GMAT Strategy

Hi InspiredSoul,

I'm sorry to hear that Test Day did not go as well as hoped. The scoring algorithm on the Official GMAT is far more complicated than most people realize. Since that algorithm is proprietary, no GMAT company has an exact match for it, thus CAT scores can vary based on the 'biases' involved in their respective designs. The most realistic CATs available are the 6 from GMAC, but retaking a CAT that you've already taken is NOT a realistic way to assess your skills - since you will likely see some 'repeat' questions that you have already faced. Unfortunately, seeing even a couple of repeats can 'throw off' the Scoring Algorithm and impact your pacing, energy levels, fatigue, etc. (meaning that they would likely all appear to be better than they actually are). Thankfully, the CATs from Kaplan, MGMAT and Veritas are all 'close enough' to the real thing that they will provide you with a relatively realistic score assessment (assuming that you correctly take the CAT in a realistic fashion).

GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Assuming a similar 'swing' in how your CATs function, your recent CAT score results - along with your Official Score - show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 590 +/- a few points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. Based on your timeframe, you could still potentially hit 700+, but you're going to have to be really efficient with the time that you have and you will have to make some significant adjustments to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you're looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on your timeline and your goals:

1) What Schools are you planning to apply to and what are the exact application deadlines that you are facing?
2) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

You might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn't provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

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

Hi InspiredSoul,

Did you end up retaking your GMAT? If so, how did things go?

Hi InspiredSoul,

Did you end up retaking your GMAT? If so, how did things go?