Which software is better... Princeton, Kaplan or Manhattan?
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Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy |
PR is terrible. It is not adaptive at all. The scoring algorithm is completely skewed. I've gotten as few as 1 and at most 3 questions wrong in quant (and never on the early questions) and the highest quant score I've ever recieved is 49. I've gotten up to 9 wrong in quant in GMATPrep and still managed a 51.
Manhattan is by far the best.
Manhattan is by far the best.
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Stacey Koprince
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I'll just comment on our tests (ManhattanGMAT).
- Our tests have a standard deviation of 50 points, compared to a standard deviation of 30 points on the official test. So, close, but not as good as the real thing (obviously it would be impossible to be the same as or better than the real thing!).
- Our algorithm mimics the algorithm used by the official test, though we do not have experimental question capability built in yet (though we expect to be the first prep company to have this, hopefully next year sometime).
- We run statistical tests of every single question to determine the question's validity, predictability, difficulty level, and about 5 other parameters. Any that fail even one of those tests gets pulled from the database and either fixed or discarded. As far as I'm aware, no other company continually checks and tweaks its question pool in this way (and between me and my colleagues, we have worked in the past for all of the major and many of the minor competitors out there). In fact, this can only be done for tests that are given online, so that the database can be changed dynamically. Tests taken from CDs obviously can't do this.
- We also ask our students to report their official results to us and we run backward tests to check the accuracy of their scores on our tests vs. what they got on the official test. We use that to tweak our scoring algorithm; this is what allows us to get our standard deviation so close to that of the official test.
- Our tests have a standard deviation of 50 points, compared to a standard deviation of 30 points on the official test. So, close, but not as good as the real thing (obviously it would be impossible to be the same as or better than the real thing!).
- Our algorithm mimics the algorithm used by the official test, though we do not have experimental question capability built in yet (though we expect to be the first prep company to have this, hopefully next year sometime).
- We run statistical tests of every single question to determine the question's validity, predictability, difficulty level, and about 5 other parameters. Any that fail even one of those tests gets pulled from the database and either fixed or discarded. As far as I'm aware, no other company continually checks and tweaks its question pool in this way (and between me and my colleagues, we have worked in the past for all of the major and many of the minor competitors out there). In fact, this can only be done for tests that are given online, so that the database can be changed dynamically. Tests taken from CDs obviously can't do this.
- We also ask our students to report their official results to us and we run backward tests to check the accuracy of their scores on our tests vs. what they got on the official test. We use that to tweak our scoring algorithm; this is what allows us to get our standard deviation so close to that of the official test.
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
GMAT/MBA Expert
-
Stacey Koprince
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2228
- Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm
- Location: Montreal, Canada
- Thanked: 639 times
- Followed by:694 members
- GMAT Score:780
I have had students in the past with Macs and they haven't told me that they can't access the tests, but I would check with our student services team to make sure, if I were you. [email protected]
Also, we don't have standard discounts or anything (just buying access to the tests is really not that expensive - I think it's like $40 or $50) but we are running a promotion right now. If you attend one of our free Open House info sessions, you get free access to the tests for one month. We hold the sessions in-person in several major cities around the US and we also hold them online via our web conferencing platform, so you can attend from anywhere in the world (you do need a broadband connection, though).
I'm not sure how long the free promotion will last, so if you're interested, go to our web site and look for the "free events" link to sign up right away.
Also, we don't have standard discounts or anything (just buying access to the tests is really not that expensive - I think it's like $40 or $50) but we are running a promotion right now. If you attend one of our free Open House info sessions, you get free access to the tests for one month. We hold the sessions in-person in several major cities around the US and we also hold them online via our web conferencing platform, so you can attend from anywhere in the world (you do need a broadband connection, though).
I'm not sure how long the free promotion will last, so if you're interested, go to our web site and look for the "free events" link to sign up right away.
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
Of course they're going to tell you that they're adaptive. They want you to buy their material. :roll:
Have you even taken the PR tests yet? If they're adaptive, there's no way I would get math questions that I can answer in 30 seconds at the end of my Quant section after getting 1 question (#13, so not even an early question) wrong in the entire section.
Either that, or their question banks just suck. Perhaps they are adaptive, and they all adapt betwen the 450-451 question range. :roll:
Have you even taken the PR tests yet? If they're adaptive, there's no way I would get math questions that I can answer in 30 seconds at the end of my Quant section after getting 1 question (#13, so not even an early question) wrong in the entire section.
Either that, or their question banks just suck. Perhaps they are adaptive, and they all adapt betwen the 450-451 question range. :roll:
GMAT/MBA Expert
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Stacey Koprince
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2228
- Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm
- Location: Montreal, Canada
- Thanked: 639 times
- Followed by:694 members
- GMAT Score:780
I know TPR's tests are technically adaptive but I'm not sure how much they mimic the actual test. I don't know how closely they follow IRT (the algorithmic theory behind the official test). Oddly, they haven't just offered to share their algorithm with me... of course, I haven't asked... lol.
Anyway, from some stats that people have posted on here before, though... well, IMO some things seem kind of off as far as the theory is concerned. But I don't know for sure as I haven't had an opportunity to examine their actual algorithm.
Anyway, from some stats that people have posted on here before, though... well, IMO some things seem kind of off as far as the theory is concerned. But I don't know for sure as I haven't had an opportunity to examine their actual algorithm.
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT
Contributor to Beat The GMAT!
Learn more about me
