I score so much lower on GMATPREP than I do on MGMAT tests!

[laurenryan12]

Hello,

I wanted to get some advice on what might be going on with my practice tests. My last 4 scores are below:

MGMAT: 42Q 36V - 640
MGMAT: 40Q 39V - 650
GMATPREP: 35Q 29V - 540
GMATPREP: 39Q 28V - 560

My verbal scores on the GMATPREP tests are ABYSMAL. Is this common for people to do so much worse on the GMATPREP tests? My impression based on various forums is that GMATPREP scores are pretty consistent with MGMAT scores and real scores on the GMAT. As someone who is striving for a 700 (but would be happy with a 680), seeing a 540 pop up on the screen after scoring in the mid 600s is very discouraging. I assumed I was making progress. I initially thought it might be a fluke, but then I took another one and the 560 popped up...

I have my test scheduled for the last day offered before integrated reasoning is added. Should I be expecting around a 550 on the test given my GMATPREP scores?!

Help! I don't know what to do/think!

Thanks,
Lauren

[sureshreddy003]

Hi,

I would reply to your message based on my experience with MGMAT tests and GMATPREP.

MGMAT test has a standard deviation of +/- 50 points and GMATPREP has a deviation of +/- 30 points when compared to original test. So if you score 650 on MGMAT, then you may end up scoring either 620 or sometimes higher 670 in GMATPREP.

No one knows the logic of original test, so MGMAT tries to match the logic of GMAT and which is why MGMAT tests have some deviation.

Also, a drop in score from 1 test to other can be associated to various reasons such as taking test in official conditions(including breaks), stamina, concentration, time management, bunch of wrong questions continuously etc.,

Here is an article from Stacey, which would be helpful :)

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

NOTE: Please do not share just your raw scores, do analyze your tests and then share your strengths and weaknesses. It is we who have to analyze ourselves, as it would allow us to improve. Stacey would not be able to tell you why your score dropped, if you just post your raw scores :)


Thanks,
Suresh

[laurenryan12]

Thanks for your response. The GMATPREP tests taken were in between my Manhattan tests, so it isn't like I discovered some sudden drop.

I have really tried to analyze my weaknesses, but nothing really jumps out at me. I know I have timing issues, and my stubbornness sometimes gets the best of me in the quant section.

My assessment report for the last test is as follows:

CR: 71% correct
600-700 (2 questions): 100% correct
700-800 (12 questions): 67% correct

RC: 67% correct
500-600 (1 questions): 100% correct
600-700 (4 questions): 50% correct
700-800 (7 questions): 71% correct

SC: 33% correct (ouch, but I did only get 700-800 level questions)
700-800 (15 questions): 33% correct

PS: 55% correct
300-500 (2 questions): 100% correct
500-600 (4 questions): 100% correct
600-700 (11 questions): 55% correct
700-800 (5 questions): 0% correct

DS: 40% correct
500-600 (3 questions): 67% correct
600-700 (5 questions): 43% correct
700-800 (5 questions): 20% correct

I clearly have a hard time with upper level math questions, and the quant section in general.

When I do the assessment report for all of my tests, it points out that I am worst in inequalities (only 1/8 questions correct), triangles, diagonals, circles and cylinders, probability and combinatorics, overlapping sets, and fractions/percents. I am slowest at VICs, taking an average of 3:41 on problems I got WRONG (MAJOR timing problem).

I take the GMAT in a month. Any suggestions on how to tackle my deficiencies in quant? Any suggestions for verbal? I would like to get above a 40 on the verbal section.

Thanks!
Lauren

[gmatcats]

Hey Lauren we seem to be the rare exceptions.

I too score much higher on the manhattan gmat. In fact, I was scoring high 600's consistently on mgmat Cat's and only scored a 650 on the gmat prep and ended up with a 570!!!! on the actual gmat. I think mgmat math is many more calculations- which I dont mind and im fast with once i know what to do. The gmat prep and gmat- most of the battle is just understanding what the hell there even talking about. I remember a question on my test that was asking the most basic question but it took me 1.5 minutes just to realize what was going on. You rarely have that on manhattan gmat. My tutor said something went wrong but I don't know anymore... All I know is I'm not taking the test again until I'm consistently seeing 7's on every test. Good Luck!

[laurenryan12]

What was your breakdown on the actual GMAT (if you dont mind me asking)? Do you happen to score higher in verbal or quant? Hearing that stresses me out! I haven't even gotten above a 600 on the GMATPREP tests! Has anyone ever scored poorly on the GMATPREP tests but well on the actual GMAT?

[gmatcats]

Hey no problem- I scored a 570, 41 quant 28 verbal. The lowest I had gotten on any verbal before the test was a 33, and even that was a very off day. I averaged mid-high 30's. My quant has always been around 44-47, with hitting a 48 the week before the test on gmat prep. So don't go into the test unless your really consistently scoring where you want to be. Most of the time people actually do as well or maybe even perform lower than gmat prep because its stressful, your nervous, your heart's pounding... which is expected. I'm not going to retake it until I'm in consistently scoring like 720 even though i want just a 700.

Manhattan gmat verbal is misleading, at least for me. It is too forgiving and there is no way you could get a 38 with 15 mistakes on the real test; that easily happens on the manhattan gmat. I am in no way bashing mgmat and I think besides for gmat prep the cats are by far the best out there just the scoring is a little misleading I think.

If you scoring under 40's on gmat prep you are probably not solid on the basic yet, which I see are the most important. Something that helped me, btw, is a change of timing. Everyone here will disagree but my highest quant- the 48 on gmat prep- was after my tutor told me to spend more time on the earlier questions. I did this, got like 5 out of the first 20 wrong, and even had to guess and got all the last 5 on the test wrong! and that still put me at a 48! So i have been using that strategy and its been extremely helpful in getting that quant from a solid 43 to a solid 45-47.

[Duncansn]

I have had a similar experience. My scores on the MGMAT practice exams were around 590. I figured I was ready for the real exam because I only need to score a 500. Then on the GMAT prep software I scored a 460 several times. I ended up taking the real GMAT 3 times now and scored 460 each time. I definitally feel the MGMAT scores are inflated compared to the real exam and that the GMAT prep software is the most accurate. However, MGMAT does provide nice explanations and break downs of the questions. My plan is to just use MGMAT exams as a study tool and not put so much faith on the scoring.

[vikramsumer]

Bang On, Same Story

I have been scoring around 680 and 700s on MGAMT and now when I took GMAT Prep, my verbal scores crashed.

I took all tests under strict exam like conditions with both essays. My conclusion is that MGMAT and GMAT prep is go different ways in verbal. Gmat prep verbal is tougher than MGMAT, especially the RC's

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, guys

We do see variety in MGMAT scores vs. real test / GMATPrep scores - but it isn't the case that that variety is all in the same direction. Some people do worse in quant on the real test (or GMATPrep), some people do worse in verbal, some people do about the same, some people do a little bit better. There are a lot of factors that can play into this stuff.

As a general rule, if you do see a big discrepancy in MGMAT vs. GMATPrep scores, it's important to try to figure out why. There are a lot of possibilities; some of the most common:

- not taking tests under 100% official conditions, including essays, length of breaks etc; not taking tests under consistent conditions (eg, one time you take it at the end of a long workday or under some other condition that would be likely to heighten mental fatigue)

- messing up the timing. This is the biggest one and the most common culprit, actually. If you have timing problems, then you are likely to see score fluctuations. Sometimes everything works and your score is higher, sometimes you crash and burn and your score drops.

Note: You CAN have serious timing issues even if you finish the section on time. I talk to people all the time who tell me they don't "really" have timing problems, and then I see the data and realize that they do have quite significant timing problems.

You can use this article to analyze your MGMAT CATs:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

(And note what that article asks you to do - it's not about how many you get right or the percentage correct in a certain category. That's only one part of the data, and it's not enough to give you a good picture of what's going on.)

Unfortunately, GMATPrep doesn't give us statistics. You should time yourself per question on GMATPrep tests, just so that you have that data, at least. If you do the MGMAT analysis, though, then the process might help you to have an idea of what to think about with respect to your GMATPrep tests, and that might help you to figure out what went wrong (if the score drop is on the GMATPrep side).

Lauren, if you'd like detailed advice about what to do, please use the above article to analyze your most recent MGMAT CATs and then come back here and share that analysis with us (note: NOT just the raw data - I want to know what you think about it!). Also include anything you've been able to figure out with respect to the GMATPrep tests.

You mention timing problems, so read these two articles and start doing what they say:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... anagement/

One thing I'm noticing from your quant percentage correct. You're getting 0% of 700+ PS and 20% of 700+ DS. You could get that same performance if you just guessed randomly on the hardest questions. What's the remedy to that? Get the super-hard ones wrong a lot faster, and then you can spend that time on the sub-700 level questions that you're missing right now. Some of those are also too hard for you, but some are things you're missing simply because you're rushing. (How do I know you're rushing sometimes? Simple. If you're spending way too long on some questions - which you told me you are doing - then you have to rush somewhere else to make up for it. And rushing = careless mistakes.)

[laurenryan12]

So I took the test and ended up doing poorly, but it was my math score that was much lower as opposed to my verbal score. I felt like what I was seeing on the test wasn't all that similar to what I saw during my practice. I could tell I was not doing well, and got pretty stressed out.

Breakdown:

38 Quant (Yikes)
38 Verbal

I already scheduled a post exam assessment. Any tips on how I should start studying again? I decided to take a couple weeks off before starting up again, but want a plan of attack once I do pick up the books again.

Thanks for everyone's help!

[StaceyKoprince]

Hmm, interesting. I'm sorry you had a rough quant experience but glad that verbal worked out - seems like your verbal score was just about at the top end of the range of practice test scores. Nice!

There are couple of big factors that can lead to dropped scores on the real test. The single biggest one is time management problems, followed closely by stamina / mental fatigue issues.

(Note: there's also the possibility that your practice test scores were artificially inflated and so the real test score didn't actually represent a *drop*. Practice scores can be inflated by: skipping essays, taking longer than allowed breaks, not taking the test in one sitting, not sticking to the timing requirements, using the pause button - basically anything that would not be allowed during the real test.)

How to tell whether time management or mental fatigue was a problem for you?

You can use this article to analyze your MGMAT CATs:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

This will help us to tell whether you have timing issues. In particular, a lot of people exhibit what we call "up and down" timing - they generally finish the section on time, but they mismanage how they spend time on individual questions, with the result that there are a lot of too-slow and a lot of too-fast questions. The too-slow ones are more likely to be wrong (because you didn't really know how to do them - that's why you spent so long) and then you also make mistakes on the too-fast ones (because you're rushing)... so it's a double-whammy.

On quant, most questions should be between 1m and 2.5m. <1m = much more likely to make a careless mistake. >2.5m = I don't really know what I'm doing anyway, so more likely to get it wrong.

Mental fatigue is not the same as physical fatigue - you may be suffering from mental fatigue but not realize it. Read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... you-crazy/

If you discover that time management is a problem, read these two articles and start doing what they say:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... anagement/

I think I've done about 1 PEA in the last year where the person didn't have some kind of timing problem, so expect to have some, at least. :)

Finally, I think it's a great idea to take a couple of weeks off and a great idea to have a plan for when you do start up again. You should get a lot of good advice during the PEA; feel free to come back and share it here, along with what you discover as you do the analysis I described above, and we'll talk!