General MCAT study questions

[Shrike]

This thread is unlike the others: it is intended to provide answers to questions that are about how best to study for the MCAT, but that do not relate to a particular subject.

As you'll see, we're going to be treading delicately in the vicinity of the two most commonly-asked questions about MCAT preparation: should I take a prep course and which one. We need to address these, because they are so commonly asked and so important to so many forum participants. But it's difficult to do appropriately, and the reasons for that should be clear: (1) this isn't a commercial forum, and (2) our views are likely to be biased by our personal situations. I (Shrike) teach for The Princeton Review, and have done so for years. QofQuimica teaches for Kaplan, and has done so for years. Others among the experienced posters in this sub-forum also work, or have worked, for test prep companies. Most of us will baised in favor of test prep courses for many test-takers, and I suspect we also tend toward bias in favor of our particular companies. (We probably like what they do, or we would work elsewhere; I won't speak for others but I know this is true of me.) We're going to try very hard not to let those biases affect what they say, but it's almost inevitable that some partisanship will creep in. Take what we say with the appropriate amount of sodium chloride.

And just in case it isn't apparent (particularly to those who haven't watched our posts over the months and years), we are not working on this forum because of our connections to the business. We're not speaking for our employers, but for ourselves. Our companies didn't ask us to do this, don't give us anything for it, don't officially know we're doing it, and as far as I know would rather we didn't. We are doing this because we know you need answers, and we like helping. That's it.


Primary moderator: jmugele. Jmugele graduated with a bachelors in English and chemistry. He's been working in artificial intelligence software for the past 8 years. He scored 40S on the MCAT.

Occasional moderator: Shrike. Shrike is a full-time instructor for The Princeton Review. He has taken the MCAT twice for no good reason, once scoring 38T despite never having seen an organic chemistry book and last taking biology and chemistry before some of you were born. His schooling is in mathematics, physics, economics, and law.

All other team members from each of the other threads may also provide answers in this thread.

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[Shrike]

Maybe. It depends very much on too many variables for us to address your own situation adequately. Here are some of the things you should consider.

How well do you study on your own -- do you do better in groups? Do you have the discipline to spend four hours every night on the MCAT, even though there's no obvious direct benefit?

How close are you, right now, to your score goals? How do you know -- have you taken a full-length practice test? If you found out you weren't where you thought, or it were possible to improve a different amount from what you thought, would your goals change?

Do you have the money for the course?

Are the courses available to you any good? Are they taught by experienced instructors who will make things easier for you to understand and will be able to answer your questions, or are they taught by first-timers who will just read from the textbooks or lesson notes? How do you know these things? Ask your classmates about courses they've taken; ask the companies whose courses you're considering; try a course and see what you think (but make sure you can get your money back if it isn't what you hoped).

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QofQuimica here: I want to add that those of you who prefer independent study may want to consider taking a course on line rather than the live classroom course. The advantages are that it is cheaper, it is very convenient (you can study anywhere you have internet access, anytime 24-7) and you get most of the same course materials as the live course users. The disadvantage is that you do not have facetime with instructors if you want to ask questions, although you can email questions. This is basically what I did to prepare myself for the MCAT.

Test prep companies also offer private tutoring, but it is outrageously expensive. I personally do not feel that private tutoring gives most students the best value for their money. If you decide that you need extra help to learn your science content above and beyond the classroom lectures, I would suggest that you first try approaching your instructors before class or after class to ask questions.

 

[Shrike]

Yes.

 

[Shrike]

Really, we can't tell you. Not because we're being difficult, but because we don't know.

Kaplan and TPR (which stands for The Princeton Review) cover pretty much the same material, in pretty much the same way. Each provides lectures and practice passages in each of five subject areas; each provides loads of material from which to study; each has you take several practice tests under proctored conditions. Each provides some form of guarantee. Oh yes, each costs more than $1000. And don't forget, these things are true of the other prep courses out there, too. In many areas, Kaplan and TPR are the only games in town, but in other places there are other companies.

In this area, I have to exercise caution, but I'll try to be as objective as possible, though I actually have strong (and predictable) views.

The most important determinant of what you should choose is how well the individual courses that are available to you are taught. It's individual instructors that make a course work for you (or not), not the number of pages in the texts or anything else that is easily quantified. Ask around in your area about the courses you're considering: Are they taught by experienced instructors who will make things easier for you to understand and will be able to answer your questions, or are they taught by short-timers who will just read from the textbooks or lesson notes? Ask the local office which instructors are scheduled to teach the course you're considering, and how many times they've taught before. Ask how those instructors were trained -- by videotape, or in person? Ask to speak to some former students. Ask around your campus to see who's taken courses from those particular instructors, and what the students thought. Do your homework.

That said, there are systematic differences. The consensus among students, to the extent there is one, is that Kaplan is geared more toward self-studiers, while TPR is more of a comprehensive, lecture-based experience. This makes sense, considering that TPR's course offers many more hours of instruction. Kaplan is known for providing extensive resources, particularly at their offices; TPR gives students nearly though perhaps not quite as much, and provides everything to the student rather than at the office.

The companies' score improvement and satisfaction guarantees are subtly different; read the fine print.

The schedules will differ, of course, but that should be only a small factor: if you're serious about this, you'll choose the best option and then find a way to make it work.

TPR is usually slightly more expensive, but in context the difference is small.

Remember that there may be other prep courses available to you, too. This answer deals specifically only with the two we know best, but before committing your preparation for the most important test of your life to date to anyone's help, it behooves you to investigate all options. Ask the other guys the same questions detailed above.

***********

This is QofQuimica chiming in on Shrike's post here. I would like to second what he's already said, and emphasize again our joint belief that getting a good instructor is THE single most important determinant as to how positive an experience you will have with your test prep course. Word of mouth is the best way to find out who the good instructors are; ask your older pre-med friends who have already completed a course. In general, any test prep company's curriculum will prepare you for the MCAT, but (and this is a HUGE but!) you must complete all of the assignments, attend all of the classes, and take all of the proctored practice tests. This seems self-explanatory, but you'd be amazed how many students (or their parents) shell out large sums of money for test prep courses and then do not take advantage of the resources available to them. So if you do decide to go with a test prep course, take it seriously, and approach it as seriously as you would any of your regular college courses.

One other thing that I'd like to make you aware of if you didn't know already: many pre-health clubs (PAMSA, AED, etc.) make deals with both Kaplan and TPR to get reduced rates for their members to take our test prep courses. So if you decide to take a course, you may want to check with your local pre-health chapter about this.

**********

Shrike again: If you have the opportunity to take Q's (Kaplan) class, take it. If you have the opportunity to take my (TPR) class, take it. As we live a thousand miles from each other, you're unlikely to have to choose between us.

 

[Shrike]

We don't know. Ask around. See above re what you want to ask.

 

[Shrike]

How much time per day should I study?

How long before the test should I start studying?

 

[Shrike]

Does it make sense to take the MCAT before I've taken physics?

Actually, it's not a terrible idea if you're getting professional test prep instruction. Many of my students have not had, or are currently taking, second-semester physics, and this works fine. A few haven't taken any college-level physics, and they have a lot of catching up to do but most manage if the instruction is competent.

If you're not taking a prep course, it's going to be difficult, and I don't personally recommend it, but obviously I haven't seen such students. I don't believe there's a consensus among other experienced posters on this issue.​

Does it make sense to take the MCAT before I've taken organic chemistry?

No. Or so seems to be the consensus.

From jmugele: I posted that I thought a person could get away without taking genetics. But I think the opposite is true for organic chemistry. Although there's not a whole lot of orgo on the MCAT (although, that probably depends on the specific test -- I'm guessing it's roughly the same amount of material as genetics), organic chemistry is much more complex conceptually. I also found that a good organic chemistry class teaches you some really good abstract problem-solving skills that are helpful for test-taking in general. But overall, because orgo is so complex and because there is a lot of memorization, I think a class helps before the MCAT.​

Does it make sense to take the MCAT before I've taken [some biology course, or some lab?]

Yes.​

 

[Shrike]

Yes, in my opinion. But the consensus is rather different.

Calculus was invented to solve physics problems, and many of those problems are a lot easier with calculus available. More importantly for us, some of the concepts are easier to understand with calculus, too. Anyone who makes it through calc-based physics will be better placed when the MCAT rolls around than he'd have been with algebra-based physics.

Unfortunately, we know it's not that simple. At some schools, calculus-based physics is really tough, in ways that do premeds little good. It therefore may be more difficult to maintain your GPA, and to absorb all of the material, if you opt for the calculus-based course.

Ask around your own campus. Ideally, you'll ask people who have taken calculus-based physics, and are about as sharp as you are at math. If you're considering choosing the calculus path, you're probably more mathematically inclined than the average premed. Unfortunately, you're probably less mathematically inclined than the average engineer, and these courses may comprise primarily engineers. Good luck with the data gathering.

One more thing: be very careful when choosing any physics course to ensure that the professor's English is clear. In physics, more than any other subject you're likely to take (except perhaps math), this is a frequent problem.

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QofQuimica: I would just like to add one other non-MCAT-related benefit of taking calculus-based physics, which is that it is a more rigorous course than pre-med physics. Remember that medical schools do look at the level of difficulty of the courses that you've selected. In general, it is best to take the most difficult courses available to you, assuming that you are able to do well in them.

 

[MoosePilot]

I took one and I thought it helped. Genetics is getting more emphasis, but it's pretty basic genetics. I've noticed at least one pedigree question on each practice/actual test I took last year. Know the major types of inheritance (dominant, recessive, sex-linked) and these aren't too hard. Draw the pic and it becomes easier. Don't get suckered into wasting all your time.

 

[Law2Doc]

Re: taking Genetics: The MCAT doesn't go super in depth on genetics, but it does cover it. So whether you need to take a specific genetics class totally depends on how well genetics was covered in your bio classes. If you spent substantial time (weeks) on it in bio, and you have a solid grasp of the material, you will do fine on that part of the MCAT, and needn't take another class. (Look over Kaplan/TPR prep materials to be sure that what is in there was covered in your basic bio classes - in mine it all was.)

 

[jmugele]

... Genetics is getting more emphasis, but it's pretty basic genetics... Don't get suckered into wasting all your time.

I agree -- most of the genetics on the MCAT is pretty straightforward. A class may help, but most of the information you need, you can get from study guides or even by reading the relevant chapters in a biology text (I never took genetics, just checked out books from the library).

 

[QofQuimica]

Probably. But it's fine if you take it your senior year, after you take the MCAT. For the MCAT, you do NOT need to take biochemistry if you have successfully completed organic II and a full year of general biology, although it certainly won't hurt you. However, most pre-meds should seriously consider taking a biochemistry course with lab because several medical schools are starting to require it. Check the MSAR to see whether any schools you think you might apply to have this requirement. If you're not sure where you want to apply, you should probably take biochemistry so that you will have the option down the road to apply to schools that require it.

 

[QofQuimica]

Should I do the discrete questions first on the MCAT science sections?

Some of the other moderators may have other thoughts about this issue. My personal opinion is yes; in fact, I do the discrete questions first myself. The main reasons are that the discretes tend to be more straightforward than the passage-based questions, and they take less time to do because there isn't any passage to read. But there is also a good psychological rationale for doing the discrete questions first: since they tend to be quicker and less involved, getting through them quickly can build up your confidence before you start tackling the passages.

As with any strategy for taking the MCAT, if you are unsure about whether doing the discretes first works for you, you should try it on one or more practice tests well before test day.

 

[Shrike]

Should I do the discrete questions first on the MCAT science sections?

Q's right, but there's even more reason to do what we at TPR call Free-Standing Questions first: even if they aren't quicker to do (and sometimes they're not), they tend to take a fixed amount of time -- there's really only one approach to these. On the other hand, there are a variety of ways to approach a passage, some more time-consuming than others. As you approach the time limit, you want all of the inflexible FSQs done, so you can adapt your methodology on the remining, passage-based questions to the time remaining.

On the other hand, if you're really fast, it doesn't matter what order you do the questions in.

 

[QofQuimica]

On the other hand, if you're really fast, it doesn't matter what order you do the questions in.

I'm really fast, but I still do the discretes first for all the reasons we gave above. Still, I agree that if you don't have trouble finishing the section on time, then whether to do the discretes first is probably a question of personal preference. But for most students, it will probably save time to do the discretes first.

 

[blankguy]

Which section did you people find the most time consuming to get through? Organic? General chemistry? Biology? Verbal? Physics?

 

[jmugele]

Which section did you people find the most time consuming to get through? Organic? General chemistry? Biology? Verbal? Physics?

Do you mean the most time consuming to study or the most time consuming on the day of the test? I assume you mean what is the most time consuming test to take.

I think this really depends on what your strengths and weaknesses are. I think some people think that VR takes the most time because there's so much reading and reasoning to do. But some people are able to read quickly with a lot of retention and comprehension. I think the quickest is probably biology, because there's not as much reasoning on that section as on others. You either know the answer to a question or you don't (of course organic is a bit different).

For me, the most time consuming section was physics, because even if I didn't know the answer or formula relevant to a certain question right off the bat, I still wanted to try to figure a problem out with the information I did know. In physics, it definitely pays to know the formulas very quickly and to skip ahead if you don't know an answer immediately.

 

[Nutmeg]

Which section did you people find the most time consuming to get through? Organic? General chemistry? Biology? Verbal? Physics?

I had one minute to spare for VR, 5 minutes to spare for PS, and about 15 minutes to spare for BS. I had no time to spare on WS, it seems--that is the hardest timewise because you have to set a mental schedule for how much time to give to each part of each sample.

 

[Shrike]

I had ...

It does vary a lot, though Nutmeg's answer is typical. But if your strengths are different, your timing will be, too. I had no time on WS (but I wrote about twice as much as a typical student -- competely filled the book, writing very small), fifteen minutes on VR, maybe thirty-five minutes on PS, and zero extra on BS. Whatever you're weakest at, you expect to have the most trouble finishing; I'm a bit unusual in my distribution of skills, obviously.

 

[Nutmeg]

Q's right, but there's even more reason to do what we at TPR call Free-Standing Questions first: even if they aren't quicker to do (and sometimes they're not), they tend to take a fixed amount of time -- there's really only one approach to these. On the other hand, there are a variety of ways to approach a passage, some more time-consuming than others. As you approach the time limit, you want all of the inflexible FSQs done, so you can adapt your methodology on the remining, passage-based questions to the time remaining.

On the other hand, if you're really fast, it doesn't matter what order you do the questions in.

I'm actually a pretty slow reader, but I went in with the idea that not finishing wasn't an option. I failed to complete the GRE Biochem test two weeks prior, and it screwed me. As such, I did everything in order and I read the passages thoroughly on the first pass so I could minimize my back-checking. I felt that spending time to devise a strategy would possibly cost too much time, so i just went "eye on the prize" in a dead run for the finish.

 

[LT2]

i tend to agree with the people who suggest doing the free standing questions first, they tend to give you the most "bang for your buck". they're quick, either you know 'em or you don't, and you don't want to be stuck at the end of a section leaving three or four free standing questions... i found it really helped me on the PS section where i tended to run short on time. just another opinion...

 

[QofQuimica]

Which section did you people find the most time consuming to get through? Organic? General chemistry? Biology? Verbal? Physics?

studying: physics b/c I took that class over a decade before I took the MCAT.

on the test: I agree that the WS is the one where I was finishing with only a minute or two to spare. I finished the three multiple choice sections in a little over an hour each, with BS being the fastest for me, then PS, and VR last.

 

[N1DERL&]

After taking a diag, what would be some good ways to go through it?

If the topic was something we haven't covered in class, should I wait for that lecture, or go ahead read up on it and try to figure out the anwer?

Also is it worth taking the same diag again?

Thanks!!

 

[jmugele]

After taking a diag, what would be some good ways to go through it?

If the topic was something we haven't covered in class, should I wait for that lecture, or go ahead read up on it and try to figure out the anwer?

Also is it worth taking the same diag again?

Thanks!!

One of the most useful learning experiences for me was taking a diagnostic test, marking the questions I was uncertain of (in case I guessed correctly), and then looking up the correct answers. I would recommend taking as many diagnostics as I could and looking up all of the answers you could (not waiting for it to come up in class). I found it helps learning a subject to have specific problems to try to answer.

Regarding re-taking a test, I'm guessing that won't be as useful to you (are you really learning a subject or just remembering it from the previous test). Also, there are plenty of diagnostics out there, especially if you're taking Kaplan or TPR.

 

[hippocampus]

when studying for the mcat, i keep falling asleep, even though i got 10 hours of sleep. how do you manage to stay awake? i got myself a caramel frap so that it might help keep me awake, but i still fell asleep. when i am focused, i read for a little while, and then have to get up and walk around. this will be my 2nd time taking the mcat

how do u stay focused/awake?

 

[Shrike]

Let me clarify something that I thought was implied at the top of the thread:

Anyone may ask questions in this forum. Before posting answers, you must have a moderator's permission. Moderators of other MCAT Study threads do not need need permission.

 

[Nutmeg]

the fear of applying MSTP with a sub 30 scores keeps me awake and alert...


short of that, try tea (the buzz is mellower and more prolonged) and sometimes smelling perfume/cologne gets you pepped up for a bit. That was something that my RA freshman year (10 years ago; wow, I feel old suddenly) passed along to me and its always helped.

A good stay-awake method my sister taught me was strong gum (like Dentyne Ice or such--strong mint or cinnamon gum). Also works well for long drives.

Also, there's a dietary supplement called DMAE (dimethyl amino ethanol) which I heard Dr Perricone talk about in his lecture dealie that he gives during PBS fund raisers. He said that it was used to help ADHD kids once upon a time, and suggested that it helped attention. I used it, and while I didn't perform any manner of controlled study, I'm pleased with the results, so why the hell not give it a try?

 

[QofQuimica]

A good stay-awake method my sister taught me was strong gum (like Dentyne Ice or such--strong mint or cinnamon gum). Also works well for long drives.

It's kind of crazy, but I find that this works, too. I'm not sure if it's the actual mint itself that keeps you awake, or just that you're doing something "physical," but it helps. Plus as a bonus your breath will smell nice.

Another good strategy is not to sit for hours at a time with no break. I think a break of a few minutes about once per hour is in order. Get up, stretch, walk around a little, get yourself a drink, that kind of thing. Having a few minutes to clear your mind every now and then will help stop you from getting fatigued. Also, figure out what kind of biorhythm you have (morning person or night person) and do the bulk of your studying then. I always found that I studied best in the morning for long periods, but I can read for a little while (maybe an hour or so) at night before going to bed. But I know some people like to stay up studying till the wee hours. If that's you, then go with it.

Try not to get yourself addicted to caffeine and other chemical aids to stay awake if you can avoid it. You do build up a tolerance to it, and then it's a pain to go through withdrawal. I've quit caffeine several times myself.

 

[jmugele]

when studying for the mcat, i keep falling asleep, even though i got 10 hours of sleep. how do you manage to stay awake? i got myself a caramel frap so that it might help keep me awake, but i still fell asleep. when i am focused, i read for a little while, and then have to get up and walk around. this will be my 2nd time taking the mcat

how do u stay focused/awake?

I'd try mixing it up, and like I say to my kids when they're cleaning, make a game of it. If I'm reading something for a few hours, then I'll take a break and take a mini-practice test or do flash cards or switch subjects. I also liked to track my scores on various sections and overall and chart my progress (huge nerd, right here). But it kept me interested.

 

[jmugele]

I am taking the august mcat, like yourself. Although my story is slightly different, since i started with a 25 diag, and I have been studying hard for the past month, including now, so my suggestion is as follows: I actually am taking some of this from gujudoc, since he gave me good advice: if I were you, I would take the exam, but you should study as follows. Firstly, study intensely, take notes on what you don't understand or remember, and when you read, study very thoroughly, and take all the subject exams available in your books. Additionally, take a practice verbal exam every other day>>this is very important! You will lose some of the test taking skill, if you don't practice enough. You must do at least 3 passages every other day, and go over the answers carefully. If you keep that up, you'll hopefully be in the 30 range by the real thing.

Good luck, we're in the same boat here.

If you're studying intensely, I'd also recommend taking a the week of the actual MCAT off. I find that intense studying can actually make me more nervous and give me performance anxiety. Taking the final week off from studying might help you go into the test fresh and ready.

 

[stoleyerscrubz]

For the TPR Science Workbook and EK's 1001 bio quetions I am reading the relevant chapters in EK and then doing the passages. I go back and read up on areas that I had problems and try to annotate when possible. Is this approach ok or should I not be constantly reviewing material at this point.

I read all of EK cover to cover at least 2 times in all books and probably will go through it all about 4 times total before the month is over. I could easily spend 2 hours reading a chapter to learn the concepts but now the chapters are a very fast read expecpt for a couple lengthy bio chapters.

I should start full lengths on the 16th. I only have 4 AAMC exams I have not completed. I used 2 AAMC exams when I was preparing in April but decided not to tak the exam.

I have a few weak areas in the sciences and I keep working on those.

Thanks.

 

[Nutmeg]

If you're studying intensely, I'd also recommend taking a the week of the actual MCAT off. I find that intense studying can actually make me more nervous and give me performance anxiety. Taking the final week off from studying might help you go into the test fresh and ready.

I've never understood this mentality. If you cram 'til the last minute, you can rely on information in your long-term memory and your short-term memory. I always do much better on a test if I enter the test in the mindframe of the subject--it helps wake up all of the relevant mental machineray, so you don't need to wait for the engine to warm up before you start cranking and firing. It makes you more tired by the end of the day, but I can't imagine remembering all of the random-ass conventions for chemistry for a week or more. I say focus on comprehension of material in the prereq classes, and cram your brain with facts and conventions immediately prior to the test.

 

[jmugele]

I've never understood this mentality. If you cram 'til the last minute, you can rely on information in your long-term memory and your short-term memory. I always do much better on a test if I enter the test in the mindframe of the subject--it helps wake up all of the relevant mental machineray, so you don't need to wait for the engine to warm up before you start cranking and firing. It makes you more tired by the end of the day, but I can't imagine remembering all of the random-ass conventions for chemistry for a week or more. I say focus on comprehension of material in the prereq classes, and cram your brain with facts and conventions immediately prior to the test.

For me, it wasn't a question of keeping things in my short-term or long-term memory (although one week really shouldn't be out of the threshold of short-term). For me it was about managing stress. If I study right up to the minute of the test, I start worrying myself about one last thing I didn't cover, or do I really know a certain formula. Then I go into a test more stressed out. If I can take a test in a more relaxed state of mind, I find I usualy perform better, especially on those sections like VR where you're not relying on past knowledge.

 

[QofQuimica]

I say focus on comprehension of material in the prereq classes, and cram your brain with facts and conventions immediately prior to the test.

This kind of strategy doesn't work for me, either. I actually didn't study at all for the last three weeks before the MCAT. I was feeling tired and burned out at the end of July, and my practice test scores were going down rather than up. So I just stopped studying altogether: no more practice tests, no more review, no more anything.

I guess the most important thing is to know yourself well enough that you know what YOU need to do to get yourself ready mentally and psychologically for the MCAT. No one strategy is going to work for everyone. Some of my students swear by the flash cards that come with their prep class; I never used them even once. I'm just not a huge flash card fan for most things. Some people time themselves religiously after every passage or every few passages; I never timed myself at all. Some people don't annotate their passages, or don't skip around the section; I did. My way of doing things isn't necessarily better or worse than theirs, but it's what worked for me. Overall, I'd recommend that you students studying for the MCAT try several of these strategies (on practice tests, not on the real thing!) and play around a little to figure out what works best for you. Then practice your strategies of choice consistently between now and test day.

Best of luck to all the Aug. test-takers.

 

[faluri]

I really need some advice. I am registered to take the August MCAT and am really feeling discouraged by my progress [or lack thereof]. I am taking the Kaplan course and my first diagnostic was a 9 PS/12V/8BS= 29, which I was told is a pretty decent score for the diag. I have since then read all the EK books and completed the questions and topicals and I have also started the Kaplan course [completing all the scheduled homeworks, assignments, suggested materials, etc as they are assigned]. I have also probably completed about 8 verbal FL from EK/Kaplan and scores range from 8-10.

I took AAMC 5R recently and scored a 29 - 10 PS/9 V/10 BS, I also took 10 R which was a rude awakening. I know there isn't any score conversion but I basically scored inthe very low 20s with a 5-6ish in the PS. Today, I took the Kaplan FL1 and I scored a 9 across all sections. Basically, if you get my drift, I am starting to get worried that I am not at ALL improving and in fact getting worse! I can't seem to figure out what it is I am doing incorrectly - after all practice materials I go over the explanations and understand why I am doing things wrong, etc and I also make notes on important points that I tend to mess up and all of that. I am getting really worried as to whether I should even take the test this August or not - my background is a bit complicated so I don't want to bore you with that but I basically need to get ca. 35 on the actual test. I feel as though it is fairly common that if one works at it [esp for the science sections] a score increase is usually observed -- so my situation seems like an anomaly.

What seems the most confusing to me is that oftentimes I think I am doing well on a particular section or test and am pretty confident in my answers [also, when I need to make an educated guess, I do so and am fairly convinced by the choice I made]- in some ways this is good because then my confidence isn't destroyed after PS-- but then at the end - I end up with the same old scores when I felt as though I did 'better.'

Anyhow, I know this post is long - but to sum up - I am in what seems to be a rut and any advice/words of wisdom would be reallllllly appreciated. Thanks for reading the post if you got this far

 

[jmugele]

I really need some advice. I am registered to take the August MCAT and am really feeling discouraged by my progress [or lack thereof]. I am taking the Kaplan course and my first diagnostic was a 9 PS/12V/8BS= 29, which I was told is a pretty decent score for the diag. I have since then read all the EK books and completed the questions and topicals and I have also started the Kaplan course [completing all the scheduled homeworks, assignments, suggested materials, etc as they are assigned]. I have also probably completed about 8 verbal FL from EK/Kaplan and scores range from 8-10.

I took AAMC 5R recently and scored a 29 - 10 PS/9 V/10 BS, I also took 10 R which was a rude awakening. I know there isn't any score conversion but I basically scored inthe very low 20s with a 5-6ish in the PS. Today, I took the Kaplan FL1 and I scored a 9 across all sections. Basically, if you get my drift, I am starting to get worried that I am not at ALL improving and in fact getting worse! I can't seem to figure out what it is I am doing incorrectly - after all practice materials I go over the explanations and understand why I am doing things wrong, etc and I also make notes on important points that I tend to mess up and all of that. I am getting really worried as to whether I should even take the test this August or not - my background is a bit complicated so I don't want to bore you with that but I basically need to get ca. 35 on the actual test. I feel as though it is fairly common that if one works at it [esp for the science sections] a score increase is usually observed -- so my situation seems like an anomaly.

What seems the most confusing to me is that oftentimes I think I am doing well on a particular section or test and am pretty confident in my answers [also, when I need to make an educated guess, I do so and am fairly convinced by the choice I made]- in some ways this is good because then my confidence isn't destroyed after PS-- but then at the end - I end up with the same old scores when I felt as though I did 'better.'

Anyhow, I know this post is long - but to sum up - I am in what seems to be a rut and any advice/words of wisdom would be reallllllly appreciated. Thanks for reading the post if you got this far

Hey, I hear you. I think a lot of us have felt that way one time or another. I took the Kaplan course last year. I scored a 31 on the initial diagnostic. On their next diagnostic ... I scored a 31. I also charted my progress on all the practice tests (actually charted them with MS Excel). I started showing gradual increase in everything over a period of time. Then, my scores started fluctuating all over the place. My practice scores on the VR actually started a downward trend. It was very frustrating. But, through it all, I actually felt like I was learning a tremendous amount of what I was supposed to know. I actually stopped studying for VR months before the actual test. And in the end, I scored much higher than on my original diagnostic in VR and overall.

So, I don't know if that's any comfort to you. I don't know if you'll actually do better on your MCAT than what you're testing at. But what you should take comfort in is that you're feeling confident in the answers you're choosing and you know that you're actually learning the material. If the scores on the practice tests don't actually come for you, don't sweat it too much. Just keep plugging with your study routine. And, I would recommend, if you start stressing too much about the tests, take a break from them and just read for a while. Or if the whole process is getting to you, stop studying for a day or two.

I hope this helps. For me, in large part, the MCAT was about confidence. Know what you know. If you feel good about the progress you're making, and if you feel like you know the material when you're studying it, I think that's the best state of mind you can have going into the test.

 

[QofQuimica]

My practice test scores also started decreasing toward the end of last summer. In my case, I think it was a severe case of burn-out, and I stopped studying altogether for the last few weeks before the exam. I agree with jmugele that maybe some more downtime would help you. It sounds like you've already completed a pretty grueling review. Also, if you are planning to take more full-length practice tests in the next month before your exam, don't take more than one or two per week, and give yourself at least a day or two off between tests.

Good luck.

 

[stoleyerscrubz]

Did you keep track of problems/passages you got wrong so that you could go over them in the last 2 weeks leading into the MCAT?

 

[jmugele]

Did you keep track of problems/passages you got wrong so that you could go over them in the last 2 weeks leading into the MCAT?

Um, not really. I definitely went over those problems after taking a test. And I would do whatever reading/studying necessary to make sure I understood the correct answer. But I never saved those up. I guess I generalized it more -- I kept track of those topics that I was having trouble with. I would save out flashcards on those topics and make sure I did extra studying on those. Because if you think about it, saving individual problems for later won't do much good, because the chances of you having a very similar problem on the MCAT are slim. But if you know your strengths and weaknesses in terms of subject areas, you can better hone your studying as you approach the D-Day.

 

[faluri]

hey jmugele and Q - thanks for your comments. I suppose I will just keep going as I am and hopefully I will see some improvement - otherwise I will probably test in April. Thanks again!

Also - jmugele - if you don't mind me asking, I was just wondering what you actually ended up getting on test day - just because our situations are somewhat similar I am wondering how it worked out for you. Its all good if you don't want to say your score also - I am guessing it was pretty up there anyhow.

 

[jmugele]

Sent you a PM.

-J

 

[freesolo]

im confused as what to do when reviewing a full length, or any topical for that case, i usually go over them after im done even the ones i got right. Should i be writing a detailed reason for each question i got wrong in a notebook, and go over it maybe?

 

[jmugele]

im confused as what to do when reviewing a full length, or any topical for that case, i usually go over them after im done even the ones i got right. Should i be writing a detailed reason for each question i got wrong in a notebook, and go over it maybe?

I would not revisit the ones I got right. Instead, as I'm taking a test, I'll mark the ones I'm guessing on or unsure of (I wouldn't worry about keeping track of time on a test until late in the studying process). That way, even if I get them right, I can still go study them.

What I liked to do after a test was immediately study each wrong answer or marked answer to better understand it. Then, I would also keep a log of the topics that I was having trouble with and make a point to go study the topic more. It's much more useful to know which subjects you need to study more, than to be able to nail a particular question.

Good luck.

 

[scooter31]

I would not revisit the ones I got right. Instead, as I'm taking a test, I'll mark the ones I'm guessing on or unsure of (I wouldn't worry about keeping track of time on a test until late in the studying process). That way, even if I get them right, I can still go study them.

What I liked to do after a test was immediately study each wrong answer or marked answer to better understand it. Then, I would also keep a log of the topics that I was having trouble with and make a point to go study the topic more. It's much more useful to know which subjects you need to study more, than to be able to nail a particular question.

Good luck.

FWIW, this is my method of studying/going over the practice exams and cementing weaknesses in my study plan/knowledge base...

 

[QofQuimica]

im confused as what to do when reviewing a full length, or any topical for that case, i usually go over them after im done even the ones i got right. Should i be writing a detailed reason for each question i got wrong in a notebook, and go over it maybe?

I would recommend reading over the explanations for all questions, even the ones you got right. The reason for this is that WHY you got the question right matters more than the fact that you got it right. (Let's be honest; we all get multiple choice questions right sometimes out of sheer luck!) While you are studying, you should be concentrating on improving your problem-solving and thinking skills, not on any one particular question or answer. So if you read the explanation and it is along the same lines of what you were thinking while you were taking the test, then you are doing the right thing. On the other hand, if you read the explanation and it is completely different than your own method for arriving at the answer, you should check into whether your method is generally correct or you just happened to luck out that time.

 

[Reno]

Just wondering how long you've been using DMAE and if you knew anywhere reliable to attain it?

Thanks a bunch

A good stay-awake method my sister taught me was strong gum (like Dentyne Ice or such--strong mint or cinnamon gum). Also works well for long drives.

Also, there's a dietary supplement called DMAE (dimethyl amino ethanol) which I heard Dr Perricone talk about in his lecture dealie that he gives during PBS fund raisers. He said that it was used to help ADHD kids once upon a time, and suggested that it helped attention. I used it, and while I didn't perform any manner of controlled study, I'm pleased with the results, so why the hell not give it a try?

 

[rachmoninov3]

I'm finding it hard to increase my speed in the physical sciences section, and have not been able to score above a 10. Any suggestions?

 

[jmugele]

I'm finding it hard to increase my speed in the physical sciences section, and have not been able to score above a 10. Any suggestions?

I think the best thing you can do to increase speed is to know the formulas cold and know when to use them. Also, if you have speed issues on the paragraph sections, then a lot of techniques for the VR will help you here: summarize each paragraph briefly as you read; underline any formulas that are given; etc.

In terms of raising the score, practice, practice, practice. I found it very useful to go to the library and pick up a book of college physics problems and explanations and just work through the whole book. Flashcards of the formulas helped too. And lots of practice tests (I'd ignore other sections if you're doing well on them and just do physics sections).

Good luck.

 

[QofQuimica]

I'm finding it hard to increase my speed in the physical sciences section, and have not been able to score above a 10. Any suggestions?

I'd recommend focusing on relationships among variables. It's important to be aware of how one changes with respect to another, such as direct or indirect relationships, and linearly or exponentially varying? Shrike wrote a very nice post about how to read physics passages quickly that you might want to read over if you haven't already.

 

[QofQuimica]

bumping this thread