Practice Test Scores

[RRsafrica]

Hopefully this is in the right section - just looking for a bit of an explanation on the CAT exam scoring system as I get into the GMAT:

I've completed my CAT2 practice exam and scored a 590 while leaving one blank on quant and one blank on verbal. When I check the assessment report it says my average scoring on a right answer throughout the whole test is between 620 and 670.

Now I know unanswered questions hurt your score, but is it safe to suggest that if I had answered those two missed questions that my score would have been more in the range of 620-670?

I'll probably figure this out on later tests but it would be nice to know for now. Thanks

[StaceyKoprince]

Probably not, no - one question wouldn't have changed those numbers that much.

Your score is not a function of your average performance over the length of the test - there are a lot of other factors going on. Most likely, you were doing better earlier in the section but your score dropped towards the end of the section. When you finish a section, the algorithm does not then go calculate your performance across the section. Rather, the algorithm calculates after every single question. By the time you get to the end, where you finish IS your score. "Where you end is what you get." So you can have an average difficulty level that is higher than your actual score if you, say, run out of time and see a score drop at the end of the section. (And this is not uncommon, since so many people have timing problems.)

Read the "Scoring" section of our free e-book The GMAT Uncovered (there's a copy in your student center).

Also, read these two articles to deal with timing problems:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Finally, you mention you're at the early end of your prep, so I'd also recommend reading this article (and following the links in it, particularly about how to study / learn):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... an-part-1/