Are my MGMAT verbal scores inflated?

[macjas]

Hi guys,

I have so far taken 4 out of the 6 MGMAT CATS. I have heard people say on different forums that if you score consistently well in the first few cats, you subsequent CAT scores may be inflated because you deplete the question banks of tough questions. Here are my verbal scores so far:

CAT 1: Q45 V36
CAT 2: Q45 V41
GMAtPrep 1: Q48 V41
GMATPrep 2: Q45 V41
CAT 3: Q43 V45
CAT 4: Q46 V45

Now I'm trying to figure out if I really ought to give myself a pat on the back for scoring a 45 in the MGMAT CAT's. At this point I don't know if I'm dealing with an artificial inflation of score or if I have actually improved.

All the above cats have been taken in exam conditions, including AWA, IR and 5 minute breaks between sections and at the same time that my actual GMAT is going to be.

What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance!

[StaceyKoprince]

There's an easy way to tell. :) Yes, if you're doing very well from the start (or if your score mostly just stays in the same scoring range on 4+ CATs), then it's possible that you could deplete that part of the question pool. The CATs were designed with the idea that people would improve over time, thereby moving themselves into higher and higher ranges of questions.

So go look at the last CAT. Look at the last 10 verbal Qs. Do you mostly have 700+ questions in there? If so, then you really did earn it. (Note: you may still have some 600-700 Qs and even a 500-600 Q in the mix, for RC especially. RC questions are chosen for an entire passage and are based on getting a certain mix of question types. It's rare, for example, for a main idea question to be rated 700+, so you may get a lower-level main idea even if you are scoring in the 99th percentile.)

If half or more of the Qs are sub-700, though, then it's possible that you're beginning to exhuast the verbal pool at that level.