MGMAT VS GMATPREP

[tm03]

Hello everybody,
I have a question about test scores. I got 580 on MGMAT and 410 on GMATPrep. Is there any explanation why i have so much difference between these test scores? I've heard MGMAT is much harder than GMAT Prep and I am kind of confused here :) please could someone tell me what might be a reason? Thank you in advance.

[RonPurewal]

wow, that's an insane difference.

here are some baseline questions:
* what were your quant and verbal scores on each of the tests? did your mgmat scores significantly outpace your gmatprep scores on both sections, or on just one?
* were there any significant differences in your external and mental factors (sleep, stress, general health, etc.) between the days on which you took the two tests?
* did you take the two tests at different times of day, or under different conditions that may have had disparate effects on your test-taking ability?

perhaps most importantly:
* did you do anything non-standard (such as using the "pause" button, or using one of the non-standard timing options) on the mgmat test?

we need some more specifics here to answer this question; your input would help. anything that YOU think may have affected your scores is something we'd like to hear about.

[tm03]

Yes, I used RESUME button couple of times and took longer brakes on MGMAT. However, I felt more nervous on Gmatprep. Do you think that, it is my nervousness affected the score? In addition, I would appreciate if you could give me some advice for improving my stamina . Thank you for your time.

[JonathanSchneider]

First of all, NEVER use the pause button. When you use the pause button, you are not taking a realistic test. Also, do the essays. They might not be fun, but they're part of the stamina that you'll need.

Also, consider working your way up to full-length tests. Start by reviewing individual questions from the OG, one at a time. Then try sets of 5-10 at a time, then sets of 20. Make sure to take plenty of breaks and thoroughly review the questions you've done. Finally, build up to taking a couple of full CATs, but review these also. In depth review is necessary at every stage to see solid improvements.

[tm03]

Thank you very much for your help. I will follow your advice.

[StaceyKoprince]

Okay, so if, when you used the pause button, you worked on problems while the test was paused, that would obviously inflate your score - you'd be spending more time than you're allowed to spend. I agree with Jonathan - that button's there in case your house is on fire. Otherwise, don't use it.

Also think about your timing on the two tests. Were you able to move steadily through each section, spending the appropriate amount of time, on average, on each question? Or did you move too quickly or too slowly? If too slowly, did you run out of time with a lot of questions left and have to guess? The penalty for that scenario is severe.

And I echo Ron's question about your quant and verbal subscores - did your performance drop on both sections or mostly just one of them?

[tm03]

Hello Stacey,

No, I did not work on problems while the test was paused. I have noticed that Math section on MGMAT is harder than on GMATPrep, and verbal I found more difficult on GMATPrep. I am better on Math, so I got quant subscores almost the same on both but verbal was too low on GMATPrep. I am ok on quant with timing but on GMATPrep verbal I was running out of time and I guessed RC questions, so i could have more time on SC and CR, which are easier for me than RC.
any suggestions?

Thank you for your help
P.S. I'm still getting higher score on MGMAT without pause and timers on.

[StaceyKoprince]

Running out of time and having to guess can definitely result in a big negative impact on your score. And part of the problem with guessing on RC is that you have 3-4 RC questions in a row, so you're risking a string of 3-4 wrong in row when you guess on RC. That's bad because the penalty increases for each additional question wrong in a row.

Do you struggle with everything on RC? Or only certain types of questions? For instance, some people are okay with the "main idea" type questions but get tangled up in the specific detail Qs, especially if it's a topic they don't like. And some people are the opposite: they're okay finding the one sentence to answer that specific detail Q, but they get tangled up in trying to decide what the overall message is. That sort of thing. So try to do the ones that you can do and guess only on those ones that really are your core weaknesses.

Overall, though, you do need to work on your verbal timing. Where are you losing time such that you have to guess later in the section? You can't afford to lose that time anymore. For example, if you think you're good at SC, but you're averaging 2 min on those, then you're not actually as good at SC as you think you are, because you're supposed to average closer to 1m15sec or 1m20sec on SC.

Here are the guidelines you should be following:
SC - about 60-75 sec; max of 90 sec
CR - about 2m; max of 2.5m
RC - about 2.5m (short) to 3.5m (long) to read; about 1 min for general purpose questions; about 1.5 to 2 for everything else

How does that compare to what's actually happening in verbal? (Especially on GMATPrep - I know they don't give you the timing data, so you need to time yourself separately on those. You can use our online stopwatch or you can use your own, but time each question.)

[tm03]

Hi everybody,

I took both tests again. these are the results:

GmatPrep- 460 Q38 V16 :(
MGMAT- 600 Q43 V30

I still don't understand this huge difference, I did everything you told me. I guess I need to work hard on my Verbal.I am using MGMAT sentence correction book. Would you suggest any particular book for RC and CR?

Thank you in advance,
Respectfully,
TM03

[StaceyKoprince]

Your quant dropped a little bit, but your verbal is really the big difference. How was your timing on each test? Did you run out of time and have to rush? If so, on how many questions? Give us as much detail as possible on the timing.

Did you take under exact testing conditions? (essays, 10 min break, quant, 10 min break, verbal) Did you take each at the same time of day? Did you use the pause button at all on the MGMAT test?

Which did you take first? And how much later did you take the second? (If you took GMATPrep second and close in time, such as the next day, you may have just been mentally exhausted by then.)

Were there any differences at all that you noted between the two tests - your energy level, your timing / pacing, how you felt during the tests, how easy or hard you felt the questions were, etc?

I do like our own RC and CR books, but then again, I'm biased because I work for the company! If you have friends who are studying, you may want to ask them what they like. You may also want to ask the opinions of other students at http://www.beatthegmat.com (lots of experts from different companies answer questions there, but the site itself is not affiliated with any one company).

[tm03]

Hi Stacey,

First of all, I want to thank you for your reply.

"Your quant dropped a little bit, but your verbal is really the big difference. How was your timing on each test? Did you run out of time and have to rush? If so, on how many questions? Give us as much detail as possible on the timing."

My timing was the same on both test, I did not run out of time

"Did you take under exact testing conditions? (essays, 10 min break, quant, 10 min break, verbal) Did you take each at the same time of day? Did you use the pause button at all on the MGMAT test?"

Yes I took both of them under exact testing conditions. No, I took them at the different time of day. I took MGMAT at the evening time and Gmatprep- afternoon. I did not use pause button at all.

"Which did you take first? And how much later did you take the second? (If you took GMATPrep second and close in time, such as the next day, you may have just been mentally exhausted by then.)"

I took MGMAT first, and second day I took Gmatprep. I am taking these tests very often, I might be mentally exhausted. sometimes, I take two test in one day.

"Were there any differences at all that you noted between the two tests - your energy level, your timing / pacing, how you felt during the tests, how easy or hard you felt the questions were, etc?"

I feel that, the Energy level stays the same on both tests, timing/pacing is pretty same as well. I found out that i have made some careless mistakes. When i went back to analyze each problem/question, I solved/answered some incorrect questions correctly before i checked the right answer. I always try to do each problem/question again before i see the answer or explanation.

and my greatest weakness is RC. I've found that, main idea is more problematic for me than detailed information. so I try to answer those and skip(guess) the rest.

News: I took Gmatprep today and got 540.Q44 V21 I know its not good enough, however I am still happy, its moving up.:) Officially, I need 580. I hope I'll make it

Thank you for you help
Have a wonderful day!

[JonathanSchneider]

You're getting there!

I've been saying this all night tonight (almost every single post recently has been on this topic), but remember to SLOW DOWN in your review. There's really no purpose to doing so many practice tests. Think about it: would you prepare for a marathon by running two marathons a day? I wouldn't. I would prepare by making sure my stride was good, my sprinting was good, my evenness was good, etc. (In fact, I wouldn't prepare for a marathon at all, but that's beside the point... : ) )

So, please, stop taking two CATs in one day. Remember, study sessions should not stretch beyond 2 hours without at least a 2-hour break in between. There is simply no benefit to cramming for a test of this nature. It is NOT about memorization. This test is about abilities/practices that you develop over time via quality review.

[tm03]

Thank you Jonathan for advice. I will consider it
Good point, great example. :)

[StaceyKoprince]

Great advice, Jonathan. Also, taking practice tests doesn't help you to get much better. Practice tests are better used for diagnosing strengths and weaknesses and tracking progress made over time. I would never take a practice test more than once a week, and only then towards the very end of my study (when the test is only a couple of weeks away). For most of a 3-4 month study period, I wouldn't do a test more than once every 2-3 weeks.

Take a practice test and then spend the next 1, 2, 3 weeks studying the particular areas of weakness that you identified from that practice test. The weakness could have to do with question type (SC, RC, CR), content area (specific grammar rules, specific kinds of RC and CR questions), timing (too slow, too fast?), educated guessing (how do I choose what to guess when I do need to guess? how do I eliminate wrong answers so I can guess from among a smaller pool of possible right answers?), etc. Don't take another practice test until you feel you have made significant progress.

Also wanted to mention: given what you've described, it's not as surprising that your score is fluctuating in a big way. Taking a second test the next day (or the same day!) is going to have a significant, negative effect on your stamina, mental alertness, etc. Do NOT do that anymore!