GMATPrep scoring algorithm confusion

This topic has expert replies
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:25 am

GMATPrep scoring algorithm confusion

by Styves90 » Thu Dec 04, 2014 5:10 am
I am slightly confused after having taken my last GMATPrep CAT.

Following situation:
I had a very good feeling during the quantative section of my last CAT but only scored a 43 (61st percentile).
So I looked into my responses and noticed that I answered 4 out of the first 10 questions incorrectly. But after that (I had a total of 8 wrong answers) the only questions I got wrong were #12,24,27 and 32.

What confuses me is that on my other GMATPrep CAT's in which I socred a Q46 and Q48, respectively, I also had about 3 to 4 of the first questions wrong but managed to get a higher score even though I had made more mistakes later on.

As I do know that the percentile is not measured solely on the number of questions one gets right or wrong but also on the level of difficulty of the individual question, it wonders me that I did not get any more difficult questions OR that my score would not be higher if I got harder questions.

I would highly appreciate any answer that resolves my confusion as I am in my final days of preparation.

Cheers, Styves

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
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

by [email protected] » Thu Dec 04, 2014 11:47 am
Hi Styves90,

The scoring algorithm for the Official GMAT is more complex than most Test Takers realize, so you'd probably be better served spending that time and energy on other things.

The GMAT includes a number of "experimental" questions in both the Quant and Verbal sections that have no impact on your score (they do not count), but you have no way of knowing which questions they are. As such, counting up the number of correct and incorrect answers can be a dubious way of trying to deduce what you should be scoring. Instead, you should focus on WHY you're getting questions wrong. You mentioned that you got 4 questions wrong in the first 10 questions, but WHY did you get them wrong? How many were due to silly/little mistakes and how many were because the question was just too hard? In real basic terms, most of the missing points that you're looking for can be found once you eliminate all of the silly/little mistakes from your work.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image