KAPLAN Practice Exam Scoring Question.. Please Respond

[joostinshu]

I have been told the Kaplan exams are more difficult than the real gmat exam. I sat for a Kaplan practice exam last evening and scored an 85th percentile in quant and 92nd percentile in verbal and only earned a 640 overall.

I have taken the GMAT 5 times to date and know that if a person scores 80% percentile in both quant and verbal then 690-700 should be the outcome.


Can someone please explain why I only got a 640?

[wgrau]

In regard to scoring, Kaplan tests seem to operate in their own reality. Do not use them as a predictor for your performance on the actual GMAT, rather as a tool to assess and measure your mistakes and improvements.

The scoring algorithm is proprietary, and as such, each and every prep company has to come up with their own scoring algorithm. Some do it well, while others do it poorly.

If you want to be able to measure your progress, it is best to use only one company's tests. By using tests from various companys, you will not be able to accurately measure your overall progress.

I recommend Bookending any tests you take with the two GMAT Prep tests. These will most accurately reflect potential scores on the actual GMAT, and by taking one at the beginning and end of your prep, you can get a good picture of how and where you have improved.

[4score20]

Kaplan tests tend to be lower than actual results. If you're aiming for higher than 650, it would probably be wise to use a different source of prep.