The Official 4/5/12 MCAT Thread

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Took 15 practice tests - kaplan and aamc. I was totally thrown off by that PS section. I feel like the discretes took me way longer than usual, and that some of the passages were just insane. Waaay too much reading - I felt like it was the verbal section. I wanted to just walk out of the exam right then and there, but sticked it out and finished the exam, and did NOT void it.

The verbal passages were as expected - really long.
The BS seemed a little too easy - I was expecting it to be more difficult.

That PS section really messed me up. I feel like I may have to take it again because of it.

: /

for the verbal section--were there more questions about the overall tone/attitude of the author/passage?

I remember more questions about how would this fact weaken or strengthen the author's argument, would he agree or disagree with this, etc. It could be the tough ones just sticking out to me. I think most people would agree who took this particular test that it was the length of the passages that was most different from the practice exams and EK 101.

Originally Posted by Buttafuoco

I remember more questions about how would this fact weaken or strengthen the author's argument, would he agree or disagree with this, etc. It could be the tough ones just sticking out to me. I think most people would agree who took this particular test that it was the length of the passages that was most different from the practice exams and EK 101.

ok awesome, i've been getting 100x better at those types of questions wooooot!!

I feel like at this point this may be really redundant but if it helps anyone than hey..

PS: Was the hardest section I've taken on either AAMC or TPR practice test.. Everyone has gone into it so I won't, but wow.

VR: Long, Doable

BS: Not to bad some areas were fine others needed a little more thinking.

I had been scoring right around 30s on practice tests and had the wind kicked out of me from the start with the PS. Will more than likely be retaking. Glad to know I wasn't the only one who was fretting over this.

Originally Posted by Melomare17

for the verbal section--were there more questions about the overall tone/attitude of the author/passage?

Some of the questions tested your general understanding of the passage and its tone. Others were very specific to certain paragraphs within the passage. I remember going back to the passage quite a bit making sure the answer I picked was in line with the paragraph's theme/idea. As usual, they wanted you to follow the argument and keep it straight who said or did what in the multi-layered argument. Also, many what if questions where they required you to apply the passage's concept to a completely different situation. In other words, it was very similar to the AAMC tests.

Maybe the verbal section was somewhat similar to the AAMC (longer passages on the real exam) but the rest of the exam wasn't anything close to AAMC.

The verbal section left me frustrated because I ran out of time and had to plug in any answer for the last passage. I could have finished the entire section on time, but at the expense of not reading thoroughly and answering more questions incorrectly.

I have a feeling that the verbal section is the section that's going to mess my total score up.

I'm going to force myself to stay off SDN until the scores come back...as difficult as it may be :x And with the way PS went, I should probably just keep studying in the mean time. ughhh

Originally Posted by nj112233

Maybe the verbal section was somewhat similar to the AAMC (longer passages on the real exam) but the rest of the exam wasn't anything close to AAMC.

The verbal section left me frustrated because I ran out of time and had to plug in any answer for the last passage. I could have finished the entire section on time, but at the expense of not reading thoroughly and answering more questions incorrectly.

I have a feeling that the verbal section is the section that's going to mess my total score up.

I am in the same boat with you. Didn't get to one entire passage and had to fill in the answers blindly. We might still get a decent score though. I learned that it pays off to do 6 passages thoroughly vs. 7 in a rush. For instance, on AAMC 10 I got a 10 with having completed only 6 passages. Let's hope this will be the case on this test!

Originally Posted by kes1320

I'm going to force myself to stay off SDN until the scores come back...as difficult as it may be :x And with the way PS went, I should probably just keep studying in the mean time. ughhh

Exactly my plan also. ;(((

Without getting in trouble by being too specific, was the Biology passages more molecular biology research? or was it more physiology?

Originally Posted by mmckuin

Without getting in trouble by being too specific, was the Biology passages more molecular biology research? or was it more physiology?

It was definitely heavy on molecular biology, however in quite a few passages,solid knowledge of physiology was necessary to understand what was going on.

I don't think it's even relevant whether one particular version of the test was heavier on physio, biochem, molecular biology, or whathaveyou. The next one might be the exact opposite or the same- you have to know every area the AAMC tells you to know.

Reading all of the responses in this thread, I think it may have helped me that my weakest was already PS by far. This section just felt like all the others to me--difficult questions and hard to finish the section. So I wasn't psyched out at all and felt totally normal going into the other sections of the test.

PS - Felt normal for my ability (as in, pretty hard). Hoping 8-10.

VR - This section again felt very normal to me. Hoping 13-15.

BS - This is the only section that felt different to me--felt slightly easier than usual. Hoping 11-13.

Overall, I feel okay with the exam. I don't think I would get lower than a 31-32, but as I said I'm applying MD/PhD so I really need a bit more. We'll see. Judging from the responses on here (and their similarity), I think many people will be pleasantly surprised with their scores! (inshaalah)

Originally Posted by mmckuin

Without getting in trouble by being too specific, was the Biology passages more molecular biology research? or was it more physiology?

Originally Posted by zhenshen

It was definitely heavy on molecular biology, however in quite a few passages,solid knowledge of physiology was necessary to understand what was going on.

Perhaps my definition of molecular is different, but I don't think there was much on the 4/5 MCAT. There was quite a bit of physi. So much so that I was happily surprised as it is my strongest bio subject. There were a lot of experiment based passages, but I think they were more physio than anything else. I used a lot of physio background knowledge to answer questions and avoid the trick answers that seemed right based on the passage information, but were just wrong based on facts.

Originally Posted by dap

Reading all of the responses in this thread, I think it may have helped me that my weakest was already PS by far. This section just felt like all the others to me--difficult questions and hard to finish the section. So I wasn't psyched out at all and felt totally normal going into the other sections of the test.

PS - Felt normal for my ability (as in, pretty hard). Hoping 8-10.

VR - This section again felt very normal to me. Hoping 13-15.

BS - This is the only section that felt different to me--felt slightly easier than usual. Hoping 11-13.

Overall, I feel okay with the exam. I don't think I would get lower than a 31-32, but as I said I'm applying MD/PhD so I really need a bit more. We'll see. Judging from the responses on here (and their similarity), I think many people will be pleasantly surprised with their scores! (inshaalah)

I agree about PS. I would've not felt so bad during it if I hadn't been so close to running out of time. I think I had 10 minutes to do the last 2 passages AND the last set of discretes. It worked out though, and I actually had about 2 minutes to review my marked answers.

I hope you're right about being pleasantly surprised with scores

I hope so too. That foot long turd hot dog is looking pretty good right about now.

Didn't get to post sooner because when I got out I had to study for another exam and then after that exam I had to have a few beers haha.

But the PS was the worst thing I have ever seen. I was doing a retake and this is my weakest section, I was scoring 12-15 the 2 weeks before it so I was feeling very confident, but this section had rough calculations and hard material I did not even focus on

Verbal wasn't that hard just i remember one or two of the passages made me catching myself bored and thinking about other things, think i did decent over all in the one around a 12

BS had bio questions that made me second guess they were so easy or some that actually made me thing for a couple of minutes, but when It came around to the orgo my face was like this So I attempted with my best educated guesses

I will be happy if I get a 32 with that horrible PS section

Originally Posted by Dman27

Didn't get to post sooner because when I got out I had to study for another exam and then after that exam I had to have a few beers haha.

But the PS was the worst thing I have ever seen. I was doing a retake and this is my weakest section, I was scoring 12-15 the 2 weeks before it so I was feeling very confident, but this section had rough calculations and hard material I did not even focus on

Verbal wasn't that hard just i remember one or two of the passages made me catching myself bored and thinking about other things, think i did decent over all in the one around a 12

BS had bio questions that made me second guess they were so easy or some that actually made me thing for a couple of minutes, but when It came around to the orgo my face was like this So I attempted with my best educated guesses

I will be happy if I get a 32 with that horrible PS section

Haha, I had the same look when I saw that the first passage was orgo (can I say that the first passage was orgo?.. I hope so).

Originally Posted by MedPR

Haha, I had the same look when I saw that the first passage was orgo (can I say that the first passage was orgo?.. I hope so).

Well I think the passages are in different order but, I might have had 2 orgo passages? Well anyone the one that was mainly just all a big reaction had my eyes going crazy


Also must I add I didn't write down many notes to work out problems like i did in the practice ones, the length of the passages made me do a lot in my head

There was one orgo discrete where I wish I'd just gone with what I remembered instead of trying to push arrows. Every orgo text says the same thing: that they teach you to solve problems and other publishers just make you memorize, and I do think it's super helpful to really learn resonance and mechanisms, but at the end of the day it's not pchem.

Originally Posted by Buttafuoco

There was one orgo discrete where I wish I'd just gone with what I remembered instead of trying to push arrows. Every orgo text says the same thing: that they teach you to solve problems and other publishers just make you memorize, and I do think it's super helpful to really learn resonance and mechanisms, but at the end of the day it's not pchem.

yeah well I only remember basic orgo because its been uhh 3 years? and never took pchem hehe

I actually reviewed the exact concept for that discrete just after I did pre-registration at prometric Worked out nicely.

If say I am planning on applying to med school this year. And 4/5 Exam scores come out to be not what aimed for and I want to retake. When should I retake it? Maybe mid july? End of july? Any suggestions?

Originally Posted by smile8888

If say I am planning on applying to med school this year. And 4/5 Exam scores come out to be not what aimed for and I want to retake. When should I retake it? Maybe mid july? End of july? Any suggestions?

Whenever you'll be ready. You can submit AMCAS without an MCAT score.

Originally Posted by MedPR

Whenever you'll be ready. You can submit AMCAS without an MCAT score.

But isn't there like the latest MCAT date they will accept? I've heard it's August. I am not too sure.

nevermind. got my answer.

To anyone who did the Kaplan Section Tests & Practice Tests, how much did your MCAT reflect Kaplan? I saw a recent post where one Kaplan student reported that his actual MCAT score equaled the median of his Kaplan tests.

Originally Posted by SaintJude

To anyone who did the Kaplan Section Tests & Practice Tests, how much did your MCAT reflect Kaplan? I saw a recent post where one Kaplan student reported that his actual MCAT score equaled the median of his Kaplan tests.

I took the kaplan course the first time I took the test (May '11) and was gettin 34-36 on the kaplan tests but ended up with a PS10 VR6 BS12. IMO, I think the kaplan tests were a bit too easy, especially the verbal

I'm specifically looking for the April. 5th test takers feedback about PS & BS.

Were TBR CBT's harder than the test? And AAMC's were equal in difficulty (based on the comments).

And for PS difficulty do you mean the physics or Gchem sections that were harder?

Yeah, peeps, I'm asking you how much longer the Verbal section really is compared to the practice AAMC's.

I seem to remember the chem passages as being the killers on PS but let's face it, that means nothing. It could just as easily be the hardest passages coming from a different area of chem or physics on the next test.

Originally Posted by Buttafuoco

I seem to remember the chem passages as being the killers on PS but let's face it, that means nothing. It could just as easily be the hardest passages coming from a different area of chem or physics on the next test.

They definitely were gen chem. It's funny because the night before the exam I was telling my girlfriend how I would prefer hard gen chem to easy physics. Came back to bite me in the ass!

Originally Posted by premedicine555

Were TBR CBT's harder than the test? And AAMC's were equal in difficulty (based on the comments).

And for PS difficulty do you mean the physics or Gchem sections that were harder?

GChem on the test was much harder than that on TBR CBTs. Physics was easier. Bio was easier as well.

I know it's almost impossible to say but what would your guess be for the number correct needed to get a 9 on verbal for this test?

Originally Posted by Irish Football

I know it's almost impossible to say but what would your guess be for the number correct needed to get a 9 on verbal for this test?

around the range of 10-13 wrong total

Originally Posted by Irish Football

I know it's almost impossible to say but what would your guess be for the number correct needed to get a 9 on verbal for this test?

Originally Posted by Melomare17

around the range of 10-13 wrong total

Yea, probably somewhere around there. I think the AAMC FL scales were 10-11 wrong for a 9, 12 wrong for an 8.

I wish that they could score the test a bit faster...not a day goes by in which I don't recalculate my score. Problem is that I get a different score everytime, anywhere from a 31 to a 36. Terrible.

Do you guys think it's possible that this test could be scaled a bit easier than the practice tests and more than 12 wrong could still be a 9? I'm just really worried I bombed the verbal section.

One of my coworkers is doing a research year between his 2 and 3 yrs of med school. He walked out of the exam thinking he bombed PS and got an 11. The test is scaled, if it was hard for all of you the scores will reflect that. Don't beat yourselves up over it.

But I've heard that the verbal section isn't scaled as much as the other sections. Does anyone know how true this is and if it means there is no scaling for verbal or just less than for PS and BS?

Originally Posted by Irish Football

But I've heard that the verbal section isn't scaled as much as the other sections. Does anyone know how true this is and if it means there is no scaling for verbal or just less than for PS and BS?

From my understanding, that is quite true. Verbal scores r curved more AGAINST test takers (Look at the scales for mock, 1 wrong you have a 14, 2 wrongs you have a 13, 3-5 wrong u have a 12, etc). And the scales for BS and PS is a lot more lenient on the actual exam. If anything, the verbal section scales will be probably only one or two questions lower than the scales for AAMC FLs.

Is it may 8th yet?!!

Originally Posted by smile8888

From my understanding, that is quite true. Verbal scores r curved more AGAINST test takers (Look at the scales for mock, 1 wrong you have a 14, 2 wrongs you have a 13, 3-5 wrong u have a 12, etc). And the scales for BS and PS is a lot more lenient on the actual exam. If anything, the verbal section scales will be probably only one or two questions lower than the scales for AAMC FLs.

granted the verbal may be scaled slightly so a bit lower score than the AAMC FLs could give me the same score that I got on the AAMC practice exams, but have you ever heard of a real verbal that was scaled so that it was MORE strict than the AAMC FLs?

Originally Posted by jlescher

One of my coworkers is doing a research year between his 2 and 3 yrs of med school. He walked out of the exam thinking he bombed PS and got an 11. The test is scaled, if it was hard for all of you the scores will reflect that. Don't beat yourselves up over it.

I've always been told the scale is set before the test is given. In other words, it doesn't matter how everyone does.

Originally Posted by MedPR

I've always been told the scale is set before the test is given. In other words, it doesn't matter how everyone does.

I agree with you MedPR. I've heard this too...

Originally Posted by cfive22

I agree with you MedPR. I've heard this too...

you guys have been told this on SDN--can you show me any posts by someone from aamc who can confirm this is true?

Originally Posted by Melomare17

you guys have been told this on SDN--can you show me any posts by someone from aamc who can confirm this is true?

From the MCAT Essentials Official Guide it explains that scores are "equated" and "you are measured against a previously established scale, not against a group of examinees with whom you tested"

Originally Posted by oklahoma

From the MCAT Essentials Official Guide it explains that scores are "equated" and "you are measured against a previously established scale, not against a group of examinees with whom you tested"

but the scale doesn't say it goes by X number off, it could go by X % correct right? or the scale could be no matter what at least X % get a 15 on a section or something like that, so everything would be adjusted accordingly

Since every test has 40 verbal questions the same percent would always correspond to the same number correct. I don't think I understand what you are trying to say.