Kaplan Premier CAT tests vs real ones

Hi mikep741852,

Based on what you've described, there are a number of obvious factors that would affect your score (as well as a number of other factors that you might not have considered):

1) Different CATs from different companies will have their own "built-in biases", so comparing one Scaled Score to another can be problematic.
2) Taking a CAT UNTIMED is NOT realistic, so I would find any score earned under those conditions to be questionable.
3) The big benefit of taking a CAT is that it allows you to measure your OVERALL PERFORMANCE. Since you admit to have taken sections untimed, I have to ask if you took the ENTIRE CAT? Skipping the Essay and IR sections is NOT realistic and you would likely score better in the Quant section if you did not complete the first hour of the Test.
4) Percentile data can be dubious because the pool of Test Takers who take any given exam will likely be different.

If you're looking for the MOST realistic assessment of your abilities (beyond taking the actual GMAT), then you should take a FULL GMAC CAT under realistic conditions.

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

Hi mikep741852,

You've brought up a number of important issues, but some aspects of what you assume about the situation are not correct. You seem to think that all CATs are "created equal" and that the Princeton results are more realistic (But why? Because you scored lower?). If you have not yet done so, you should do a full question-by-question review of each of your CATs. Ask yourself how many times you got a question wrong because of a silly/little mistake and how often you got a question wrong because it was too hard. How many times did you "guess" and get lucky? A score drop can usually be traced back to too many silly mistakes.

You also seem focused on the number of correct answers, but that is NOT the only factor in how a CAT (or the GMAT) calculates your score. There are a number of factors that go into calculating a score, and on Test Day, there are Experimental questions that do NOT even count.

I mentioned earlier that taking an Official GMAC CAT would provide you with arguably the most accurate information, so you should plan to take one. Make sure to take the ENTIRE CAT though, otherwise you'll end up with data that won't tell you anything about your pacing, fatigue problems or endurance issues.

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