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Seemingly getting worse after I continue to study?? ERRR

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Seemingly getting worse after I continue to study?? ERRR

by irish200 » Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:45 pm
This is seemingly absurd....

I take the GMAT July 16th and am aiming to get into a top 20 school.

I took the GMAT Prep I Software test cold in March
Results:
710 (94%)
Q 45 (76%)
V 42 (96%)
---------------------------
Since early May I have been studying with Kaplan and took two tests resulting in...
Kaplan Pencil/Paper 1 -
670
Q 44 (74%)
V 45 (99%)

Kaplan CAT CD 1
640
Q 42 (67%)
V 36 (81%)

Then I began using Green Quantitative OG Review since Q is obviously my weaker score

Kaplan CAT CD 2
690
Q 50 (96%)
V 38 (85%)

Kaplan CAT CD 3
640
Q 36 (50%)
V 40 (90%)


I can't figure out how I could possibly be scoring lower on this crap especially considering the most recent 50% Q score (and during it I thought I was doing well, obviously because the questions were easier than I am used to)

I am now contemplating cancelling the test because a score of 640 won't cut it.
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by VP_Jim » Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:50 pm
Practice tests aren't perfect, and it's quite possible that your most recent test was an outlier. If I were you, I would take another test to see where you really stand. Try the second GMAT Prep test since those tend to be the most accurate. If you score well on that, I think you can (mostly) disregard that poor showing on the most recent try.
Jim S. | GMAT Instructor | Veritas Prep
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by modesto2 » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:18 am
I wouldn't worry about the Kaplan scores.

I took my first GMATPrep test a few months ago at the start of my studying and scored 690. Then, I studied for three months and near the end of those three months, I took three Kaplan tests with the following scores: 550, 540 and 540.

Last week, I took my final GMATPrep test and scored 710. I've heard that Kaplan scores tend to be lower, and from my experiences, I've learned to completely disregard them.

Good luck!
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by irish200 » Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:55 am
Well, I took OG Prep software #2 today and was in for a surprise.

I took it at 8 am, the same time I will take the exam, and did the AWA for the first time, which I found to be easy, then moved on to the math.

At first I was flying through the math and then around question 10 took WAY too long on a few questions which I am sure I got wrong. This made me panic and I practically self-destructed in the middle of the test. I began guessing at questions on which I had no clue where to start and then they became noticeably easier and I finished the section well.

The verbal reading passages were much shorter and less convoluted than Kaplan's, and I found Critical Reasoning pretty straightforward. I breezed through the first half in quick time, and slowed down at the end to rush.


I thought I did very well on verbal and terrible on math.

got
730 (96%)
Q 47 (79%)
V 42 (95%)

If I actually got that score I would be ecstatic

I am still looking for help how to know when to guess in math, not to panic, etc.

I have a lot of trouble with problems that simply use variables to make comparisons and geometry.

I do well with concrete numbers and word problems.
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by VP_Jim » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:09 am
It's pretty easy to know when to guess and move on for math. Keep an eye on the clock when you're studying to develop an "internal clock" so you know when two minutes are up. If you're working on a math problem and, after two minutes, you still have no idea what you're doing, then it's time to move on.

If you keep working on the problem past two minutes, and still haven't solved it after three minutes, then it's also time to guess and move on (unless you're really close to getting the answer, of course).

On most GMAT math problems, if you don't "get it" within the first minute or so, you're pretty much sunk unless you get lucky and stumble upon the right answer or guess correctly. It's really easy to get obsessed with a problem, spend seven minutes on it and get it right, but then torpedo the rest of your test because of it. Don't do that! It's (usually) better to get a problem wrong after 30 seconds then get it right after seven minutes.

But, I'm glad your score was back up to a more desirable range. The GMAT Prep tests are pretty accurate, so you should be feeling good right now!
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by irish200 » Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:58 am
UPDATE: (specifically for Jim)

Thank you so much for encouraging me to switch back to a GMAT Prep test.
I took GMATPrepI again and also scored in the mid 700s which boosted my confidence tremendously in the week before the test!

The Kaplan book may have helped in strategy but it was extremely frustrating to continually get low scores, see errors all over the Kaplan premier book, and get repeat questions with the CD.

I took the Actual test this morning:
750 (98%)
Q 49 (88%)
V 42 (95%)

I couldn't be happier and more thankful...

extremely in depth post about all my stats, tests, studying etc... BELOW
https://www.beatthegmat.com/750-best-sco ... 40864.html
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