I just Beat The GMAT!

I just got back from taking the GMAT. Today is the 1st day that the GMAT has an entire new section of experimental questions. These questions are NOT suppose to count in the final score of the test. As such, I whipped through this section and put random answers down so I could get to my score...

Here is the kicker: I suspect that the scoring system glitched or somehow included the experimental section in my quant score (or used the experimental section for my quant score). The reason I believe this may have happened is three fold. First, the math score on my actual GMAT exam does not match up at all with practice tests. Second, I was confident I did better on the actual test than any of the 7 practice tests I took. Third, the gap between my actual verbal score and actual quant score is too large (very statistically unlikely).

My average pratice quant score (between mba.com and MGMAT) was 43 (70th percentile). My average verbal score was 37 (83rd percentile).... and my actual scores during the first day of experimental questions:

Quant: 27 (19th percentile) and Verbal: 39 (87th percentile)

Yes, you read that correctly. I was feeling on top of the world today. I thought I killed the entire test. This confidence and belief shows well in my verbal score but obviously something is going on with my quant score...

I know this is the 1st day of the experimental section.... Can anybody weigh in on this? Did anybody take the test yet with the experimental section? If so, did you try on it or just guess to get to your actual score?

Has anybody had an issue like this before? If so, how did you go about handling it?

Thank you for the support!

Vince

Hi Vince,
I took the test today with experimental section and got a disappointing score of (Q:48, V:23). I had been averaging a score of 35-38 in Verbal in all 9 tests that I took over the period of 4 weeks. My average GMAT score had been between 650 and 680. 3 days ago I took GMATPrep CAT#2 and score 680 (Q:50, V:32).
I am surprised that I got such a low score today on the real thing even when I was feeling confident that I will get at least 650.
I dont know if I can dispute my score. I guess I will have to try taking GMAT again.

- Prateek

how smart of GMAC was to pose the experimental part. I guess many potential examinees will try to stay away... brr
beast like, i will kill you sometimes GMAT, murder and stab your heart, nail your eye head

let's get to work.

LOL...i dont think those experimental questions would bring down the score in any way...the scores in GMAT can vary, but to blame it on the 'experimental' questions is, to say fairly, not an ideal excuse. It happens many times that we think we have killed the questions but in reality, we haven't...

Hi guys,

I am totally got disappointed by hearing this bad news!! Is it true that from now on experimental part of the GMAT will treat us like this??? I REQUEST an expert(Ron or Sb else) clarify and explain this issue what's going on with the new GMAT exam with its EXPERIMENTAL section??

Thanks in advance.

I think there was a clause when you are actually scheduling for the exam of "whether you want to include yourself in the experimental section after end of GMAT or not?'...person who ticked on it were awarded with a waiver of 25$ on their GMAT fee.

I guess this is bad news then.

Hi aslan,

So you meant it was an optional which then we can ''NOT SELECT'' and ''not tick'' this clause?? Can't we??!

of course...thats what I saw on the GMAC website....anybody read otherwise is welcome to clarify.

But I also think, GMAC does not necessarily prolongs a test by 30 mins, without taking anyones consent beforehand.They are pretty uptight about laws and regulations there. ( they have written that they will upgrade the test by 30 mins, which will comprise of experimental questions section, before they show the scores).They also had written that these will in no way contribute to an examinees score. :\

Aslan,

I agree with you - there is an option - once you are scheduling the exam - that 25 buck fee waiver etc.

Vince11 - Sorry to know about your score.

Also, I would like to know :
Did you opted for 25 $ check from GMAC - for attempting the experimental questions?
When did this whole set of experimental questions set appeared on the exam?
Did it explicitly categorize as experimental questions ?


Also you can read this blog --- https://www.beatthegmat.com/thought-the- ... 70267.html

I don't think the scoring system would have glitched.
We will never be sure which question may be an experimental or otherwise regular.
There can be numerous factors that can come into play including:
What are strong areas in Quant?
Did you see more of those questions?

Remember: "While attempting the quant section - we shouldn't spend a second to judge or categorize questions as experimental or regular."

Hi Vince,
I took the test today with experimental section and got a disappointing score of (Q:48, V:23). I had been averaging a score of 35-38 in Verbal in all 9 tests that I took over the period of 4 weeks. My average GMAT score had been between 650 and 680. 3 days ago I took GMATPrep CAT#2 and score 680 (Q:50, V:32).
I am surprised that I got such a low score today on the real thing even when I was feeling confident that I will get at least 650.
I dont know if I can dispute my score. I guess I will have to try taking GMAT again.

- Prateek


Prateek -

I read your concern as well -

Important Thing -

I can see your verbal score in 32, in the last prep - As you can read in other sections across this forum, if you do more errors in Verbal. Like 10 wrong questions will strip your score badly ---

Before you plan to dispute etc,

Share with us , and or try to analyze how well did you attempt the verbal section, did you struggle with RC ?, how confident were you with SC , CR etc. ?

With couple of hard questions , 32 can turn to be 23 - its very much possible.


Also you can read this blog --- https://www.beatthegmat.com/thought-the- ... 70267.html

@aspire_mba2013:very much in sync with you there.

I took the GMATprep two days back, just got 11 wrong and voila!.. it shows me a V31...before question 30 there were only 5 mistakes, and I was cruising along, but just in the last ten some dumb mistakes brought it down pretty sharply.

It can happen unless you are pretty confident with verbal in the range of 40's.

Hi aslan,

I totally got confused about this new issue!! Has GMAT Exam and its scoring system changed since few days back, 18-20 Nov 2010??? Did GMAC add experimental questions to the test which we can not determine whether these questions are EXP or NOT and then this issue would cause our final score t o fall down dramatically???

I will have my exam in Dec end so could you please clarify this issue very clearly with its appropriate examples? Ron, SaraiGMAX, any experts??? Please guide us. Thanks.

The endless conspiracy theory debate continues...

Study hard, prepare yourself mentally, get some sleep, and beat the GMAT.

There's nothing more to it.

Amir,

Its plain and simple - no one can be so sure - that a particular question is experimental @ and this theorem exists forever - nothing new.

Are you expecting to look at a question and judge it to be experimental ?, it can be a HUGE HUGE HUGE mistake.

Key Mantra: Consider every question to be a real question, and give it your best shot.

@amir_hatef:Just to clear your confusion; GMAC regularly engages in research questions to update its database of questions.It mixes the question in the regular questions as well (which you will not know and will see like regular questions) in both quants and verbal.About1/3 in each section.

What the above talk was about, was the scheme from GMAC which it advertised on its website for people who are registering to take the test.It is entirely optional, and if you plan to undergo their extended research test, they will rebate you with a 25$ 'award' and a 30 min 'experimental question set 'after' you finish your test.

It depends on you.Frankly speaking, people cannot even wait for sec's to check the score here..select 'no' if you dont want to take it.