this mcat is hard

[beanbeans]

Is anyone else feeling like they are hopeless after recieving their last mcat results? I have taken the MCAT for the second time. Both times, I studied for 4.5 months and devoted 5 days a week, 6 hours a day to my studies. I feel that my ability to score well greatly increased during my last sitting. However, I ended up scoring the exact same (26S). I am just about ready to give up. On the other hand, I know that medicine is the only thing that I want to do. Any suggestions for how I can improve anyone??

[futurepediatric]

Hey, I have no experience w/MCAT yet, but I was going to recommend following SN2ed's mcat schedule because of all of the great testimonials- however I'm guessing you may have already tried it because you've posted there before?

[NeuroPreMed]

There's a lot of factors, I haven't taken it yet so don't hang on what I say.

 

Everyone learns differently, your written is a solid score, so perhaps it's just how you're studying and retaining (or lack thereof) the information.

 

Personally if you've studied one way try totally mixing it up and see if that maybe changes it, or like futureped said, look at the schedule posted and maybe follow that to a T?

[1234]

On the other hand, I know that medicine is the only thing that I want to do.

 

People always say this - but they are wrong. There are likely VERY many things that you would be happy doing, you just haven't opened your mind to them.

 

And what is your undergrad degree in?

 

Secondly, are you weak in all sections? Or are you strong in anything? (Ie. 12+ in any of the sections).

 

There is no perfect study schedule. You study what you are weak in and improve. Simple as that. You either aren't studying in enough depth or you aren't objectively evaluating your knowledge in the given sections well enough.

[Savac]

1234 is exactly right.

 

It doesn't matter how long you study if you aren't using your time appropriately. You need to take a step back and think about why you aren't performing well.

 

For example, just studying theory will be useless if you never practice how to apply it to the types of questions that AAMC likes to ask. In addition, you need to spend way more time on your weak areas than the areas that you already know really well. I know it sucks, and I know you hate studying those sections, but that's how you improve.

 

I'll give you a personal anecdote. I hated fluid dynamics with a burning passion when I was studying for my MCAT. In the earlier phases of my prep, a passage on fluids would almost always lower my PS score to a 10 or maybe even lower. I worked really hard at fluids (and hated every minute of it) and actually turned it into one of my strengths.

 

If you address all of your weaknesses and turn them into strengths, you will be in a much better position to score well on the MCAT. In addition, there is no substitute for actually doing practice problems. You need to learn to think in a different way in order to do well on the MCAT. It's not mindless regurgitation anymore (especially on verbal), so you'll need to almost re-wire your brain.

 

AAMC FLs are literally your best friend. Most people score within a few points of there average score on these tests. I scored within 2 points of my average mark.

[Patrick1234]

Is anyone else feeling like they are hopeless after recieving their last mcat results? I have taken the MCAT for the second time. Both times, I studied for 4.5 months and devoted 5 days a week, 6 hours a day to my studies. I feel that my ability to score well greatly increased during my last sitting. However, I ended up scoring the exact same (26S). I am just about ready to give up. On the other hand, I know that medicine is the only thing that I want to do. Any suggestions for how I can improve anyone??

 

Yea me 2! I took the session with Jack and got lower than my previous verbal score. I got a 14 in biology but a freaking 8 in VR which negates all my applications this cycle.

[souljaboy]

A good written score is not indicative of anything. If you can't get a better score after studying that much, you really need to think about alternatives since it's unlikely you'll spontaneously improve. Apply to places not requiring MCAT or the states which accept lower scores since 26 does not cut it for canadian schools.

[UofTkid]

Exam is unfair PERIOD!

 

PS: I got calculations in my exam which I loved to do during grade 11 and 12, all first year. But I couldn't even try them on actual exam cuz of time restriction and no calculator (I practiced all without calculator but only if I had it during exam, my score on PS could have been lot better). Finished AAMC 9,10 and 11 with 10 mins left every time and 44-48/52 questions correct but actual exam I had to guess for all 2 step calculations. Why does some1 need to guess on something which they know inside out, have done it to the level of perfection and their whole future relies on kinda of guess they make?

 

 

BS: Does n't quite match up with AAMC practice tests ( I have done 1 to 11, that is right). 6 Passages for biology and 1 Orgo passage on my actual. But why do they ask to take Orgo for 1 whole year if all I have to do is think about some crazy a** molecular biology experiment for half of the section.

 

VR: Two passage about ancient Greek heroes from Sparta civilization. What is the relationship between basic sciences in medical curriculum in North America and some ancient greek hero and his way of warfare in 300 BC?

 

WS: Section to be removed and scored an S with 3 weeks of preparation for WS when I studied 4 months for mcat overall just to break a 30 on actual exam?

 

Eventhough I did get the score I wanted 30+ but I still hate the exam.

 

AAMC 3-11 are not the good indicator for actual mcat exam questions or the scores of the writter.

Actual exam is way more stupider. It all depends on the exam day.

Btw I got 31S, first time writer.

[Savac]

The AAMC tests are an excellent indicator of the actual score. The correlation between the AAMC average and the actual score was relatively linear with a decent r^2 value (someone on SDN did the stats). The correlation was certainly better than the tests from any of the prep companies, although those are still very useful for practicing.

 

I pretty much got the exact same score on my real MCAT that I was getting in practice.

 

PS. If it's unfair for you, it's unfair for everyone else. That's the beauty of standardized tests

 

Congrats on the 31S

[silvantes]

Exam is unfair PERIOD!

 

PS: I got calculations in my exam which I loved to do during grade 11 and 12, all first year. But I couldn't even try them on actual exam cuz of time restriction and no calculator (I practiced all without calculator but only if I had it during exam, my score on PS could have been lot better). Finished AAMC 9,10 and 11 with 10 mins left every time and 44-48/52 questions correct but actual exam I had to guess for all 2 step calculations. Why does some1 need to guess on something which they know inside out, have done it to the level of perfection and their whole future relies on kinda of guess they make?

 

 

BS: Does n't quite match up with AAMC practice tests ( I have done 1 to 11, that is right). 6 Passages for biology and 1 Orgo passage on my actual. But why do they ask to take Orgo for 1 whole year if all I have to do is think about some crazy a** molecular biology experiment for half of the section.

 

VR: Two passage about ancient Greek heroes from Sparta civilization. What is the relationship between basic sciences in medical curriculum in North America and some ancient greek hero and his way of warfare in 300 BC?

 

WS: Section to be removed and scored an S with 3 weeks of preparation for WS when I studied 4 months for mcat overall just to break a 30 on actual exam?

 

Eventhough I did get the score I wanted 30+ but I still hate the exam.

 

AAMC 3-11 are not the good indicator for actual mcat exam questions or the scores of the writter.

Actual exam is way more stupider. It all depends on the exam day.

Btw I got 31S, first time writer.

 

You need to make an educated guess but first eliminate answers that you would know to be wrong from numbers or wording. It is a test about thinking ..not about plugging numbers in to get a result. Try some of the prep books.. I found Kaplan useless but PR and EK especially were helpful...also I believe it was EK that went into the whole educated guess rounding numbers thing so it doesn't take so long. Nice score for a first time, you'll do amazing if you work on it..not that you have to retake. It is definitely a wtf sometimes.

[Jaybird]

Exam is unfair PERIOD!

 

PS: I got calculations in my exam which I loved to do during grade 11 and 12, all first year. But I couldn't even try them on actual exam cuz of time restriction and no calculator (I practiced all without calculator but only if I had it during exam, my score on PS could have been lot better).

 

 

You know the whole point of that is to make you think under pressure, right? I spent about a day on MCAT math and blew it away (14 PS). Just do math, it won't kill you, I promise. The only tricky bit is logarithms, and that's easy with one piece of memorization. Every 0.5 converts to a factor of 3 - i.e. 10^0 is 1, 10^0.5 is about 3. 10^1 is 10, 10^1.5 is around 30.

 

The easiest way to improve your PS score is to do your arithmetic. It's what I hate about this newfangled "calculators in class" business - math is easy, and it's not like a kid in grade 5 math has anything more worth learning then his multiplication tables.

[Gametime24]

The AAMC tests are an excellent indicator of the actual score. The correlation between the AAMC average and the actual score was relatively linear with a decent r^2 value (someone on SDN did the stats). The correlation was certainly better than the tests from any of the prep companies, although those are still very useful for practicing.

 

I pretty much got the exact same score on my real MCAT that I was getting in practice.

 

PS. If it's unfair for you, it's unfair for everyone else. That's the beauty of standardized tests

 

Congrats on the 31S

 

Well said!

[eternalkeener]

I too struggled with the MCAT. I have to say that getting below a 30 is an indicator of one or both things (speaking from much experience!!!!!):

 

1)Nerves on test day

 

and/or

 

2) How to really go about gauging your time and therefore HOW you answer the questions.

 

Anyone could know the material down-pat and then totally get screwed on this exam. Trust me, I know.

 

Number one comes with supremely positive self-talk and hey, why not even seeing a school counselor about this issue? It's worth it and will only help you.

 

Number 2 comes with wriiting AAMC tests. Yup, prep companies have not and will not (probably) master the style and scoring scheme of the 'real thing'. The fact that they claim to makes them a lot of money, but students get screwed. There are resources that help by test prep companies, but their tests are way off-base.

 

I hope this is an inspiration for all you below-30 scorers. I seriously thought there was something wrong with me, and then I just started scoring well into the 30's with practice with AAMC's and CONFIDENCE.

 

You CAN do this is you got into university and if that science knowledge is totally solid in your braiin.

 

I hope this has helped at least some of you.

[ziweiwu]

I think the key is figure out an effective approach to the questions that would require us to figure out a quick and clear way to lead to the correct answer that would not require much use of knowledge.

[1234]

The MCAT is a fair exam. Easier than most other standardized entrance exams out there. They made the MCAT experience even easier by making it shorter and more frequent in terms of opportunities to write it. I wrote it when it was written, longer (mine was 12 hours [logistics of having hardcopies], administered twice a year.

 

Other than verbal, it is a very straight forward test. Take physics, chem, orgo in undergrad. If you understand those courses, the those sections are easy 13-15s.

 

No more QQ. If you make your undergrad load too easy and exclude orgo and physics, then you'll have to work that much harder to understand the material which you weren't forced to do as part of a course. The people who do well are often those who had course loads compatible with testable areas in the MCAT. Thus, they had 4-8 months of exposure to physics, 8 months to chem, 8 months to orgo, then the summer to review. People who don't do that probably won't be able to score those 13-15s because it is just too much work for a summer and they won't have the depth of understanding of the material. That lack of understanding will slow you down on the test and make everything more cognitively demanding (and thus, tiring) - which will ultimately impact your score.

[Tacrolimus]

The MCAT is a fair exam. Easier than most other standardized entrance exams out there. They made the MCAT experience even easier by making it shorter and more frequent in terms of opportunities to write it. I wrote it when it was written, longer (mine was 12 hours [logistics of having hardcopies], administered twice a year.

 

Other than verbal, it is a very straight forward test. Take physics, chem, orgo in undergrad. If you understand those courses, the those sections are easy 13-15s.

 

No more QQ. If you make your undergrad load too easy and exclude orgo and physics, then you'll have to work that much harder to understand the material which you weren't forced to do as part of a course. The people who do well are often those who had course loads compatible with testable areas in the MCAT. Thus, they had 4-8 months of exposure to physics, 8 months to chem, 8 months to orgo, then the summer to review. People who don't do that probably won't be able to score those 13-15s because it is just too much work for a summer and they won't have the depth of understanding of the material. That lack of understanding will slow you down on the test and make everything more cognitively demanding (and thus, tiring) - which will ultimately impact your score.

 

That's what I'm hoping for. A year of general chemistry, physics, organic chemistry, physiology and cell biology should (hopefully) help me a lot in preparation for the exam.

[eternalkeener]

Knowledge is great, but as I said before, you can have all that knowledge and then tank the exam. Having practice, confidence and the right approach gets you a lot farther than just knowledge. Anyone who is preparing for this test needs those three things to even dream of getting a decent score.

[1234]

Knowledge is great, but as I said before, you can have all that knowledge and then tank the exam. Having practice, confidence and the right approach gets you a lot farther than just knowledge. Anyone who is preparing for this test needs those three things to even dream of getting a decent score.

 

High level knowledge is a prerequisite for scoring well on the exam. It doesn't matter how confident you are, how well rationalized your approach is. Approach won't do a thing if you have to struggle to reason out every passage. There is no "right approach". The approach for the physics and bio section is, answer the questions right and get through all the passages. It's not magic. Confidence goes hand in hand with exposure to the material and knowledge.

 

All your factors won't be able to get your through a topic you know nothing about. The very realistic goal is to never be put in that positiom. Reading a passage with good background knowledge makes it really easy, which in turn saves cognitive energy for the verbal reasoning. Good luck reasoning your way through the entire test. Next to impossible.

 

And I scored a 39Q (15/10/14 - I cant read QQ lol) with 3 weeks of practice. If you have the knowledge, the test is essentially centered around verbal. The rest of it is meh.

 

If you have poor physics/bio sections, you would most definitely benefit from taking an actual course where you UNDERSTAND the material (and not just memorize segments of it from a review book). If you struggle at verbal, then its a matter of practice (no one really has a solution to this problem - just read, read, read).

[eternalkeener]

I wasn't suggesting you didn't need the knowledge first, lol.

[TheBoss]

High level knowledge is a prerequisite for scoring well on the exam. It doesn't matter how confident you are, how well rationalized your approach is. Approach won't do a thing if you have to struggle to reason out every passage. There is no "right approach". The approach for the physics and bio section is, answer the questions right and get through all the passages. It's not magic. Confidence goes hand in hand with exposure to the material and knowledge.

 

All your factors won't be able to get your through a topic you know nothing about. The very realistic goal is to never be put in that positiom. Reading a passage with good background knowledge makes it really easy, which in turn saves cognitive energy for the verbal reasoning. Good luck reasoning your way through the entire test. Next to impossible.

 

And I scored a 39Q (15/10/14 - I cant read QQ lol) with 3 weeks of practice. If you have the knowledge, the test is essentially centered around verbal. The rest of it is meh.

 

If you have poor physics/bio sections, you would most definitely benefit from taking an actual course where you UNDERSTAND the material (and not just memorize segments of it from a review book). If you struggle at verbal, then its a matter of practice (no one really has a solution to this problem - just read, read, read).

 

I'd say knowledge is necessary but not sufficient. You took the paper exam, which hasn't been offered for a long time. Don't neglect the possibility that the general style of the exam could have changed since you took it.

[froston]

I'd say knowledge is necessary but not sufficient. You took the paper exam, which hasn't been offered for a long time. Don't neglect the possibility that the general style of the exam could have changed since you took it.

 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the AAMC itself stresses now that the MCAT is primarily a test of critical thinking ability, and secondarily a test of content knowledge.

[ziweiwu]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the AAMC itself stresses now that the MCAT is primary a test of critical thinking ability, and secondarily a test of content knowledge.

 

As 1234 emphasis on having a solid base, I also believe being a multiple choice test, there are ways of better approach the questions.

[1234]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the AAMC itself stresses now that the MCAT is primarily a test of critical thinking ability, and secondarily a test of content knowledge.

 

They've ALWAYS said that. Of course there is critical thinking. If you haven't seen the question, there is critical thinking. Yes, it isn't a test of content knowledge - very few tests are.

 

Critical thinking is the utilization of a knowledge base (either previously acquire or acquired in the passage) to solve a problem. Critical thinking is not a distinct entity from knowledge. In fact, fundamental to critical thinking is one's knowledge base.

 

You could probably figure out most of the answers based purely on the passage. The question is, is that how one scores well. Absolutely not. If you think you have the attention and cognitive endurance to do that for most of the test, I can assure you, you will not perform to your highest standards.

 

If one has a comprehensive knowledge base and understands the rather rudimentary first year undergraduate concepts taught in the key subjects, that passage is a quick review and reminder. It is not cognitively demanding. Energy is conserved.

 

If one has a knowledge gap, the passage becomes learning material. It requires A LOT of effort to grasp concepts that one is unfamiliar with. Then, the MCAT asks you to apply it on the spot. Likely, one will have to go back, reread a few of the paragraphs because invariably, people only grasp components of the passage and need further knowledge to answer questions. Energy utilized and time wasted.

 

My assertion is that, if your knowledge is extremely well developed, the passages are mere review and you can conserve your energy for tougher questions, content you have never seen before, verbal reasoning, and the last hour of the exam. Obviously, there are going to be topics you haven't read before - and you will have to spend time on those passages trying to learn and apply simultaneously. The KEY is to limit the number of these passages so you don't burn out after 10 passages. This exam is as much about endurance than anything else.

 

Why do you guys think people struggle so much on verbal reasoning compared to the rest of the MCAT? Its not because they aren't fluent in English. It is because it is so cognitively demanding and requires knowledge acquisition and application for its entire section. After a few passages, cognitive fatigue builds and errors are made.

 

If you want to maximize your potential, you avoid having similar simultaneous knowledge acquisition and application scenarios a much as possible through developing your knowledge so that physics and bio passages are review rather than fresh content.

 

You can deny it all you want. I know this very fact is the key to MCAT success. I've scored well under this premise, everyone I've coach has done 90+ percentile under this premise.

[1234]

I'd say knowledge is necessary but not sufficient. You took the paper exam, which hasn't been offered for a long time. Don't neglect the possibility that the general style of the exam could have changed since you took it.

 

Its been 6 years since it was on paper. Not 60. Things haven't changed drastically other than the fact that it is shorter, offered more often, and you can type your written section. If it was so drastically different, you would have expected a change in the prep approach (which there hasn't been, considered I have tutored Princeton). Additionally, my mentees would have bombed their MCATs - which they haven't.

 

So, yes - I can assure you it hasn't change all that much.

[1234]

As 1234 emphasis on having a solid base, I also believe being a multiple choice test, there are ways of better approach the questions.

 

Good luck using process of elimination for the entire test. You'll have to read every word of the test. Time and fatigue, time and fatigue. While it is useful when you aren't sure - if you do it for most of the exam, you'll be drained. You already have to do it for the entire verbal section. You want to do it more?

 

The best approach is: click on the correct answer lol. Isn't it such a good feel when you know what the right answer is and just pick it, ignoring the rest of the options.