GMAT Prep algorithm makes no sense... help

[zackca]

On GMAT Prep 1, I got 31 out of 41 questions right (75% accuracy) (missed the second to last and left the last one blank which hurts your score) I got a 39V.

On GMAT Prep 1 repeat, I got 34 out of 41 questions correct (83% accuracy) and answered all of the questions. I got the first 12 questions correct. On this test, I only got a 41V.

How can three questions more (not to mention filling out everything) only give me 2 points more in verbal? I heard that if you miss more than one question in a row, you cannot get over a 45V no matter what your accuracy is...

Thoughts?

[RonPurewal]

On GMAT Prep 1, I got 31 out of 41 questions right (75% accuracy) (missed the second to last and left the last one blank which hurts your score) I got a 39V.

On GMAT Prep 1 repeat, I got 34 out of 41 questions correct (83% accuracy) and answered all of the questions. I got the first 12 questions correct. On this test, I only got a 41V.

How can three questions more (not to mention filling out everything) only give me 2 points more in verbal? I heard that if you miss more than one question in a row, you cannot get over a 45V no matter what your accuracy is...

Thoughts?

missing the last two in a row certainly didn't help. still, there is other information that would be nice to have here, especially regarding the pattern with which you missed the other problems.
you didn't say anything about the order in which you missed the 7 questions on the second test, nor anything about the order in which you missed the other 8 questions (besides the last two) on the first test. we'd welcome that information here, although we'd largely just make conjectures based on the information you provide.

the general wisdom is that missing more problems consecutively is bad, and that missing problems at the end is also bad. if you also had more and/or longer strings of missed problems on the first test, then, there's your explanation right there.