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How the CAT Works
The CAT
is an adaptive test, which means that the test software uses
your performance on one question to determine which question
you'll be asked next. While all CAT questions are pulled from
the same pool, each test taker will have a unique combination
of questions that forms his entire GMAT.
When you
take a CAT you'll start with a medium-level question. If you
answer correctly, the computer will raise your score and proceed
to give you a harder question. If you answer incorrectly,
your score will go down and you'll get an easier question.
The process repeats for each question on the section.
On a paper-and-pencil
standardized test, each question counts the same toward your
final score. On the CAT, the first questions are much more
important than later questions in determining your final score.
It is imperative for you to get off to a strong start on the
GMAT CAT.
Many CAT
features will be completely new to you. Don't worry; at The
Princeton Review we've been helping students crack computer
adaptive tests for more than five years. Here are some common
issues with CAT format:
- Make
effective use of scratch paper for notes, calculations and
process of elimination.
- Give
full attention to each question as it appears: you cannot
skip a question and return to it later.
- Don't
panic as the question difficulty changes. The test adapts
itself based on your performance, so all the questions should
seem challenging to you.
The
Structure of the GMAT CAT
Analytical
Writing Assessment (AWA)
The CAT starts with two Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)
essays. You'll be given 30 minutes for each essay. You will
type your AWA essays into the computer using a basic word
processor with cut-and-paste functions.
Math
Next come the Quantitative Section and Verbal Section (75
minutes each). The quantitative section contains a mixture
of two basic question types, Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency.
Verbal
The CAT Verbal Section contains Sentence Correction, Reading
Comprehension, and Critical Reasoning questions.
Each Math
and Verbal section in the CAT format contains several unscored
pretest questions. These questions will not match their difficulty
level to your performance and will not affect the questions
that follow.
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