MGMAT CAT Scoring funky after taking tests too many times?

[idragmazda]

Hi All,

I just wanted to get your input on something: I've taken the CATs about 10 times (a few times last year and a few more times this year after finishing up the in-person course). Three weeks back I took the MGMAT CAT and scored 700 (Q44 V41), and then the following week I took the GMATPrep Test and scored 700 (Q44 V41). This past weekend I took another MGMAT CAT and my score dropped down to 620, with a ridiculously low breakdown in each section.

I looked at the results, and it seemed like I was at the 70-80th percentile for the beginning of the quant section, and then I got 4 700-800 level questions wrong in a row (the test did not drop me down to a different difficulty level) and it dropped by score down to the 49th percentile, so then I had to work my way back up from here. How is this possible? I'm assuming this was some kind of error that happened. Something similar happened in verbal as well. As you can imagine, I was pretty upset after seeing the results.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

The test actually did drop you down into a different difficulty level as you got problems wrong - it just doesn't show it that way on your results screen. The algorithm is much more complex than what we can show there.

So if you were around the 75th percentile and got 4 wrong in a row, that could drop you something like 20 or so percentile points (note also that the figure you see in the reports isn't your exact percentile ranking - again, it's a lot more complicated than that). The key is getting multiple questions wrong in a row. The penalty sort of "accelerates" as you start to get 4+ wrong in a row - and it's worse the higher you go. (The better you're scoring, the less likely it is that you should get 4 wrong in a row, so if you do, the test can really punish you.)

Sometimes you just get unlucky and get a string of questions you really don't know. But let me ask you now - did you really not know all 4? Did you make any careless mistakes? Were you rushing because of any timing issues? Were you feeling mentally fatigued?

Do you have holes in your foundation in certain places and you got "unlucky" by getting a string of Qs in those weaker areas? The test rewards people who are pretty good across the board; the test is not so good for people who are really good in certain things but really bad in others. So if that's a particular characteristic of yours, you'll need to start filling in those weaknesses.

Use the below to analyze your recent MGMAT CATs - the most recent one first and then the other:
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!)