks like Q dropped anywhere from a little (43 --> 42) to a lot (47 -->42). And it looks like verbal must have dropped a lot too because you remark that the 30 is really low for you. What were your Q and V scores specifically for the 650 test?

Note that the quant and verbal scales aren't quite the same, depending on what level you're looking at. A 1-point drop on quant is often more of a percentile drop than on verbal.

Did you have ANY timing problems at all? (You can finish the section on time and still have serious timing problems.) If your immediate response is, "No, I didn't have any timing problems," then I don't believe you and you shouldn't believe yourself either. I run across about 1 person a year who doesn't have timing problems! Nearly everyone does.

Use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s) and you'll see whether you have timing problems:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis and what you think you should do based on that analysis. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

Also, for future, make sure you have a way to time yourself per question when taking GMATPrep tests, since they don't provide that data.

Oh, and what's your goal score?

[anis_dz006]

Thanks a lot Stacey,

Well, I took the test under real conditions except for the essay, ie IR, Q and V only, and stuck to the break time. It is true that it was my first practice test with the IR section, as I was only doing Q and V in previous MGMAT tests skipping both IR and essay. I felt tired by the time I reached the V section and couldn't really concentrate; I even had to re-read whole CR arguments over again. My eyes were reading through but my brain was not responsive :( Besides, the V section looked much tougher than the one on MGMAT tests; all of this explains the drop in my V score I guess.

As for the Q section, I must've made some careless mistakes, I do that pretty often, I kept seeing easy questions along the way except for a few medium-to-tough questions here and there.

When it comes to timing, honestly, I've been doing pretty well. On the Q section, I do spend 3 or 4 minutes on some questions but less than a minute on many others, so the mean always comes down to about 2 minutes per question. I also know when it's advisable for me to give a question a good guess and move on without letting it get on my nerves. I tend to answer all questions in exactly 75 minutes comfortably without rushing or panicking. Occasionally, I find myself guessing the last 2 or 3 questions as time runs out. As for the V section, I tend to spend a bit more than 2 minutes on MANY CR questions (3 on some) but about a minute or less on almost all SC questions. I spend about 3 to 4 minutes reading each passage and only 2 minutes answering all questions for each passage. I realized that if I spent more time understanding the passage, answering the questions would be a lot faster (and I tend to get most of them correct).

All in all, for now, I think culprit number one was the sudden introduction of the IR section to my GMATPrep test, thereby increasing stress and leading to a mental fatigue towards the end. I am suspecting, it'll be even worse when I start doing the essay together with all other sections :( However, I am seriously considering taking ALL FOUR SECTIONS together in my future practice tests and I'll see how it goes. I also need to work on my critical reasoning skills. I am very good at eliminating 3 out of 5 answer choices, but when faced up with the remaining two choices, I often end up choosing the wrong one.

I am planning to write the official GMAT twice over the next two months (late October and late November). I am targeting over 650 for now (I'd be very happy with it). I guess 700+ is probably unrealistic :(

Let me know what you think :)

[StaceyKoprince]

That's your answer - IR is BRUTAL the first time you do it. The first time I tried IR questions, I couldn't finish any of them within the expected timeframe and I was exhausted after. :)

I even had to re-read whole CR arguments over again. My eyes were reading through but my brain was not responsive :( Besides, the V section looked much tougher than the one on MGMAT tests;

Yep. Classic symptoms of mental fatigue. Go back and look again when you're not tired. You might not think the V section is that much tougher. When you're mentally fatigued, everything feels MUCH harder than usual. Afterwards, you look at some of the things and think, "Why did I think that was so hard?"

On the Q section, I do spend 3 or 4 minutes on some questions but less than a minute on many others, so the mean always comes down to about 2 minutes per question.

Have you actually tracked your performance data? How often do you answer a question in less than a minute and get it wrong? (Of course, if you knew you couldn't do it and just guessed randomly, that's fine. I'm talking about ones that you thought you were getting right.) How often do you spend 4 minutes on a question and actually get it right?

I look at student test results nearly every day and it's rare for anyone to answer more than 50% of 3-minute-plus questions correctly. Most of the time it's less than 40%. So if you're already getting most of those wrong, why spend all that extra time? All you're doing is giving yourself chances to make careless mistakes on other questions elsewhere in the section. (And, most of the time, I find exactly that. If you have any questions under about 1.5m that you thought you were getting right but you got them wrong - that's what your extra time on the 3+ minute questions cost you.)

Look at the data; maybe you're the exception. But I'll tell you that I usually only find one or two exceptions a year. Other than that, all of the 3m+ people boil down to this: you lose a bunch of time on a subset of questions but you don't actually lift your performance much with those questions, and then you miss other questions because you're rushing, and those ones actually do pull down your performance.

I tend to answer all questions in exactly 75 minutes comfortably without rushing or panicking.

I talk to people every day who tell me they don't have timing problems and who tell me they finish their sections in time (and they're not wrong - they do actually finish in time). Then I look at their data and they do in fact have timing problems.

So just check it out. :)

However, I am seriously considering taking ALL FOUR SECTIONS together in my future practice tests and I'll see how it goes.

Yes, you need to do this. Your score might take a hit initially (as it did on this last GMATPrep), but you want to be working from the bottom up to the top, not up and down and up and down. Plus, you need to start building that mental stamina now - it takes time.

I am very good at eliminating 3 out of 5 answer choices, but when faced up with the remaining two choices, I often end up choosing the wrong one.

When going over a problem (after you've finished it), ask yourself:
1) why was the wrong answer so tempting? why did it look like it might be right? (be as explicit as possible; also, now you know this is not a good reason to pick an answer)
2) why did the right answer seem wrong? what made it so tempting to cross off the right answer? why were those things actually okay; what was my error in thinking that they were wrong? (also, now you know that this is not a good reason to eliminate an answer)

Are you hoping to get the score on the first test but planning the second test just in case? Or are you using the first test as a "practice run" and planning to make the second test the "real" test? (And, of course, if you get what you want the first time around, that's just a bonus!)

If the former, then don't hold yourself to a hard deadline yet - you may need to adjust based on how your progress goes. If the latter, then take the first test whenever you feel ready to have your practice run, but don't hold yourself to a hard deadline for the 2nd test until after you see how that goes.**

** Note: all of this assumes that you don't have a specific deadline at the end of November. If you do, then you've got to work within the deadlines, obviously.

[anis_dz006]

Thanks for the insight Stacey :)

I'll definitely have to build some mental stamina to get ready for the real thing! My critical reasoning is the part that falls victim to the mental fatigue! and I am guessing my low verbal score is attributed to poor performance in this particular part.

To answer your question about timing in the Q section, yes I do track my data. When I get the answer to an easy question wrong, it's ALWAYS due to careless calculation mistakes. As for the tougher questions, when I spend 4 minutes on them, I almost always get them right, hence the commitment. It's usually about calculations that take a bit of time, or a change in strategy midway. It's never about trying to find a way to solve it, I always spend less then 10 seconds trying to figure out the way, and if I am unsuccessful, I give it a guess and move on.

Now coming to the question of why I tend to pick the wrong answer choice when I am stuck between only two after eliminating all the others on CR, well, it's because both look so much alike in terms of wording. I figure so when I rephrase them both then I just can't tell'em apart. When I look at the answer explanation later, I am like "Oooh I see" but I guess it's too late :)))

I do have a specific deadline, it's in December and January, my completed application including GMAT score must be submitted by these deadlines (depending on the university). My first official test is scheduled for October 25th and the second one for December 1st. The first one will be used both as a practice test and as a safety net! it's a psychological thing! knowing that I have a second chance will probably make me feel more relaxed on my first attempt (hopefully) and do well. If I get as a good score, then I'll also feel relaxed on the second attempt knowing that I have nothing to lose (except for the additional USD 250). Oh by the way I took one official test 3 years ago and scored a 560 (not impressive!)

I am really hoping I can boost my V score by some 5 points and Q by some 6 points. Do you think it's doable?

I am planning to take another MGMAT mock test soon (I have 4 left), including the IR section but without the essay. The reason is that I wanna see whether IR is really the culprit to blame (if my score drops compared to previous MGMAT tests).

Anis

[StaceyKoprince]

when I spend 4 minutes on them, I almost always get them right, hence the commitment. It's usually about calculations that take a bit of time, or a change in strategy midway.

Every one of those questions has a 2 minute (or faster) solution. Why aren't you finding those? If you have a choice between getting something right in 4 minutes or wrong in 2 minutes, choose getting it wrong in 2 minutes. Seriously. That extra 2 minutes you spent has to come from somewhere and usually it comes from MULTIPLE problems that you then get wrong (or give yourself a chance to get wrong) via careless mistakes. In other words, you're sacrificing something you can DEFINITELY do in normal time or faster just to spend more time on something that's clearly too hard - or you wouldn't need 4 minutes. :)

Now, when you're studying and the clock isn't ticking, take 10 or 15 minutes to try to figure out the 2-min solution and how you're going to remember that for future. But when the clock is ticking, stop shooting yourself in the foot by messing up your timing. I'll use my standard sports analogy here: that's like running so hard after the tennis ball to make a nearly impossible shot that you twist your ankle. Even if you manage to win that point, you're now injured for the rest of the match...

Re: CR

When I look at the answer explanation later, I am like "Oooh I see" but I guess it's too late

No, it's not too late! This is how you learn. Now that you see, go back and ask yourself what EXACTLY was the difference (or differences)? Why does the wording of one work but not the other, and also HOW did they fool you into thinking they were the same or into thinking that the wrong one could work or that the right one might be wrong?

If you start analyzing that EVERY TIME*, you will learn how to distinguish between those tempting wrong answers and the right ones.

*Even when you get the problem right, still analyze this. Pick the wrong answer that you think was the most tempting and compare it to the right one. Ask yourself why someone would be tempted by the wrong answer and why someone might cross off the right answer.

RE: your practice test plans, I'd still include the essay. You have a limited supply of good practice tests, so make every one count! Also, if all you really want to do is see how IR affects you, use some other practice test that isn't as good so you can save our CATs (and GMATPrep) for more important times. If, on the other hand, it's been a while since your last practice test and you need new data on strengths and weaknesses, then take ours.

I am really hoping I can boost my V score by some 5 points and Q by some 6 points. Do you think it's doable?

The two scales are not quite the same, but raising Q by 6 and V by 5 is roughly a 15 to 20 percentile point increase for each (depending on the exact scoring levels). That will probably be tough by Oct 25th, but may be doable by Dec 1st.

Nutshell:
(1) Fix that timing. That's a huge hurdle right now.
(2) Dig into the verbal answers. Your ability to analyze there will help you on future questions. Note that your analysis after the fact might take 5 or 10 minutes on one problem. Obviously, you won't be doing that *during* a future test. But here's the point: while doing the analysis, you're actually *learning.* Later, when the clock is ticking, you'll have a better idea about how to react in the moment because you'll actually have learned how they set traps and how you fall for them and etc. :)