Please excuse me, as I am aware that the differences between kaplan full lengths and AAMC tests have been discussed. However, I noticed that on the AAMC test I got 42/52 questions right on the physical sciences and only got scaled at a 10? With the kaplan exams I have gotten 36/52 and scaled at 11. So, I know that the curves vary with difficulty, but does AAMC scale their exams differently/harder? was this just a wicked easy exam? or should 42/52 prob be scaled higher?

Sorry if this is a weird question, it's my first post!:)

Yeah, the Kaplan tests generally have much harder content, so their curves are very generous. I hated that though, because first of all, it gave me a false sense of security, and also it got me in the habit of guessing too much. You're not penalized for guessing wrong as much on the Kaplan tests because of their ridiculous curves. But if you go and do that on an AAMC test, your score tanks. Your score will probably rebound on the next AAMC test you take, because now you're aware of how they work. Mine went up four points from AAMC 3-4.

And the raw score (like 36/52 or whatever) is different for every exam depending on the curve, and the AAMC doesn't give you raw scores back with your real test. But I think on most of the AAMC practice tests a 36/52 is around an 8.

Hey! Yea! I was scoring in the high twenties but I wanted to see my actual score so I took aamc 3 and man! SH**!
It sucked! Really wakes you up! but even though its easier.. It has a harsh curve.. :(
sucks! Hope i can improve to atleast a 30! :(

Thank you very much for that input. You're totally right! Kaplan was guess, guess, guess, and y ou still do pretty well if you're narrowing it down between at least two answers. But AAMC, you really gotta wake up and avoid stupid mistakes.

Ok, so I keep hearing how Kaplan is harder than the AAMCs, but I'm not really seeing it. Especially in the biology section. I missed 15 questions and it was scaled to an 8! Granted, I made about 7-8 stupid mistakes that was likely more due to me doing this at 4 am in the morning than anything else, but still. I actually found it to be harder than the Kaplan stuff. It could also be because I haven't gone through all the biology material yet. But I had no problem scoring ~11 or 12 on the Kaplan bio. I never found it to be that hard. Only 3 and a half weeks to go... :scared:

That is the thing about AAMC. In my opinion, there is a greater likelihood for making stupid mistakes due to the relatively easier nature of the questions. To compound the issue, with easier questions comes a much more harsh curve. We all have to perk up and stay alert on the final section that is bio because the difficulty of the questions is well within our abilities, but it is our endurance which is most likely failing us.

what are some tips to have a smoother score transition from kaplan FL to AAMC? (to avoid having a huge disparity)?
after a few AAMC tests, did your guys scores become similar to what you got on the FLs?