MCAT Re-writes?

[AndyDude]

I am pondering re-writing MCAT this summer.

 

I wrote one back in '06 (paper based). Those who have had experience with both paper and computer based tests: which ones do you prefer? Are there any ups/downs with computer based test?

 

I just find paper much easier to go back and forth as opposed to electronic files, it is unnerving to do it without any experience first hand. And, I really don't wanna spend extra grand-and-a-half on Kaplan again for practice tests.

 

Are they just ordinary computers (i.e. Windows aka freeze, blue screen of death)?

 

Thanks

[rocky222]

I wrote paper back in the day also. I personally preferred the computer actually but that was just me. It's a bit of an adjustment, but the testing experience is vastly improved. No more waiting around for them to hand out papers, collect papers, count papers, etc. The sections are much shorter also and the whole day was about 4-5 hours or so, instead of nearly 10-11 like it was for me during the paper format.

 

In the end, I think your current score and chances for improvement should be the most important considerations in determining if you choose to rewrite, and not any comparisons between the testing formats.

[nutritional_lee]

I took both versions of the MCAT - paper-based in 2004, and computer-based last summer. I strongly preferred the written section on the computer, since almost all of my school essays have been written on the computer (not by pencil on paper), and my written score jumped accordingly (N in 2004, S last summer). My numerical score also jumped, but that's probably just because I studied a lot more; I didn't have any preference for computer or paper for BS, PS or VR sections.

[doc2B]

I also wrote both paper-based and computer-based MCAT. I preferred the computer-based test but I am used to working primarily on computers so I might be biased.

 

They are normal computers, i.e. they can crash, but considering how many people write the MCAT my understanding is that this happens very infrequently.

 

You can write a free computer-based practice test through AAMC and you can purchase some more tests for not too much money, so it'll give you an idea of what the actually test will be like.

 

What I like about the computer-based version over the paper-based version is: you can mark an answer as a guess and when you're done that section there is a function for you to go and actually review just the marked questions, just the unanswered questions or all the questions. This is much better than paper, because with paper you're searching for a little mark you left in the margin and its much easier to miss any unanswered questions. You have to look through the whole test to find the questions you missed or weren't sure about as compared to the computer version that finds these questions for you. I think it definitely saves time.

 

I also like the fact that you're not wasting so much time trying to fill in the little circles. I don't know if its just me and I'm a little OCD about it or something, but I like my circles to be completely filled in and it can take some time. So, if you're a bit slower on a section and you need to make quick guesses for a few answers you have to leave enough time to fill in all those stupid circles. On the computer is a click of the mouse and the circle is perfectly filled in for you.

 

I also liked the writing section on the computer. Most of us are used to typing essays rather than hand writing them. Its easier and faster for most people to type rather than write. Plus if you don't always write in the same order as you would like to have it read, on the computer you can go back and add stuff, delete re-order, etc. On paper it ends up getting rather messy with extra stuff off to the side.

 

The only thing I would say was con for me was that I'm probably a slower reader on a computer screen as compared to paper. I would have thought that this wasn't the case considering how much time a spend reading on computers these days. I try not to print notes and papers out if I don't have to but the difference was noticable to me. After about 9 full-length practice tests I got used to reading MCAT questions on the computer and I didn't have trouble with time on any of the questions on the actual day of the test.

 

I actually wrote the test 3 times. 1st paper-based in August-2005, 2nd computer-based in August-2006 (this was the first time it was offered, when there still was a paper-based option and it still had the same format as the old test, same number of questions, same breaks available, although we didn't have to take them if we didn't want to), the 3rd was computer-based in August-2007 (I had taken the Kaplan course before this one and done all the practice tests mention above).

 

Without changing my study material and without doing a significant amount practice tests, i.e. I think I did 2 full-length tests the 2nd time I wrote my marks stayed exactly the same with the exception of my writing mark which increased by one mark. This tells me that there wasn't a huge difference for me with regards to the computer-based versus paper-based tests. I think the difference came with the amount and the way I studied.

 

I think if you want to re-write the test the fact that it is a computer-based test should not change your decision one way or the other.

 

Good luck.

[AndyDude]

Thank you guys for your responses, especially doc2b for taking the time to elaborate on your answer. Truly appreciate all your help.

 

Alrity, off to cramming for exam in 3 hours.

[Futuremedstudent?]

I also like the fact that you're not wasting so much time trying to fill in the little circles. I don't know if its just me and I'm a little OCD about it or something, but I like my circles to be completely filled in and it can take some time. So, if you're a bit slower on a section and you need to make quick guesses for a few answers you have to leave enough time to fill in all those stupid circles. On the computer is a click of the mouse and the circle is perfectly filled in for you.

 

 

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I love that you are OCD about filling in circles on m/c tests too! Ever since my first m/c exam when the proctor told us that the computer wouldn't read the answer if it wasn't marked well enough I made a point to fill in the circles completely while staying inside the lines. If I have extra time at the end of an exam I make sure my circles are perfect, no point losing a mark because of a crappy fill in job! A TA once commented how they were the most perfectly filled in circles she had ever seen, haha.

[Jochi1543]

You don't need to take Kaplan to gain access to practice tests, there are new short computer-based tests for sale on the AAMC website. Also, save for the newest tests (10 and 11, I believe), other tests are simply shortened versions of old paper tests, converted into a computerized format. So you can just take the free AAMC 3 test to get an idea of what the computer-based test is like, and then just do the old paper tests you still have. That's what I did during my prep.