Practice Tests vs. Real GMAT

[gauravprohit]

Actual Test- 700: Q44, V41

 

Kaplan Diagnostic- 630: Q42, V34

Kaplan CAT 1- 670: Q50, V30

Kaplan CAT 2- 620: Q40, V34

Kaplan CAT 3- 610: Q37, V37

Kaplan CAT 4- 640: Q46, V30

Kaplan CAT 5- 600: Q41, V27

GMATPrep: 660

 

Hi,

 

hv been breaking my brains over this..hv been preparing for las 6 wks..bote KAPLAN GMAT PREMIER PROGRAM 2007..hv taken two tests

 

1) took 3 wks bak --KAPLAN PREMIER PROGRAM 2007 paper test given in the book - got 650...

2) yesterday took KAPLAN FREE ONLINE PRACTICE GMAT..got 690 V-38, Q-45..

 

can i expect a >=700 score given the above scores...are these gud enuff..i stil hv 5 wks b4 i take the actual test..plan to take up kaplan gmat800..

 

PS - Guess when u say kaplan diagnostice test...u mean the kaplan online practice test rite..??

[sandvika_dude]

HI. Just gave my GMAT yesterday. So my data is hot from the oven. The thing is, I have read this forum so many times, I feel the need to contribute back. Guess, I'm starting to make sense of all this open source stuff. Anyways, here goes. This is a comparison of the actual score v/s the practice test in chronological order.

 

Actual - 750 (Q 49, V 42) - date 09/09/2007

 

Practice tests

 

GMATPrep 2 - 740 (Q 47, V 47) - 07/09/2007

Manhattan Practice test 5 - 720 - 06/09/2007

Princeton Review test 3 - 730 - 05/09/2007

Manhattan Practice Test 4 - 750 - 04/09/2007

GMATPrep 1 - 720 (Q 45, V 45) - 03/09/2007

Manhattan Practice Test 3 - 690 - 02/09/2007

(from here on I don't remember the dates. However the chronological order - from most recent to dates further away is maintained)

 

Princeton Review Test 2 - 720

Manhattan Practice 2 - 680

IMS SIMCAT - 670

Kaplan 2 - 590

Princeton Review 1 - 720

Kaplan 1 - 660

Manhattan 1 - 660

IMS Diagnostic test 2 - 720

IMS Diagnostic test 1 - 730

Kaplan Paper based - 670

Princeton Paper based - 700

Official Guide Diagnostic test - 600

 

So it goes. Needless to say the official guide had the most accurate scores. However Manhattan & Princeton came pretty close.

 

Best of luck.

[gauravprohit]

Awesome score...congrats..hv a query or two

 

a)Wht is OG diagnostic test...

b) Is the Kaplan paper test that your refering to from Kaplan Premier 2007

c) Is it true that the GMATPREP s/w available on www.mba.com keeps getting updated....

 

regards

Gaurav

[sandvika_dude]

Hi. The OG Diagnostic test is the first test (paper) in the OG. I used the Kaplan 2007 UK edition.

[manobal]

Hi ,

 

Need help !!

i gave GMAT Prep yesterday n scored 610.However i got 17 wrong in quant. n 16 wrong in verbal .... but the score was 610 ...

with so many wrongs, i wonder how can the score be 610 ?

 

pls helppppp...!!

[konica5D]

Hello,

 

just wanted to say this forum is great and that it does add some comfort to know that practice exam scoring can be wildy off base.

 

Veritas 1 (7/13) - 570 V32 Q32

Veritas 2(7/29) - 590 V39 Q30

Thompson Arco 1(8/4) - 600 V31 Q40

Thompson Arco 2(9/15) -610 V29 Q44

Thompson arco 3(9/2) - 610 V30 Q44

Veritas 3 (9/23) 490!!! V25 Q28 (what a confidence killer)

 

GPREP 600 - before any OG math. Feel as if I took this again, I would do signficantly better as the math is completely diff. from other tests.

 

4 weeks before the actual and I have no clue what to expect. It seems that my verbal is getting worse. Took Veritas exam 3 today and was shocked at how many data interpretation questions I got in the beginning. In fact, I question how accurate these are since the quant was mostly data interpretation and advanced number properties.

 

anyway if anyone has any experience w/Veritas or Thompson pls let me know.

[kannn]

My score with Veritas and Arco is along that range.

I would say Arco is much better than Veritas.

Veritas:

I presume u mean by Veritas is that their 5 tests it comes with their curriculum.

I can suggest something. JUST UNINSTALL THAT SOFTWARE. IT IS WORTH OF NOTHING. Didnt mean to be rude.

Most of my Q tests starts with Probability or misleading DI questions.

Question wordings are convoluted and the GUI is pathetic.

Although I get questions wrong their continues to throw probability / statistics / DI questions. Funny.

After the 3rd test I realized that it is taking me to no where and whatever confidence I gained untill then was gone.

I felt basically the test wants to say you are nothing.

Sample of one of their question. What is the value of the arc that is formed when the time in the clock is 7:23 pm. Radius is given. Ofcourse absolute value is needed. Not sure if this is the rep q.

 

 

Verbal: Nothing much to say. I found in couple of occasions the answers are wrong.

[gauravprohit]

Hi Sandvika,

 

i had a query..the princeton practice tests that you took..were those from the 2004 edition...and if not...are those i.e the 2004 edition tests easier than actual gmat

[konica5D]

Hi Kannn,

 

not rude at all...actually very helpful to know someone else noticed the same things. I even know the clock problem you're talking about. I think I'll just concentrate on the OG and gmat prep from now until the test.

 

thanks,

[ameyal]

i have given 2 power preps and i have scored 630 and 650 resp...My quants score always is above 46 and verbal fluctuates between 31-35...so basically english is creating problem than maths.... can anybody tell me how do i go about decreasing this rift...? suppose i continue this low score and get 33 in english and 48 in maths in actual GMAT....what score can i expect...? i solved both OG 10 and 11 and after doing that i found myself in better position at tackling verbal but in tests i always score low...some how i make between 13 to 18 mistakes out of 41. Also i am very poor at RC. I think now with very little time left for my test i should concentrate on SC and CR more than RC as i am much better at them than at RC...what do u suggest...? i think the rise in verbal score with practising CR and SC will be more compared to RC....My exam is on 19th OCT.... somebody please help me with this concern of mine....:(

[ihsuw]

>>ameyai

I think that RC is very important, even though it is difficult to improve RC score.

I tried GmatPrep several times and found something important.

When I took enough time to solve RC in the early stage(1-15), my score was pretty good, howeber, when I keep the pace in order to solve all 41 question, my score was so bad.

So, I suggest that it is very important to get correct answer in the earlier RC.

[pasnai]

Manhattan Gmat 1 - 690

Manhattan Gmat 2 - 690

Manhattan Gmat 3 - 710

 

GmatPrep 1 - 690

GmatPrep 2 - 690

GmatPrep 3 - 710

GmatPrep 4 - 750

 

Actual GMAT (?) - disappointing 630

[smiswe]

Actual : 690 (q49, v36)

 

In order:

 

24-Aug GMAT- First Attempt Q-48 V-28 630

6-Sep KAPLAN 44 28 550

11-Sep Kaplan -4 39 31 580

15-Sep Kaplan -3 34 28 560

19-Sep GMAT Prep -2 50 41 750

26-Sep GMAT Prep -1 50 45 770

30-Sep GMAT Prep -1 49 45 760

7-Oct GMAT Prep -2 47 42 720

 

8-Oct Actual GMAT 49 36 690

[konica5D]

anyone know how 800score verbal compares to the real GMAT? I am getting as high as 99% and I never get anything close to that on other tests.

 

 

 

would be a great help if anyone had any insight.

[kannn]

I also used to score high in 800score.com's verbal. It is not rep of GMAT.Dont count on it. :2cents:

[nowORnever]

Ameyai

 

You cannot ignore RC at the expense of SC/CR. Do note that it's the overall score in these three cateogories that determines the final verbal score. You are bound to encounter a RC passage amongst the first 7 odd questions. Therefore I suggest that you prepare smartly in the remaining time.

 

My suggestion to you is as follows:

1. Go through OG10 and OG11 and identify the question types that one can possibly get in a RC passage.

2. Read related answers for each such question type.

3. Try to pen down an approach to tackle the concerned question type. For example, when you read a question that says "According to the passage ...", then you should know that the answer lies explicitly in the passage. (this is mentioned in the OG answers as well)

 

This is how I worked on RC section. I plan to mention my prep approach in a debrief soon.

 

All the best

[ameyal]

Thanks for your advise. I have implemented the same since last 1 week and i have found that my ability to hit the answers right is increasing. Initially i used to get no answer correct, even direct answers from the passage used to go wrong, however i now get 1-2 right out of 4 questions. And if the passage is simple or related to science or some technology or something then the right hitting further increases. The passages esp the ones with business, management, feudalism, mythology, philosophy or abstract topics bother me still i read them and make a genuine attempt to answer them keeping a watch on time. I think still with 1 more week to go i will improve till then.

 

Thanks once again. My exam is on 19th OCT. Will definitely right a debriefing then.:)

[v-rap]

Hey Kann and Konica5D

 

I am also taking Veritas prep., I was also not sure about the quality of 800score exams ? I have only taken 1 so far.

 

How do you compare veritas vs 800 exams ? of the two which ones are better ?

 

Besides I am planning to give Gmatprep exam. Other than two are there more gmatprep exams ? or when we download everytime they come with different set of questions ? Please clarify...

 

My problem is verbal..especially RC and I am not keeping up with time. Any advice on timing...I feel lost after a certain time may be half way thru on verbal

 

thanks

[konica5D]

Hi V-Rap,

 

I'm not an expert since I haven't taken the real test yet. But this is what I am have found:

 

800score's quant is too involved to finish on time and their verbal is too easy.

 

The Veritas Prep questions on the quant are questionable. Some of the questions just don't seem right and nothing like I've seen in the OG.

 

You should have also gotten some Arco tests...not perfect either, but prob the best of the three.

 

I didn't think the Veritas Prep course was that bad. I do wish that I completed the Official Guide before taking the course. Also the questions in the beginning do hold more weight. If you have already started the course you know what I am referring to when I say that.

 

RC: I think you have to develop a method that works best for you. I actually read the passage twice quickly.

 

The GMATsets are great. the questions are challenging and feel like questions that would be asked on the test. (again, speculation since I haven't taken the test yet) Someone on here should have them. Too bad I didn't discover them earlier.

[v-rap]

Hi Konica3D,

 

Thanks for your input. I am thinking of doing couple of veritas exams and couple more 800. And GMat prep offcourse. I am not sure I will be able to take Arco.

 

I am kind of struggling with RC, I get 2 questions correct and 2 wrong on an avg. Well I will have to work more. I have only 3 weeks left for real exam.

 

Keep posting any information you find...

 

Thanks again....

[Phlip]

I just can disadvise the veritas prep CATs. They are nothing like the real questions/test. Imo it is better to do the Arco tests. It also has some questions that are not the same as OG, but it still feels more like th real GMAT.

 

Veritas is just discouraging...Only helps to eliminate timing issues.

[coli86]

My own experience :

 

21 yo, French, BSc in Management, will apply for MSc in Marketing in Europe.

 

Without any prep :

Kaplan Diagnostic : 600 Q38 V33

 

With prep (chronological order, all one week before the test) :

Kaplan CAT 3 : 540 Q31 V29 (I was so desperate before I found out this wonderful site)

Kaplan CAT 2 : 540 Q31 V28

Crack the Gmat : 620 Q44 V28 (Feeling a bit better)

Kaplan CAT 1 : 570 Q33 V33

GMAT Prep 2 : 640 Q44 V33

GMAT Prep 1 : 710 Q49 V40

 

Real Score :

690 Q49 V34

[td123]

Hi,

 

Actual GMAT Score 770

 

Practice Tests (Most recent on top)

GMAT Prep Test 2 - 720

Princeton Review Free Online Test - 730

Crack GMAT Test #1 - 690

GMAC ETS Test Code 55 - 760

GMAC ETS Test Code 31 - 680

Arco 2 - 601 to 650

Arco 1 - 601 to 650

Crack GMAT - 675

GMAC ETS Test Code 14 - 730

GMAT Prep Test 1 - 640 (before my 4 weeks of prep)

 

Thanks

T

[raulverde]

Hi,

 

Actual GMAT Score 730

 

Practice Tests

MGMAT 1 - 430 (before starting prep)

MGMAT 2 - 600

MGMAT 3 - 680

MGMAT 4 - 670

MGMAT 5 - 650

MGMAT 6 - 760

GMAT Prep Test (Reinstall) - 760

GMAT Prep Test 2 - 700

GMAT Prep Test 1 - 660

PR 1 - 720

 

Peace

R

[pemeph]

Wanted to post some results here since I got some help from this forum along the way.

 

Real GMAT (Q45 V44 Total 720)

 

Practice Test in Order

Princeton Review Online CAT (Q 37 V37 Total 610)

Princeton Review Online CAT (Q 42 V34 Total 620)

GMATPrep 1 (Q44 V44 Total 710)

GMATPrep 2 (Q46 V45 Total 730)

 

Each of the above was taken within a week of the actual test. My actual score, as you can see, was right between my scores on the GMAT prep tests.

 

For whatever reason, I was absolutely horrible on the PR test. IMHO, the Verbal sections of PR are practically worthless besides helping you get the timing right. In fact, I found this board after my horrible first showing on the PR test. So don't put too much faith in the PR tests, OK?