Hi, I've just attempted my first CAT and found it hard halfway through Quantitative. I decided to breeze through the entire test to get to the answers asap. However, when I got my grades, I managed a 580. I was expecting a 400 or something much poorer than that.

How accurate are the results of the CAT, and is it a safe representative to base it as my target for the real GMAT?

Hope you can help! Thanks.

Hi,

Our CATs our based off of the official GMAT's scoring algorithm so we're confident that your results are very accurate. However, there are some reasons why you might have scored so well even though you were guessing. First, Manhattan GMAT's CATs have a standard deviation of 50 compared to 30 on the real GMAT. Also, you may have had some lucky guesses. You can read more about how the GMAT is scored here: http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/s ... lation.cfm

Going forward, try to take the CATs as if you were sitting for the real GMAT. When you finish, use the Assessment Reports to analyze both the questions you answered correctly and incorrectly. For the questions you answered correctly, could you do it again using different numbers or even a different method?
I hope you find all this information useful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Best,
Matt Mapplebeck
Student Services Associate
Manhattan GMAT

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the explanation. I have recently completed all 6 of my CAT tests and somehow I am starting to feel less confident with my overall results.

1st - 580
2nd - 620
3rd - 510
4th - 560
5th - 530
6th - 540

Is there a possibility with the CAT's for generating a higher score for the first few tests? I'm thinking if the questions in the pool become gradually easier (300-600) and hence cause for trend in my drop of grades. Also, would it still be worthwhile for me to reset the tests and re-do them?

I'm sorry for the long-winded reply. I hope you can assist me soon as I've been feeling really flustered with the outcome. I sit for my GMAT this coming Monday and I need a minimum of 600..

Thanks.

Hey,

I don't think that a drop in your scores is due to the pool running out of 600-800 level questions for two reasons. First, your highest score was a 620, so there are still a lot of 600-800 questions in the bank that you haven't seen yet. Second, remember that if the questions in the pool became gradually easier, then you would be able to answer more correctly and receive a higher score, not a lower score.

In terms of how to move forward, use the Assessment Reports to analyze your performance on the CATs. Look at the questions you answered correctly and ask yourself whether you really understand the content required to solve the problem. Could you answer a similar problem correctly using different numbers or a better method? Also, look at the questions you answered incorrectly and look for any trends. Is there a specific type of problem giving you trouble?

Remember, you don't want to take the CATs one after the other. Give yourself time to analyze your performance and work on your weaknesses through study. One effective method of studying is to answer questions as if you were taking the actual GMAT. For example, try completing 10 practice problems in 20 minutes (2 minutes/problem). For other study tips, please see the following articles:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/e ... -part1.cfm
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/f ... y-tips.cfm
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... eports.cfm

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Best,
Matt Mapplebeck
Student Services Associate
Manhattan GMAT

Thanks Matt!