Is MCAT really a standardized test?

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Short answer no. It is claimed that curve is predetermined and blah blah blah but if after 3 months of practice you take 3 to 11 and your score varies by +/- 4 points then would it be fair to say it is not standardized?

Life is never fair for a premed anyways, why start with the mcat? lol. It's one of those things you just gotta deal with, and move on.

As long as they admit that a factor of luck is involved. If truly standardized there should be no variation in score.

Originally Posted by Midifelder10

As long as they admit that a factor of luck is involved. If truly standardized there should be no variation in score.

I think you know what you're talking about, but I don't think you know what you're talking about.

Statistics and standardized doesn't mean that you score exactly the same each time.

It's standardized such that a 30 means something different than a 35 and that difference is repeatable. It doesn't say anything about any individual's performance except as a comparison to the rest of the cohort.

Originally Posted by Midifelder10

As long as they admit that a factor of luck is involved. If truly standardized there should be no variation in score.

luck tends to favor the ones that study and work hard.

Originally Posted by ridethecliche

I think you know what you're talking about, but I don't think you know what you're talking about.

Statistics and standardized doesn't mean that you score exactly the same each time.

Frankly speaking I don't. If after three months of preparation I am scoring better than 80 % how come next day I score better than 95% and the day after better than 60 %. These wild fluctuations should not be there if it is really standardized. I should always be 80+/- few percent definitely not 15 to 20%. That leads me to believe on one day you are top tier and next day FMG. Is it me or is it the test. Assuming that my intellect (or in my case lack of it) is fairly consistent then the other variable is only the test.

Originally Posted by Midifelder10

Frankly speaking I don't. If after three months of preparation I am scoring better than 80 % how come next day I score better than 95% and the day after better than 60 %. These wild fluctuations should not be there if it is really standardized. I should always be 80+/- few percent definitely not 15 to 20%. That leads me to believe on one day you are top tier and next day FMG. Is it me or is it the test. Assuming that my intellect (or in my case lack of it) is fairly consistent then the other variable is only the test.

I agree Midifelder- My practice VR ranged from 11-15 and I did no preparation for that section, the variability was due entirely to the test and followed no trend over time, etc.

Originally Posted by wanderedtoolong

I agree Midifelder- My practice VR ranged from 11-15 and I did no preparation for that section, the variability was due entirely to the test and followed no trend over time, etc.

Can anyone who is beating the drum of standardized testing explain this? How come this gentleman one day is top dog and next day is only better than 85% of test takers. ( Dude in my book 11on VR is a top dog too, 15 is god like characteristics.)

Bottom line is this kind of variance should not be there.

This is quite simple. The variance is there because any given exam cannot test all the material that is fair game (and likewise cannot present VR questions in every possible format and context), so variance between an individual's scores on multiple practice exams demonstrates his/her areas of weakness.

If you legit mastered all of the material and concepts that are fair game for this test, you would score 40+ on every single practice test you took, including the real thing, with the few points you missed due to human error. You'd probably get a few 45's.

Originally Posted by gettheleadout

This is quite simple. The variance is there because any given exam cannot test all the material that is fair game (and likewise cannot present VR questions in every possible format and context), so variance between an individual's scores on multiple practice exams demonstrates his/her areas of weakness.

If you legit mastered all of the material and concepts that are fair game for this test, you would score 40+ on every single practice test you took, including the real thing, with the few points you missed due to human error. You'd probably get a few 45's.

So you just repeated what I said that there is a huge variance and it is not standardized. Shouldn't their aim be to reduce this variance to zero to be truly called standardized.

Originally Posted by notbobtrustme

It's standardized such that a 30 means something different than a 35 and that difference is repeatable. It doesn't say anything about any individual's performance except as a comparison to the rest of the cohort.

If I am all over the place with 30 to 35 that is not standard, no way. My point is multiple administrations of this test makes it non standard.

You are right man
I see the MCAT as a soccer game in a league, every time you face a different opponent the; results of the game will be a combination of the strength of team you are facing , Your Skills, How you perform during that game, and Luck
Even the good teams who have the best players and best skills get bad results some times, it all depends on what happens that day during the game.
I don't know If that is fair for a test which is a door for medical schools, however remember that those tests are not godly made and that humans like me and you built this test
From what i learned is that Life is Not fair and we just need to cope with it..

Originally Posted by Midifelder10

Short answer no. It is claimed that curve is predetermined and blah blah blah but if after 3 months of practice you take 3 to 11 and your score varies by +/- 4 points then would it be fair to say it is not standardized?

I don't know where you got your definition of standardized but its not that technical apparently . Wikipedia says:

A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner.

I would say the MCAT qualifies as a standardized test by that definition.

Originally Posted by Midifelder10

So you just repeated what I said that there is a huge variance and it is not standardized. Shouldn't their aim be to reduce this variance to zero to be truly called standardized.

The only way for what you want to be possible is for the test to run like 36 hours and literally test every single concept covered. The MCAT functions as a representative sample of the knowledge and skills you are expected to have.

Also, definition of standardized.

Originally Posted by SaCkO

You are right man
I see the MCAT as a soccer game in a league, every time you face a different opponent the; results of the game will be a combination of the strength of team you are facing , Your Skills, How you perform during that game, and Luck
Even the good teams who have the best players and best skills get bad results some times, it all depends on what happens that day during the game.
I don't know If that is fair for a test which is a door for medical schools, however remember that those tests are not godly made and that humans like me and you built this test
From what i learned is that Life is Not fair and we just need to cope with it..

That is true. One day if you are strong against pass defense you win and if you are weak against run defense you lose.

Originally Posted by gettheleadout

The only way for what you want to be possible is for the test to run like 36 hours and literally test every single concept covered. The MCAT functions as a representative sample of the knowledge and skills you are expected to have.

Also, definition of standardized.

First part true, second is debatable.If I am chemistry major being tested on physics I am screwed and if and I a physics major tested on chemistry same outcome. If your scores are all over the place it is not standard.

Originally Posted by Tatertots

I don't know where you got your definition of standardized but its not that technical apparently . Wikipedia says:


I would say the MCAT qualifies as a standardized test by that definition.

I looked at your profile and you are an anomaly. Too good for rest of us. Someone like you would always score in 99% and the outcome does not matter. I am talking about 50 -90%. That is where it falls apart. To make it truly standardized there should be only one administration of the test per year.