Following were my scores in MGMAT tests 580, 580, 640, 620, 680, 630. And in the OG tests, I scored 620 and 640. However, the actual gmat test that I took today gave me the shock of my life. I scored a meagre 520. How deviated are the mgmat tests from actual gmat? Is it possible in any way I can analyze what went wrong?

Hi,

Our MGMAT CATs have a standard deviation of about 50 points, and the mba.com CAT's have a standard deviation of about 30 points. While the mba.com ones are more accurate, they still don't account completely for the drop in your score, so there may be other issues at stake:

- when you did your practice exams, did you also write the AWA? Although it's not a part of your score out of 800 points, going into the quant section after having written for an hour can definitely stop you from doing as well if you're not used to it.

- did you time your practice tests as if they were real tests? In order to get the best experience, it is important to not pause the exam, and to simulate the real test as much as possible, for example, by only taking two 8-minute breaks. If, for example, you were pausing your practice tests, then timing might have been an issue for you on the real GMAT.

- where do you feel your biggest weakness on the actual exam was? Was it timing? Nerves? Were you stressed out? Were you taking the exam at a time of day when you are usually not awake (for example, first thing in the morning when you usually need 4 cups of coffee to get going, or right after lunch if you usually are sleepy after lunch)?

All of these factors can affect how you scored on your actual exam. I hope that helps give you some insight!

Best,
Caitlin Clay
Student Services Associate
Manhattan GMAT

Thanks for your response. I do usually simulate the actual test conditions while taking practice tests and write AWA essays most times, if not always. And I do time the tests. And none of the reasons that you had mentioned applies to me and perhaps thats why I'm so surprised about my performance. Thanks anyways.