I took GMAT 2nd time on December 27, 2007 and got a score of 460 (Q 35, V 18), which is way below my scores in GMATprep. In both the GMATprep test my score was more than 600. This score of 460 is shocking for me because when i took GMAT first time in December 2006 my score was 540 (Q 43, V 21). At that time i was not satisfied with my preparation level, and the confidence was very shaky, especially in Quantitative. This time round i prepared a lot for both verbal and quantitative, and practiced a lot; hence my confidence was way up. But i am really shocked to see this low score of 46, which does not reflect my understanding of the subject matter tested in the GMAT; if GMAT tested this, not the understanding of the software!!
One thing that i noticed this time was that the actual test started with very easy questions, both in quant and verbal and gradually increased the difficulty level. This is quite contradictory to what i have heard and noticed in the GMATprep. You people must have heard that GMAT starts with average difficulty question and then adjust you score as the test moves along. And almost certainly if you do well in the initial questions and get the last 5-6 wrong in the end, your score would not come down drastically. But i think this has changed.
Now i think GMAT officials have changed the software for the actual test. It gives you easy questions in the beginning (maybe it starts with 200/300 score instead of average 500/550) and increases the difficulty level and adjusts your score as you move along. In this situation, you get difficult questions in the end carrying most weight in the score. And if you do not manage your time, you are bound to do bad on the last questions - the result is low score.
I would like to add further that one of my friends who gave the GMAT one week before me in December 2007 also faced the similar situation. We saw very easy questions in the beginning. In Verbal GMAT started with initial 3-4 SC to both of us. And these SC questions were not difficult either. We both felt that the level of difficulty increased as we moved along in the test.
One of the most interesting things is that my same friend got 95% in GRE Quant few months before his GMAT,and in GMAT he got 60% in Quant. He was consistently getting 90% in his GMATprep.
One more interesting thing: Just recently Princeton Review has issued GRE alert to all its centers that test takers who are just doin random guessing at the last few question for want of time in the end are getting lowest of the scores.
Any experience/suggestions for my 3rd attempt?
One thing that i noticed this time was that the actual test started with very easy questions, both in quant and verbal and gradually increased the difficulty level. This is quite contradictory to what i have heard and noticed in the GMATprep. You people must have heard that GMAT starts with average difficulty question and then adjust you score as the test moves along. And almost certainly if you do well in the initial questions and get the last 5-6 wrong in the end, your score would not come down drastically. But i think this has changed.
Now i think GMAT officials have changed the software for the actual test. It gives you easy questions in the beginning (maybe it starts with 200/300 score instead of average 500/550) and increases the difficulty level and adjusts your score as you move along. In this situation, you get difficult questions in the end carrying most weight in the score. And if you do not manage your time, you are bound to do bad on the last questions - the result is low score.
I would like to add further that one of my friends who gave the GMAT one week before me in December 2007 also faced the similar situation. We saw very easy questions in the beginning. In Verbal GMAT started with initial 3-4 SC to both of us. And these SC questions were not difficult either. We both felt that the level of difficulty increased as we moved along in the test.
One of the most interesting things is that my same friend got 95% in GRE Quant few months before his GMAT,and in GMAT he got 60% in Quant. He was consistently getting 90% in his GMATprep.
One more interesting thing: Just recently Princeton Review has issued GRE alert to all its centers that test takers who are just doin random guessing at the last few question for want of time in the end are getting lowest of the scores.
Any experience/suggestions for my 3rd attempt?
