Hey skbennet,

I'm in a similar boat. I've been studying now for just over a month and a half on the Kaplan material and my score seems to be unchanged (I just took my 3rd practice test yesterday and scored exactly the same as my first diagnostic test). I felt extremely discouraged and was wondering if it's worth continuing on. However, I slept on it and woke up with a new attitude, I reviewed my test and realized that a lot of my wrong answers were due to me being careless and/or rushing through the test. This was probably because the first 2 tests I ran out of time and didn't finish all of the quant questions and also because at some point in each of the sections I felt like I ran out of mental stamina and just wanted to make it to the end. I think at this point I just need to do more practice questions so that I am used to the weird wordings of the GMAT and study in 75 minute increments.

Anyways, I think taking a little break for self reflection helps. This site so far has been pretty amazing with resources and articles. I have been visiting everyday to gain encouragement and motivation. I hope you find the motivation to continue on. You are not alone in the struggle and if you want to vent any gmat frustrations (as I often do) feel free to PM me.

Sincerly,
A Fellow Beat the GMAT Hopeful

skbennett wrote:Here's the deal. I've been working my way through Kaplan's online GMAT study since May. I feel like I've taken on a TON of information, but when I examine my practice CAT scores, I seem to be hovering in the same score range. Weirder still, my verbal scores have actually DROPPED on a steady basis since the first diagnostic. What the heck is going on? I'm getting super discouraged.

Hi skbennett,

Sorry you're not seeing the scores you were looking for!

There are a few reasons that you might not be seeing score increases dtse86 hit the major one: you've been working too hard, too long! frequently, just taking a day or two off, refocusing and regaining energy, can play a huge role in raising your score.

Second, I notice your verbal score is dropping in particular. Part of that can actually be a good thing. The Kaplan methods that you're learning, in particular the method for Reading Comprehension, can slow you down if you're not comfortable with them. But ultimately, they do pay off. Really focusing on the parts that can slow you down--taking notes on the passages, etc--can internalize that skill and let you get maximum benefit from the techniques you've been working on.

Good luck, and let me know if I or the rest of us at Kaplan can help!

Eli