Preparation advice

by **zguest** Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:55 am

Hi.

I have a little less than a week to go to my test date. I have recently taken a practice test and got a score that I am happy with. The thing is that I have not taken it sraight I took math section on one day and verbal the next, because I did not have enough time for both. The only time I'll have to take a full practice exam again is the day before the exam. Is this a good idea or is it just going to make me nervous and confused?

Looking forward to hearing suggestions,

Thanks

by **StaceyKoprince** Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:38 pm

It's not ideal that you won't have taken a normal practice test (timed normally, I mean), but you shouldn't take a test the day before. All you'll do is tire yourself out; you need to be fresh on test day. If there's ANY way at all that you can find 4 hours to take a test prior to the day before, do it. Otherwise, don't take it the day before.

Just be aware that the score you got when you split the sections into different days is likely to be inflated - it's almost always the case that you can perform better that way because you aren't as tired as the test progresses. (It also sounds like you didn't do the essay - if so, then your math score was inflated too, not just your verbal score.)

by **Guest** Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:50 pm

Hi,

I have mine on April 26th and have been ranging between 700-760 on the 2-3 paper based tests I have tried thus far. I have been replicating test conditions sans the laminated board.

I have also skipped the AWA thus far - would you recommend that I start practicing the whole hog now onwards? Its just tough to get 4 clear hours post workday. But I do have 4 weekend days that need to be properly utilized.

skoprince Wrote:It's not ideal that you won't have taken a normal practice test (timed normally, I mean), but you shouldn't take a test the day before. All you'll do is tire yourself out; you need to be fresh on test day. If there's ANY way at all that you can find 4 hours to take a test prior to the day before, do it. Otherwise, don't take it the day before.

Just be aware that the score you got when you split the sections into different days is likely to be inflated - it's almost always the case that you can perform better that way because you aren't as tired as the test progresses. (It also sounds like you didn't do the essay - if so, then your math score was inflated too, not just your verbal score.)

by **StaceyKoprince** Thu Apr 10, 2008 2:11 am

First, yes, you have to do the essays. Try to take tests at the same time of day as you plan to take the official test - which means week-ends, probably.

Second, you have to take CAT tests, not paper-based tests. The old paper tests will NOT prepare you for what the CAT is like - it's VERY different. If you don't practice with CATs, you won't be anywhere near as prepared as you need to be!

by **Guest** Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:44 am

I have done a couple here and there, but yes point taken about doing CAT only from now until the test date.

I guess taking a couple of days off work might be prudent as well in order to get 4 clear hours. Besides, after a full work day I find that I start getting a little fatigued in the second hour of practice.

skoprince Wrote:First, yes, you have to do the essays. Try to take tests at the same time of day as you plan to take the official test - which means week-ends, probably.

Second, you have to take CAT tests, not paper-based tests. The old paper tests will NOT prepare you for what the CAT is like - it's VERY different. If you don't practice with CATs, you won't be anywhere near as prepared as you need to be!

by **StaceyKoprince** Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:38 pm

Definitely - if your job is flexibile enough to allow you to take some half-days, that would be helpful!

by **Jimmy** Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:07 pm

Stacey, I recently experienced a similar situation....I've been taking the GMATPrep Quant and Verbal sections separately and sometimes together without the essay. Basically, never practicing with the essay. I wanted to master each section and prove to myself I could score high on each. I have been scoring V38/Q45-47 when I take without the essay. Today I practiced with the essay and dropped to V33, Q44.

Now I understand I prob ran out of gas since I have not been practicing with the essays, but to me that means I am capable of scoring V38/Q47 it just means I need to practicing with the essay more to keep my energy levels of. Do you come to the same conclusion?

by **StaceyKoprince** Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:12 pm

Stamina will always be a little bit of an issue - at any given point in time, you will always be able to do a little better if you skip the essays than if you do them. There's a lot you can do, though, in terms of your essay preparation to make sure you can get a "good enough" essay score without tiring yourself out so much that your score drops a ton on the multiple choice portion - so, yes, I do still think you can get to the same scoring levels even after doing the essays first. It's just going to take some work. :)