GMAT Strategy

Hi,

This is my first post. I've been studying for the GMAT since April 4, 2011. I'm just about to finish a princeton review course and I've been using the 12th edition of the official guide. I was consistently scoring higher on each successive exam, except well now:

Test 1: 570 (35Q, 34V, taken with no previous prep)
Test 2: 610 (48Q, 26V)
Test 3: 640 (45Q, 33V)
Official Test: 650 (45Q, 35V, from the software available at mba.com, I took this end of April)
Test 4: 590 (42Q, 30V, taken 5/14)
Test 5: 560 (36Q, 31V, taken 5/15)

Before I took test 4 I did a bunch of review on some of my weaker areas on verbal and then I took the exam later that afternoon. I was very disappointed when I finished. Today I reviewed Test 4's results and noticed I had missed a bunch in the first 10 problems on Verbal and the 2nd problem on Math, something that I normally don't miss.

After reviewing those problems I took Test 5. I ended up missing a bunch of problems in the first 10 on math and I even started off verbal with the first problem wrong. What I don't get is how in the world did my score drop so drastically...in just a span of 2 days?!

I've registered to take actual exam on 5/21. Right now my schedule is going to be pretty consistent this week so I hope to cram in as many practice problems as I can, except on Friday where I plan to just relax.

I was really looking forward to breaking 720 on this exam, but now, I don't know how to make the most of this last week. Please help, I know you guys are the 780+ crowd so I came here first

LizardFace,

I don't get it, are all your cats PR cats except for your 650 cat, which is GMATPrep?

If this is the case, then do not fret, my friend. GMATPreps are really, really, really accurate. If you've only got one week before the real thing, then STOP taking cats that aren't GMATPreps. They'll only freak you out.

I'd take a couple of more GMATPreps just to get my confidence back and then rest the last couple of days.

Yes all those CATS were from PR. I'm worried cause these kinds of results are coming just before the exam, and after I've been reviewing for a while. Its not like I don't know the material, most of the questions I misssed on verbal are mistakes I can learn from and avoid from happening again. For some random reason I missed a lot more on the first 10 on both sections than I did on any of the previous exams. I've always felt confident about the math, but on the past 2 exams those DS problems have been making me paranoid.

I'm planning to do a bunch of practice problems between today and Wednesday. Then on Thursday I'd take that last official GMAT practice CAT (I hope I don't tank that). Then on Friday I can relax, so I can rock the real test on Saturday.

Thanks for your advice hcueva. I hate how some of these diagnostic exams vary widely in content and scoring. Oh well I guess I just gotta keep working at it...