Hello,
I'm wondering if GMAT penalizes you for getting two consecutively wrong answers?
For example, if I run out of time and I guess a couple questions, then will be get penalized more since I got two questions wrong in a row?
Let me know
GMAT Scoring question on consecutive wrong answers
This topic has expert replies
-
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2013 6:47 am
GMAT/MBA Expert
- Mike@Magoosh
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 768
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 4:18 pm
- Location: Berkeley, CA
- Thanked: 387 times
- Followed by:140 members
Dear LiquidFireAK,LiquidFireAK wrote:Hello,
I'm wondering if GMAT penalizes you for getting two consecutively wrong answers?
For example, if I run out of time and I guess a couple questions, then will be get penalized more since I got two questions wrong in a row?
Let me know
I'm happy to respond.
In general, the CAT employs an incredibly complex algorithm. I guess we could say, in some theoretical way, every question you get wrong may "hurt" you, but remember that the CAT is giving you a mix of easy and hard questions, and as it homes in on your ability level, it starts to give you questions that it "expects" you to get right and questions that it "expects" you to get wrong. If you get wrong very hard questions, questions that the algorithm is "expecting" you to get wrong, that probably doesn't have much impact on your score. If you get a couple easy questions in a row wrong, that could be problematic.
On the issue of guessing vs. omitting during the last minutes of the test, in the mad-dash at the end of a section ---- GMAC itself has done research on this very scenario, and they published their results. I summarized those results in this blog article:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/guessing-s ... -the-gmat/
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Mike
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
https://gmat.magoosh.com/
https://gmat.magoosh.com/
- David@VeritasPrep
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2193
- Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 6:30 pm
- Location: Vermont and Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1186 times
- Followed by:512 members
- GMAT Score:770
As far as I know, the GMAT does not specifically penalize you for getting multiple questions in a row incorrect.
In fact, if you have to guess at a couple of questions in a row there is a good chance that you will either get one of those correct via a lucky guess or one of the questions will be a "non-scored" experimental item.
The reason that a person's score declines more when they get multiple questions wrong in a row is that when you miss several questions in a row (and I do not think that two counts as several - I am thinking more like 3 or 4 at least) there is a very good chance that at least one of these questions is an easier question.
The effect of missing several questions with at least one being a lower difficulty is cumulative and results in the computer downgrading not only the difficulty of the future questions that you will receive but also lowering your score.
Ironically, given your worries, perhaps the best place to miss two or three in a row may be at the end of the test - GIVEN THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING WELL UP TO THAT POINT. The real danger of guessing at the end of the test comes when you have been rushing and then guessing. A situation where you either miss or guess at 6 or 7 of the last 10 questions. If that happens the cumulative effect creeps in and the questions that you guess at at the end will be lower difficulty questions. If you are going strong and then guess at the last 2 or 3 this should have little impact since these questions will hopefully be at a higher level of difficulty and less harmful when missed.
You can read more about it in this article that I wrote for the Veritas Prep blog. https://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2012/12 ... -the-test/
In fact, if you have to guess at a couple of questions in a row there is a good chance that you will either get one of those correct via a lucky guess or one of the questions will be a "non-scored" experimental item.
The reason that a person's score declines more when they get multiple questions wrong in a row is that when you miss several questions in a row (and I do not think that two counts as several - I am thinking more like 3 or 4 at least) there is a very good chance that at least one of these questions is an easier question.
The effect of missing several questions with at least one being a lower difficulty is cumulative and results in the computer downgrading not only the difficulty of the future questions that you will receive but also lowering your score.
Ironically, given your worries, perhaps the best place to miss two or three in a row may be at the end of the test - GIVEN THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING WELL UP TO THAT POINT. The real danger of guessing at the end of the test comes when you have been rushing and then guessing. A situation where you either miss or guess at 6 or 7 of the last 10 questions. If that happens the cumulative effect creeps in and the questions that you guess at at the end will be lower difficulty questions. If you are going strong and then guess at the last 2 or 3 this should have little impact since these questions will hopefully be at a higher level of difficulty and less harmful when missed.
You can read more about it in this article that I wrote for the Veritas Prep blog. https://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2012/12 ... -the-test/
GMAT/MBA Expert
- [email protected]
- Elite Legendary Member
- Posts: 10392
- Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
- Location: Palo Alto, CA
- Thanked: 2867 times
- Followed by:511 members
- GMAT Score:800
Hi LiquidFireAK,
I think that both Mike and David have presented enough perspective here, so I don't feel the need to any anything else. It appears that you're interested in why your score might to lower than expected. How far away is your current score (or practice CAT scores) from your goal?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
I think that both Mike and David have presented enough perspective here, so I don't feel the need to any anything else. It appears that you're interested in why your score might to lower than expected. How far away is your current score (or practice CAT scores) from your goal?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich