Practice Tests vs. Real GMAT

[bigmanyd]

Real GMAT 730 - 49Q - 41V

Practice tests: (in order of when I took them, first one being 3 months before the test)
Kaplan diagnostic (CD) - 570
Kaplan 1- 590
Kaplan 2- 600
Kaplan 3- 620
Thomson 1 - 600
Thomson 2 - 620 (thompson is a total waste of time and money, don't bother.)
800score 1- (Quant only) - 36
800score 2- (Quant only) - 30
800score 3- (Quant only) - 36
800score 4- (Quant only) - 38
800score 5- (Quant only) - 38 (found the quant very hard on these) (bad indications obviously, but still a good review)

GMAT PREP 1 - 690 42V 41Q

Manhattan GMAT 1 - (Quant only) 39
Manhattan GMAT 2 - (Quant only) 38
Manhattan GMAT 3 - (Quant only) 44

Veritas 1 - 42 (Quant only)
Veritas 2 - 46 (Quant only) (Pretty good indicators)
OG diagnostic - P.S. Above average
OG diagnostic - D.S. Excellent
OG diagnostic - C.R. Excellent
OG diagnostic - R.C. Excellent
OG diagnostic - S.C. Escellent (verbal was not a good indicator)

GMAT PREP 2 - 760 49V 45Q (5 days before actual)

Real GMAT 730 - 49Q - 41V

[lawrencl]

I found that using GMAT Prep was the best for preparation tool out there. especially if you recycle the tests, just miss the first 5 questions to get new questions each time.

I gave up on Kaplan as there are too many mistakes with the Verbal and the difficulty level was not the same. Princeton Review is easy, as I was scoring 730. (marked with PR)

Rest of my scores are from GMAT Prep.

03/03/2006 (32v) 26/41

03/04/2006 (36q) 19/25
03/07/2006 (34v) 28/41
03/08/2006 (37q) 21/24
03/16/2006 (34v) 27/34 - 10/16 *new*


03/20/2006 (30q) 14/19
03/21/2006 (40v) 32/41 - 4/10 *new*
03/22/2006 (38q) 21/25 (1 stupid mistake)
03/26/2006 (49q) 34/37 (10, 11, 18)
03/27/2006 (39v) 31/41
04/03/2006 (49q) 34/37 (24, 25, 34) PR4
04/04/2006 (24v) 28/41 (airplane) PR4
04/05/2006 (34v) 28/41 (2 critical reasoning, 3 SC, 8 reading comprehension)
04/06/2006 (34v) 26/31 (2 critical reasoning, 1 SC, 2 reading comprehension)
04/07/2006 (51q) 32/37 (19, 27, 28, 35, 36, 37) PR1
04/07/2006 (41v) 33/41 (2 critical reasoning, 2, SC, 4 reading comprehension) PR1
04/11/2006 (35q) 19/23

04/12/2006 (36v) 29/41 (2 critical reasoning, 6 SC, 4 reading comprehension)
04/14/2006 (43q) 22/27
04/16/2006 (26v) 24/29 (0 critical reasoning, 2 SC, 3 reading comprehension)
04/17/2006 (42q) 22/26

04/18/2006 (31v) 26/35 (2 critical reasoning, 4 SC, 3 reading comprehension)

04/19/2006 (37q) 19/20
04/19/2006 (35v) 27/40 (2 critical reasoning, 6 SC, 3 reading comprehension)

04/21/2006 (47q) (34V) Total GMAT 670 **REAL TEST**

[atypical71]

GMAT Prep Test 1

GMAT Prep Test 1 700 Q 45 V 40
GMAT Prep Test 2 750 Q 47 V 46

Actual Test 690 Q 42 V 42 on 06 May 2006

I found the quant questions on the actual GMAT dramatically more difficult than in the GMAT Prep software. Verbal questions were comparable (tough not to be).

[florida357]

Originally Posted by lawrencl

I found that using GMAT Prep was the best for preparation tool out there. especially if you recycle the tests, just miss the first 5 questions to get new questions each time.

Does not missing the first 5 mean that you are pretty much dead?! The first 5 questions are the most important ones!

[lawrencl]

Originally Posted by florida357

Does not missing the first 5 mean that you are pretty much dead?! The first 5 questions are the most important ones!

i'm suggesting to miss the first 5 questions for the PRACTICE tests so you don't recycle questions on GMAT prep software.

[humancapital]

The questions are roughly divided into thirds, and the first third of the questions in any section is weighted the most. This means that the first third of the questions determines the bulk of your GMAT scaled score. The second third accounts for a lesser amount of the scaled score, and the last third counts for a relatively insignificant amount of your overall score.

[believe_in_yourself]

5/22 GMAT 730
1 3/14 Kaplan D 650
2 3/26 Kaplan 1 560
3 4/2 Kaplan 2 570
4 4/9 Prep GMAT1 730
5 4/16 PR 1 620
6 4/17 PR 2 720
7 4/21 ETS 14 710
8 4/23 800Score 1 670
9 4/24 ETS 25 690
10 4/26 800Score 2 730
11 4/27 ETS 28 730
12 4/29 Kaplan 3 580
13 4/30 ETS 31 730
14 5/1 Prep Power1 710
15 5/6 Prep Power2 730
16 5/8 PR 3 740
17 5/9 ETS 37 710
18 5/11 800Score 3 690
19 5/12 ETS 42 680
20 5/13 ETS 48 730
21 5/15 Kaplan 4 620
22 5/16 800Score 4 630
23 5/18 800Score 5 580
24 5/19 PR 4 680
25 5/20 Prep GMAT2 710
26 5/22 GMAT Real 730

[koumudhi]

Hi all,
5 more days for me to take the test. Till now i have taken 5 princeton tests and Those two Gmatprep tests.
my scores are
last princeton test:730
Gmat prep 1: 740
Gmat prep 2: 760

Is that adviceble for me to take some tests these 5 days?
Could anybody help me ... which is the best source for me to get the tests now?
It seems the new gmat questions are some what different (i read from forums), which tests most resemble the actual gmat?

Can we get some tests in mba.com for sale?

[batchgmat]

Kaplan - Before SC:
640
600
650
620

GMATPrep - Before SC
690
680

GMATPrep - After SC
750
750
750

Real GMAT: 740

[xdv]

Originally Posted by lawrencl

i'm suggesting to miss the first 5 questions for the PRACTICE tests so you don't recycle questions on GMAT prep software.

I took Kaplan CAT1 and got 580. I only got 600 when taking Kaplan CAT2, despite having recognized 21 questions (14 math, 7 verbal). What I am saying is that your score may probably not be affected that much just because you run into questions that repeat themselves .. well, at least when taking Kaplan CATs ..