prada wrote:Hey Guys,

Just a quick question. I know there are a lot of free CAT out there, I was just wondering how the free 800S CAT is in terms of accuracy? I know that many of the reputable CATs give a decent estimation but cannot guarantee a score of course. thx

The free 800Score quant CAT is an imperfect representation of the GMAT quant section. I found the questions somewhat more difficult than those found on the GMAT, and I am not even sure how adaptive that particular CAT is. I think that from that CAT you can get some sense of how you would score on the actual quant section, but it is probably not the best indicator available.

[email protected] wrote:Hi prada,

One of the essential parts of properly training for the Official GMAT is taking realistic FULL-LENGTH CATs (with the Essay and IR sections) under test-like conditions. The 6 GMAC CATs are the most realistic ones available. There are also a number of third-party CATs that are reasonably accurate (when used correctly). Since you're questioning the accuracy of that particular brand of CAT, then you might want to invest in ones that are more reputable.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Hi Rich,

One of the bad "habits" I developed was that I focused so much on getting to know the content right that I neglected timing, pacing and handling pressure/stress. That is something I think I can easily fix but I think its hurting my score a lot. I say this because almost all the wrong anwers that I got wrong that I redid, post-test, I got them right. The two types of errors are really 1)Not knowing the content or finding it too difficult 2) Making careless mistakes or succumbing to the time related stress. Knowing that that timer is ticking made me panic, stress and therefore clouded my judgement. I also should have managed it better by knowing that its ok if I take 3-4 minutes on a couple of questions knowing that I will also take 1 or <1 minute on a couple of questions too. Incidentally I terminated both sections of the test on time. So I say this acknowledging that I have to practice my pacing better and that in itself will probably improve my quant score. I think I will give myself another 4-6 weeks at most where I will focus on solidifying my knowledge, speeding up execution and pacing, and ameliorating my stress management and endurance. I also many people recommending MGMAT which I believe is Manhattan Gmat or Manhattan Prep? I will do a CAT every week and devote the last week, in doing 2-3 CATs.

[email protected] wrote:Hi prada,

You can certainly proceed with your general study plan, but you'll likely have to make some adjustments later on (based on your future CAT results). As an aside, taking more than 1 CAT per week is generally NOT a good idea, so you should really take no more than 1 in that last week before Test Day.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Thanks Rich, yes I think I will focus more on general prep (e.g pacing, stamina, focus, guessing and elimination strategies, etc) rather then raw material and concepts. I think that is what will push me over my goal of 650 plus. Right now Im in the 600-630 range. Once again when I reviewed my errors most of the time I was thinking "wow dumb mistake" or "oh yeah I just needed to that". Unlike 700+ questions where Im dumbfounded.