Compared to GRE

[Guest Yevgenydorn]

How does the MCAT verbal section and writing sample compare to a test like the GRE? Has anyone taken both who could compare them for me? Or does anyone who hasn't written both happen to know how they compare? Many thanks for your help!

Yev

[Guest steak]

Hey Yev,

Sorry - can't say specifically how it compares to the GRE - haven't written either (MCAT in April).

 

I have, however, written both the GMAT and the LSAT. Both the written essay and verbal comprehension sections on those tests were virtually indistinguishable. While there will be some significant content changes with the PS & BS sections, I expect that the other two will be largely similar to the LSAT & GMAT, and by extension, most likely to the GRE as well..

 

Hope this helps!

 

Steak

[Guest Yevgenydorn]

Thanks Steak,

I guess they are probably pretty similar.

Yev

[Guest studentz]

Hi,

 

I wrote both (GRE this Jan., MCAT last August).

 

There are a few major differences. The GRE is entirely done on computer, first of all. You must enter a response to a question before going on and once you do, you cannot go back. This is because the test adjusts to you, in that if you get a question right, your next one will be harder and so on. Obviously, since it's on computer, you cannot mark up the passages (I think there was a highlight function though).

 

There are a variety of question types, such as analogies, antonyms, completing sentences/phrases and passage questions. The order and the exact number of each type on anyone's test is variable. For the first set, vocabulary is the key: if yours isn't too strong, you're in trouble. In that case it's probably good to spend a few months learning prefixes, suffixes, and roots in addition to new words. As far as the passages are concerned, I found them to be easier than the ones on the past MCAT.

 

The writing section is different. On one, you have have to present your perspective on an issue. I found the topic I was given to be harder than the two I got on the MCAT (something like "The value of a civilization should be assessed on the basis of its artistic accomplishments as opposed to its scientific ones"). The second task is to analyze an arguement, which typically appears as an editorial in a newspaper advocating some course of action on the basis of shady evidence. If you're logical, this is a piece of cake. Your responses are word-processed, which means that if you can type, you have an advantage. There is also a handy cut-and-paste function too. The marking isn't that hard; I had a very strong second writing section but was cutoff finishing the last sentence of my first, yet I received a score of 6 (the max on the section).

 

In the end, I don't think it's as hard to get a verbal score on the GRE as it is on the MCAT (in terms of percentile ranking). One thing you should know is that you can take the GRE whenever you like, pretty much any day of the year.

 

The best thing to do is to go to the ETS website and download the (free) PowerPrep software and PDF files. You don't really need to purchase outside prep materials, though Kaplan's GRE verbal book was pretty good.

 

Hope it helps.

[Guest Yevgenydorn]

Thanks Studentz- that was helpful. I didn't phrase my original question very well though, I've actually written the GRE and was wondering more about the MCAT's verbal section.

But thanks a lot for your answer.

Yev

[Guest Lactic Folly]

You may or may not have looked at it already, but www.aamc.org/students/mcat/ has sample passages and questions for the MCAT.

[Guest studentz]

Well, if you wrote the GRE, the entire VR section is basically identical to the passage based GRE Q's, except with different, and (to me) harder, topics & questions. I found that for the GRE, I could read the questions, then skim the passage for the answers. When I wrote the MCAT, there were a few passages (turtle shell evolution anyone?) that required taking into account miniscule detail from the whole passage. The time constraints are a bit more severe on the MCAT too. But, the MCAT is written, so you can underline til you drop, which may help. At the end of the day, it's harder to get a very high percentile rank in the VR section of the MCAT than the Verbal section of the GRE.

 

The two written sections are similar to the first GRE writing component, but there are 3 specific tasks you have to accomplish in the MCAT, you can't just "present you views."