Slashsev Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 how to get 11...get lucky... the difference between 11-12-13-14 are 1-2 questions apart...if u hit 9-10s the rest is all luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsSnrub Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 how to get 11...get lucky... the difference between 11-12-13-14 are 1-2 questions apart...if u hit 9-10s the rest is all luck This is unfortunately the case, one question can mean the difference between a 10 and an 11. I was getting between 11 and 15 on practice AAMC tests, and got a 12 on the real thing. One simple thing I kept in mind (as taught by Kaplan), if an answer has an absolute word in it, it's probably wrong. By absolute, I mean things like 'always', 'never', 'best', 'worst'...unless that is explicitly stated in the passage, it's probably wrong. Other than that, I tried to sort of 'read aloud' by mouthing the words (very quickly!) as I read. This helped me stay focussed on what I was reading instead of just skimming. Also, focus on author's opinion words, these will give you hints as to what he is trying to convey as the main message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That's_Life Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 Plan it out. Don't skip the "hard passage" skip the one passage that only has 4 or 5 questions. Don't skip any passages if you aim to score >11. There is sufficient time to finish all of the questions. Sometimes too much practice can be detrimental if it creates rigid patterns of expectation. Don't try to "figure out" the right answer - always defer to your gut instinct. Your brain can be incredibly powerful when it comes to synthesizing new material with instinct... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That's_Life Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 P.S. Enjoy the readings! The VR section is the least boring mcat section because it offers many opportunities for learning something new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erk Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 I disagree that luck has anything to do with VR, and I don't really understand the voodoo associated with it: it is just another test section, and all this 'luck' stuff makes it seem harder to learn than it is. I got a 13, and consistently scored in the 12-14 range in my last couple practice exams; I started out with a 10 score base on my first trial, so practice definitely helps. It's really hard to offer advice without knowing why someone has troubles with this section, because it can be quite qualitative, but I have a bit I can suggest. 1) practice reading short passages quickly. Make sure you can (a) read the whole thing and understand it, and ( scan it for keywords and pick them up at a glance. We're talking one page, so it shouldn't be hard to see the word "pottery" in a question and know exactly where to look in the passage for where they were discussing ceramics. 2) understand your own learning technique. I know that I remember words better if I hear them out loud while reading them, so I practiced reading while lip synching along (obviously couldn't read aloud at the exam). Did I look stupid? Sure. Did it help? Proof's in the pudding, I think. Also, I did what examkrackers suggested and sat up straight and true and looked at the passage like I was about to attack it. That didn't seem to help as much but it didn't hurt. Practice reading short passages in different situations with different reading methods and see what makes you memorise them fastest. 3) Calm down. EK suggests closing your eyes and counting down for five seconds before each section. This did seem to be really good. I also used this any time I found myself twisting up over a section, or thinking about anything else during the section. I did it during practice, and by the time I got to the MCAT I just had to close my eyes and take a breath and I'd be back on track. 4) Above all else, don't fear the section. VR (and the rest of the mcat) can smell your fear. More than anything the MCAT is a test of your response to stressful situations, and the VR most of all. Remember, all you are being asked to do is read a short essay and answer a half-dozen simple questions and around two moderately difficult questions to show you understood it. Calm down, read well, and answer with a clear head. You should do fine. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That's_Life Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 I disagree that luck has anything to do with VR, and I don't really understand the voodoo associated with it: it is just another test section, and all this 'luck' stuff makes it seem harder to learn than it is. I got a 13, and consistently scored in the 12-14 range in my last couple practice exams; I started out with a 10 score base on my first trial, so practice definitely helps. It's really hard to offer advice without knowing why someone has troubles with this section, because it can be quite qualitative, but I have a bit I can suggest. 1) practice reading short passages quickly. Make sure you can (a) read the whole thing and understand it, and ( scan it for keywords and pick them up at a glance. We're talking one page, so it shouldn't be hard to see the word "pottery" in a question and know exactly where to look in the passage for where they were discussing ceramics. 2) understand your own learning technique. I know that I remember words better if I hear them out loud while reading them, so I practiced reading while lip synching along (obviously couldn't read aloud at the exam). Did I look stupid? Sure. Did it help? Proof's in the pudding, I think. Also, I did what examkrackers suggested and sat up straight and true and looked at the passage like I was about to attack it. That didn't seem to help as much but it didn't hurt. Practice reading short passages in different situations with different reading methods and see what makes you memorise them fastest. 3) Calm down. EK suggests closing your eyes and counting down for five seconds before each section. This did seem to be really good. I also used this any time I found myself twisting up over a section, or thinking about anything else during the section. I did it during practice, and by the time I got to the MCAT I just had to close my eyes and take a breath and I'd be back on track. 4) Above all else, don't fear the section. VR (and the rest of the mcat) can smell your fear. More than anything the MCAT is a test of your response to stressful situations, and the VR most of all. Remember, all you are being asked to do is read a short essay and answer a half-dozen simple questions and around two moderately difficult questions to show you understood it. Calm down, read well, and answer with a clear head. You should do fine. Cheers This is great advice, Erk. And I agree, luck doesn't really have much to do with it. Most of the time, you can just feel when the answer is correct. I suppose looking for key words may come in handy, but I never used that technique because I read each passage and question once only - never revisited anything. The best advice advice by far, though, is the five-second countdown you mentioned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der Kaiser Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Hadn't checked out this thread in a while. Thanks for all the advice. Looks like I am definitely rewriting, so I will keep these things in mind. Definitely going to practice and remain confident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.