30+ MCAT Study Habits- The CBT Version

[omegaxx]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=13 WS=Q BS=14 Composite=41Q

2) The study method used for each section
PS&BS: Reviewed all the materials (except Organic Chem, because I just finished a year long O. Chem course and knew it like the back of my hand). Practiced.
VR: Practice, practice, practice.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Princeton Review all the way.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Princeton Review all the way.
I also bought AAMC 4-6 for building confidence two weeks before the actual exam.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Pharmacology & English, although I took the exam after sophomore year so I just had the prereq sciences and five English courses under my belt.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Read smartly, and read a lot, not just textbooks and scientific papers and newspaper, but also materials in the humanities department.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2.5 months (~10 weeks), averaging ~3 hrs/day.

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[BB8730]

After reading almost every post in this thread, it feels good to finally be able to post here.
I didn't get an uber score but I did cram all of my studying into 4 weeks. My study plan might be a good resource for those of you who are crunched on time.

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=11 VR=10 WS=M BS=11 Composite=32M

2) The study method used for each section
PS
General chemistry - Watched Chad's videos for content, took his quizzes, and took notes on his outlines. Then used EK 1001 and TBR for practice questions/passages.

Physics - Was still pretty fresh in my head from my physics classes. Did ~250 questions in EK 1001 Physics and felt prepared.

VR
Did 2-4 EK 101 passages per day first thing in the morning. Also got a lot of practice from the AAMC FLs.

BS
Biology - Studied EK Biology for content. I didn't feel as though I needed to practice bio passages since they were very similar to verbal reasoning passages. I just made sure to get in as much content studying as possible.

Organic chemistry - same as general chemistry

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
PS - Chad's videos, EK 1001, and TBR for passages (gen chem only)

VR: EK 101 and the AAMC FLs

BS - Chad's videos for o-chem, EK Bio, EK 1001 (o-chem only), and TBR for passages (o-chem only)

4) Which practice tests did you use?
AAMC 3 - 36 (12/11/13)
AAMC 4 - 30 (10/10/10)
AAMC 7 - 33 (11/12/10)
AAMC 8 - 33 (11/11/11)
AAMC 9 - 33 (11/10/12)
AAMC Average - 33

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Here is my 4 week study plan. I don't recommend spending this short of time studying but if you don't have a choice, it can be done. Just realize that you will need to sacrifice a lot to make it work. This study plan works best for people who are Biology-related majors and already have a pretty solid understanding of fundamental biology concepts. You also must have a solid understanding of physics. If not, add an extra week to cover physics content.

Days 1-5 - Watch ~3 hours of Chad's general chemistry videos per day. Take the quizzes at the end of each video and take notes on his outlines. After watching the videos and taking the quizzes, study the material that you feel weakest on. Re-outline the material that you feel weak on. Start doing 2-4 EK 101 verbal reasoning passages per day (more if you feel like it). Also start doing every 5th problem in EK 1001 Physics. If you don't understand a concept, do more questions in that topic. Try to do ~25 questions per day. Start generating an outline of physics equations needed.
Days 6-10 - Watch ~3 hours of Chad's organic chemistry videos per day. Keep in mind that he teaches for the DAT which is more in-depth than we need for the MCAT, so filter out some of the advanced stuff. Look at the AAMC content outline for topics that you should know. After watching the videos and taking the quizzes, study the material that you feel weakest on. Re-outline the material that you feel weak on. Do 1-2 TBR general chemistry passages per day or some EK 1001 gen chem questions. Keep doing EK 101 and EK 1001 Physics.
Days 11-12 - Review all content with emphasis on things that you are weak on. Read through EK Bio at least once, preferably 2-3 times (save the quizzes though). Start reading your physics equation outline every day.
Day 13 - AAMC FL and take a break the rest of the day. Simulate real testing conditions as much as possible.
Day 14 - Review FL. Take time on each question to make sure you understand EVERYTHING that's going on. Do 1-2 TBR passages in gen chem and o-chem and/or some EK 1001 questions. Finish up every 5th problem in EK 1001 physics if you haven't already.
Day 15 - Review content with emphasis on weak areas. Read outlines, notes, and EK Bio. Start taking the quizzes in EK Bio. Do practice passages from TBR and problems from EK 1001.
Day 16 - AAMC FL + break
Day 17 - Review FL + content
Day 18 - Review content
Day 19 - AAMC FL + break
Day 20 - Review FL + content
Day 21 - Review content. Start hardcore memorizing physics equations if there are some you still don't know.
Day 22 - AAMC FL + break
Day 23 - Review FL + content
Day 24 - Review content
Day 25 - AAMC FL + break
Day 26 - Review FL + content
Day 27 - LIGHTLY review content. Just polish up on things that you have lingering in your mind. Don't spend more than an hour studying. Do some fun things and get in a good mood for the test.
Day 28 - Test day

If you feel yourself burning out, sacrifice a day or two and take a break. It is extremely important to avoid burning out, which is your biggest enemy with this study plan. During each day, regularly switch up the topics you are studying and take LOTS of little breaks. I tried to take a 15-30 min break after each hour of studying. This will help prevent burnout. When you get about halfway through, really start triaging your study time. Focus on your weak areas and try to master the big concepts and relationships. Leave the fine details behind at this point and just try to get a solid understanding of as much as you can.

It's all a big mental battle. Keep pushing through it and looking at the light at the end of the tunnel. Have confidence - you can do it!

I also highly recommend reading Vihsadas' post here. I used most of his strategies and they worked out very well.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
~4 weeks. I allotted 6 weeks but I got a late start and we had a natural disaster in my area, so I lost about 2 weeks of studying.

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

[DrTurf]

1) Your individual scores and composite score:
7/6/12 - 10PS/13VR/12BS = 35O

2) The study method used for each section:

I studied on my own at home with the random assortment of materials that I could get my hands on.

PS: I used EK for my general review and googled topics I was having difficulty with. I supplemented with Kaplan Review Notes and TPR Hyperlearning and then did a few hundred problems from the EK 1001 series.

VR: Kaplan 45 passages and EK method. I have always been good at these types of tests.

BS: I used EK for general Bio review and did about 100 problems from EK 1001 series. I used TPR Hyperlearning for Organic. I didn't sufficiently study Organic because I was getting 90%+ on the AAMC's. I was overconfident and only reviewed about 1/3 of the material. As a result, I was unprepared for the Organic passages on my exam.

I also used the Kaplan Quicksheets to review everything for each subject and memorize formulas.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc):

PS: EK + Kaplan + TPR + AudioLearn
VR: Kaplan 45 + EK
BS: EK + TPR + AudioLearn

4) Which practice tests did you use:

AAMC FL 3, 7, 9, 10, 11

5) What was your undergraduate major:

Psychology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us:

Study a bit, then take a FL test. Use the results to determine your weakest section and really focus on improving it. However, even if you did very well on a certain subject, completely review it! Do not make the same mistake I made with Organic. Yes, my score turned out fine, but I was completely flabbergasted when those Organic passages came up. I suggest the EK series for reviewing material you haven't seen in a while and TPR for topics you are really struggling with. Listening to the AudioLearn CD's the last week really boosted my confidence and solidified some details. In addition, the Kaplan Quicksheets are amazing and can be purchased on Amazon fairly inexpensively. Remember to make time for FL tests. They will make a huge difference in your preparation.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT:

I took my first FL in December before studying (scored 29), studied in earnest for about two weeks and then rarely looked at my materials throughout Spring semester. In May, I picked up the pace a bit, but did not really buckle down until 5 weeks before my test. And when I say buckle down, I mean 2-4 hours/day most days. In retrospect, I really didn't put as much effort into studying as I should have, but it turned out for the best. If I had devoted more time to studying PS, I could have raised it by a couple points but I was too lazy.

 

[hughnguyen22]

1) Your individual scores and composite score:
5/31/12 - 12PS/11VR/9BS = 32M
Only took once.

2) The study method used for each section:

Studied at home and went to the Princeton Review classes, but TPR was a waste of money.

PS: EK and TPR Science work book. EK and EK 1001 questions for practice. The work book was for review.

VR: EK method. TPR method is trash. Used a whole bunch of practice books such as EK 101, TPR verbal book, TPR online passages. Almost ran out of materials at the end so signed up for NY Times, which was very helpful. NY Times opinion articles are very similar to MCAT ones.

BS: EK books and little TPR. TPR biology is a mess.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc):

EK + TPR

4) Which practice tests did you use:

All AAMC tests. Some TPR tests.

5) What was your undergraduate major:

Physics

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us:

A. Try to cultivate discipline. Follow the EK 10-week schedule and add another month or so to review and practice things. Just prioritize your life. If you REALLY want to go to medical schools, drop all the bull**** excuses and focus.

B. Do not listen to nonsense such as MCAT is not a memorization-based test. It is true that it is not 100% memorization. However, about 60% of it is. Learn by heart the definition and application of those BROWN terms in EK books. I made a 9 in BS because I did not remember correctly some terms.


7) How long did you study for the MCAT:

About 4 months.

 

[Nandrolone]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=13 VR=10 WS=S BS=13 Composite=36S
Test date July 14, 2012 (Retake from June 21, 2012: 34T)

2) The study method used for each section
Modified SN2 schedule, with Berkeley Review, EK and some TPR Hyperlearning for verbal

PS & BS: BR for Physics, Chem and O-Chem, but EK for Bio; supplemented with EK 1001.

VR: AAMC verbal self-assessment is the best verbal investment. EK 101 is complete trash. AAMC practice exams are also really good.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
EK, AAMC, BR

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Took all AAMC's. High of 35 on AAMC 7, low of 29 on AAMC 11; Average AAMC: 31.5

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Math; chemistry minor

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Read the questions carefully, and do not overcomplicate stuff. Most questions are one-step reasoning, and nothing else. Practice, and do as many passage based practice questions as you can. Be confident, most importantly.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3 months, 7 hours/day. Rough, wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy... Hate the exam.

Good luck, everyone! Feel free to PM with any questions.

 

[BeHappy2013]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS=11, VR=11, BS=13, Composite=35Q
(I took the July 14, 2012 MCAT)

2) The study method used for each section

PS&BS: Went through all the content first, taking subject-specific tests and quizes as I went along. I made an outline of each chapter of the EK books and color coded it: red for the stuff EK had in red (the most important), blue for things I wanted to remember, pencil for random details that weren't as important but could help my understanding upon review, and black for going back and making notes about questions I got wrong. A little OCD? Yes, but I guess it worked!

Also, for PS I first went through and practiced basic math skills like rounding log number, exponents, etc before starting. That helped a lot.

VR: I should have studied this more. I just did a lot of passages, then when I went over the wrong answers (never on the same day) I re-read the passage first. This is very important because you see things you miss the first time around. I tried to figure out if there was a common theme in the errors I was making.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Took a Kaplan class last fall. I am really not a big fan of Kaplan, but my instructor was basically anti-Kaplan and taught us what was really important. I hated the Kaplan books, so when it came to actually studying I got a 2007 version of EK books from my friend and used it for content review. I used a condensed form of the Kaplan method for verbal, though. Kaplan is good for practice sections, and their Qbank is good for working on weaknesses in the last couple weeks.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

I hated the Kaplan full-lengths, so I stopped taking them. I used Kaplan for Verbal subject tests and some science tests, and used the Qbank for specific science topics.

KAPLAN 1: 8/8/10, 26
KAPLAN 2: 14/9/12, 35
KAPLAN 3: 12/4/10 (it froze halfway through verbal, so I'd probably would have gotten an 8)

AAMC 3: 9/9/9, 27
AAMC 4: 11/9/9, 29
AAMC 5: 12/10/11, 33
AAMC 7: 10/10/10, 30
AAMC 8: 9/10/11, 30
AAMC 9: 12/9/11, 32
AAMC 10: 12/8/11, 31
AAMC 11: 10/10/11, 31

AAMC's 5-11 and Kaplan 2 and 3 were taken within the last 3 weeks before the test.

I have NO idea how I managed an 11 on verbal and 13 on bio on the real thing. I will say that I was A LOT more focused than I was for the practice tests. Miracles do happen, I guess!


5) What was your undergraduate major?

Spanish

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Don't lose confidence! My verbal score kept creeping lower and lower the last week of studying, so I just decided to stop checking my answers because it wasn't worth the stress. Just work your butt off. And practice and take the test with EARPLUGS! They saved my life because I was studying with a colicky newborn baby in the house....so much crying!

Biochem and Human Physiology classes within the year before the test saved my butt on bio!

After the test I felt like this: I thought I bombed it, thought it was lower than my AAMC average, and that I would need to retake it. Almost everyone feels this way, so after you take it, just chill out, eat some ice cream, go to a bar, pet your dog....just do whatever you can to take your mind off it.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

Took a Kaplan class last fall, but didn't really study until mid-May.
2 months of solid studying 7 or 8-ish hours a day, with some half days and days off mixed in for my sanity.

 

[elevenses]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
14 PS, 12 VR, 15 BS = 41R Composite

2) The study method used for each section

In general: master the content while you are taking the classes. You shouldn't just be getting As in your prerequisites for your GPA's sake; every minute you spend studying the material for class pays dividends later when you are preparing for the MCAT. I did not do a comprehensive content review aside from listening to EK Audio Osmosis in the car a few dozen times.

A word of warning: I chose this particular studying technique because I did very well on my diagnostic, AAMC #3. If you do poorly on your diagnostic, comprehensive content review is probably necessary.

My MCAT study time was related primarily to mastering the test itself. I tried very hard to replicate actual test conditions so that I knew what to expect and was used to the pace etc. On Saturday (at first every two weeks, then every week for about a month) I would take an official practice test. Immediately after the test I would go over all of my incorrect answers. During the following week I would try to improve the weaknesses that the practice test had revealed. About a week before the test I worked through all of the questions in the "Official Guide to the MCAT" while I was volunteering. That's pretty much it.

One of the principle tenets of my philosophy of learning is this: if you want to get good at something, practice that thing, not something else. The closer you can make your practice tests resemble the actual test, the better off you will be.

A final note: I highly recommend taking physics and chemistry before you take biology and organic chemistry, if you can. A lot of the tough-to-understand trends make a lot more sense if you have a strong, intuitive understanding of thermodynamics.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS
Took calculus-based physics in college. I think this is better because it helps to develop physical intuition. There is a reason that calculus and classical mechanics were co-invented.

EK Audio Osmosis served as my comprehensive content review. Basically, it reminded me of the things that I had forgotten or never learned.

Khan Academy physics and chemistry videos to shore up on those items just mentioned.

Listened to and read the Feynman Lectures on Physics to obtain a deeper understanding of topics that interested me. He's the greatest teacher on the planet. I was able to answer one computation-heavy question on the actual MCAT from memory because Feynman had discussed the result and its implications explicitly in one of his lectures.

EK where I needed any additional help, after all of that. Probably was the most useful for fluid mechanics, titrations, and phase diagrams.

FYI, I thought that I completely failed the PS on the actual MCAT.

BS
I barely studied organic chemistry at all -- I took my last organic chemistry test two days after I took the MCAT. Organic chemistry for science majors in general goes in way more depth than the MCAT, so taking the class was all that I really needed.

I can't decide if taking Cell Biology and Genetics helped with the BS section or not. I think that it probably did, if only because it kept most of the material fresh in my mind. I took a year of neuroscience -- that definitely helped, especially because my general bio class did not cover the nervous system at all. Taking a class on research methodology helped as well, I think.

My undergraduate biology class did not cover the musculoskeletal system or the immune system due to lack of time, so I read those chapters from my bio textbook a couple of times a few weeks before the actual test. I also re-read the chapters on the endocrine system and the excretory system. The bio text is by Freeman. I really like it and I highly recommend it.

In terms of official practice materials, I used EK Audio Osmosis and sort of flipped through the EK Biology review book. I found my bio textbook to be a lot more useful. Also Wikipedia, when I found myself wondering about some weird biological phenomenon.

After all that, I felt pretty good about biology. I remember thinking that the bio section on the actual MCAT was pretty easy. Like a healthy, rational person, I took this as evidence that I had completely failed the section. Obviously, I was wrong.

VR
I read the introduction to the EK Verbal book and ignored it. After that, I didn't use any practice materials to study VR.


4) Which practice tests did you use?

One thing that is apparent from these charts: I was lucky to score a 41. There is no real trend in improvement across time, especially if one discounts my diagnostic, which I took before starting Organic Chemistry II. Furthermore, the frequency distribution of my practice and MCAT scores is a pretty good approximation of a normal distribution, and my standard deviation (2 points) is essentially what the AAMC reports individual variability should be. To what do I attribute my mean composite score of 38? Working hard in my prerequisite classes, being good at standardized tests, and reading about science for fun a lot.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
B.A. Music from Case Western Reserve University
Informal post-baccalaureate studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Get a good night's sleep, exercise moderately the morning of, eat a good breakfast, bring snacks and some sort of beverage with sugar in it to drink on your breaks, and make sure that you are adequately caffeinated. Be sure to time your caffeine so that it does not wear off mid-test. I had ~100 mg caffeine approximately one hour before the test and another ~100 mg immediately before the writing section.

In fact, I would practice this exact routine every time you take a practice test, if you can. Google "state-dependent memory."

One thing that surprised me on the actual test day was that the breaks were much shorter due to the time it took to sign in and out of the test room. Good to be aware of.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
About four months. I was listening to EK Audio Osmosis regularly starting about a year before the test.

 

[MikeyMCAT]

1st time posting on the website! Very grateful for the resources I found here on SDN

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS=14, VR=14, BS=15, Composite=43R


2) The study method used for each section

PS: Didn't do any content review for physics because I just recently finished physics. Used TBR content for Chem. Mainly studied by answering questions.

BS: Didn't do much content review for OChem or Bio either, answered a lot of practice questions though.

VR: I tried the strategies at first, like triaging and passage mapping, but they took too much time. I just started reading the passages and answering the questions, did much better.


3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS and BS: All TBR materials. Kaplan, TPR and EK for extra questions.

VR: Used TPR, Kaplan and EK.


4) Which practice tests did you use?

Kaplan 1-8, all AAMC tests and a couple of TBR.

Scores ranged from 26-44.


5) What was your undergraduate major?

Neuroscience

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Study smarter, not harder. With enough practice, you'll ace the test. I scored a 26 on my first Kaplan diagnostic. After plenty of practice q's, I was averaging upper 30's-lower 40's.


7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

5 months studying, first 2 months weren't too serious. Did much more studying the final 2 months.




During my time prepping for the MCAT I picked up a bunch of tricks here and there. I also sampled almost every company's prep materials and found out which were best. I'm hoping to start a blog so that I could help future test takers ace this thing! I'll also be giving advice periodically on SDN because the community helped me a bunch while I was studying for the test.

 

[Barley426]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

12P 12V 13B, 37Q, taken 7/14/12, first time taking MCAT.

2) The study method used for each section

Reviewing content for me was accomplished with just reading the examkrackers books and then scouring the internet for clarifications on any problem areas. I tried to as many practice problems as possible, I downloaded any app store or android market apps that offered practice problems (several MCAT a day sites) and rooted through old problems as much as I could stand.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

I read examkrackers books for general content review, took all exams in all books, and used chads videos to hone in on any problem areas based on practice tests and gut feeling.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

I did four kaplan tests to make sure that I was not wasting AAMC's prior to finishing content review, I scored low to mid 30's on these. I then did every AAMC test available, in order. I had an average of 36 with a high of 38. I did a practice test every saturday at the exact time my real test was. I made the test as close to the real thing as possible, I bagged my lunch the night before, I wore the same clothes, I wore my glasses and not contacts, I turned off my phone, I only used the restroom and snacked during the 10 minute breaks, I did not skip the writing section (because I know that's used to wear you down before the bio section). During the real thing I could barely tell it wasn't a practice test.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biochemistry.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Do as many practice problems as you can, and immerse yourself in the test. Tell yourself that studying is your new past time, convince yourself it's fun. I listened to audio osmosis every day to and from work. I wrote down formulas that I forgot often on sticky notes and placed them around my room or on my steering wheel as a constant reminder.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

Content review 1-2 months, practice tests 11 weekends, some overlap between the two. Overall ~3 months. Hadn't taken the content undergraduate courses in about 4 years.

 

[Temperature101]

1st time posting on the website! Very grateful for the resources I found here on SDN

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS=14, VR=14, BS=15, Composite=43R


2) The study method used for each section

PS: Didn't do any content review for physics because I just recently finished physics. Used TBR content for Chem. Mainly studied by answering questions.

BS: Didn't do much content review for OChem or Bio either, answered a lot of practice questions though.

VR: I tried the strategies at first, like triaging and passage mapping, but they took too much time. I just started reading the passages and answering the questions, did much better.


3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS and BS: All TBR materials. Kaplan, TPR and EK for extra questions.

VR: Used TPR, Kaplan and EK.


4) Which practice tests did you use?

Kaplan 1-8, all AAMC tests and a couple of TBR.

Scores ranged from 26-44.


5) What was your undergraduate major?

Neuroscience

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Study smarter, not harder. With enough practice, you'll ace the test. I scored a 26 on my first Kaplan diagnostic. After plenty of practice q's, I was averaging upper 30's-lower 40's.


7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

5 months studying, first 2 months weren't too serious. Did much more studying the final 2 months.




During my time prepping for the MCAT I picked up a bunch of tricks here and there. I also sampled almost every company's prep materials and found out which were best. I'm hoping to start a blog so that I could help future test takers ace this thing! I'll also be giving advice periodically on SDN because the community helped me a bunch while I was studying for the test.

Wow...

 

[deca8709]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

12P 12V 13B, 37Q, taken 7/14/12, first time taking MCAT.

2) The study method used for each section

Reviewing content for me was accomplished with just reading the examkrackers books and then scouring the internet for clarifications on any problem areas. I tried to as many practice problems as possible, I downloaded any app store or android market apps that offered practice problems (several MCAT a day sites) and rooted through old problems as much as I could stand.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

I read examkrackers books for general content review, took all exams in all books, and used chads videos to hone in on any problem areas based on practice tests and gut feeling.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

I did four kaplan tests to make sure that I was not wasting AAMC's prior to finishing content review, I scored low to mid 30's on these. I then did every AAMC test available, in order. I had an average of 36 with a high of 38. I did a practice test every saturday at the exact time my real test was. I made the test as close to the real thing as possible, I bagged my lunch the night before, I wore the same clothes, I wore my glasses and not contacts, I turned off my phone, I only used the restroom and snacked during the 10 minute breaks, I did not skip the writing section (because I know that's used to wear you down before the bio section). During the real thing I could barely tell it wasn't a practice test.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biochemistry.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Do as many practice problems as you can, and immerse yourself in the test. Tell yourself that studying is your new past time, convince yourself it's fun. I listened to audio osmosis every day to and from work. I wrote down formulas that I forgot often on sticky notes and placed them around my room or on my steering wheel as a constant reminder.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

Content review 1-2 months, practice tests 11 weekends, some overlap between the two. Overall ~3 months. Hadn't taken the content undergraduate courses in about 4 years.

**Barley426**

I havent taken a undergrad course in almost 4 yrs as well. And still havent taken phys 2 (taking in fall). Any advice on reviewing stuff I dont remember at all!?!?!

 

[Barley426]

**Barley426**

I havent taken a undergrad course in almost 4 yrs as well. And still havent taken phys 2 (taking in fall). Any advice on reviewing stuff I dont remember at all!?!?!

Well, the only class I didn't remember AT ALL was orgo, I remembered the general concepts from Gen Chem, and physics fairly well, and the bio very well. For ogro I took the examkrackers orgo book, and read it very slowly. I thought about every page and made sure I knew exactly what was going on and understood everything before moving on. I also emphasized listening to organic chemistry audio osmosis lectures more than the rest. I also read online or in an orgo book for details if I was confused on any topic.

For you, I would recommend doing the same thing with all the books and audio osmosis. Start with your weakest subject, that way you can refresh at the end if needed. Do all the quizzes during the readings and do the chapter exams after each chapter to solidify knowledge. Also use "MCAT a day" apps and websites to test knowledge routinely, once you've completed a subject you can go back through the archives for that subject and really hone in on weak areas. Keep mental track of areas you're weak in, if you keep getting electrostatic questions/formulas wrong then focus on it, read up on it, do more problems in that area until you turn your weakness into a strength.

The final key is to do as many problems in the end as possible, and do as many full length tests (under identical conditions as the real thing) as you can.

 

[deca8709]

Thx for the advice!

 

[fabriciusj89]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=10 VR=14 BS=12 Composite=36Q

2) The study method used for each section
I used the Examkrackers complete set for every section. I followed their home study website but had to kind of tailor the schedule because I was taking summer classes and working part time in a lab. To do this, I would study only around three days a week, but I would pack in two days of the EK schedule into one day. I kept a google spreadsheet to plan out what I needed to complete every week and if I missed a day I would update the spreadsheet to squeeze it in.

I also did the ten weeks twice (but both times I did it much faster than in ten weeks by squeezing things together). The first time I focused on reviewing the material, and the second time I really focused more on test prep, using the weekly lectures to improve my test scores every weekend.

At the end of the second round, I used all of my practice exams to gauge where my weaknesses were. I took two weeks off of work (and purposely scheduled my exam where I would have two weeks in between summer and fall classes) and spent about 8 hours a day completely engulfed in the subjects I was weakest in. I used EK for this but also during this time I used a lot of my old textbooks and notes to flesh out the subjects that I struggled in the most.

PS: The examkrackers set and some of my old notes for the physics section. The EK was a little light on physics for me just because this was my weakest subject.

BS: EK all the way! I loved the EK BS books and they gave enough detail without beating things over the head.

VR: I used EK but after a couple practice passages I was scoring between 12 and 14 so I stopped studying for this and just focused on the other two sections. I didn't really use a method for this, but I think taking comparative literature (and being an avid reader from the age of 3 haha) had pretty much already prepared me.


3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC)
I used EK for every section, as well as some old class notes.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
I took the EK full length (which scared the CRAP out of me- way harder than AAMC) as well as AAMC 3, 7, 9, and 11.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology major, business and psych minors.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Stick with your plan. I cannot stress this enough. I had my entire summer mapped out before I started and it meant that I didn't have studying piling up at the end and also meant I didn't overload at the beginning and get burnt out.

I also used flashcards towards the end of my studying. These were for simple things that were pure memorization and I only used them AFTER I had the concepts down. Two days before my exam I went through all of my flashcards and made sure that I could do every single one of them and I am positive they saved me on simple questions which otherwise would have taken more time to dig in my brain and find the answer. HOWEVER flashcards are NOT how I would recommend to study- they are a great tool for when you already know the material and can be used to keep that material at the very front of your memory for easy access. They also are great to carry around when you are commuting to work or have ten minutes between classes to just keep your brain MCAT-ready.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3.5 months. I averaged about 3-4 hours three to four times a week, up until the last two weeks when I was doing 8 hours a day.

If you have the dedication- YOU CAN DO THIS! It just takes discipline.

 

[nabilesmail]

So here is my MCAT post, I kept all my data so I would be ready to share it with you guys!

MCAT: 34N 13-9-12

Time Spent: Started late December and prepared for MAY 31st test, I postponed until July 14th 1 week before the test because I was getting about 33-35 on AAMC and wanted higher. I was also in school full time from December until May.

So: December - July = 7 months total: 500 hours

Material used: I did the SN2ed schedule without the hat trick. I gave myself 5 months to do the 4 month schedule and was hoping to add more FL which I didn't get much of a chance to do so I postponed to add more.

TBR Phase Scores: (sorry pasting from excel)


General Chemistry PHASES SCALED
phase 1 phase 2 phase 3
chapter 1 9 11 14

chapter 2 14 13 14

chapter 3 14 8 13

chapter 4 14 13 14

chapter 5 13 14 10


chapter 6 11 12 12

chapter 7 12 13 12

chapter 8 13 11 13

chapter 9 13 14 13
chapter 10 13 14 12

Organic Chemistry Phases Scaled
phase 1 phase 2 phase 3
chapter 1 10 9 11
chapter 2 8 13 12
chapter 3 12 12 12
CHAPTER 4 10 11 9
chapter 5 11 14 14
chapter 6 13 12 12
chapter 7 12 11 12
chapter 8 14 13


Phases Scaled
Physics 1 2 3
chapter 1 13 13 13
chapter 2 10 13 11

chapter 3 5 12 12
chapter 4 11 8 12
chapter 5 8 14 10
chapter6 13 12 12
chapter 7 14 13 15
CHAPTER 8 12 10 10
chapter 9 8 12 (1 from 13) 12
chapter 10 13 13 7

EK 30 min Exam, TBR Bio %, and EK1001 Bio %


lecture 1 - 14 TBR 1-57% 2- 62% 3-72%
Ek1001-71% -10
Lecture 2- 10 tbr 1-? 2- 73% (12) 3-70%
Ek1001-80% -11
Lecture 3- 12 TBR-1-65% 2-? 3-?
Ek1001- 73% -10

Lecture 4-9 TBR 1-56% 2-56% 3-65%
EK1001-81%-11
Lecture 5- 12 TBR -1 69% 2-84% YAYY 3-75%
ek1001-82%-11
lecture 6 9-10 TBR-1-62% 2-65% 3-72%
EK 1001-81%-11

Lecture -7 -? TBR 1- 73% 2-67% 3-73%
EK 1001- 72%
Lecture-8 -11 TBR-1 -86% (1 passage lol) 2-86% 3-
EK 1001- 68%

lecture 9- 12 EK1001-75%

(As you can see I sucked at TBR Bio %/ EK1001 % and was ok on 30 min. I did far better on TBR for chem/physics/o-chem so don't get worried.

VERBAL: Pretty much sucked throughout, I did all of ek101, 1/2 tprh and 1/2 tbr, I then paid 900$ for a tutoring session but I guess that didn't help much either. YOU NEED TO WORK ON COMPREHENSION, strategies won't work if your problem is you cannot understand the passage well enough. Start reading early if your not an avid reader. Focus on reading every word when you read a novel and try and picture EVERYTHING, that way you will be trained to do so when you do MCAT passages.

I took 20+ FL's, here are the scores for both as well as the dates. Keep in mind my TEST date was for July 14th. I also included my self-assessment scores. I was really bummed when I got back my 34N considering I had been doing MUCH better on my last AAMC's and self assessments. I recommend doing as MANY FL as possible. When I started doing FL's, I made tons of careless mistakes, like really stupid mistakes and I didn't stop making careless mistakes until like my 16th FL. I liked the GS a lot, though they could be really tough. For TBR fl, I didn't take my scores with any diagnostic value because there were multiple score charts out there and they said different scaled scores for different amount of questions correct. 1 scale said I got a 35, another a 32.

Type # P- V- B - Date
AAMC 3 - 12 - 9 - 12 - 4/13/2012 - 33
TBR 1 - 11 - 12 - 11 - 4/18/2012 - 34
AAMC 4 - 12 - 12 - 11 - 4/21/2012 -35
AAMC 5 - 13 - 8 - 12 - 4/25/2012 -33
TBR 2 - 12 - 9 - 12 - 5/5/2012 - 33
AAMC 7 - 11 - 6 - 10 - 5/15/2012 - 27
TBR 5 - 12 - X - 12 - 5/20ish/2012 - 24 PS/BS
TBR 4 - 11 - x - 12 - 5/29/2012 - 23 PS/BS
TBR 3 - 12 - 6 - 10 - 6/1/2012 - 22 PS/BS
GS 2 - 10 - X - 13 - 6/5/2012 - 23 PS/BS
GS 3 - 14 - X - 12 - 6/11/2012 - 26 PS/BS
GS 1 - 11 - X - 12 - 6/14/2012 - 23 PS/BS
GS 4 -12 - X - 11 - 6/16/2012 - 23 PS/BS
GS 5 - 11- X - 12 - 6/19/2012 - 23 PS/BS
GS 6 - 14 -x - 13 - 6/21/2012 - 27 PS/BS
AAMC 8 - 11- 8 - 13 - 6/23/2012 - 32
GS 8 - 10- X - 11 - 6/26/2012 - 21 PS/BS
GS 9 - 10 -X -10 - 6/28/2012 - 20 PS/BS
AAMC 9 -14 -10 -13 -6/30/2012 Finally my hard work is being paid off!!! - 37
AAMC Self-Assessment Bio/Physics/Chemistry/OCHEM ( completed these within 4-5 days of eachother) 87%- 86%-94%-93% 7-2-2012
GS 10- 10 - X - 12 - 7/3/2012 - 22 PS/BS
AAMC10-14-8-15 7/7/2012 - 37
AAMC11-14-10-14 7/12/2012 - 38

Towards my last month of studying, I started doing the TPRH SWB. I got about 80-90% correct in each subject.

Overall I used, TBR, EK1001, TPRH SWB, TPRH VWB, EK101 Verbal, GS exams, TBR exams,

I hated the ek1001 series, especially for physics and chem. WAY TOO HARD! I averaged 50-70% in those.

I also used ek audio osmosis while driving 300 miles/week for the first couple of months

I recommend everyone to do AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, do everything you can. Even though I didn't score as well on my MCAT, I was scoring next to perfect sciences on my last AAMC's. Spend the time you need to do well. Sorry this is poorly written, super busy applying to med school haha!

 

[cocodoctor]

Is there anyone here who didn't take ANY of the aamc cbt's and still got a 30+? Trying to disprove a theory. I would appreciate some responses. Thanks.

 

[WashMe]

Is there anyone here who didn't take ANY of the aamc cbt's and still got a 30+? Trying to disprove a theory. I would appreciate some responses. Thanks.

I'm sure it has happened... many people score 30+ on their first AAMC, so they presumably could have scored 30+ on the real deal in similar fashion.

 

[Acrowston]

Is there anyone here who didn't take ANY of the aamc cbt's and still got a 30+? Trying to disprove a theory. I would appreciate some responses. Thanks.

Me

 

[darkpassenger]

Wow everyone here studies so much! I studied for 3 weeks (~4-6 hours per day), got a 39 and 40 on AAMC 10 and 11, and got a 39Q on the real thing. As long as you understand the material when you first encounter it in class, its not so bad.

 

[titleist975j]

hi

 

[gongshow89]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
31P: 11 PS, 8 VR, 12 BS – July 27, 2012

Previous MCAT(s)
27, 25, 26

For a while I honestly thought I would never be able to post here. I wrote the mcat 4 times. The first time I wrote it I was super naïve about it and barely studied. I wrote the 2nd and 3rd time last summer and studied hard, took a Kaplan course and used their material, but worked 40hrs a week. By the end of the summer I was burned out and stressed out way too much. Even though I had a practice average of ~31 I bombed it twice with the 25 and 26.

I knew, aside from being burned out, that something had to change with my studying and routine. This summer I worked minimal amounts of hours at my job, regularly exercised, and took time off when needed. As well, I changed my materials to focus the majority of my time on practicing by using the passages in the Berkeley books. I had never had an issue with content; it was the critical thinking I had to develop and silly mistake that I had to train myself not to make. My score isn't amazing by any means, but it is a large improvement from my previous attempts, which shows that improving is definitely possible for those that doubt it. To be honest, I thought it could have been a little higher given that this year's new practice tests had a higher average. I have one more result coming back to me in a couple weeks just as insurance, so maybe it will be a bit higher (applying to a Canadian school that takes best mcat score).

2) The study method used for each section

PS: Hands down the best resource was Berkeley. Used both the Physics and Chemistry books and did close to every passage/question in those books. I'll post my percentages below for those that freak out about them like me. The questions were great because they tested every nook and cranny of every topic. So basically you come away with being hit with every angle they could test. Every now and then I would do the odd series of EK 1001 questions. Those can be fairly tricky. I basically followed SN2ed's format where you do 1/3 of Berkeley, do a heavy review of your mistakes, and then repeat. This was super important for me, because come mcat time there were mistakes I was super conscience of and made sure not to make them.

BS: Mostly Berkeley and a little bit of Princeton review, but in all honestly I did not study much for Bio and Organic. I had just finished O chem 2 and aced it, I'm a microbiology major, and had never scored badly in the Biological Science section.

VR: I was never great at verbal, and it was usually the mark that brought my score below 30 on my other tests so this time around I tried doing as many practice passages while doing heavy review. I also took an English class during the previous year, picked up speed reading books, and vocabulary books all in an effort to bring me up to speed with the skills necessary to do well in verbal. Even after all of that my verbal mark still didn't come back great unfortunately. In the Princeton workbook I averaged a 9, while in the EK 101 I averaged a 10.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

- Berkeley Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
- EK 1001: Physics and Chemistry
- Retook a Kaplan class (b/c it was free)
- EK 101 Verbal
- TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Work book
- TPR Hyperlearning Science Work book (the odd passage)

4) Which practice tests did you use?
I had exhausted most of my AAMC from previous, so I used left over Kaplan FLs and purchased the TBR tests. Aside from their glitches, the TBR tests were great practice. I've often heard that they are a little harder or at least low-ball your score compared to the real one. But, they ended up being a good indicator. I definitely had high hopes after seeing my Kaplan scores and last AAMC, and I believe with a bit of luck I could score a 33+.

Not taken in order:

Kaplan #6 – 37 (PS 11, VR 12, BS14)
Kaplan #7 – 34 (12, 8, 14)

AAMC #4 – 33 (12, 9, 12)

TBR #1 – 29 (8, 11, 10) got a little freaked out after this
TBR #2 – 30 (11, 9, 10)
TBR #3 – 33 (11, 11, 11)
TBR #4 – 31 (11, 9, 11)
TBR #5 – 30 (11, 9, 10)

Berkeley Percentages: Physics, Chem, & Bio – all 76%

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Microbiology – Major & Chemistry - Minor

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Ok, here's were I get sentimental. In my opinion the test is a "bar" or level that you must reach. If you haven't gotten there yet then you must evaluate where your weaknesses are and attack them. While some parts of the test are based on innate ability, most of it is developing the skill set necessary to do well. Much like an athlete trains for a specific sport; you must also train for the test in a similar manner. Lots of practice, followed by heavy post "game" analysis is the key to success. Remember, practicing does not make perfect, practicing it perfectly makes perfect. The last thing I want to mention is attitude. You have to have confidence in yourself. The previous year I was constantly worrying what other people would think if I did not get a good score, and constantly wondered if I was "smart" enough for this. Finally I just told myself that it's all crap. I'm an excellent student and fully capable of the becoming an amazing doctor. I feel as though you need this to keep you going through this stupid test. Oh and above all, never give up. Good luck!

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

~ 3 months – 5-8 hrs/day

 

[ridethecliche]

Congrats on your super MCAT score!! Anyway, I know you dont review Berkeley books, but do you think I should purchase those to prepare chemistry and physic for MCAT? Or just EK is enough. I'm currently a sophomore, a little bit early to ask but I want to be ahead of everything. THanks

TBR is gold for PS. TPR is pretty good too from what I've read.

I used TBR and it worked out pretty well for me.

 

[EarthtoneJon]

The first time I took the exam, after an accelerated Kaplan course, I scored a 25P (only 4 points higher than my 21 baseline). For those of you in the less-than-competitive score range, I know how you feel. Here is how I increased my score by 6 points.

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS=12, VR=10, BS=9, Composite=31O

2) The study method used for each section

For me, understanding content was more important than doing practice passages in the PS and BS sections. So I went through chapters in the Kaplan review books containing material I did not understand, and googled resources to help me when I was stuck. For instance, I had trouble visualizing the movement of sodium and calcium in the neuron. So I looked up animations, and practiced explaining the process to myself. I always used multiple resources (review books, flashcards, and animations I found online.) For VR, I strove to read with interest, and to understand the author's disposition.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

I used Kaplan textbooks and flashcards for physics and biology. For verbal, I used EK 101 Passages and did every single one.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

Old Kaplan FLs 1, 3, and 5. AAMC FLs 8 through 11.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Chemistry

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Use multiple resources. Online resources such as slideshows and animations REALLY help for science topics, especially biology! For verbal reasoning, read with intense interest. When you read with the attitude that the information is relevant to your life, or is written by somebody of interest, your brain will make connections between the ideas presented. Also, you can extrapolate the author's ideas to what is not explicitly stated. This sure beats backtracking through the dense passage to find "evidence" to answer a question. Don't worry about spending 4 or 5 minutes reading. The better you understand, the less time you need to waste thinking about questions. If you're doing it right, as you read the questions, they will seem to answer themselves; the correct answer will jump off the page, and the others will seem obviously wrong, even silly.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

3 1/2 months, studying no more than 3 hours per day.

 

[bauhinia123]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
Composite=34+

2) The study method used for each section
PS&BS: Followed SN2ed's 3 month studying schedule. Timed practice is crucial since BS is predominantly experimental. It's also important to go over the answers the day after each timed practice.
VR: Timed practice!

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
See SN2ed's schedule. I used everything listed except for the hat trick and the EK1001 books. I found the EK1001 books too overwhelming and time-consuming (though I think they would be great for clearing up some fundamental conceptual misunderstandings). Mainly used TBR for BS & PS. TPRH Verbal Workbook and EK Verbal (both were very helpful). TBR Bio has awesome practice passages. EK Bio is great for content review (covers everything you need if you know the basics).

4) Which practice tests did you use?
AAMC 3-5, 7-11 (did a practice test every other day in last two weeks of prep). Great practice esp. the last few.


5) What was your undergraduate major?
Bio (could have done better in BS had I reviewed orgo more thoroughly); chem minor. Took Physics in junior year (right before the mcat), which contributed to my "success" in the PS section.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Take the pre-requisites (i.e. molecular biology, physics, orgo, etc.) seriously. Review the content thoroughly to clear up misunderstandings. Be able to apply what you know and to extract information from passages quickly. Do lots of timed practice for VR, PS, and BS. Practice makes perfect (not really but it is true to some extent). Believe in yourself =)

 

[QuantumFlame]

1) Your individual scores and composite score:
14PS, 11VR, 14BS, WS = Q Composite = 39Q
Test Date: 8/10/12

2) Study method used:
I followed SN2ed's 3-month schedule almost exactly. The only portion I omitted was the hat trick. I won't rehash the schedule, as it is stickied and everyone who is thinking of following it should really study the original posts before starting. Needless to say, I highly recommend it

3) What materials used for each section:
PS: BR, EK1001
BS: BR, EK1001
VR: Princeton Review Hyperlearning workbook, EK101
So Berkeley Review is gold. Nothing new here. I felt like the EK1001 series was decent, but it wasn't as useful for me personally. The style was very different from the MCAT, and I stopped using them halfway through my review.

4) Which practice tests did you use.
I exclusively used the AAMC practice tests
Average Practice Test Score :40
Lowest AAMC = 35
Highest AAMC = 42

5) Undergraduate Major:
Molecular Biology and Microbiology

6) Any other tips?
This is where I can have some fun, so first a few statistics.

a. Time commitments during study time
Lab = 15-20 hours/week.
Volunteering: 5 hours/week.
Don't overbook yourself during this time period. Be practical about how much time you need to study daily. I studied somewhere between 4 and 6 hours a day, however, there was a high level of variability.

b. Focus more on correcting mistakes and thoroughly reviewing than on rote memorization of formulas or facts. Personally, this meant that I spent half of my daily study time really intensively going over each problem I missed. I started a set of flashcards containing the information/concept from questions I missed and going over them daily.

c. How I did well on the PS:
So everybody knows that the 3 months is critical in terms of review. However, I think that there were extrinsic factors that helped me excel in this area. 1) Take all your pre-reqs! 2) I was an SI Leader for GenChem 2 as well as Physics I. This helped incredibly for review. If you can find tutoring opportunities, take them, especially if they are paid

d. How I did well on the BS:
1) My number one advice would be: read journal articles (I recommend Nature Medicine). If journal articles are intimidating for you (and they were for me in the beginning!) try review articles. Again, Nature Medicine has them, there are also the Nature Reviews journals. And no, I am not getting paid by Nature Publishing Group lol

KEY POINT: this is not for acquiring information or for content review. The articles are way too advanced and way too focused. This is to acquire the skill at reading graphs and dealing with and synthesizing complex information on topics you have never seen. My BS section was a breeze, because there was literally nothing they could throw at me more complicated than the research I was reading. This is not a skill you develop overnight. I've been reading 4-6 journal articles per week for about a year now.

e. How I did well on VR
So I was averaging 12-15 on verbal, so my score went down on the actual exam. No complaints though! I'm super happy with my score.

1) I am a huge reader (think over 100 fiction books since my freshman year of college, I'm a first semester senior now)
2) I am a very diverse reader: I read science fiction, fantasy, philosophy, ethics, history etc.
3) For me, the mindset in which I approached this section was the most critical piece. If I had the wrong outlook or attitude, it destroyed my score. So how did I approach this section?
With an interested attitude - think every article is the most fascinating thing in the world. You have to force yourself to do this sometimes.
My Mantra: Focus, DYA, Attack. So before every verbal passage, I would close my eyes, take a deep breath and repeat the mantra. DYA = defend your answer. If I couldn't provide a justification for choosing an answer, I wouldn't chose it. This was time consuming at first, but I got used to it and it helped me a lot. Attack reminded me to approach attack each question and to really apply sound reasoning to it.
4) Don't get discouraged by the verbal section. It didn't "click" for me until halfway through my MCAT preparation schedule.

f. classes I took which I thought were helpful (all three equally helpful):
Human Physiology, Biochemistry, Research Methods in Biomedical Sciences

e. Timing: never really had an issue. Always practice (whether on practice tests or Berkeley Review) under timed conditions. I cannot stress this highly enough. On practice tests, I routinely finished PS with 10 minutes to spare, VR with 5 min and BS with 10-15 min. On the actual exam, it didn't go down like that, but I was able to finish every section. Don't underestimate timing.

f. Motivation: Around the two month mark into my study schedule, I started to get a bit burnt out. I wasn't attacking my review sessions with the vigor I was used to. I found that this really detracted from my ability to do well, especially on the practice exams. What I ended up doing was to remind myself daily why I was taking this test. My end goal is to become the best doctor I can possibly be. And like most of you, I have dream schools. So every morning, I would wake up, get breakfast, maybe work out a little bit. Then I would log onto my computer and pull up the website of one of my dream medical schools. Seeing the pictures of students and of the campus really motivated me, and I imagined myself in those photos. The point of saying this isn't to suggest that somehow, checking med school websites improved my MCAT score. My point is that it is beneficial to find what motivates you, and to hold on to that throughout this whole long, and grueling process.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
Around 3 months.

Best of luck everybody, this beast is conquerable!

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS = 12, VR = 13, BS = 14, WS = S, CS = 39S

2) The study method used for each section

(3) What materials you used for each section
TBR, TPRH SW, Kaplan section tests, and EK1001 for everything except VR. Use mostly TBR for orgo, gen chem, and physics. Used mostly TPRH for bio.

For VR I used EK verbal, EK101, and TPRH VW.

Also did the self-assessments for every section, and did everything in the Official Guide.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

All the AAMCs, and Kaplan tests 1-4.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Neuroscience

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Don't think you can do well in BS by just memorizing facts, you will get destroyed. I'd recommend TPRH SW for bio, and caution against TBR for that reason.

The key thing, imo, is to walk into the test with no weaknesses whatsoever. The MCAT doesn't get too deep with what it tests, so having a strong spot doesn't help you nearly as much as having a weakness hurts you. A great way to study is to constantly ask yourself "If I took the test today, what is the last topic that I would want to see come up on my exam?" Then study the hell out of that topic you just named until you're no longer scared that it might be on your exam. If you find yourself walking into the exam thinking "oh god, I hope (insert topic here) isn't on my exam!" you didn't study enough.

Also ALWAYS study under timed conditions, and always do your practice tests with conditions as close to the real thing as possible. If you're going to take your test at 8 am, do your practice tests at 8 am. Eat the same thing you'll be eating on test day. Wear ear plugs (you will want to bring ear plugs to your test, trust me). Don't do anything during the breaks other than sit in your chair, get up and walk around the room, or go to the restroom.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

Six months with a full time job. Probably averaged around 2-3 hours a day, 5 on weekends.

 

[aubergine08]

I've lurked around here for awhile (all summer) and never really had a reason to post until now...Got my scores back today!!

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=13 WS=Q BS=12 Composite=39Q

2) The study method used for each section

• I used SN2ed's method almost exactly as stated. Only omitted hat trick and only did 20% of EK1001 books because I ran out of time. I did every single TBR question though.
• I briefly practiced some WS prompts (but this doesn't matter anymore for anyone who reads this post since they're getting rid of it for 2013).
• I reviewed practice problems on the same day and not the next day. It helped me keep on top of things better. But for practice exams (i.e. AAMC ones), I would review the next day because my brain would be non-functional by the end of it.
• I would also like to mention that I did not take university physics. I just had basic high school physics and heavily relied on TBR to bring me up to speed. So it is possible to do well on the MCAT without taking physics and learning it yourself! Oh, and for physics equations, I made cue cards to help with memorization. I reviewed those about an hour before going in.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
TBR for PS and BS, EK 101 and TPRH for verbal. EK Bio for occasional reference/practice tests. TBR has a ton of practice questions which definitely helped me get the score I got. I also did all the questions in AAMC's Guide to the MCAT and purchased AAMC's self-assessments. The self-assessments were totally worth it because there were so many questions! Plus it helped nail down my weak points in my last 2-3 weeks of studying.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
All of the AAMC tests. Didn't have time for anything else.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Microbiology.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

• Remember to take "chill" days where you do nothing MCAT related. I definitely did start to feel burnt out by the end of summer.
• Get a good night's rest, eat well, exercise, etc. I brought tons of snacks on MCAT day but barely made a dent in them (queasy stomach and all).
• When doing practice tests, try to replicate "testing conditions" as best as possible - it does make a difference!
• I know people will say not to study the day before or the day of your MCAT, but I like looking through and briefly reviewing my notes before so I did that. Do what works for you and makes you feel at ease.
• PRACTICE. If there's a topic that makes you cringe, tackle it and make sure you know what the heck is going on. According to Murphy's Law, whatever you don't get/don't know will probably be on your exam.
• For Verbal - timing is so incredibly important, as I'm sure you know. I didn't really read scholarly articles or business/politics/humanities/social sciences ones. My reading list consists of fiction, online local newspapers, and People magazine (to catch up on the lives of celebrities...). I do read a lot so I am able to read quickly. Ultimately, this is the strategy I ended up liking the best and using: http://www.theherocomplex.com/improving-mcat-verbal-reasoning/

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3 months, ~3 hrs/day for the first 2 months, and more like 4-5 hrs/day for the last month.

 

[Schmitty]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS - 13
VB - 12
BS - 14
WS - R
Total - 39R

2) The study method used for each section
PS, BS - read through EK once then did practice tests

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
PS, BS - Examkrackers audio osmosis while walking to and from work. EK BS and PS books as well, one quick read through. Did 3 full length kaplan exams but didn't like them ( nothing like the real thing really, but good for material practice).

VB and WS - just AAMC practice tests.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Did a couple Kaplan full lengths (diagnostic test before studying was 33).
Did 5 AAMC online tests the week of my MCAT, got this I believe:
35 -5 days before
33 -4 days before
35 -3 days before
38 -2 days before
39 Day before real MCAT

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Human biology and Nutrition (also have an MSc in nutritional Sciences - research based)

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Practice CBT on AAMC! These helped me the most regarding timing and material. Alaos, make sure you go through all the questions over again and see where you went wrong.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
Used audio osmosis on the subway and walking to and from work for about 2 months. Then took a week off my jobs (full time lab manager and teaching in the evenings/weekends) the week before my MCAT (it was Friday, so I had 7 days off starting the previous Friday). The first two days I skimmed the EK chemistry, bio and physics books. Then each of the following 5 days I simply did one AAMC online practice tests (including the writing) and reviewed the answers carefully afterwards.

I am definitely happy with my score but I feel I could have done much better had I had a lot more time off to study. Oh well, now to start my applications for this cycle (I'm Canada, they are due Oct 1).

 

[LuciusVorenus]

.

 

[SWhitney]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=11 BS=14 WS=P Composite=39P

2) The study method used for each section
I tried to follow SN2ed's 4 month schedule, but it doesn't work for me because I am doing a full-time graduate degree (working in a lab from 9 to 6 pretty much everyday). I modified SN2ed's schedule to spread over 6 months. I read through all the science chapters in TBR twice. did all the practice questions in the books. I do refer back to my undergraduate textbooks for more information, especially the Physics and OChem section. For verbal, just keep practicing.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
TBR and undergrad textbooks (for more information) for Phys, GChem and OChem
TBR and TPR for Bio
EK Verbal Strategy and Tips + EK101 Verbal + TPRH Verbal workbook for verbal reasoning
I did not finish doing the EK1001 practice books. actually I only did one chapter for every subject.


4) Which practice tests did you use?
None. Did not do any full-lengths not even AAMC tests.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Genetics.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Try to understand all the topics/concepts completely. Don't rely on memorization because the test is not about memorizing.
Spend time on practicing verbal because that's the only way you can get better. (I really like EK tips on verbal.) I heard about Kaplan's triage thing but i think it's useless during the actual test. get the main idea of the passage and you should be able to figure out the answer for most of the questions.
Not sure if it's just me, but TBR Bio is a bit confusing for me so I switched to TPR for content review but I still use TBR for the passages.


7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
6 months, 2 hours/day

 

[kevinus]

Your individual scores and composite score
PS=13 VR=10 WS=R BS=12 Composite=35R

2) The study method used for each section
PS: I am strong in PS, so I didn't really study for it.
BS: I never took physio. Used TBR and EK.
VR: Used EK 101. I'm an ESL student, and I started at 5~7 VR practice scores. I also read Google news every morning.
WS: I didn't do anything for it... My topics happened to be the things I have debated with my college friends.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
TBR/EK

4) Which practice tests did you use?
TBR 1-3, AAMC 3

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biomedical Engineering

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
It's possible to improve your VR score in 2-3 months, even if you're an ESL student like I am!

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2.5 months (summer vacation) * 5 days/week * 2~5 hrs/day

 

[Ramo711]

.

 

[Silo004]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS=12, VR=11, BS=11, Composite=34O Aug. 5 2012

2) The study method used for each section

I tried sticking to the SN2ed schedule and just found it way too time consuming. In the end I just used Examkrackers books and did two-three chapters a day in one book b/c I was running out of time. Looking back I wish I had used TBR books more for questions because there was a question straight from TBR on the MCAT.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

AAMC joints

AAMC 3: 29 (don't remember score breakdown)
AAMC 5: 10/10/10, 33
AAMC 7: 11/12/12, 35
AAMC 8: 9/11/10, 30
AAMC 9: 10/11/10, 31
AAMC 10: 12/10/10, 32
AAMC 11: 11/11/10, 32

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Econ

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

I would do what works for you. The SN2ED schedule did not work for me. At all. It was way too time consuming and slowed me down tremendously. I started studying 4 months before the exam, but really only studied for 6 weeks because I got way too bogged down into details.

If I had to do it over again, I would go over Examkrackers with a fine tooth comb. Two chapters a day. And then I would use TBR problems, for Bio especially.

The Hyperlearning book is legit for verbal, but I liked the EK 101 almost as much

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

about 8 weeks all in. This was not enough time.

 

[jrvsai]

It is an honor to be posting here. Like many before me, we have gotten so much from SDN and simply want to give back.

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS=13, VR=10, BS=10, Composite=33Q Aug. 16 2012

2) The study method used for each section

Physical Sciences: This was my strongest section by far. I knew the material pretty well and did not take General Chem or Gen Physics classes in college going into this. Doing well on this section is dependent on your intuitive understanding of the concepts involved and being able to figure out what you need to do.
i.) Used TBR (The best book by far for Physics and Gen Chem)
ii.) EK's books ----- They are decent for phys and gen chem

Verbal Section: Struggled so much on this section. Glad I did decently toughest....Toughest to improve in...but can be done after sustained practice and trial and error in your technique. It's important to ascertain your verbal abilities and understand how you are thinking the way you are. Once you do, you can determine what needs to be changed (as I did)
i.) EK 101 Passages (These are the best for practicing)
ii.) AAMC Verbal

Biological Section: Focus on thinking, not so much on detail
i.) EK Bio - can't sing enough praises for this book, USE THIS BOOK!!
ii.) TBR O Chem

4) Which practice tests did you use?

I used a combination of Kaplan (2,3) and AAMC (4,5,7-11) tests....I started using the Kaplan tests as they were a decent start, but were not truly reflective of the actual exam. Way too convoluted. than the actual exam or AAMC's, especially the Verbal section. The questions on Kaplan's exams (Verbal) looked for different things that questions on the AAMC did not really focus on.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Mathematics

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

The most important thing is that when you know you have put in the required amount of effort and gave it your all, you have be confident and believe that things will turn out fine.
It's important to find rhythm in your study techniques and determine what works for you the best. You can read an infinite amount of articles here detailing unique strategies, but if you experiment and determine what's best for you, then you truly can't benefit. Stick through this....this is a challenging task for any premed....it's simply a rite of passage.


7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

About 5 months. (Start early though)

 

[CHINAisPOOR]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
6/21/12 - 11PS/11VR/12BS = 34Q

2) The study method used for each section

PS: Mostly EK but I had a TPRH book that I looked at whenever EK got a bit too condensed and confusing. I felt like this was the hardest section for me to study for since I'm not used to doing mental math and I'm just generally bad at physics. Whenever I felt weak on any particular subject, I would use the TPRH Science Workbook to practice content and the EK1001 to practice the math.

VR: I did EK 101 and AAMC tests. I reviewed the first few but I burned out near the end and stopped reviewing (don't do this). I used the EK strategy of just reading through and focusing on the main idea. I believe this is the safest and most consistent way of taking the test.

BS: I just read through EK and did practice passages from the TPRH SW. I was taking Anatomy during the semester and I retained a lot of my knowledge from my courses (I'm a bio major) so this section wasn't too hard for me to study from.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS: EK + TPR
VR: EK 101 + AAMC FL
BS: EK

4) Which practice tests did you use?

AAMC FL 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

1. Studying for this felt completely hopeless at times (especially during content review) but things will fall together in the end. Just keep forcing yourself to push on through.

2. When you are done with content review, look at everything all over again. I personally took 2 days of studying 14hrs/day to just go through all of the content at once in detail. This really helped me tie all of the separate concepts together (a skill that the MCAT loves to exploit).

3. One method that I personally found useful after I was finished with content review was giving myself homework to do every day. I used a random number generator to make sets of problems for every night for a month before my test. These questions came out of the TPRH discretes and passages. Make sure you get the entire range of problems so that you will get a little bit of every subject.

4. Review your verbal mistakes. My practice scores in the beginning were around 10-11 but they dropped to 7-9 2 weeks before the test. I attribute this to me not reviewing the problems and developing bad habits which caused me to get more questions wrong.

5. Do absolutely everything you can to maintain your composure during the exam (real and practice). I believe that the MCAT is a pressure test and it is designed to strategically make you fall apart inside. The 6/21 test really hit its mark with me and I almost had a panic attack during the verbal section and I had to take 30 seconds of not looking at the computer screen to regain my cool. Never lose your composure.

6. When you're looking at that void screen, remember to make your decision based on objective information. Use your AAMC FL results and what happened during the test. If you made it through the test without passing out, throwing up, or otherwise heavily compromising your results, then score it. Don't void just because you felt bad. Everyone feels bad after the test. I personally wanted to cry and felt like I got a 25. I ended getting a 34, 1 point higher than my average.

7. Get drunk after the test, it really helps.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

I started in March but I only got to study about 2hrs/day during the semester. I kicked it up into about 6hrs/day when the semester ended (one month before the exam).

I took a course in Kaplan and it cost me $1999

 

[Jzaga053]

I never thought I would be able to post on this thread. Ever. A miracle happened. But I lurked on this forum a lot to rant and to share some pain, so hopefully this will be some inspiration to those who aren't scoring as high as they would like!

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=10 VR=11 WS=N BS=11 Composite=32N

2) The study method used for each section
Took the Kaplan for all of them. Did the onsite class for 2 grand (had some discount from PhiDeltaEpsilon) and went to every single class. Was good for content review, but sucked that it was only a total of 9 hours for each subject. I feel that more classes for less time (rather than 3 hour classes, 3 times a week) would've helped with remembering stuff better. But it was a time crunch, so it was understood.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
All Kaplan. Halfway through (1.5 months in), I ordered the Examkrackers 1001 questions for almost all of the subject.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Kaplan 1-5, Examkrackers 1-3, 8-11

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biological Sciences with (possibly) a minor in Biochemistry

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Heres my story; again, I hope this can serve as inspiration to everyone who is scoring a little low. I was always a good student - until college. Private high school unfortunately was easier that I had expected - I didnt study and had a 4.0 all the way through. Few APs offered, didn't really care to try in chemistry/bio even though they were honors classes; I got an A either way.

Come college, I was rocked by the sciences (even at a pretty modest ~60th ranked school). 2.9 GPA and I was almost put on probation by the Honors Program at my University. Clawed my way back and have a semi respectable GPA - 3.6 (although lowish for med school). I am only a Junior now - I took the MCAT my soph to junior summer without taking Physics 2 (all other prereqs taken).

The MCAT was totally different. I found myself thankful for taking the Kaplan course, solely because I feel like I memorized Gen Chem and Intro Bio stuff freshman year rather than learn it like I did with Orgo. So to every Freshman/Soph - LEARN THE MATERIAL THE FIRST TIME.

My first free Kaplan test was a measly 18 in the beginning of Sophomore year. I started taking the class this summer and again, scored an 18 to begin with. Something like a 30th percentile. Demoralized, but I took the class and saw a small trend. I read all the Kaplan books, did almost all the quizzes and tests on the Kaplan online workbook, etc.

By the middle and end of the Kaplan Class I saw an increase from the 18 to a 23, then to a 26. I had a little less than a month left until the test and started taking a practice test (Kaplan AND aamc) every other day.

I scored: 26, 27, 28, 27, 29, 28, 27, 27, 29. Never over a 30. I thought I had burnt out. Peaked. Plateaued. I thought I had reached my potential at a 29. If you add up my best scores, I could've gotten a 35.

I was content though. A 30 was a reach, but a 28 seemed to be a safe average; a DO school was doable and I had liked the one I visited. I stopped studying 2 days prior to the exam and took it on 8/17/12.

PS: I felt like I killed the section, wasn't a problem I didn't know how to do.
VR: Was a little tougher than usual, almost ran out of time and rushed the last 2 passages. This used to be my best section, but I didnt feel like I did very well.
Writing: I didn't put as much effort into it as I should have. I usually do well, but my examples were terrible and the prompt was vague I though.
BS: This was hell. You can go see the 8/17/12 thread, I thought it was ages harder than any other test (AAMC or KAPLAN) that I had taken. I was crushed.

I stared at the void screen for 3 minutes. And remember that I should never void it unless I literally had an emotional breakdown/couldnt finish a whole passage, etc. Expected a 26-28, got a 32.

Tips (although I feel unqualified to give them):

- Memorization is NOT key for everything. Read until your eyes fall off. I felt like my critical thinking skills were amazing up until now - up until I took the MCAT. Use your scrap paper and draw out diagrams. You'll actually save time that way.

- Everyone hates on Kaplan, but I found the materials pretty good and comprehensive - if not a little too comprehensive. I hear EK is a little bit more readable. The EK 1001 questions are pretty good, didnt get to do nearly as many as I had wished. But they're good for quick review (expect that the answers are all the way at the back of the book).

- Learn how you study the most efficiently. I studied better in the last 2 weeks than the first 2 months. I put myself to sleep trying to read Kaplan straight. I reread all the books in the last 2 weeks and made a whole word document/outline of all the concepts (I can email them too if people would like), especially the troublesome ones.

- Have a day off every week. The MCAT eats your soul. Have one day to relax and forget about it. But just one day. All other days, apologize to your friends for not hanging out. You have your future on the line, if your friends are truly friends, they'll wait for your sunday funday off.

- Motivate yourself. This one is up to you. I had a chronic back pain problems (still do) over the summer and couldn't get hard pain medication because I was studying. All my friends were working, drinking, making money, having fun, etc while I was in the basement room studying. On my day off, because of my back, I couldn't do any of the activities I wanted to do - gym, mountain bike, sports, etc. The MCAT just makes life worse; accept it. Do what you need to do to motivate yourself. Shadow a doctor a few hours a week and imagine - that can be you. Watch inspiration videos on youtube. Whatever you need to do to suck it up and study.

- Don't cut out your family. My family is a pretty distant family; we're all pretty independent people and we're all busy. But those conversations where I would tell them my 28 on a practice exam... and they would keep encouraging me - it's nice to always have a support group. If anything, it served as more inspiration to do well on the MCAT, knowing that they were rooting for me as well.

As I'm sure all of SDN are also rooting for you guys.

Again, I can score above a 30, any of your can.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2.5 months, tried to study at least 8 hours a day (failed many times)

 

[Testosterone]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS=14 VR=10 WS=P BS=14 Composite=38P

2) The study method used for each section

I did all of TPR materials my first month, all of EK materials the 2nd month and crammed in all of TBR materials + AAMC practice tests my last month.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

TPR and EK for Content Review (all)
TPRH Science and Verbal Books (all)
EK 1001 for Physics, OChem and Chemistry (all)
EK101 (all)
TBR for Physics OChem, Chemistry, Biology (all)
TPR In Class Compendium for Verbal only
TPR Online passages for Verbal only
AAMC self assessment for Verbal only

4) Which practice tests did you use?

(PS/VR/BS)

AAMC 3: 13/10/14 - 37
AAMC 4: 14/10/12 - 36
AAMC 7: 13/13/15 - 41
AAMC 8: 14/10/14 - 38
AAMC 9: 13/11/15 - 39
AAMC 10: 14/12/13 - 39
AAMC 11: 13/9/14 - 36


5) What was your undergraduate major?

Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Immunology and Pathogenesis. My major helped me tremendously for the Biological Sciences.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

The advice on these forums are gold and I'd like to add a couple more thoughts:

I am a retaker. Two years ago I took this test and got a 32 (11/10/11). It was a balanced score, it was within my practice test averages and I didn't feel unusually bad after the test. Most people would recommend against a retake because of these reasons, but I went ahead with preparing myself again for this test. At the time my preparation consisted of showing up to a TBR class and that was it. This time, I took no class, but did whatever problem I could get my hands on. My experience goes to show how important doing many problems are.

I think it is extremely important to go into your preparation with a general idea of what you are going to accomplish schedule wise. It does not need to specific down to what you are going to do everyday like the SN2 schedule, but you should have an idea of what you are going to do in the course of a month.

I know SN2 recommends against reusing old material and tests, but I ignored this advice. I retook almost all of my AAMCs from two years ago, redid all my EK 101 verbal problems, and reused some of my barely used TBR problems. Interestingly, I was surprised to find that I made some of the exact same mistakes as I did two years ago, which led me to conclude that improving did not necessarily consist of just expanding one's knowledge, but rather retraining one's reasoning skills and the way one approaches a problem. I don't know how to put this in better terms but there is a certain 'MCAT way of thinking' that develops once you do enough problems and once you get it, it really helps you when you are making educated guesses.

Also, expect to make guesses on the real thing. I marked 15 questions on my physical sciences and guessed on at least 5 problems on the Biological sciences, but all of those guesses were as educated and as justifiable as I could have made them. If you finish the entire test without needing to make any guess, I'm willing to bet that you did well, but if you had to guess on some problems, I think that is normal as well. In my opinion, what separates the good scorers in the latter group is the ability to make good guesses, and that only comes once you get that MCAT way of thinking, which comes from doing enough problems.

Lastly, a lot of people stress how important practice tests are. I agree with them, but I'm willing to argue that passages are more important than practice tests. Under proper testing conditions, practice tests will give you a sense of the timing, stress and emotions behind the test, but beyond that point, I believe that practice passages better simulate the process of having to reason through unfamiliar topics. Personally, I made the decision to use my last month to do all the TBR passages instead of non AAMC practice tests. Down to the last week I was pretty much taking a test a day.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

3 Months, 6 days a week, 10 hours a day.

 

[mushuwu158]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=12 VR=10 WS=R BS=12 Composite=34R

2) The study method used for each section
For PS: I mainly used Princeton Review Hyperlearning books for content review, and Berkeley Review for some suplemental review and passages. I mainly used the Princeton Review Science Workbook for practice.

For BS: Since I was already pretty proficient in Biology (just finished my Biochem class before I started studying MCATs), I used the Examkrackers Bio for content review. For O-Chem, I used the Princeton Review Hyperlearning book. As like PS, I used Princeton Review Science workbook for practice

Verbal: Examkrackers 101 Passages


3) What materials you used for each section:
Princeton Review mainly. Practice tests were by AAMC, and examkrakcers for bio.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
All the AAMC tests came with my Hyperlearning course. Needless to say, I used them all.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Neuroscience and Psychology. Minor in Chemistry

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Don't go too far into details. Learn to understand concepts. And practice practice practice.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3 months (12 weeks). 3 hours a day.

 

[goldrunner]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=12 VR=11 WS=P BS=12 Composite=35P

2) The study method used for each section
I spent the first two months working my

way through the content in each of the 5 Examkrackers books. Once I got through all that, I did practice exams, went over them, and relearned things that I got wrong.

3) What materials you used for each section (Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc.)
I used all the Examkrackers books. I chose them because they seemed to be the most highly recommended on this thread, besides TBR (which I thought were too expensive/too hard to find). I highly recommend Examkrackers. The content review is very thorough, and there are 30 minute practice exams at the end of each chapter which really helped to solidify the information covered in the preceding chapter. Also, Examkrackers explains that part of their strategy is to make their practice questions very hard, so that when you get to the real deal it's a piece of cake. This is DEFINITELY true and really helped me, because once I started hitting the AAMC practice exams I was scoring way higher than I had expected to—a real confidence booster.

One problem I have with Examkrackers is their complete lack of writing preparation. I am annoyed with my P score because that's only around 50-60th percentile and I am definitely not a bad writer. I blame it on complete lack of preparation... Examkrackers literally tells you it isn't important and don't even worry about it. Since they are getting rid of the writing section in the near future, I'm inclined to believe them. However I am still irritated at a score of P. Whatever.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Examkrackers #H
AAMC #9
AAMC #10
AAMC #11

I scored a 23 on the Examkrackers test... that really freaked me out. A week later I took AAMC#11 and got a 33 and all was right with the world.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Don't spend your money on a prep course unless you know you really don't have the discipline to study on your own. You've already learned all this stuff in your prereqs—you don't need an instructor to reteach it to you; you just need to refresh your memory. A course would have been helpful to me only because it would have forced me to procrastinate a little less.

Do as many practice exams as you can!! I think I could have gotten my VR score up if I had just practiced a little more (I bought ExamKrackers 101 Verbal Passages but didn't have time to do any of them). Science practice helps you discover your weak areas and work to strengthen them.

Don't get discouraged because you feel like you aren't studying as much as you can or as much as other people are. When I saw SN2ed's 3 month study schedule, I freaked out because there was no way I had enough time to study like that for three months—I was working 40 hours a week. It still worked out for me—everyone's experience is different. Some people take the MCAT at the same time as a full course load—I was lucky to have an entire summer to study for it. Just do what you can, when you can! But be disciplined!!!!! I did force myself to pass up quite a few social events for the sake of the MCAT.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
June-August. Probably about 10-20 hours a week. Definitely less than I should have.

 

[Narmerguy]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=14 WS=S BS=15 Composite=43S

2) The study method used for each section
Modified SN2ed schedule. Follow the general plan but:

i) Make flashcards for every chapter as you read on key/major points (I used a computer-based flashcard program)

iia) On review days, instead of rereading entire chapters, just study the flashcards from those chapters. Don't "finish" a particular card until you can nail it without hesitation. On days when I was bored after studying the whole day I would sometimes whip out the cards a do a few dozen.
iib) I did the EK 1001 and 1/3 BR on the same review day, and the flashcards on a separate review day, spending a total of 2 days reviewing.

iii) I did TBR bio passages...in retrospect, these were very unlike the actual bio (but still very difficult in a different way). Maybe I learned something from reading/doing all those passages even if it was lousy representation of actual MCAT?

iv) At the end (as I was doing FL's), reviewed flashcards rather than did the last 1/3 of BR passages. Not appropriate for everyone, but for me, I realized that most of the time the problems I missed on the FL's (especially in bio) were usually because I didn't know some core concept or rule. For others, the "answering questions" might be more critical at this stage, though I felt the FL's were giving me good preparation for that (side note: the actual MCAT felt like the questions were way tougher than the AAMC questions).

v) Finally, when I was nearly finished (2-3 FL's left and having reviewed all my flashcards) I went through the AAMC published topic lists for the PS and BS sections and made sure I knew what each topic was about. There were a surprising number of topics on this list that were not covered by either BR or EK.

vi) Flashcards, flashcards, flashcards
3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
TBR for everything, supplementing the bio with EK Bio. Used EK1001 for PS and organic. Used very little EK 101.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
I used AAMC #3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biophysics. I very unfortunately took my all my prereqs 2.5-4 years before taking the actual test so the almost all of my content review literally felt like I was learning this material for the first time (with the exception of physics).

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Put in the time. A lot of people can score well without much study/effort. Most people can't, and nearly everyone will do much much better if you put in the time. Quite frankly, there's no way I could have done this while researching/going to school on the side. It helped to have no other obligations while studying.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2.5 months (~10 weeks), averaging ~10 hrs/day. I did not take break days, mostly because I started studying a bit too late. Also every time I tried I felt frustrated because I kept thinking that rather than sitting around the house I could be nailing down topics I didn't know.

 

[GreenEyes09]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=14 WS=S BS=15 Composite=43Q

2) The study method used for each section
Modified SN2ed schedule. Follow the general plan but:

i) Make flashcards for every chapter as you read on key/major points (I used a computer-based flashcard program)

iia) On review days, instead of rereading entire chapters, just study the flashcards from those chapters. Don't "finish" a particular card until you can nail it without hesitation. On days when I was bored after studying the whole day I would sometimes whip out the cards a do a few dozen.
iib) I did the EK 1001 and 1/3 BR on the same review day, and the flashcards on a separate review day, spending a total of 2 days reviewing.

iii) I did TBR bio passages...in retrospect, these were very unlike the actual bio (but still very difficult in a different way). Maybe I learned something from reading/doing all those passages even if it was lousy representation of actual MCAT?

iv) At the end (as I was doing FL's), reviewed flashcards rather than did the last 1/3 of BR passages. Not appropriate for everyone, but for me, I realized that most of the time the problems I missed on the FL's (especially in bio) were usually because I didn't know some core concept or rule. For others, the "answering questions" might be more critical at this stage, though I felt the FL's were giving me good preparation for that (side note: the actual MCAT felt like the questions were way tougher than the AAMC questions).

v) Finally, when I was nearly finished (2-3 FL's left and having reviewed all my flashcards) I went through the AAMC published topic lists for the PS and BS sections and made sure I knew what each topic was about. There were a surprising number of topics on this list that were not covered by either BR or EK.

vi) Flashcards, flashcards, flashcards
3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
TBR for everything, supplementing the bio with EK Bio. Used EK1001 for PS and organic. Used very little EK 101.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
I used AAMC #3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biophysics. I very unfortunately took my all my prereqs 2.5-4 years before taking the actual test so the almost all of my content review literally felt like I was learning this material for the first time (with the exception of physics).

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Put in the time. A lot of people can score well without much study/effort. Most people can't, and nearly everyone will do much much better if you put in the time. Quite frankly, there's no way I could have done this while researching/going to school on the side. It helped to have no other obligations while studying.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2.5 months (~10 weeks), averaging ~10 hrs/day. I did not take break days, mostly because I started studying a bit too late. Also every time I tried I felt frustrated because I kept thinking that rather than sitting around the house I could be nailing down topics I didn't know.

Which computer based flash card program did you use?

 

[Narmerguy]

Which computer based flash card program did you use?

Vendant Flashcard Manager I used the OneNote or Windows Snipping tool to take snapshots of charts/figures that I wanted to include in my card. When you use that program and answer a card, you can rate how confident you felt (6 different options I think) and if you give it a lukewarm rating it'll cycle that card back. The less confident you feel when answering a card, the more frequently it shows it back to you. You have to be honest with yourself on how confidently (or quickly) you answered a card...it only hurts you to pretend that you had the material down when you didn't.

You have to pay for this, but it's a small amount and paled in comparison to the large amount I was spending on study materials anyway.

Edit: In retrospect, Anki is definitely the best way to go!

 

[VSU2008]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=10 VR=11 WS=M BS=11 Composite=32M (Jan. 28, 2012)

2) The study method used for each section
Took kaplan online course
PS&BS: Followed Kaplan Instructors advice; reviewed and did lots of practice passages.
VR: Lots of practice

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Used kaplan materials

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Used kaplan practice tests. Took AAMC practice exams 3-11 and reviewed tests afterwards.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
I found flash cards really helpful for memorizing base facts for each section.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
4 months (3hrs. per day on average)

 

[oxelhs]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=14 WS=S BS=15 Composite=43Q

2) The study method used for each section
Modified SN2ed schedule. Follow the general plan but:

i) Make flashcards for every chapter as you read on key/major points (I used a computer-based flashcard program)

iia) On review days, instead of rereading entire chapters, just study the flashcards from those chapters. Don't "finish" a particular card until you can nail it without hesitation. On days when I was bored after studying the whole day I would sometimes whip out the cards a do a few dozen.
iib) I did the EK 1001 and 1/3 BR on the same review day, and the flashcards on a separate review day, spending a total of 2 days reviewing.

iii) I did TBR bio passages...in retrospect, these were very unlike the actual bio (but still very difficult in a different way). Maybe I learned something from reading/doing all those passages even if it was lousy representation of actual MCAT?

iv) At the end (as I was doing FL's), reviewed flashcards rather than did the last 1/3 of BR passages. Not appropriate for everyone, but for me, I realized that most of the time the problems I missed on the FL's (especially in bio) were usually because I didn't know some core concept or rule. For others, the "answering questions" might be more critical at this stage, though I felt the FL's were giving me good preparation for that (side note: the actual MCAT felt like the questions were way tougher than the AAMC questions).

v) Finally, when I was nearly finished (2-3 FL's left and having reviewed all my flashcards) I went through the AAMC published topic lists for the PS and BS sections and made sure I knew what each topic was about. There were a surprising number of topics on this list that were not covered by either BR or EK.

vi) Flashcards, flashcards, flashcards
3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
TBR for everything, supplementing the bio with EK Bio. Used EK1001 for PS and organic. Used very little EK 101.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
I used AAMC #3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biophysics. I very unfortunately took my all my prereqs 2.5-4 years before taking the actual test so the almost all of my content review literally felt like I was learning this material for the first time (with the exception of physics).

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Put in the time. A lot of people can score well without much study/effort. Most people can't, and nearly everyone will do much much better if you put in the time. Quite frankly, there's no way I could have done this while researching/going to school on the side. It helped to have no other obligations while studying.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2.5 months (~10 weeks), averaging ~10 hrs/day. I did not take break days, mostly because I started studying a bit too late. Also every time I tried I felt frustrated because I kept thinking that rather than sitting around the house I could be nailing down topics I didn't know.

Your WS was S but composite was 43Q?

 

[WorksInProgress]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=14 WS=S BS=15 Composite=43Q

And with that we have the official second coming of Jolt21.

 

[Narmerguy]

Your WS was S but composite was 43Q?

Ah, good point! Fixed that For the record, I did not study a single minute for the writing section, just decided to wing it so I bet most people could save themselves some time and just not bother.

Edit: Nevermind, no more writing section anymore

And with that we have the official second coming of Jolt21.

Haha, GTLO said something similar and I checked Jolt out http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=16779 I'm hoping that we are at least a little different since he didn't get into some of the schools I'm really hoping to get accepted to

 

[Sailor Senshi Dermystify]

Ah, good point! Fixed that For the record, I did not study a single minute for the writing section, just decided to wing it so I bet most people could save themselves some time and just not bother.

Edit: Nevermind, no more writing section anymore



Haha, GTLO said something similar and I checked Jolt out http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=16779 I'm hoping that we are at least a little different since he didn't get into some of the schools I'm really hoping to get accepted to

I didn't take my MCAT as of yet, but I wanted to know how did you tackle the Verbal section. That is the hardest section to bring up

 

[thaman91]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=12 VR=10 WS=Q BS=11 Composite=33Q (9/1/2012)

2) The study method used for each section
I basically followed SN2ed's 3 month schedule (around 6 hours/day).
Also, I did not do the hat trick but instead starting making flashcards around the full length practice exam period. I would make as many as I could and memorize as much of them as I could whilst keeping up with doing the exams, reviewing the exams, and doing the last 1/3 of TBR passages. I think that it would have been much better if I had started the flashcards earlier, like during the first 2 months of content review. This would have allowed me to really have the content down before starting the full lengths. Instead, I was still sort of learning it as I was taking them.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Content review: Berkeley Review for physics, chemistry, and organic chemistry. Examkrackers for Biology.
Passages: Berkeley Review for all subjects.
Opinion: I thought Berkeley Review's passages were fantastic for physics, chemistry, and organic chemistry. However, the biology passages were really not representative of the real MCAT at all. I don't think doing them helped me one bit for the actual thing. I was getting anywhere 50%-70% of the questions correct on those passages. From reading other posts on this forum, I would say that you should definitely get The Princeton Review Hyperlearning Biology Workbook for passages. For content review, Berkeley Review was great for physics, chemistry, and organic chemistry but not so good for biology because it was too in detail. The Examkrackers biology book was excellent and I would recommend memorizing all the bolded words in that book (flashcards! start early so it's not too overwhelming towards the end).
Verbal: EK 101 and TPRH. Though these two are the closest to the actual thing (besides aamc exams), they are still not the real thing and so you may end up doing well in them and worse in the full lengths or vice versa. Treat them as you would content review: do them and then review what you got wrong and why. Also make sure you get your timing down because that is half the battle in my opinion. The more crunched you are for time, the more you'll think about that and the more nervous you'll get. This nervousness will distract you from the task at hand which is to read the passage and answer the questions. GET YOUR TIMING DOWN! As you move onto the full lengths, continue reviewing what you got wrong and why...eventually, you will see gains. Even if you don't right away, you will eventually (verbal skill takes time to develop) and you must believe that you will. Don't ever get down on yourself. Remain positive, optimistic, and determined!

4) Which practice tests did you use?
I took all the AAMC exams (3-11). It's definitely a good idea to thoroughly review each one after taking it. You will learn things to add to your repertoire of MCAT knowledge. And chances are, the stuff you learn may show up on your MCAT since the AAMC does give similar questions from time to time (again, flashcards!)

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
FLASHCARDS! They help so much, as many have stated before me.
Also, analyze everything you did wrong when reviewing exams/passages and learn from it (via flashcards!)
Also try to remain focused, motivated, and determined. It is easy to get down after scoring poorly on a practice passage or full-length exam. But remember, those are just practice. Practice is to learn from! Treat those bad scores as an opportunity to improve yourself and vow to do better next time!

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3 months (6hrs/day)

 

[Narmerguy]

I didn't take my MCAT as of yet, but I wanted to know how did you tackle the Verbal section. That is the hardest section to bring up

Well I've been pretty outspoken about how arbitrary the verbal can be. In my practice tests I scored between 10-13 on my practice tests, with 11 and 12 being by far the most common. As I went from test to test, there was really nothing systematic that I could derive from the problems I missed, often the logic required to determine one answer was right in a particular passage was contradictory to the logic they assumed you would use on other passages. For example, what level of outside knowledge is realistic to assume in answering a question, and how much is "bringing outside information" that's not specifically stated in the text. I consider myself a fairly reasonable, logical individual and I've been frustrated by what appears to be their attempt to predict (assume) what the typical reader likely knows about a topic and what a reader would not know.

That was a long complaining way of saying, I don't know how to improve it. I stopped practicing EK101 because I didn't feel I was getting better and they also felt pretty different from the AAMC FL verbals. I thought doing the verbals for the AAMC FL were the best preparation, though as I said, my score bounced around from test to test (whereas my bio and PS were pretty consistent). I think something that I would go back and improve is honing my reading pace and working out how fast I want to read a passage given my preference for going back to the passage to answer questions or thinking long on the questions I struggled with. I consider myself an average or below average reader as far as reading speed goes so maybe others don't have the same problem. I pretty much never finished the verbal with more than 1 minute left, and a couple of my tests I had to rush at the end to squeeze by.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think the verbal section is a flawed section of the test. It's not that it's all together useless, but because it's so sensitive to errors (one or two questions dropping you a point), the need for the test to make sure that its own ambiguity isn't causing points to be missed rather than lack of comprehension on the reader's part is paramount! So many times I understand the passage and even the question quite clearly, but multiple, logical approaches are applicable to selecting the correct answer and which is "most" appropriate is more an issue of taste, experience, and perhaps personality than logical rigor.

 

[Legion1]

HOPE FOR NON-TRADs:

1) 30Q: PS = 10, V = 12, BS = 8, Q. 9/6/12

2&3: EK content review, 1001, and Audio Osmosis

4) AAMC

5) Double: Philosophy and Religion

6) I have something to offer non-trads, not so much everyone else. 1 year prior to the MCAT I was 6 years out of college and had not taken a real science course in 12 years. So on the one hand, I had to learn a lot from scratch for my pre-reqs so the content was fresh, but on the other hand I was definitely lacking in BS knowledge as I had yet to take cell bio, biochem, or Org II. I went to school full time in the year prior while working a 60-70 hr per week job (no joke), pretty much I did not sleep or see my wife for a year. I studied for the MCAT for 3 months. I used audio osmosis while driving and running to learn the concepts and then used EK books to reinforce, and then 1001 problems to cement. Some weeks I could study 2 or 3 hours a day, other days I couldn't find any time. There were several (prob 4-6) weeks in the three months prior when I did not study at all except for listening to audio osmosis while driving. In total, I listened to audio osmosis about 10 times, read and did the problems in each content book, and did 1/3 of all physical science 1001 questions (no 1001 BS questions). Bottom line, taking the MCAT while serving in a stressful management position and going to school is hell, but doable. The hardest part by far was to be able to retain the knowledge as it doesn't seem to get stored very easily when work is stressful and not much sleep is happening. If I had to do it all over, I would have bought audio osmosis 1 year out, listened to it daily and used note-cards constantly. Had I used these tools, I honestly believe I could have done far better (esp in BS) as my issues on both the practice and real test came from a lack of knowledge. So, it is doable. It will suck, it is inefficient, but it is doable and certainly with a higher score than my 30Q if you plan better than I did figure out how not to have week long gaps in your studying. Also, I don't believe that my inconsistancy would have been a big deal had I been exposed to basic science concepts for a longer period of time in my life. Even one month before the test I would see chemical equations and feel like I was looking at a foreign language. Overall, the key with doing this while working is starting well in advance so that your knowledge is completely solid before focusing on problems.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=13 VR=10 WS=S BS=13 Composite=36S
Test date July 14, 2012 (Retake from June 21, 2012: 34T)

2) The study method used for each section
Modified SN2 schedule, with Berkeley Review, EK and some TPR Hyperlearning for verbal

PS & BS: BR for Physics, Chem and O-Chem, but EK for Bio; supplemented with EK 1001.

VR: AAMC verbal self-assessment is the best verbal investment. EK 101 is complete trash. AAMC practice exams are also really good.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
EK, AAMC, BR

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Took all AAMC's. High of 35 on AAMC 7, low of 29 on AAMC 11; Average AAMC: 31.5

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Math; chemistry minor

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Read the questions carefully, and do not overcomplicate stuff. Most questions are one-step reasoning, and nothing else. Practice, and do as many passage based practice questions as you can. Be confident, most importantly.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3 months, 7 hours/day. Rough, wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy... Hate the exam.

Good luck, everyone! Feel free to PM with any questions.

Have to agree that the AAMC book is really a great read and very few people take advantage of it. Nice score by the way.