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GMAT fears 2013 - Advice

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GMAT fears 2013 - Advice

by jadedflip » Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:52 am
Hi,

I'm new to this site. Let me give you a brief outline of my GMAT journey.

Back in March 2011, I took a Kaplan course. I was trying to make an application deadline in the summer so I only studied for about 3 months. I wasn't prepared and I was getting scores between 470-510 on my Kaplan CATs. I ended up scoring a 430 on the GMAT which I think was in part to me having to use the bathroom in the middle of the Vebral and losing 8 minutes.

Anyways, I decided to take a break in the summer and start the Kaplan course all over in early September 2012. I took my Diagnostic Kaplan CAT and received a 570. I've been scoring between a 570-610 on my Kaplan CATs with the 610 CAT having some repeat questions that I've seen before.

I'm taking my GMAT on 1/19/13. I'm hoping to obtain a score of at least 550. I'd actually be content with any score over 500. Are the odds in my favor?

Thanks,
Chris
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by ceilidh.erickson » Wed Jan 09, 2013 12:50 pm
Hi Chris,

Congratulations on the practice test score improvement! I would say that if you're scoring well above your target score on practice tests, you have a strong chance of exceeding your target score on the real thing... with a few big "ifs":

- If you are timing yourself accurately on practice tests (not hitting pause to work on questions or take bathroom breaks)

- If there weren't so many question repeats that you had simply memorized the right answers

- If you are managing test anxiety, so that you don't panic on the real test

Given these, your practice tests should be reasonably indicative of real test performance. I would recommend a few things for you:

1. Spend time reviewing your practice tests in a lot of depth. Ask yourself - what kinds of mistakes was I making? Are there gaps in my content knowledge? What are the traps involved in this problem type, and how can I avoid them?

2. Take a GMATPrep practice test at mba.com. This test was written by the actual GMAT test writers, so it's as close as possible to the real thing. If you want additional perspective, many other test prep companies offer free diagnostic practice tests (you can find ours at www.manhattangmat.com) One or two more practice tests should suffice, and be sure to review these practice tests in a lot of depth as well.

That said, it sounds like you're likely to exceed your goals! Best of luck!
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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