Kaplan GMAT practice tests difficulty

[sensei_mike]

So I've been studying for the GMAT now for about a month and felt like I had a pretty good handle on the concepts- scoring in the 80% range on various practice quizzes and such. However, I got absolutely murdered on the CAT tests that Kaplan has on its site, scoring like 550-ish which got me feeling super depressed!!

I read that Kaplan's tests tend to be harder than the actual GMAT... Is this still indeed the case?

[joannabanana]

Yes this is definitely still the case! Don't pay attention to your Kaplan scores. Just use the tests to practice timing and hard questions.

These are my scores, look at the huge discrepancies between gmat prep and kaplan:
Kaplan #1 - 550 Q30 V33
GMAT Prep #1 - 690 Q48 V37
Kaplan #2 - 560 Q37 V31
Kaplan #3 - 580 Q36 V34
GMAT Prep #1 (repeat) - 720 Q48 V41
GMAT Prep (old edition) #1 - 710 Q48 V41
Kaplan #4 - 660 Q39 V40
GMAT Prep #2 - 720 Q48 V41
Kaplan #1 (repeat) - 620 Q38 V36

Actual test: 730 Q47 V42

[sensei_mike]

wow that makes me feel a lot better, thanks for the info! The "GMAT Prep" tests you did, which book or whatever, are those from? The official guide?

[KapTeacherEli]

Yes this is definitely still the case! Don't pay attention to your Kaplan scores. Just use the tests to practice timing and hard questions.

These are my scores, look at the huge discrepancies between gmat prep and kaplan:
Kaplan #1 - 550 Q30 V33
GMAT Prep #1 - 690 Q48 V37
Kaplan #2 - 560 Q37 V31
Kaplan #3 - 580 Q36 V34
GMAT Prep #1 (repeat) - 720 Q48 V41
GMAT Prep (old edition) #1 - 710 Q48 V41
Kaplan #4 - 660 Q39 V40
GMAT Prep #2 - 720 Q48 V41
Kaplan #1 (repeat) - 620 Q38 V36

Actual test: 730 Q47 V42

Hi joanna,

Which Kaplan tests were you taking? At Kaplan, we are constantly striving to make our tests as accurate as possible, so our test algorithms change regularly--are you using older Kaplan material that might have an outdated scoring method?

Thanks!

[sensei_mike]

Hi Eli,

Given I did the GMAT premier 2011 website's CAT test (CAT2, in particular), is that one of the more current tests or an older one?

[KapTeacherEli]

Hi Eli,

Given I did the GMAT premier 2011 website's CAT test (CAT2, in particular), is that one of the more current tests or an older one?

Hi mike,

Your tests are up-to-date. Sorry that the low score is stressing you out. However, I wouldn't worry too much about it! Remember, practice tests are just that: practice. Keep working on your materials. Remember that you need to review and study your tests when you're done, not just grind through them, to benefit. And above all, maintain a positive attitude that you CAN beat the GMAT.

Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you prepare, and keep up the good work!

[joannabanana]

Hi Eli,
I was using the tests from the CD that came with my Kaplan Premier 2011 book.

[sushbis]

ohh man! I was really scared...my kaplan scores never went above 600. Though the quant questions are very simple the practice tests are pretty tough..i gave 3 of them and couldnt cross even 600..thanks for the reassurance.

[brood1989]

Hello all,

I'm a little confused with the scoring too. For
example my Quant score was:
Quantitative : 41
Quantitative Percentage Below : 85%

Is this 41 comparable to the Q I would get on say
the GMAT Prep software (I got a 47 last time so I'm
a bit worried). Or should I interpret the % below
as being 85%ile and probably around 47-48?

[rohu27]

Hello all,

I'm a little confused with the scoring too. For
example my Quant score was:
Quantitative : 41
Quantitative Percentage Below : 85%

Is this 41 comparable to the Q I would get on say
the GMAT Prep software (I got a 47 last time so I'm
a bit worried). Or should I interpret the % below
as being 85%ile and probably around 47-48?

brood1989,
did u take the online tests?
i took one yesterday and for quant 47 it gave me 79 %
i somehow find the kap tests weird. the so called adaptive test gives you chunk of questions from each section at a time.
wondering is it worth taking these tests?

[brood1989]

I took the free online test yesterday.

[highflyer]

I took my first Kaplan test today from their online test bank and have some major concerns. Here is my break down:

610 overall
Quant - 38 (77% below)
Verbal - 39 (89% below)

My first concern is obviously how low the score is. I've been reading about the apparent discrepancy between Kaplan's tests and the actual GMAT. Have others experienced the same thing as of late?

My second concern is whether the online tests from Kaplan are much different in terms of difficulty compared to the CD that comes with Kaplan's premier program.

Lastly, what the heck is __% below that Kaplan provides with it's scores? If the percentage correlates with the actual gmat percentage rates, then my score would have been 700 or thereabouts. Any thoughts?

[FutureWorks]

Hi Mike,

You must be aware of the proverb 'the more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle'. Therefore, it's good to practice from a book which doesn't let you go overconfident or gives disappointing scores before the main exams. Also you are just one month old warrior of the battle so you will need to sweat more before judging your abilities. Take your time and practice hard.

Let us know how you are moving on and feel free to ask additional questions. �

[sunman]

Given the reputation of the Kaplan CATs of devaluing your score and being exceptionally difficult (which really may be a good thing for some people), I haven't really used it.

I took the quantitative section, and was honestly so demoralized that I didn't even bother with the verbal. It felt like a slaughterhouse.

I'm fairly certain that if I took the verbal, I may have seen a low 600's or high 500's score, which would have been plenty demoralizing to me, even if the common perception is that Kaplan's practice CAT scores are generally devalued by up to 100 points.

Kaplan seems like a terrific company, and several of their GMAT Prep books have helped me significantly in my preparation. But after all, they are a for-profit corporation, and I'd imagine that the psychological/marketing edge of having their graduates struggle through their CATs, then show a 150 point improvement on gameday is pretty good for business

[ashdepp]

Hi all,

i took the free kaplan gmat test today and i got 690 (4 wrong in Quant and 21 wrong in Verbal)
i guess even if kaplan is one of the difficult test the score in the verbal section is really bad i guess...

can some one please guide me as to what should i make out of this result?

Thanks,
ashdepp