Reliability of GMAT Prep and Manhattan GMAT test scores?

[ecks]

Still unsure about whether I'd go to business school or not, so I decided to take a couple of free tests just to see where I stood, get some sort of baseline/feel for the GMAT.

For Manhattan GMAT's free practice test (that you get when you signed up), I got a 660 - a paltry score since I felt I made a ton of silly errors (not multiplying by 100, errors with signs, etc., and the questions didn't seem too hard. Split was 45Q/35V I think.

I was rather discouraged by this but felt I'd gotten a good feel for it, so I tried taking one of GMATPrep's free tests (on that software you download). Got a 710, 47Q/40V.

Maybe it's just extreme variability as the sample size is pretty small, but how reliable are these scores? Are they a good barometer of your base results level with minimal preparation? I feel I keep doing very poorly and make mistakes you should be able to avoid even without preparing, and yet my scores aren't terrible..

[[email protected]]

Hi ecks,

Some people are naturally strong Test Takers; you might be one of those people. Calling a 660 "paltry" is silly; it's above the 80th percentile, which is a score that most Test Takers will never achieve.

The ManhattanGMAT CATs and free CATs from MBA.com are good indicators of your ability. You've also realized that silly mistakes cost you some points, so you know that there's at least one area that you have to work on.

Before you make any big plans though, I have to ask: Did you take the ENTIRE CAT both times (including the Essay and IR)? If you DIDN'T, then your scores are "inflated" (and thus, NOT accurate) due to the fact that you never had to deal with the "endurance" issue. If you did take the entire exam both times, then you could likely score in the higher ranges with a bit of specific prep.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

[ecks]

Hi - yes, I took the entire CAT both times, including the Essay and the IR. My IR went from 6~7 to an 8.

This is very encouraging - thank you! There were some quant problems (upstream/downstream rates, combinatorics) that left me confused so I suppose my prep should center around a review of the basics, along with avoiding silly mistakes - which is something that has plagued me since forever. Does anyone have any tips for this? Do people typically have a set process they go through when answering questions to avoid this?

And in addition, how does one improve thier verbal score? Just doing tons of sentence correction, and reading comprehension problems? Does anyone have a good time/pacing for these questions - I finished the verbal section both times with around 15-20 mins. left so perhaps better time management can improve my score as well.

Thanks for the help!

[[email protected]]

Hi ecks,

When it comes to studying, what is your preferred method of learning? Some people are great "book" learners, others prefer an instructor (or training videos, for example) and still others prefer full-on classes. Since there are so many options to choose from and so many available resources, it might seem a bit daunting to come up with the perfect combination of resources. If you can let me know what you prefer, then I can provide some suggestions.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

[ecks]

Hi,

I absorb material pretty quickly regardless of the format (just varies on the topics I guess), would you happen to have a list of your most recommended material per type?

Thank you so much!!