GMAT Strategy

Hello,

I am new to this forum and site. I have read many success stories and feel highly motivated. I am a mother of 2 children under 2 and I am trying to Beat the GMAT. I am confident I can, I just have to come up with a strategy. I have done a practice test after studying for about a month and came up with a 550 score. I need a 600 or above score to be admitted to the school of my choice.
I guess my question is, are these Practice Tests (I tried the Kaplan CD) realistic or should I expect a 50-60 points less when I take the test? If I can get my score up on the Pratice Tests, does that reflect my possible score?

Hi. When you register for exam you can download software from GMAC which has two practice exams included. They are very close to what you will encounter on the actual exam. I my actual score was the average of two practice exams I took at home.

Kaplan is not very reflective of the real test, especially in the scoring. Take a GMATPrep test for the best indicator, but to keep from wasting a test, you should really do a good 20-30 practice questions for each type first.

Has anyone taken the GMAC/Pearson Practice Tests more than once?
They only give you two, but I wonder if the questions are pooled.

So in theory, I could take Test #1 more than once, and get a completely different exam (like the real exam). I'm sure the question pool is not as vast as the real exam, but the program should at least have enough to give me 2-3 different exam looks.

Has anyone tried it before? Just wondering, since these tests seem to be the best indicator, but limited to only two practice tests.

Thanks.

The GMAT Prep tests (from mba.com) are definitely the most accurate indicator. (My prep test was within 10 points of the real one) I'd also recommend Manhattan CATs for practicing. They are a bit more difficult but really help you prepare for the real thing. The best part about them is the analysis afterwards that breaks down the questions you got right/wrong, question type, how long you spent on them, and the provides a detailed answer of how to find the proper solution. They were invaluable!

remarti, if you spend some time browsing the forum, you will see numerous posts in which people discuss retaking the GMATPrep tests. There is a ton of great info on here, and you will get many questions answered before you even ask!

I would also recommend the MGMAT practice tests. You can take a free test via the MGMAT website: www.manhattangmat.com
They also provide a good breakdown analysis of your performance.

Good luck !