by StaceyKoprince Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:48 pm
Our tests have a standard deviation of about 50 points, compared to a standard deviation of about 30 points on the official test. The practice test that is generally closest to the real thing is GMATPrep, the official practice test produced by the writers of the official test.
You really shouldn't be doing much in the final two days. It's pretty much too late to learn stuff that you don't already know, and you run the risk of burning yourself out if you cram too hard. Review your general strategies for each question type, review your overall timing strategy for the section (eg, how will you know if you get behind on time? what will you do about it?), and know how to make educated guesses on each problem type so that you have a fall back when you get those questions that you just can't do (and you will have those questions). If you've been using flashcards, you can review those to review the high level math and grammar concepts you need to know.
Make sure you have everything ready to go for test day - ID, food and drink, etc. Don't spend more than about 2 hours reviewing stuff the day before. Get a good night's sleep both the night before and the night before that. Pick out some VERY easy problems the day before and bring them with you to the test center - without the answers. Get there early and spend about 10 minutes doing some very easy problems of either type - whatever you think is easiest for you. This is the equivalent of jogging around the track and stretching before you start some sporting event: you're warming up. Don't warm up too strenuously (ie, don't do hard questions) or you risk injuring yourself right before the big game (ie, demoralizing yourself before the test starts). That's also, by the way, why you don't even bring the answers with you. That doesn't matter at this point - you're just warming up before you get in there.
Good luck!!
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep