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Confused about GMAT Prep Test 4 (Exam Pack-1 Test 2) scoring

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Confused about GMAT Prep Test 4 (Exam Pack-1 Test 2) scoring

by Natarajan Srikrishnan » Wed Apr 15, 2015 5:10 am
Hey,

I am giving my GMAT on the 21st (less than a week away) and I just took my 4th GMATPrep software Test today. This was the second test in Exam Pack-1 (purchased for approx 50$ from mba.com) and I was shocked by its results.

I scored a 710 (Q50 V35). Here's my detailed break-up :
- Quant :
I got 35/37 questions correct (questions 18 and 26 were the incorrect ones) - yet somehow it shows up as Q50 ! I have consistently got about 7-8 questions wrong in the earlier prep tests and still managed a Q50 ... do I have to get all correct to get a Q51 ?

- Verbal :
I got 33/41 questions correct (questions 3,7,14,15,16,22,26,37 were incorrect) - I was thrown aback when i saw a V35 ! I have consistently got about 8-10 questions wrong in verbal with a similar pattern of incorrect questions but have managed to score a V40 every time. Is there something wrong or am I missing something here ?

I have scored a 740 (Q50 and V40) on each of the previous prep tests (2 tests from the default exam pack 1 test from the exam pack-1) and so I was completely thrown back when I saw this score despite a better overall performance on this test than on any other previous prep test.
Request some insight from the instructors on this issue.

Anxiously awaiting a reply,
Natarajan
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by Rich@EconomistGMAT » Fri Apr 17, 2015 11:30 am
Hi Natarajan,

I'm curious to know more about the conditions under which you took each of your practice GMATs. The best representation of future performance is to take a practice exam under the same time constraints (including breaks, etc) as you'll encounter on test day.

That being said, you'll also need to consider which of the 8-10 questions you answered incorrectly. The GMAT is an adaptive exam, meaning you can achieve a high score even on occasions where you answer fewer questions correctly.

I'd also encourage you to stay positive. 710 is still an excellent practice score, and based on what you've shared here, isn't a drastic drop-off from your previous practice exams. It sounds like you're still well-within striking distance of your target score (speaking of, what is your target score?).

Best,
Rich
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by Natarajan Srikrishnan » Fri Apr 17, 2015 8:40 pm
Hi Rich,

I did take all my practice exams under the best possible test environments at home (all sections including breaks, at a similar time as my actual exam).

I do realize that the GMAT is adaptive, but don't you think a 5 point drop in Verbal a bit too much for a similar performance ? I would understand a 2 point drop or so, but 5 seemed too far fetched which is why I posted this in the first place.

My target score is 760 however, I'm quite alright with anything between 720-760.
Exam is 2 days away :)
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by Rich@EconomistGMAT » Sat Apr 18, 2015 4:43 am
Hi Natarajan,

Check out this article we posted on how to debrief after your practice exams. Now that you've taken a handful of them, go back and try to identify patterns in the kinds of questions/concepts you're not quite grasping: https://bit.ly/1yD4pxk

That being said, GMAT Tutor students often see practice scores fluctuate by +/- 30 points (sometimes even up to 80 points), so I really believe there's no major cause for concern here. Also, with your test two days away, try to relax a little bit. You don't want to be bringing this kind of anxiety with you on your test day. Your practice scores are good, so trust your prep!

Best,
Rich
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by Natarajan Srikrishnan » Sat Apr 18, 2015 8:58 am
Hi Rich,

Thanks a ton for instilling some much needed confidence in me.
I happened to stumble upon the article you recommended during my test prep and it was really helpful indeed.
Will let you'll know how the test goes :)

Many thanks once again for your timely help and positive advice :)

Regards,
Natarajan
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