The "Should I retake? What do my scores mean? Are my scores any good?" Thread

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Nevermind.

got a 56 composite
but I got a 32 on the chemistry and a 40 on the verbal ability. I thought the verbal ability was gonna be life saver. the weird part is my highest score is my math which i thought i was get less than a 30.

For the people that did well on the chemitry and verbal ability can you list what books you used to study for the PCAT.

Here are the books I used:
Kaplan PCAT
Chemistry for dummies
AP Chemistry Cliffnotes
3 pearson tests (the comprehension and biology helped me here imo)


I know that Dr Collins seems to be helping people but i dont have time and money for that. (planning to go to study at barnes & nobles after ppl mention what books they used).

Originally Posted by BH07

got a 56 composite
but I got a 32 on the chemistry and a 40 on the verbal ability. I thought the verbal ability was gonna be life saver. the weird part is my highest score is my math which i thought i was get less than a 30.

For the people that did well on the chemitry and verbal ability can you list what books you used to study for the PCAT.

Here are the books I used:
Kaplan PCAT
Chemistry for dummies
AP Chemistry Cliffnotes
3 pearson tests (the comprehension and biology helped me here imo)

I know that Dr Collins seems to be helping people but i dont have time and money for that. (planning to go to study at barnes & nobles after ppl mention what books they used).

I really liked the McGraw Hill for chemistry (But it was my worst subject, odd how that works huh) and studied a ton of chem with my old textbooks as well.

I thought I was going to get a great score on verbal ability as well, but no dice. I didn't really study for it except for the sections in Kaplan and McGraw-Hill and Barrons. Barrons isn't too good, by the way.

But October gives you another chance, so keep your spirits up. The test can be quite fickle, so you never know how it will turn out.

.

Woohoo! Got my PCAT scores back today (of course they come back the last day of the 6th week)! Here are my results:

Writing: Conventions/Solving
3 / 3 (Mean: 2.87/2.88)

Verbal: 58
Biology: 84
Reading: 52
Quant: 74
Chem: 93
Composite: 80

The composite seems okay to me but I'm a little disappointed with my verbal and reading scores. The major school that I'm applying to has an average composite of ~75 and a minimum of 50 in quant, chem, bio and 25 in reading, verbal. Should I bother retaking this with regards to my other information below? (I have read the intro post to this thread as well as many other posts but I would just like some extra advice please ).

GPA: 3.90
Have my 'CPhT' certificate
2.5 years hospital pharmacy experience
100+ pharmacy volunteer hours
(Know people on the adcom )

Verbal: 99
Biology: 94
Reading Comp: 76
Quant: 61
Chem: 68

Writing 3/3

Composite: 90

would you recommend a re-take? the quant and chem are pretty bad but just on that borderline to where i don't know if it's worth it.

Well, I got

Verbal: 50
Biology: 94
Reading: 20
Quantitative: 82
Chemistry: 95
Composite: 80
Writing: 3/3

GPA: 3.9

What do you guys think? is my pcat score decent enough for pharmacy schools?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW! THANKS!

how do guys study for verbal??? (can't seem to memorize word meanings)
any strategy for reading??? (NO time to read the whole passage)

i scored merely verbal ~ 32% & reading ~ 25% on pcat (August 2010)

come on 90s% how is it even possible??? am I the only dumb here!

Originally Posted by Ngowl08

Well, I got

Verbal: 50
Biology: 94
Reading: 20
Quantitative: 82
Chemistry: 95
Composite: 80
Writing: 3/3

GPA: 3.9

What do you guys think? is my pcat score decent enough for pharmacy schools?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW! THANKS!

U R GOOD 2 GO (my friend got in this year with composite score of 60 with 25 verbal & 30 reading)

I received my scores in the mail today. This is my first time taking it. Are these competitive. I have a 3.72 GPA. I will take it again in October. I also have a lot of leadership involvement and such. Also I did WAY WORSE IN READING THAN I THOUGHt. I THOUGHt Reading was so easy Anyone else agree?

Chemistry 88%
Math 70%
Reading 29%
Biology 56%
Verbal 36%
Composite 60%

Writing 3.0

I just got my scores back today and I was hoping someone might have some insight into whether or not my scores are competitive enough or if I need to retake it.

Writing: 3.5/3.0

Verbal: 73
Biology: 80
Reading: 94
Quantitative: 24
Chemistry: 72

Composite: 76

And my GPA is 3.6, which I know is not high but I am hoping it is high enough to get me in somewhere. Any input is greatly appreciated!

Yeah. Me too. I took the test and I really thought. I made at least 70 in reading. I got a 45...really disappointed

Originally Posted by rawinstinct

u r good 2 go (my friend got in this year with composite score of 60 with 25 verbal & 30 reading)

thank you!

Hi everyone,
I am a pre-pharm student. I took the PCAT this august 2010. Here are my scores -
Verbal - 36 %ile
Biology - 91 %ile
Reading Comprehension - 45 %ile
Quantitative Ability - 45 %ile
Chemistry - 93 %ile
Composite - 73 %ile

Convention - 3
Problem Solving - 3

My question is should I apply to Pharmacy Schools with these scores? I am currently applying to schools in california that don't require the PCAT. If I do decide to include these PCAT scores in my PharmCAS application, they will be disclosed to all schools, even school in California that don't require PCAT. I don't want these score to hurt me and make me less competent candidate. Please Help!!! what should I do?
I have a solid acadmic background,
GPA overall and Science - 3.9
Have awards in biological sciences and UC Regent's
And also have volunteer experience in a community pharmacy. And of course also have community service experience.

If I was you I would go for it. But I live in NY so I know nothing about California schools.

My first PCAT scores look very similar to yours and I even had a 60 composite. I got two early interviews before my second scores were even released.

hey guys,
i just got my pcat score and they are:
verbal: 58
bio: 96
reading: 29 (..seriously?)
quant: 91
chem: 81
composite : 82

writing: 3/3

I was really disappointed at my verbal and reading score. I thought I did really well on reading. I guess not.. It went down so much from the last pcat score.
I have a bachelor's degree in chemistry but not really a good GPA. Though, I have few work experiences and I'm working at a pharmacy. Should I retake the pcat? If I'm retaking it, I have to take the one on october which is only 3 weeks away. Do you think studying for 3 weeks will possibly make any positive changes? Please give me advice!

73 is competitive, especially with your GPA, you have nothing to worry about. Disclosing your PCAT might even help you imo. I got two early interview invites with a 60 composite before my new PCAT scores were even released.

I have a question, can composit scaled score 377 be 8 percentile rank???? if 400 is about 50s, how 377SS be 8PR?????
Thanks

Hi guys:
Just got my Aug PCAT scores back... ( cried for like a night)
it's bad.....

Chem: 71
bio:61
Quant 88
verbal 24
Reading: 13 WTF
comp: 51

I know with this score can got me no where.....
I am a ESL ,and this is my first time taken it.... so please guys give me some ideas or anything on how to improve my poor reading and verbal section in a short amount of time ( I am going to take the Oct one )
Please please please HELP ME......
I would really appreciate it
Thanks

It happens and don't beat yourself up about it. There are lots of people who do poorly on their first PCAT. You are not the exception. You just have to put your emotions aside and focus on the big picture. If going to Pharmacy school is what you want, then that means you have to try even harder to raise your score for the next test in 3 weeks.

What studying material are you currently using? I recommend using Learning Express 501 sentence completion and 501 word analogies. You can find that on amazon.com. Here's the link to download 501 word analogies for free that I found surfing the internet. Just click on the click here to download link on that page. http://www.mediafire.com/?zzjuwmqj2w2

As for the reading comprehension, it's usually an acquired skill if you read a lot but it can be learned especially on standardized testing. Try using Learning Express Reading Comprehension, MCAT 101 Verbal Reasoning (however, it may be more difficult than the subjects on PCAT, it should help you with analyzing passages).

If there is anything else I can help you with, please pm me. Goodluck to you! Stay positive. You can do anything you set your mind to and believe that.

I found the link for 501 critical reading questions. Just download. http://www.4shared.com/account/file/...Questions.html

I have a bachelors in chem and naturally that section of the test inflated my scores. The rest of my scores average out to 78.75. I'm worried adcoms will disregard my chem score because of all my education it's pretty much a given. Should I care or am I just worrying because I'm a worrywart?

Can someone evaluate my scores? 1st time taker.

Verbal: 71
Biology: 96
Reading Comprheension 77
Quantitative 74
Chemistry 96

Composite 92
Writing 3.0/3.0

Nevermind.

20 characters

have a 4.0 gpa, am wondering if i should retake?

verbal 69
bio 71
chm 69
read 81
math 69
composite 73

Originally Posted by shimme

Ah, I don't know what to do

I got a 79 composite
Verbal - 81
Reading - 40 wtf seriously..I thought it was the easiest -_-
Chem - 81
Math - 85
Bio - 66
Writing 3.5/3

Should I retake???
This reading score ...aish...

With the exception of reading and a bit your bio, your scores are still quite good.

I know that most average PCAT scores are around 75-77%, so you are still a little above or right around average in the worst scenario for most colleges. Cheer up, 79 is by no means bad it's just falls right in the 'middle' spot which can be kind of awkward sometimes. I would suggest taking it again and try to get better on reading by using study guides (ACT/SAT guides could also come in handy) to get the tricky 'what is the voice...' questions.

Good luck, but still keep your head up it seems like everyone has at least one somewhat bad score but your composite is still right where it should be.

Originally Posted by runner2015

have a 4.0 gpa, am wondering if i should retake?

verbal 69
bio 71
chm 69
read 81
math 69
composite 73

Well my first instinct is 'yes' since your composite is just around average and a few of your scores are below 'good' (70-80 is generlly good in my book and 90+ is very good).

So honestly your scores are quite 'average' (not a bad thing at all though) but if you feel you could do better or are unhappy with your scores I could recommend taking it again.

My composite was better than I expected, but I'm very upset about the Quantitative and Chemistry scores, especially since I have a overall GPA of 2.85

Verbal: 89
Biology: 96
Reading: 91
Quantitative: 50
Chemistry: 64
Writing: 3/3

Composite: 87

I already know I'm going to retake in Oct, but I wanna know what my chances are of getting into pharmacy with my 2.85 GPA, less than 1 year pharmacy experience, B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, and currently retaking pre-reqs at a CUNY school.

Originally Posted by lizp

My composite was better than I expected, but I'm very upset about the Quantitative and Chemistry scores, especially since I have a overall GPA of 2.85

Verbal: 89
Biology: 96
Reading: 91
Quantitative: 50
Chemistry: 64
Writing: 3/3

Composite: 87

I already know I'm going to retake in Oct, but I wanna know what my chances are of getting into pharmacy with my 2.85 GPA, less than 1 year pharmacy experience, B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, and currently retaking pre-reqs at a CUNY school.

Where are you applying?

Originally Posted by IwantPharmD

Where are you applying?

USN, Cal Northstate, UoP, Pacific Univeristy of Oregon, Creighton, St. John Fisher, Drake, UIC, Midwestern Glendale & Chicago

Originally Posted by lizp

USN, Cal Northstate, UoP, Pacific Univeristy of Oregon, Creighton, St. John Fisher, Drake, UIC, Midwestern Glendale & Chicago

Wow man, those schools seem like a big random bunch- how did you come up with that list?

I've lived in most of those states before and know people there. Also tried to include some less competitive schools and some "reach" schools.

Originally Posted by lizp

I've lived in most of those states before and know people there. Also tried to include some less competitive schools and some "reach" schools.

What do you think about St. John Fischer?

Originally Posted by nekkote

Hi,

I'm not sure if I should post here, but I would like any advice or opinions about my situation. I graduated from Reed College with a 2.97 GPA. Reed has no grade inflation, in fact, they are proud of the fact only 1 or 2 people in a class get an A. As a result my overall GPA is around 3.17 and I graduated in 1999. However, my PCAT composite is 99% with all scores around 95% - 98%. I've taken some prerequisites within the last year and have gotten all As. Will a good PCAT score compensate for my poor grades?

Thanks

PCAT AND GPAs ae just part of the who application. You communication as well as social skills too will count when you are invetsted for interviews. Your PCAT says something pistive about you at the very least. With you cuurent As i think you should be fine.

ive got 95% composite.
but my reading is 58.
Should I retake it or keep the score.

Originally Posted by gnpddl

ive got 95% composite.
but my reading is 58.
Should I retake it or keep the score.

Are you kidding? Keep the score!

Originally Posted by gnpddl

ive got 95% composite.
but my reading is 58.
Should I retake it or keep the score.

Id keep it.

Haha your situation is very similar to mine. I got a 94 comp and a 52 on RC. I'd keep it if I were you. Taking it again is risky since you might lower it since the Oct pcat is in the middle of the semester and you probably wouldn't have as much time to study for it. I called the admissions of several schools and they said it's a good score regardless. Just call some of the schools you're interested in and see what they say. I'm sure it'll reassure you. One bad section especially RC won't ruin your chances for admissions if you can make up for it in your personal statement, interview, etc.

Hey Guys, I'll be retaking it this weekend, but here is what I got the first time.

Biology- 80
Reading - 90
Quant- 85
Verbal- 73
Chemistry - 24

Overall- 76

My GPA isn't very good, so I'll need to compensate for it this time around. I think I should be good, but for some reason my Quant isn't looking too good. DO you think schools will mind the disparity in scores even though I did pretty decent the first time around?

Originally Posted by gnpddl

ive got 95% composite.
but my reading is 58.
Should I retake it or keep the score.

If you have nothing else to do, then go ahead and retake. Some the questions you guys ask are just rediculous. Any score above 90 should be a definite keep no matter how low of the scrores is.

Originally Posted by gnpddl

ive got 95% composite.
but my reading is 58.
Should I retake it or keep the score.

I had a 95 composite and I think a 52 in reading and it was fine. Nobody even brought it up during my interviews. Just make sure the schools you are applying to don't have cutoffs (like all sections have to be >65).

Here are my scores
Chemistry 69
Math 67
Reading 11
Verbal 50
Biology 45
Composite 45

I plan to have a bachelor degree in summeer 2011 and currently have 3.7 cumulative and science GPA


Are there any schools out there I can apply to with these scores (besides the California schools, Purdue, Boston MCPHS)?

Hello All, This is my first time posting, but I have been reading on this website for some time now; I am exited to begin. Yesterday I received my October 2010 PCAT scores and they are:

VA : 27
BIO:76
READ:47
QA: 84
CHEM: 85

Composite : 69

3.5 / 3

What do you guys think my chances of getting into either Texas A&M Kingsville (a pretty new school), or Texas Tech University? My Science GPA is 3.92 and overall is 3.88

Just checked my october pcat score and here's the breakdown of my percentiles:

verbal ability- 36
biology- 88
reading comprehension- 18
math- 27
chemistry- 85
writing- 3/3 mean- 2.82/2.87
composite- 53

Unfortunately, this was the second time taking the PCAT and my scores for the first one taken in August are:

verbal- 53
bio- 88
reading- 34
math- 65
chem- 68
writing- 3/3 mean-2.87/2.88
composite- 65.

I don't know what to do!! The main section that I wanted to improve on was Chemistry, which I have done, but everything else just looks horrible (besides bio)! I did not expect my scores for the other sections to turn out as bad as they did, but that is my fault because I didn't think that I needed to focus on them as much the second time around. In need of any advice. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I am currently new to this forum but it would be extremely helpful if i get any advice or thoughts on my chance of getting to pharmacy school. Here is my case:

I just got my pcat score report today, and you know how nerve wrecking it feels to check your score. I paid 20 dollars to request the personal score report online because i can't stand my anxiety waiting for it to be mailed. Anyway, I got the composite percentile of 54 (this is my first time ever taking the pcat---english is not my first language, and the RC and VA pulled my score down). I know this is not a good score and I don't even know how i feel about it. My academic GPA is in the range of 3.95. I volunteer a lot in pharmacy-related areas, officer of pre-pharmacy club; and I have numerous awards in Chemistry. I am planning on applying to my college school of pharmacy that I am currently attending for undergrad. What do you think my chance of getting in? I'm really worrying and anxious inside, but I just try to be like I m fine. I don't know what i should be feeling. is it good/bad? should i retake the PCAT again? the problem is i m applying for this coming Fall 2o11 term and it would be late for me to retake the pcat on Jan. Should I just send in my pharmcas application and pcat to my school and wait for them to decide?
Thanks alot for your time reading my story.

Originally Posted by puppieslove

Hi everyone,

I am currently new to this forum but it would be extremely helpful if i get any advice or thoughts on my chance of getting to pharmacy school. Here is my case:

I just got my pcat score report today, and you know how nerve wrecking it feels to check your score. I paid 20 dollars to request the personal score report online because i can't stand my anxiety waiting for it to be mailed. Anyway, I got the composite percentile of 54 (this is my first time ever taking the pcat---english is not my first language, and the RC and VA pulled my score down). I know this is not a good score and I don't even know how i feel about it. My academic GPA is in the range of 3.95. I volunteer a lot in pharmacy-related areas, officer of pre-pharmacy club; and I have numerous awards in Chemistry. I am planning on applying to my college school of pharmacy that I am currently attending for undergrad. What do you think my chance of getting in? I'm really worrying and anxious inside, but I just try to be like I m fine. I don't know what i should be feeling. is it good/bad? should i retake the PCAT again? the problem is i m applying for this coming Fall 2o11 term and it would be late for me to retake the pcat on Jan. Should I just send in my pharmcas application and pcat to my school and wait for them to decide?
Thanks alot for your time reading my story.

You sound a lot like me in terms of GPA and extracurricular activities. Honestly if your PCAT counts if it's above the minimum composite score I believe you're still plenty competitive. I know of people with a 2.8 GPA and a 92% PCAT getting in, so I'm sure the opposite (good GPA, somewhat bad PCAT) is possible as well.

I would definitely send your application. You sound very strong in everything but your PCAT score, and even if you don't get in the next year you could be given priority. You may want to consider other schools just in case, but if you're really set on that school (I only applied to one school so I know the feeling) that's understandable.

Good luck, and don't worry too much. Your GPA/PCAT scores are used to get your interview, the rest is you showing that you're a well rounded and motivated individual. Seriously a 3.95 is amazing.

If you say English is not your first language, then VA and RC will pull your composite score down again. Unless you do significantly better in other sections. But you should def apply since you have a high GPA. Dont be intimidated by the 90s that are posted on SDN.

And also, English-is-not-my-first-language is not a valid excuse for anything.

Originally Posted by jack rabbit

If you say English is not your first language, then VA and RC will pull your composite score down again. Unless you do significantly better in other sections. But you should def apply since you have a high GPA. Dont be intimidated by the 90s that are posted on SDN.

And also, English-is-not-my-first-language is not a valid excuse for anything.

I've seen you say that a few times... mean English is a difficult language and the reading/vocab sections are even difficult to native speakers (myself included). I guess you shouldn't limit yourself in terms of what your native language is, but it would be accurate to say that second language English speakers are at a disadvantage when it comes to these two sections.