Hi all,

Today I took the free full length GMAT CAT practice featured by you guys (ManhattanGMAT) and found the questions in quantitative section very difficult and dreadful, compared with those from other GMATPrep sources. I haven't taken the actual test yet, and I have no idea how hard the questions can be in the real GMAT. But if their difficulty levels commensurate with those of the questions from ManhattanGMAT CAT practice, I'd say I'm doomed to fail in my forthcoming test on 3/28.

Would you guys please give me hint as to the difficulty levels of the questions from MGMAT CAT practice compared with those of the questions from the real GMAT, especially in quant section? I can truly use some confidence here.

Thanks,
Kam

Hi Kam,
even i gave MGMAT last wee and i got 690.. however when i gave GMAT prep yesterday and day before.. i got 620 and 660 in both practice tests.... i believe Gmatprep is more closer to real GMAT....

But many people say that MGMAt is tougher... I am equally confused :(

Hi Tanya,

I remember when I first took the two sets of the GMATprep last month, without having gone through the OG, I scored 710 and 730. It seemed to me that the difficulty levels of the questions from GMATprep didn't vary too much.

But that doesn't seem to be the case with MGMAT CAT. The first 5-6 questions were alright, and I think I got the correct. From then onward, the questions were devastating: either unsolvable, tricky or extremely time-consuming. I don't know if that's because the fact that I got the first batch of the questions correct has led me to a set of higher caliber questions. Halfway through, I had to pause the test and took a break.

I hope I won't encounter such questions in the real GMAT.

Most people feel that our quant section is either as hard as or harder than the real test. It's true that we have a somewhat higher proportion of time-consuming quant questions (we're trying to make sure you're very prepared for the time pressure on the real test - we'd rather have you over-prepared than under-prepared!).

I will say, though, that the real test is just as tricky as ours, though we do have more than are also time-consuming or computation intensive.

Also, due to the fact that we're taking adaptive tests, everybody finds the exam difficult, no matter the scoring level. If you're used to paper-based tests (and if you're used to scoring very well on such tests), then you're used to the test feeling easier when you're better prepared. That doesn't happen on the GMAT - no matter how much you prepare, the test is pretty much just as hard, because the test can change according to what you do. You're really prepared and answering hard questions correctly? Great, no no, don't answer that one, here's a much harder one instead. Imagine if your teachers at school had done that! :)

On the real GMAT, you'll also get a break that you won't get on any practice tests: the real test includes experimental questions. Up to 10 questions won't count and may be at much lower difficulty levels than the level you're at. (You might be scoring in the 85th percentile and get an experimental that's down at the 10th percentile!)

_________________
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director of Online Community
ManhattanGMAT

Hi Stacey,

what is this experimental question thing on real gmat... why is that done and how far can this affect my real gma score...


Tanya

Hi Stacey, thanks for sharing!

Tanya - experimental questions won't affect your score directly at all. They are not scored; they're given so that the test writers can test new potential questions. They don't even have an impact in terms of what questions you get next - it doesn't matter whether you get the experimentals right or wrong.

They could affect your score indirectly, though - if you let yourself spend way too much time on them, then that will mess up your timing for the questions that do count.

There's no way to tell which questions are experimental - they look just like the questions that do count. So this is another reason why we don't spend a bunch of extra time on any one question. Whether that question counts or not, spending a bunch of extra time just hurts us in the end.

_________________
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director of Online Community
ManhattanGMAT