Huge discrepancy in GMATPrep vs MGMAT CAT scores?

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closetsnob: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 7; Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:08 pm; Thanked: 2 times

by closetsnob » Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:23 pm

So I'm taking the GMAT this Saturday morning (ahhhh). I've been using the MGMAT books for self-study and am planning on spending this last week re-reviewing all the math questions I've missed in the OG and maybe resetting my MGMAT CATs and trying those again.

Here is the thing:

On GMATPrep software I have been scoring really well!

1. 730 (did not record my Q/V raw scores this time since i didn't realize you can never return to that score screen! hehe)
2. 750 (Q: 49 / V: 42)
3 (resetting the software and noticing a couple repeats in verbal but not in math qs) 750 (Q: 48 / V:45)

On the MGMAT CATs, not so much
scores range from 700 and most recently 660 (!!!! WTF) in my latest attempts. The Q raw score has been consistently 47, with the exception of that 660 score (Q 43).

NOTE: Did not work through the AWA section for any prep-test

I mean geez! It doesn't seem like others have had such huge discrepancies; I mean yeah, MGMAT is supposed to be a little harder, but 660 v 750??

In general, I found the MGMAT questions (both quant and verbal) to be wordy, unnecessarily complex, and more difficult/tricky. Thoughts? Anyone have similar experiences with good news come the actual test day?

Also, I have yet to practice for the AWA section. Have always been a decent writer so this hasn't worried me, but any tips on what to review and rehearse in the last few days before test-day?

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Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:23 pm

uwhusky: Legendary Member; Posts: 1172; Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:20 pmFollowed by: 4 members; Thanked: 74 times

by uwhusky » Mon Aug 16, 2010 4:01 pm

The consensus is that MGMAT quant is harder than GMAT Prep, and that GMAT Prep's verbal is the most accurate measurement of the actual thing. From my own experience, MGMAT tends to have more difficult questions such as probability and combinatorics, but neither of them shows up on the actual GMAT with any constancy (1 at most for most people). So maybe that's the reason why MGMAT quant appears to be harder, but the bottom line is that you should stick with GMAT Prep if you want the most accurate evaluation.

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InkyBinky: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 114; Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2010 9:25 am; Location: Atlanta, GA; Thanked: 12 times; GMAT Score:700

by InkyBinky » Tue Aug 17, 2010 6:45 am

I'm in the same boat and I wonder if they have changed their tests recently. I scored at 700+/- 10 for all of my MGMAT's. Most recently on GMAT Prep 2 (first attempt), I scored 750. But then I attempted another MGMAT CAT yesterday and ran out of time on the quant with nearly 10 questions to go! That has never happened and I have probably taken a dozen different tests! It just seems to have become precipitously more difficult. Or maybe I have just become precipitously dumber over the past 2 weeks.

I'm pretty close to test time, anyway, so I think I'm just going to focus on reviewing, taking PowerPrep and GMAT Prep and call it quits.

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Wg1045: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 4; Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 11:55 am

by Wg1045 » Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:01 pm

I have been experiencing much of the same. I take my test a week from today, on Aug 24, 2010 and I have gotten 660,670,670,670 on the MGMAT CATS and 730 on GMATprep1 and 740 on GMATprep2. I did the AWA for two of the MGMAT and the GMATprep I scored a 740 on. I will be happy if I break 700 but anything less and I'm screwed. I am applying to PhD programs in finance and most of the emails I have gotten back from these programs say that a sub 700 score is no good and they do not look at retakes as significantly as MBA programs do. I have missed the opportunity to reschedule my test, but does anyone have any suggestions on which of these scores may be more a more accurate prediction of what my score will be on Tuesday?

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InkyBinky: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 114; Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2010 9:25 am; Location: Atlanta, GA; Thanked: 12 times; GMAT Score:700

by InkyBinky » Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:10 pm

Wg1045 wrote:I have been experiencing much of the same. I take my test a week from today, on Aug 24, 2010 and I have gotten 660,670,670,670 on the MGMAT CATS and 730 on GMATprep1 and 740 on GMATprep2. I did the AWA for two of the MGMAT and the GMATprep I scored a 740 on. I will be happy if I break 700 but anything less and I'm screwed. I am applying to PhD programs in finance and most of the emails I have gotten back from these programs say that a sub 700 score is no good and they do not look at retakes as significantly as MBA programs do. I have missed the opportunity to reschedule my test, but does anyone have any suggestions on which of these scores may be more a more accurate prediction of what my score will be on Tuesday?

The GMAT Prep is supposed to be the most accurate with a standard deviation of 30 points compared to the real test. So if you need 700 or above, that puts you at about 1.33 standard deviations away from your minimum. Unless you freak out during tests, that translates into a 92% probability that you will score above 700. Good luck.

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Wg1045: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 4; Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 11:55 am

by Wg1045 » Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:33 pm

Thanks for the statistic; it honestly calms my nerves a little bit.

I do have one more question. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to spend my last week if I am "close" to my target mark. I have read dozens of blogs and forums and I am getting mixed reviews. I know that I will not be able to increase my score drastically but if I could move it up at all I would be grateful. SC is by far my worst area I read through the MGMAT SC guide (I thought it was very helpful). When I was going through the VR 2nd edition, and the OG12th ed I was getting close to 80% correct under time constraints however on the first GMATprep I missed 11 verbal questions and 10 of them were SC I then re-read parts of the SC guide and when I took GMATprep2 I missed 13 verbal questions and 11 were SC. Any suggestions?

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