Harder to get 10+ in VR or R+ in Writing?

[lostintime]

Out of curiosity, what do you think it harder to get... a 10+ in VR or R+ in Writing? I've written twice, and maybe it really depends on individual strengths, but I had to battle long and hard for that 10 in VR, but the R+ wasn't so bad I thought if you got the format down properly.

 

I found it really hard to improve verbal, whereas writing, if you practice a lot, you DO improve. Okay, I suppose you improve too with verbal, but it still scars me with horrible memories trying to improve my score unsuccessfully and using all these quarky methods to try and "get into the author's head" whereas writing you just practice w/ prompts.

[Kuantum]

I'd say...it depends on the person. Each person has their own skills and statistically, it would seem getting an R is harder than a 10, but in reality, it maybe that way for some, but total opposite for others. However, I do think, those who are really good at WS will probably get S/T more consistently than a person really good at VR consistently getting 14/15...if you know what I mean.

[Jochi1543]

Yeah, I agree with Kuantum. After all, R+ is really more like 11 or 12+, too.

[Hun]

Just my opinion, but the Writing Sample can be improved on fairly easily. The essays they require you to write are formulaic, and a lot of mark improvement can come from improving general essay structure and using stronger examples. That said, getting above a Q is a challenge for a lot of people.

 

In Verbal, people hit the "you have it or you don't" mark earlier, and improvement is more difficult to achieve. While I have seen quite a number of people jump from a ~N to ~Q in a second MCAT writing, I don't think I have ever seen someone jump from ~7 to 10+ in Verbal.

 

But I do agree with Kuantum and Jochi in that it depends on the person.

[webshy]

Just my opinion, but the Writing Sample can be improved on fairly easily. The essays they require you to write are formulaic, and a lot of mark improvement can come from improving general essay structure and using stronger examples. That said, getting above a Q is a challenge for a lot of people.

 

In Verbal, people hit the "you have it or you don't" mark earlier, and improvement is more difficult to achieve. While I have seen quite a number of people jump from a ~N to ~Q in a second MCAT writing, I don't think I have ever seen someone jump from ~7 to 10+ in Verbal.

 

I agree that it is easier (and more predictable) to do better on the WS rather than the VR section of the MCAT. I worked long and hard to get a 10 on VR, but found my R rather easy. Also, I don't think the strength of examples is that important - more how well you explain and related them to your thesis and anti-thesis. I've used some pretty poor examples, and got an R both of the last two times I wrote the MCAT. For example, I compared the Pope to Cretien (and I spelled his name wrong throughout!).

 

Elaine

[avenir001]

I agree that it is easier (and more predictable) to do better on the WS rather than the VR section of the MCAT. I worked long and hard to get a 10 on VR, but found my R rather easy. Also, I don't think the strength of examples is that important - more how well you explain and related them to your thesis and anti-thesis. I've used some pretty poor examples, and got an R both of the last two times I wrote the MCAT. For example, I compared the Pope to Cretien (and I spelled his name wrong throughout!).

Elaine

 

ahahahahhaa...thanks for sharing that.

also, we should be thankful that americans are marking these essays.

[Orchid]

If you're good at writing, the R.

 

if you don't read often or are not a critical reader, the 10+ is much more challenging.

[MedPen]

I've never understood why people find VR so difficult. It seems like the easiest section to me, one on which I consistently score 14.

 

Can someone explain why people seem to have such a hard time with it?

[Dr.Cave]

I've never understood why people find VR so difficult. It seems like the easiest section to me, one on which I consistently score 14.

 

Can someone explain why people seem to have such a hard time with it?

 

 

Bwahahaha:D You must be joking. I give you a 2/10 for empathy.....

[mrsweasley]

I'd say VR is the easiest section for me too. I mean, I got 11 on the real one (no 14s here lol) but I consistently got over 10 on the practices, whereas with writing I got anywhere from O to S. Writing is very hit or miss, depending on the prompts. If you get a prompt you know absolutely nothing about, you're screwed. On VR you rely on your reading comprehension skill set, the questions are always the same type anyways. VR is just a mind game you have to get your head around and once you do you're golden.

[Alastriss]

If you are good at coming up with insightful arguments and then resolving them..then I say the R. Kaplan's formula + reading the economist or a philosphical critique (Mcintyre is my top) to pick up a few esthetic linguist fragments = the formula for R

[lostintime]

But even if you don't know about a topic, you can make up hypothetical examples. I was fine with hypothetical examples...you don't need to know sooooo much about current events, etc. It's not a trivia contest, you're trying to build a strong argument and whether it's factual or not doesn't make that much of a difference. (Of course you don't want to write a whole essay on how purple the grass is..it'll make the grader very uncomfortable haha).

[Guest begaster]

You got an S based on hypotheticals? We were always told to avoid those like the plague.

[lostintime]

Did you take Princeton? I heard they say that...Well the way I see it, if you really can't think of something and you're just trying really hard to use a real event that doesn't fit into the prompt, the you're better off with hypothetical. If you know a very relevant real example, of course, better to use the real example. But don't try to "force" your memorized examples into a prompt when it doesn't belong.

 

Or maybe I got lucky, who knows.

[Orchid]

If you get a prompt you know absolutely nothing about, you're screwed. On VR you rely on your reading comprehension skill set, the questions are always the same type anyways.

 

fair enough. but in medicine, you will get patients that you know nothing about... sucks if you're screwed then. patients wont be consistent or always the same type like good ol verbal.

 

random aside: if you understand the concept of WS, you can make up examples even if its a crap prompt, write well, and still secure a Q very easily. it's when people don't follow instructions and don't write well that issues come up.

[MedPen]

Bwahahaha:D You must be joking. I give you a 2/10 for empathy.....

 

No, actually I'm very serious. Before reading on these forums how people find the VR section hard, I always thought it was sort of a "free points" kind of section.

 

Seriously, why is VR perceived to be so hard?

[Guest begaster]

Some people find it difficult, others do not. I'm really not sure what your question is. Some people spend a lot of time reading, others do not. Some are better at comprehending and processing material on the fly, others are not. It's like a biologist asking why someone found the BioSci sections hard. Though, honestly, it just seems like you're trying to pat yourself on the back.

[Jochi1543]

You got an S based on hypotheticals? We were always told to avoid those like the plague.

 

I got a T based on hypotheticals.

[Guest begaster]

The Princeton Review lied to me.

[MedPen]

Though, honestly, it just seems like you're trying to pat yourself on the back.

 

No, it's more like me trying to make myself feel better after the 8's I keep getting in the physics part...

 

And, also, I'm always curious about others' perspectives on things. I find it important to understand why people perceive something the way they do. An answer such as "It's hard" never satisfies me. I always want to know why.

[Dr.Cave]

reading well is a skill, like playing basketball, whereas the Phys and Bio sections are based on knowledge and understanding or principles. I think its easier to quickly improve knowledge and gain understanding than to develop a skill. Like basketball, some people are going to be naturals and do well, some will practice their whole lives and do well, and some just won't improve beyond a certain level no matter how hard they work. Surely though, you must have known already that different people have different abilities. I'm still flabbergasted that you didn't grasp that concept - perhaps you haven't studied evolution?

[sbrugby]

I think this is really person dependent... for me WS is definitely way easier though.

 

I do think though that the whole "writing sample is too subjective" is way way over-exaggerated. The writing sample is very formulaic, and if you work hard at it, you'll generally be able to write at the same level for almost any prompt. I took Princeton Review. I kept getting T's on any practice test I wrote, and I got a T on the real thing. Just my opinion though.

[eraserad]

In Verbal, people hit the "you have it or you don't" mark earlier, and improvement is more difficult to achieve. While I have seen quite a number of people jump from a ~N to ~Q in a second MCAT writing, I don't think I have ever seen someone jump from ~7 to 10+ in Verbal.

 

 

I went from 7 to 11 in Verbal with no extra studying at all. Since failing at MCAT last year I heavily concentrated on science and I did almost close to nothing for my verbal. My science saw no improvement, in fact I dropped 1 point in Bio but my Verbal shot up to 11.

[Guest begaster]

Welcome to the lack of reliability called the MCAT CBT.

[sbrugby]

I do think it is possible to consistently score high in Verbal. But if you're not someone who reads a lot, and deals with a lot of those types of passages regularly, you'd have to put a lot more work into breaking the section down systematically, analyzing question types on your own, etc. etc.

 

It's doable, but you'd have to be very diligent with it, and obv very smart to be able to do this at a 13+ level without the background.