AAMC Practice Tests

[Guest BCgirl]

Hi,

I'm in the process of amassing MCAT study materials for the summer (and what a fun summer it will be 8o ). I was thinking of getting the AAMC practice tests IV and V... but do you think I should also get I, II, and III? Those ones are pretty old, so I was wondering if they're still good for practice.

Thanks!

[Guest Ian Wong]

I haven't seen anything about the MCAT in the last little while (ha ha! ), so I decided to check in on the AAMC (American Association of Medical Colleges) website for some extra information. This is the organization that administers the MCAT, and also serves for medical school applications to the States. BTW, the link there is:

www.aamc.org

 

 

There's a new shopping list for the MCAT practice materials, and the link there is:

pnet400.aamc.org/AAMC_STORE/catalog.cfm

 

 

In an attempt to make even more money, the guys at the AAMC have released a web-based practice MCAT, available for $40. You can find a link to it here:

www.aamc.org/students/mcat/practicetests.htm

 

 

My personal opinion (and in our class, I'm known as the guy who buys everything, so consider that bias), is that the MCAT is something you only want to write once, and therefore you want to make the best of this opportunity this summer. If you have set aside the time in your study schedule, and know that you will have have the time to write these full-length tests and then study from your mistakes to correct your weaknesses, then I think you should definitely buy these books.

 

The financial aspect of the MCAT is peanuts compared to the time investment you are putting in. Money can always be earned later, but time cannot. If you need to re-write the MCAT next summer because you didn't adequately prepare for it the first time, you are losing all the potential opportunities of that second summer. While you are studying for a re-write of your MCAT, other premed students will be doing research jobs, getting quality volunteering experience, or travelling the world, all of which are beneficial to your application.

 

I've said before that I think the AAMC exams are the most representative examples of what your real MCAT will be. If I've scared you a bit above by how seriously you should take the MCAT, getting these materials will show you the other side of the coin. The more familiar you become with the test conditions, the depth of knowledge required to answer the questions, and the amount of mental stamina you'll need to finish the end of the MCAT strongly, the better you'll do. The practice exams will help you achieve those things, and make the MCAT most less intimidating. So, if you have the time to use the exams properly, I'd buy them all.

 

If you need to save costs, I'd recommend getting a few premed friends together and chipping in on a package deal. Then, head over to the Copy place on your campus and duplicate everything. Saves a bundle, and you'll probably be doing lots more of that in undergrad/med school, so you might as well get used to it.

 

Ian

UBC, MS2

[Guest eric]

Does anyone know of an internet site that provides"ideal" answers for the essay questions?

[Guest Ian Wong]

I don't think so. It's unlikely that anyone would put together such a thing, considering that the MCAT essay topics change constantly. I do remember that the Gold Standard, as part of the answers for its sample exams, had a few essay answers to its essay questions.

 

The bottom line for these essays is that you answer all parts of the questions, and you do so in as coherent and concise a form as possible.

 

Ian

UBC, Med 3

[Guest YongQ]

BCgirl, all five AAMC practice tests and the practice items are on my shortlist of must-haves for the MCAT. After taking I-IV and comparing them to the real MCAT, Kaplan stuff, Barron's, and the Silver Standard tests (hm or was it Gold?), I found that the AAMC was the real deal, while the others should only be used as a supplement at best.

 

To the other poster, the writing sample portion isn't the kind of thing they publish answers for - the best advice I can give you is to do what Ian says. Reading a lot of political material (editorials and such) helps too. Another thing I found helpful in the MCAT is to read up a bit on general history if you have time. This by all means isn't a must, but I found it helped me for the sole purpose of providing good, recognizable examples to contrast with the ones I had from my own experiences. Actually, you'll find that if your knowledge of some famous British/American historical events and political jargon is good, you'll be able to pick up some VR passages quickly.

 

YONGQ

[Guest BCgirl]

I have the AAMC tests 1-4, but I don't have 5. Do you think I should try to get test 5 or will the first 4 be okay?

 

Thanks

[Guest N]

AAMC V is the most recently released practice MCAT, which means that it is also the most representative of the current MCAT... I'd go ahead and get it

[Guest bibs74]

Not to be anal or anything and I'm sure that this is understood, but when you do the practice AAMC MCATs write them as though you are writing the real MCAT (no distractions, start early in the morning with Verbal, take the alotted break, and so on). I found that it was much harder writing the Verbal section at 8:30 am then it was at 1:00 pm.

[Guest YongQ]

Haha no kidding, Bibs74! I hate how they make you write the HARDEST section of the MCAT first thing in the morning. >: You know what their reasoning is? They think people are thinking the clearest first thing in the morning, and by the time afternoon rolls by you're actually too tired to do something that rigorous! I can vouch for everyone I know who studied for the MCAT, after lunch is when you should be doing that stuff, as PS and BS are almost mechanical in nature when you've prepared for them, and they can be done at any time. OK that ends this short rant. :/

[Guest BCgirl]

Does anyone have a copy of AAMC V that they would like to get rid of? $40 US is a lot to pay for one test, so would anyone be willing to sell it for less?

 

Thanks