Scored 680 on Manhatten Test 1 :- need 720 Plz help

[japjeet.s]

Hei All

I have just taken the Manhattan Cat 1 scored 680(Q 45, V 37 ) , also I have given the Princeton review Cat 1 :- 620 (Q43, V 33 )

Can someone pls explain the discrepancy of 60 points . Which one is the real indicator of the actual GMAT level .

I am planning to give Gmat is another one month and am aiming for 710+ .

PLZ help .

[StaceyKoprince]

Standardized tests have wide standard deviations, and neither of these two practice tests is the real thing - so it's impossible to say which one is the better predictor.

The standard deviation on our test is 50 points; on the real test, it's 30 points. I don't know what it is for TPR (as far as I'm aware, I think we're the only company that has made our SD public). So the scores may not even reflect much of a difference - statistically, they may be quite similar.

It may even be the case that *both* are appropriate predictors even if they do represent a discrepancy. If, for example, you have a timing problem, then it's common for scores to fluctuate. Likewise if you have an attention problem that leads to lots of careless errors.

So, what do you do from here? You said that you'd just taken the MGMAT CAT. When did you take the TPR CAT? The more recent test is the better indicator (unless they were both taken within the past week).

Did you take both tests under 100% official conditions, including essay, IR, length of breaks, etc? If not, then the one that you took under more official conditions is the better indicator.

Next, how to get better?

Use the below to analyze your MGMAT CAT (this should take you a minimum of 1 hour):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Also, read these two articles:
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... lly-tests/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

Figure out what you think you should do based on that analysis. Then come back here and tell us; we'll tell you whether we agree and advise you further.

(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!)

Oh, and I mentioned that timing or mental fatigue might be factors - those are common causes of score fluctuations (if your numbers do represent a fluctuation). Look for timing issues during your analysis and also pay attention to the number of careless mistakes.

[japjeet.s]

thanks for the reply .

I have taken the MGMAT CAT 2 today and managed to score 640(q 44 , V 34 ) .

Now in this CAT i struggled with the SC and CR question ,Which generally are not a prob and I managed to do better in RCs ,which is the topic I am working on for the past week .

Also I finished both the sections a good 5-7 mins before the exam .

Analysis of the exam shows that I have made a lot of careless mistakes in both the sections .

I tend to spend less time on the initial question and save time for the latter questions . Also Could you comment if this strategy is OK to use on REAL GMAT day .

Please also could you commnet on the difficulty level of the questions as compared to the actual GMAT .

[StaceyKoprince]

If you finished early on both sections and made lots of careless mistakes, then there's part of your problem: you need to learn how to balance your time better so that you can use the full time (without running out of time).

Read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

You don't want to rush at the beginning either - you don't want to "rush" anywhere. Never rush / go faster than you're comfortable on something that you know how to do. You don't need to go slower than you need, but you don't want to rush and cause mistakes.

Instead, you want to know how to balance your time and make good decisions about where to spend normal time and when to cut yourself off on something that is too hard or will take too much time.

Have you read the two articles that I posted last time? They'll help you learn how to make decisions about how to spend your time on the different test questions.

Your question about difficulty levels doesn't really have an answer - not the kind that you're seeking. On an adaptive test, you will see questions in the range of difficulty that you earn. The database contains the full range, from very easy to very hard. (You will also, on the real test, have some number of experimental questions, for which the difficulty rating has not yet been set - so you will see some questions that are quite a bit easier or harder than your range.)

For a variety of reasons, it's possible to feel that a particular test is easier or harder than you're used to. For example, you might get lucky and see a few more questions in your areas of strength, or you might get very stressed out on the real thing (because you know it counts) and that can affect your ability to concentrate and think.