How Many Questions Wrong on GMAT to Get 700?
Attaining a score of 700 on the GMAT is a significant milestone for many business school applicants. It signifies a strong command of the test’s content and a competitive edge in the admissions process. However, one of the most common questions among GMAT aspirants is: how many questions wrong on the GMAT can I afford to get and still achieve a 700? This article delves into this query, providing insights into the GMAT scoring system and strategies to help you determine the number of errors you can afford.
The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test (CAT), which means that the difficulty level of each question is adjusted based on your responses to previous questions. The scoring system is designed to ensure that a 700 score represents a consistent level of performance across different test-takers. Therefore, the number of questions you can afford to get wrong varies depending on the difficulty of the questions you encounter.
On average, to achieve a 700 score, you should aim to answer approximately 20-25 questions correctly out of the 41 Quantitative questions and 36 Verbal questions. This means that you can afford to get around 16-21 questions wrong in each section. However, it’s important to note that the difficulty level of the questions plays a crucial role in determining how many errors you can afford.
For instance, if you encounter a series of easier questions, you might be able to get a few more wrong and still achieve a 700. Conversely, if you face a string of challenging questions, you’ll need to answer more correctly to maintain your score. To better understand this, let’s consider a hypothetical scenario:
Scenario: You answer 30 questions correctly in the Quantitative section and 28 questions correctly in the Verbal section. You get 11 questions wrong in Quant and 13 questions wrong in Verbal. In this case, you’ve answered 60 questions correctly and 24 questions incorrectly, which translates to a 700 score. However, if the difficulty level of the questions had been higher, you might have needed to answer more questions correctly to achieve the same score.
Here are some tips to help you determine how many questions wrong on the GMAT you can afford to get:
1. Familiarize yourself with the GMAT question types and difficulty levels.
2. Practice under timed conditions to improve your pacing and accuracy.
3. Review your practice test scores to identify areas where you can improve.
4. Use a scoring calculator to estimate your potential score based on the number of questions you get right and wrong.
5. Focus on your strengths and work on improving your weaknesses.
In conclusion, the number of questions wrong on the GMAT you can afford to get to achieve a 700 score depends on the difficulty level of the questions you encounter. By understanding the GMAT scoring system, practicing effectively, and focusing on your strengths, you can increase your chances of achieving a competitive score.
