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Computer Adaptive Testing

Linnea Newman
Lesson by Linnea Newman
Magoosh Expert
Summary
The GMAT Focus introduces a comprehensive overview of its computer adaptive testing (CAT) mechanism, emphasizing its impact on test-taking strategies, question difficulty adjustment, and scoring implications.
  • The GMAT Focus comprises three computer adaptive sections: quantitative, verbal, and data insights, all contributing equally to the total score.
  • CAT adjusts the difficulty of questions based on the test taker's performance, aiming to pinpoint their ability level through a complex algorithm.
  • Misinterpreting the difficulty of a question as an indicator of previous performance is a common mistake among test takers.
  • The CAT's algorithm is highly sophisticated, making it impractical for test takers to predict or manipulate.
  • Scoring on the CAT reflects not just the number of correct answers but also the difficulty level of each question, with the GMAT Focus employing a unique 205 to 805 scoring scale.
Chapters
00:00
Understanding Computer Adaptive Testing
00:25
The Mechanics of CAT
02:23
Misconceptions and Test-Taking Strategies
04:08
Scoring and Algorithm Adjustments