- Joined
- Jul 7, 2014
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 21
Here is a 12 week study plan for the 2015 MCAT using EK for content and NS strategy and practice books for practice passages along with a variety of sources for full length exam practice. Some of this has been adapted from one of my previous threads
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/6-steps-to-mcat-study-success.1120262/#post-16170586
Science Content
The plan focuses on front-loading the content and uses EK 2015 for content as it is one of the most concise yet thorough sources for the MCAT. The EK books also incorporate practice passages and questions well with their "mini-mcats" that correspond to each chapter. For the content is it important to really stick to one source and absolutely master that set of content. The study plan uses the three pass approach:
1. First pass:
The first time you work through the material should take longer and it can also be broken down into several passes which we will call 1a, 1b and 1c.
a.
Flip through the pages looking just at the bolded terms and pictures. Spend extra time on any you aren’t familiar with, recite the definitions out loud, take brief notes, reproduce figures etc…. but save any questions you may come across and don’t spend the time yet analyzing large blocks of text… The goal of this pass is really just to learn the language and get an overview of the chapter. This should take 20-30 minutes per chapter depending on the length of the chapter.
b.
Next read through the chapter carefully and thoroughly. Spend time on each concept, especially the sections that are new or aren’t as familiar. Take notes if needed (try to be concise though), reproduce figures, work through questions (but don’t circle the answers) etc… Now that you know the vocab you can really master the material which is the goal of this pass through. This should take roughly 1-1.5 hours depending on the chapter.
c.
Lastly, after you have gone through and really understood the material, you want to do one last pass through. The overall goal of this is to get a broader overview or context for the material. Identify connections between sections, emphasize important concepts, begin to anticipate how the material could be tested and even identify tie-ins to other chapters. This last approach is again a little quicker like the first and should take roughly 30 minutes per chapter.
2. Second Pass
Wait a day…
Go through the entire chapter a second time. Make sure you still understand all of the content, can reproduce all of the figures (this is especially important so don’t give yourself slack here), reproduce all of the important equations, concepts etc…. The goal here is to reinforce the material and make sure you retain it, so if there is anything that is unclear or that you have forgotten really spend the time reinforcing it and learning it. Re-do all of the questions. This should take roughly an hour per chapter (can be more or less depending on how well you know the material)
3. Third pass
Wait a Week….
Read through the chapter a third and final time. The goal again is to really reinforce the content so go over all of the content, emphasize key relationships, be able to reproduce all of the figures, and re-do any questions that you got wrong or that were difficult.
CARS
For the CARS section the plan utilizes the Next Step CARS book which is fantastic for strategy and recognizes that different approaches work well for different individuals. So instead of a one-size fits all approach that many other companies use, the book walks you through several different approaches to find one that works well for you.
The plan also focuses on working through the CARS book and practice within the first week or two followed by consistent daily practice.
Practice Passages and Full Lengths
Integrating practice early on is absolutely essential for an effective plan and the 12 week plan incorporates tons of practice early on and builds on it with significant full length exams.
Practice Passages:
The EK books provide sets of practice passages that correspond to each chapter which is great. Additionally, the NS strategy and practice books are great and are incorporated throughout the first 5 weeks. These sets of practice sections are great to work through early on as they provide more than just practice. Each of the books looks at strategy for each section and provides in-depth explanations for passages so they are a great foundation to begin with and build on.
Full Length Exams
The plan incorporates 12 full length exams from a variety of sources. It is critical to learn as much as you can from each exam. In my experience the students that have seen the largest improvement have consistently been those who have been able to learn from their mistakes. Many I have worked with will take exam after exam without spending the necessary time really learning from their results. To really learn from the practice exam plan on devoting at least a full day to each full length you take for that purpose. There are two different sets of lessons you want to look for and the general model for fixing them remains the same.
1. First, identify the problem. This doesn’t mean identify questions you got wrong, but instead you need to take it a level higher. Identify patterns, types of problems you struggle with, types of passages you struggle with etc… (you will never see the exact same question again, but you will see the same types of questions, passages etc…)
2. Second, come up with a solution to deal with the problem. For ex, if you struggle getting through Bio experimental passages, try switching your approach and taking brief notes for those passages. If you struggle with stoichiometry calculations, come up with a method/approach to deal with it.
3. Lastly, (and possibly most importantly) apply that solution and practice it extensively BEFORE your next full length. If you found Bio exp passages difficult and decided to try brief note-taking as a solution, then make sure you tackle several Bio experimental passages before your next full length exam (even if they are passages you have seen before, reinforcing the new approach/lesson learned is absolutely essential).
Then really focus on consistently applying the lessons learned on your next full lengths. And as a side-note, make sure to review all questions on your full lengths including the ones you got right. Lessons learned can come from both positive accomplishments and mistakes that need improvement. If you have found something that works well for you, reinforce it and continue to apply it.
The calendar provides built in-time for full lengths, review, and then application/reinforcement of the solutions and adjustments.
The plan does cost about $900 for all of the materials (most of which is spent on full length exams) but some can be saved by purchasing the content and strategy books used (once they become available used). Having said that, it is an incredibly solid plan with a ton of content review, strategy and practice with very effective approaches for content mastery (3 pass approach) and passage/full length practice (3 Step process).
Let me know your thoughts and questions and good luck!
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/6-steps-to-mcat-study-success.1120262/#post-16170586
Science Content
The plan focuses on front-loading the content and uses EK 2015 for content as it is one of the most concise yet thorough sources for the MCAT. The EK books also incorporate practice passages and questions well with their "mini-mcats" that correspond to each chapter. For the content is it important to really stick to one source and absolutely master that set of content. The study plan uses the three pass approach:
1. First pass:
The first time you work through the material should take longer and it can also be broken down into several passes which we will call 1a, 1b and 1c.
a.
Flip through the pages looking just at the bolded terms and pictures. Spend extra time on any you aren’t familiar with, recite the definitions out loud, take brief notes, reproduce figures etc…. but save any questions you may come across and don’t spend the time yet analyzing large blocks of text… The goal of this pass is really just to learn the language and get an overview of the chapter. This should take 20-30 minutes per chapter depending on the length of the chapter.
b.
Next read through the chapter carefully and thoroughly. Spend time on each concept, especially the sections that are new or aren’t as familiar. Take notes if needed (try to be concise though), reproduce figures, work through questions (but don’t circle the answers) etc… Now that you know the vocab you can really master the material which is the goal of this pass through. This should take roughly 1-1.5 hours depending on the chapter.
c.
Lastly, after you have gone through and really understood the material, you want to do one last pass through. The overall goal of this is to get a broader overview or context for the material. Identify connections between sections, emphasize important concepts, begin to anticipate how the material could be tested and even identify tie-ins to other chapters. This last approach is again a little quicker like the first and should take roughly 30 minutes per chapter.
2. Second Pass
Wait a day…
Go through the entire chapter a second time. Make sure you still understand all of the content, can reproduce all of the figures (this is especially important so don’t give yourself slack here), reproduce all of the important equations, concepts etc…. The goal here is to reinforce the material and make sure you retain it, so if there is anything that is unclear or that you have forgotten really spend the time reinforcing it and learning it. Re-do all of the questions. This should take roughly an hour per chapter (can be more or less depending on how well you know the material)
3. Third pass
Wait a Week….
Read through the chapter a third and final time. The goal again is to really reinforce the content so go over all of the content, emphasize key relationships, be able to reproduce all of the figures, and re-do any questions that you got wrong or that were difficult.
CARS
For the CARS section the plan utilizes the Next Step CARS book which is fantastic for strategy and recognizes that different approaches work well for different individuals. So instead of a one-size fits all approach that many other companies use, the book walks you through several different approaches to find one that works well for you.
The plan also focuses on working through the CARS book and practice within the first week or two followed by consistent daily practice.
Practice Passages and Full Lengths
Integrating practice early on is absolutely essential for an effective plan and the 12 week plan incorporates tons of practice early on and builds on it with significant full length exams.
Practice Passages:
The EK books provide sets of practice passages that correspond to each chapter which is great. Additionally, the NS strategy and practice books are great and are incorporated throughout the first 5 weeks. These sets of practice sections are great to work through early on as they provide more than just practice. Each of the books looks at strategy for each section and provides in-depth explanations for passages so they are a great foundation to begin with and build on.
Full Length Exams
The plan incorporates 12 full length exams from a variety of sources. It is critical to learn as much as you can from each exam. In my experience the students that have seen the largest improvement have consistently been those who have been able to learn from their mistakes. Many I have worked with will take exam after exam without spending the necessary time really learning from their results. To really learn from the practice exam plan on devoting at least a full day to each full length you take for that purpose. There are two different sets of lessons you want to look for and the general model for fixing them remains the same.
1. First, identify the problem. This doesn’t mean identify questions you got wrong, but instead you need to take it a level higher. Identify patterns, types of problems you struggle with, types of passages you struggle with etc… (you will never see the exact same question again, but you will see the same types of questions, passages etc…)
2. Second, come up with a solution to deal with the problem. For ex, if you struggle getting through Bio experimental passages, try switching your approach and taking brief notes for those passages. If you struggle with stoichiometry calculations, come up with a method/approach to deal with it.
3. Lastly, (and possibly most importantly) apply that solution and practice it extensively BEFORE your next full length. If you found Bio exp passages difficult and decided to try brief note-taking as a solution, then make sure you tackle several Bio experimental passages before your next full length exam (even if they are passages you have seen before, reinforcing the new approach/lesson learned is absolutely essential).
Then really focus on consistently applying the lessons learned on your next full lengths. And as a side-note, make sure to review all questions on your full lengths including the ones you got right. Lessons learned can come from both positive accomplishments and mistakes that need improvement. If you have found something that works well for you, reinforce it and continue to apply it.
The calendar provides built in-time for full lengths, review, and then application/reinforcement of the solutions and adjustments.
The plan does cost about $900 for all of the materials (most of which is spent on full length exams) but some can be saved by purchasing the content and strategy books used (once they become available used). Having said that, it is an incredibly solid plan with a ton of content review, strategy and practice with very effective approaches for content mastery (3 pass approach) and passage/full length practice (3 Step process).
Let me know your thoughts and questions and good luck!
Last edited:
