Customer Reviews

Test Preparation for the Computer-Adaptive Gmat: Actual Computer-Adaptive Tests With Real Gmat Questions : Powerprep Software

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Here's my two cents on GMAT Power Prep software. The Power Prep software has some positives and a couple of negatives. At the end of the day though, I found it invaluable.

Most importantly, it was an accurate predictor of my score. I scored the same on the actual GMAT as on the first practice test, and ten points less than I did on the second practice test. The main reason I bought it was to predict my score, so it worked well on that count.

I tried figuring out why it accurately predicted some people's scores but not others (see other reviews). I'm still mostly at a loss, but I do have a few theories. First, almost all the folks who thought Power Prep was not an accurate indicator thought so over a year ago. Possibly the software has changed a bit since then to be more reflective of the actual test. Second, as some other review mentioned, it could be that those who found the test not an accurate predictor had seen certain questions first in the GMAT official guide (the book), and then seen the same questions repeated on the Power Prep tests. This would have made the practice tests easier than they would otherwise have been.

Third, it may be that the actual test is (or at least seems) a little tougher than the practice tests. I think that was the case with me. It may be that the toughest questions on the actual test are experimental, and therefore not scored. It may be that test-time stress makes the actual test seem tougher than the practice tests. Finally, it may be that a little bit of the scored material on the real test is just plain tougher than on the practice tests. To the extent that you're gunning for a high score (700+), I'd make sure to be familiar with some of the more arcane material that the official guide covers in its math review section (eg. probability).

However, if the actual test is tougher than the practice tests my experience was that it is marginally so. I didn't find the difference in difficulty to be large enough to explain a large difference in scores, as some other reviews mentioned.

Another advantage of the software is that it gives you actual GMAT questions to practice on. I used Kaplan and Princeton Review, and while both were useful in their own way, neither had questions that were as similar to the actual test (the book works well on that score too).

Drawbacks include the following, as mentioned in other reviews. First, questions are repeated between Power Prep and the official guide, so do the practice tests first. Second, questions repeat even between tests. I had between 5 and 15 questions repeat between tests 1 and 2. Third, make sure to check answers as soon as you're done with the test - that's the only chance you get. Answer's are not saved, and the test re-sets as soon as you click out of it.

Drawbacks aside, my main purpose was to try to predict my score (and get an accurate dry run). For that purpose, Power Prep worked well for me. Hopefully, it will be as indicative for you as well.

Finally, a few words about Kaplan. I thought Kaplan's books (I didn't take the class) had some great strategies, particularly for Critical reasoning and data sufficiency. The number properties sections of the kaplan review material helped me quiet a bit. Practice questions, while not as reflective of actual GMAT questions as the official guide and Power Prep, were still helpful. However, the practice tests (as distinct from the questions) were ridiculouly difficult. I scored 200 points less on the Kaplan practice tests than on the actual test, so don't get discouraged if you don't do well on Kaplan's tests - in fact, I wouldn't do them at all. Do practice problems from Kaplan, and actual tests from Power Prep, and finish off with practice problems from power prep or the official guide.

I run a test prep service and am *very* familiar with this product.

ETS (the company that makes the GMAT, GRE, and SAT) released this software soon after they switched over from the paper-based format to the current computer adaptive test.

What does this mean? Well, in a word, you are buying a beta-version of the current GMAT: the real GMAT is *much* more difficult than this test!

Many of our students can ace this test, yet they get 100 to 200 points *less* on the real test!

Why is this? Well, part of the reason is that most of the questions from this software comes from the official GMAT book and many students become familiar with that book before they take the test.

What are some other reasons?

Well, the math questions that you will get with this software are not as hard as the real ones if you are scoring pretty high (over 80%).

The reading passages on the real test are longer than the ones you will find in this program, as well.

Finally, since the GMAT is now adaptive, the order of questions is important--for example, if you excel at sentence correction and the first few questions are sentence correction, then you will get a high score. However, if you are not good at sentence correction, then your score will be abysmally low.

In short, this is the best prep available right now, but, if you can, wait for the 3.0 release in June of 2000.

Best of luck on your test!!!!!

Hey, don't waste your money!!

You can now get the new version, v3.0 for FREE!

Just go to the official GMAT site to download it!

The big problem with this software is that most of my students get a higher score on this than on the real test, so remember that when you're preparing.

Good luck on your test!

I studied for the GMAT using this software and the ARCO GMAT study book. I did not find nearly the same types of questions on the real thing (quantitative section) as in the practice software--exponets, geometry, proportions, etc. I wonder if due to the intense studying of their practice software if the ETS folks revamped the GMAT test. It is helpful, but don't bet too much on it. I scored much higher on the practice tests than on the real bugger (taken Jan 2000).

The software predicted my exam score exactly (700) and served too brush up my 8th grade math skills. However, the user interface was hard to navigate and reminiscent of software developed 5 years ago. Many of the exam answers were not included in the software, but were instead provided in an enclosed hard copy book.

Contrary to many other reader's opinion, I found this software's two tests to be extremely indicative of what you can expect on test day. I got 760 and 770 on the practice tests, and got 770 on the real test. One note: The practice test contains many problems from the GMAT book that ETS publishes. This may explain why some people, after first going through the problems in the book, may have received higher scores from the software.

This software contains two authentic computer-adaptive tests and is the best way to familiarize yourself with the computer-adaptive testing experience without going to the test center. The software allows you to practice on hundreds of authentic GMAT questions from past editions of the test, review the official testing tutorials so you can save time at the actual test, take two tests, and get reports that compare your scores to those of other test takers in your intended field or enrolled at particular graduate management schools. Tip: if you buy the software and The Official Guide for GMAT Review, use the software first and then use the Guide for additional practice on the questions you didn't see in the software. Both titles are published by Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Personally, i think the real test is harder, but this software is the closest thing you can get. I highly recomend it.

I felt that the power prep software was easier than the real test and thus gave me a false sence of security. I scored 700 and 750 in the 2 tests, however scored only 620 on the real test and felt that the questions were harder.

The ETS tests were exactly like the real thing. It is a big benefit to go into test day knowing exactly what you are going to get. The other practice software I used from The Princeton Review didn't feel or score like test day. My score was 610, and my ETS practice tests were within 20 points of that.