Practice Tests vs. Real GMAT

[Erin]

Many people ask this, so I've started a thread for it.

Please reply to this topic with your practice test scores. For example :

Real GMAT: 710 (Q48, V40)

PowerPrep: 590 (Q49, V23), 750 (Q50, V40)

GMAT Paper Tests: 730

Kaplan: 690

Princeton Review: 700

-other-

Thanks! I hope we get a lot of responses!

Please post ONLY your scores here. If you have other questions, please post them in the right place.


We will have to delete all off-topic posts. Thanks for helping!

[gmat20034]

Recent:

Actaul: N/A

Test 37: 740
Test 48: 710
Test: 42: 730
Test 52: 710
Test: 25: 740

800score Test #3: 720

Past scores:

Actual: 640
800score: 590
Princeton: 690, 670,710, 710
Kaplan: 550, 560, 620, 540
ETS Test #55: 660

[happyking]

desperate for expert advice

Real GMAT: 680 (Q49, V34) on 12/Sep,2003

PowerPrep: 730 on 1/Sep,2003

Kaplan: 680 on 19/Sep,2003

I'm working full time in a company and I have a 10-month baby. Not much time to study. I rebooked test on 10/Oct, 2003. Today I did practice of Kaplan, and I'm very frustrated with the score. It seems that I'm not improving much despite of a lot of practice.

I don't have good access to practice tests. Any good recommendation?

[kongo09]

Don't be frustrated over Kaplan results. My honest opinion is: they're worth nothing. I did the GMAT today with 750 points. Kaplan got me some 600. In fact, I found that some of their answers are wrong, sometimes the underlined part does not match the first answer, etc...

Powerprep crashed while I was working on it. But I got the scores from math which were actually slightly better than todays. Only Powerprep is like the real thing. Kaplan and Princeton seems to be for people who try to get from 500 to 550.

[johngalt]

Actual Test: 740
Kaplan Diagnostic: 640
Kaplan Tests: 610, 550, 630, 650
800Score: 770, 770, 800, 800, 800
PowerPrep: 760, 770

[Lofwyr]

Actual Test - 680
PP1 - 660
PP2 - 640
Princeton Review (took lots of these) ranged from 600 to 650.
Kaplan "Diagnostic" (ya right) - 600

39Q (not my best but ok)/ 44V (excited about this one)

[komodo]

Actual: 640 (q40, v38)

Kaplan (diagnostic): 600
Kaplan CAT: 560, 540, 560, 550
Kaplan paper based: 540, 560, 600, 500

Powerprep: 620 (q42, v34), 650 (q42, v38), 640 (q43, v35)

[roller]

Real GMAT: 660 (Q47, V35) SO FRUSRTATED!!!

(Actually, got so nervous that slept for only 1,5 hrs the night before the test and had 3 coffees to keep me awake during the test. So, had a problem concentrating.)

PowerPrep: 610 (Q42, V32), 770 (Q49, V48)

Kaplan: 620, 670

Crack-GMAT: 555 (Q34, V23), 670 (Q49, V31), 520 (Q36, V14), 680 (Q49, V33), 670 (Q52, V28)

800score: all above 680. Actually, the quantitative sections are SO EASY that they are no use for any serious practice.

In my opinion, the best practice tests to take are those in PowerPrep and Crack-GMAT. Unlike Kaplan, Crack-GMAT has 5 really distinct tests with not a single question repeating from test to test. Also, the quantitative section in Crack-GMAT has really good examples. So don't miss this one!

[doodlee]

Real GMAT: 710 (Q45, V42)

PowerPrep: 680 and 680

GMAT Paper Tests: Between 690 and 730

Kaplan: 570 (Before any prep)

Princeton Review: 700 and 720

[bschools03]

Actual: 690 (q49, v35)

In order:

800score:580, 720
Kaplan:630, 590, 580, 640
Arco:670-690
ETS Paper: 740, 730, 740, 710, 740, 720, 750
PP: 750, 770