Improving Physical & Biological Science Sections

[BlessedSoul]

I spent most of July and half of August covering the Physics, Chem, and Orgo using TPR books and EK for Biol. But I scored a 8/5/7 on AAMC 10 last week (it was the first test I did the entire summer).

 

So my question is i'm not sure whether I should bother focusing doing all/most of the TPR passage questions or just doing FL's (TPR Tests #1,2,3 & AAMC 3-11) in the remaining 4 weeks I have before the test...what should I do?

[Selstaar]

I spent most of July and half of August covering the Physics, Chem, and Orgo using TPR books and EK for Biol. But I scored a 8/5/7 on AAMC 10 last week (it was the first test I did the entire summer).

 

So my question is i'm not sure whether I should bother focusing doing all/most of the TPR passage questions or just doing FL's (TPR Tests #1,2,3 & AAMC 3-11) in the remaining 4 weeks I have before the test...what should I do?

 

I'd say spend the next two weeks doing practice passages and the two weeks following doing practice tests every other day taking the days in between to work more passages from weak areas.

 

Here's why: I asked my friend (TPR OChem Instructor, Med Student at Duke) pretty much the same questions a while back and here's what he told me:

 

With a score below 8 on any section, you're missing some content knowledge and it would help you to go into the review book to try master some weaker areas.

 

With a score between 8 - 11, what's most important is practice - FSQs, practice passages...as many as you can get your hands on and carefully going over your mistakes. Learn through experience.

 

He said with scores beyond 11, you should really be focusing on doing as many AAMC tests as you can so you really learn how the test is structured and get a feel for the traps they've got set up for you. And, if you've got time/money to blow, some of those Elite 45 books.

 

Anecdotal evidence doesn't do much to support a claim. But on the two TPR tests I took during the course I got 2 5s and one 7...and on the two I took afterwards, 7s. After taking a look at my scores and talking to my friend I realized that content knowledge is mostly what I was missing out on. So I spent the last week and a half doing straight up physics readings and practice problems. I took AAMC 10 two days ago and made an 11 in PS and AAMC 11's PS section this morning and got a 10.

[BlessedSoul]

I'd say spend the next two weeks doing practice passages and the two weeks following doing practice tests every other day taking the days in between to work more passages from weak areas.

 

Here's why: I asked my friend (TPR OChem Instructor, Med Student at Duke) pretty much the same questions a while back and here's what he told me:

 

With a score below 8 on any section, you're missing some content knowledge and it would help you to go into the review book to try master some weaker areas.

 

With a score between 8 - 11, what's most important is practice - FSQs, practice passages...as many as you can get your hands on and carefully going over your mistakes. Learn through experience.

 

He said with scores beyond 11, you should really be focusing on doing as many AAMC tests as you can so you really learn how the test is structured and get a feel for the traps they've got set up for you. And, if you've got time/money to blow, some of those Elite 45 books.

 

Anecdotal evidence doesn't do much to support a claim. But on the two TPR tests I took during the course I got 2 5s and one 7...and on the two I took afterwards, 7s. After taking a look at my scores and talking to my friend I realized that content knowledge is mostly what I was missing out on. So I spent the last week and a half doing straight up physics readings and practice problems. I took AAMC 10 two days ago and made an 11 in PS and AAMC 11's PS section this morning and got a 10.

 

Thank-you so much. I think you are right.

But since I'm low on time, do you think I should practise with the TPR + 1-2 AAMC tests (since I won't have time to do all of them anyways).

Also what material did you use to do the practice problems? (did you use TPR science workbook?)

And wouldn't it be better to do Freestanding questions which test content rather than passage based?

[Selstaar]

Thank-you so much. I think you are right.

But since I'm low on time, do you think I should practise with the TPR + 1-2 AAMC tests (since I won't have time to do all of them anyways).

Also what material did you use to do the practice problems? (did you use TPR science workbook?)

And wouldn't it be better to do Freestanding questions which test content rather than passage based?

 

I read the TPR books. Then I did EK's 1001 practice questions (they're a pain to get through, but they really helped with identifying areas I was having more trouble with). Then I went through the amplifire modules for the TPR course (yet another exercise in masochism - I'd recommend against doing this for the sake of time). And, then I'd do practice passages online or in the science workbook.

 

I think it really depends on your relationship with the subtopic. For example, if you took an A & P course where you spent a month on just cardiac physiology and you've got that ish down, then it wouldn't make much sense to spend 3 hours doing FSQs to "solidify" knowledge you already have when you could be improving skills you have yet to gain through practice passages.

 

And, yeah, word on the street is that AAMCs, while good for establishing baseline scores and estimating ballpark scores, aren't necessarily the best when it comes to representing the difficulty of the actual test.

 

If I were you, I'd work mostly with Princeton since they tell you straight up, our tests are designed to be slightly more difficult than the MCAT exam. The score you get'll be discouraging, but working through some of the science sections on those tests is bound to toughen you up. I'd also throw in some of the later AAMCs if you have the time (take your pick of 7-11?).

[BlessedSoul]

I read the TPR books. Then I did EK's 1001 practice questions (they're a pain to get through, but they really helped with identifying areas I was having more trouble with). Then I went through the amplifire modules for the TPR course (yet another exercise in masochism - I'd recommend against doing this for the sake of time). And, then I'd do practice passages online or in the science workbook.

 

I think it really depends on your relationship with the subtopic. For example, if you took an A & P course where you spent a month on just cardiac physiology and you've got that ish down, then it wouldn't make much sense to spend 3 hours doing FSQs to "solidify" knowledge you already have when you could be improving skills you have yet to gain through practice passages.

 

And, yeah, word on the street is that AAMCs, while good for establishing baseline scores and estimating ballpark scores, aren't necessarily the best when it comes to representing the difficulty of the actual test.

 

If I were you, I'd work mostly with Princeton since they tell you straight up, our tests are designed to be slightly more difficult than the MCAT exam. The score you get'll be discouraging, but working through some of the science sections on those tests is bound to toughen you up. I'd also throw in some of the later AAMCs if you have the time (take your pick of 7-11?).

 

Alright thank-you. But isn't TPR's Amplifier the same thing as the Science Workbook they have? o.O

[Selstaar]

Alright thank-you. But isn't TPR's Amplifier the same thing as the Science Workbook they have? o.O

 

Lo. Yeah, it is. Which I why I'd recommend against doing amplifire. Doing things in the SWB'll save you so much time because you don't have to answer every question right twice before you get to move on. I mostly did it because I know that with paper practice materials I have a tendency to look at the thing I got wrong, go "Oh! I see it now!" and then move on (i.e., not really learning from my mistakes).

 

Best of luck to you in your studies!