MGMAT CAT #3...score decrease?

by **AMS296** Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:54 pm

Hey guys,

I just wanted to know whether it was common to see this:

CAT #1 - 580
CAT #2 - 640
Cat #3 - 590

I went down 50 points from my last exam! I think there may have been some outside factors while I was taking the 3rd test, had construction going on in the house..but i didnt think it would have affect me that much!

I was hoping my score would increase as I go through the course, is that sometimes not the case?

Thanks!

by **Guest** Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:34 pm

I should probably mention that I am currently enrolled in the 9W program!

by **StaceyKoprince** Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:04 pm

Talk to your instructor about this - I'm assuming you are close to the end of the course? You will be able to submit a request for a test review to review your three tests and your instructor can help you figure out what happened. I wouldn't say it's common for this to happen at the end of the course, but it's not wildly unusual either.

(If you are still in the middle of the course and have already taken three tests - it's probably more common for scores to go down in the middle of the course than to go up, because you're still practicing and not very comfortable yet with everything you've been learning.)

by **AMS296** Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:21 am

just to follow up and keep things up to date...

CAT #1 - 580
CAT #2 - 640
Cat #3 - 590
CAT #4 - 660
CAT #5 - 590
CAT #6 - 660

GMAT PREP#1- 660
GAMT PREP #2- yet to take

Actual GMAT - 6 days away

I guess my plan will be to just, use the MGMAT CAT breakdown to see what areas I am getting questions incorrect in and focus on them and take GMAT PREP #2, and possible some of the kaplan exams that I havent yet taken...any opinions?

I really have no clue what to expect when I take the exam...

by **StaceyKoprince** Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:09 pm

Did you sign up for your end-of-course test review to get some insight from your instructor? If not, contact him/her right away. It may be a little late at this point b/c your test is in a few days. Also, if you plan to take the test a second time, you can sign up for a free post-GMAT assessment after you take the official test the first time. If you'd like to do that, send an email to studentservices@manhattangmat.com after you take the official test. (Note to others: this is available to anyone who took our course or worked with one of our private tutors.)

by **StaceyKoprince** Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:10 pm

Oh, and one other thing. Check to see if you had timing issues on the tests on which your score dropped. Running out of time and having to rush or guess on even just 4 or 5 questions at the end of each section can cause a 50-point drop.

by **Guest** Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:08 pm

well it happened, i bombed the test...I left the test room with a 550.. 37Q 27V :(

This was my lowest score that I've recieved compared to my practice CATs, i thought I was doing alright as I was taking it, I think in the verbal area I lost some focus, but I didnt think it was that bad! Timing wasn't an issue in Quant but for the first time I was running out of time in the verbal towards the end.

my practice results were:
MGMATCAT #1 - 580
MGMAT CAT #2 - 640
MGMAT Cat #3 - 590
MGMAT CAT #4 - 660
MGMAT CAT #5 - 590
MGMAT CAT #6 - 660

GMAT PREP#1- 660

2 Days before Exam Kaplan CAT - 490 (confidence killer)
Day before Exam - Took the 2nd GMAT prep 620

Heading into the exam my confidence was shot, especially because of that Kaplan score.

I think I will have to re-takle the exam, I really think I can score in the low to mid 600 on that exam! I just can't believe I have to go through another month of studying and being anti-social...my friends and family must think I'm trying to be a nerosurgian or something...

I studied mostly with the MGMAT material. I guess I'll to do some more Quant questions to keep conceps fresh and hopefully improve but I think I'll focus heavy on the verbal, which I originally thought was my stronger side....before I combined the MGMAT and the OG when studying, but this time I think I'll go strictly through the OG only...

bahhhhhhhhhh i cant believe i got a 550!

by **StaceyKoprince** Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:33 pm

I'm sorry to hear about your first test experience - but you can beat this thing!

First, email studentservices@manhattangmat.com and sign up for a (free) Post-GMAT Assessment - right away! This way, you can discuss with an instructor what to do to prep for the next time based on what happened the first time around.

From what I've heard on other forums, Kaplan tests really low-ball the scores, so don't use those as good score indicators.

How did your math and verbal sub-scores for your last few practice tests compare to your sub-scores on the real thing? (The sub-scores are the 2-digit math and verbal scores.) You mentioned thinking that verbal was your strength, but your verbal sub-score on the real thing was 27, which is around the 45th percentile (compared to your math score, which was around 55th percentile). Is it the case that most of the score drop was due to a drop on the verbal side?

You also mentioned running out of time on the verbal side. At what point did you feel you had to start rushing? For how many questions? Do you have any insight into why you got behind? Eg, did you hit a hard passage or argument and realize only after the fact that you spent way too much time on it? Etc.

Finally, I agree that, for verbal study, OG is best. We all (meaning the test prep community) do our best to mimic the questions, but this is inherently harder on verbal than on math, so depend most on OG to get a feel for the language they tend to use, etc.