30+ MCAT study habits???

[confewshz]

Hello everyone,

I know this question has been asked a zillion times, but I like to get fresh perspectives. For those who got 30+ MCAT scores(SouthernGirl, beanbean, JScrusader, Samoa, nero, and anyone else who has a 30+ MCAT score), can you post the following information please? It would be greatly appreciated.

1) Your individual scores and composite score

2) The study method used for each section

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

4) Which practice tests did you use?

5) What was your undergraduate major?

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

Thanks guys and congrats to everyone who recently took the MCAT ,

confewshz

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[akinf]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

MCAT 1: 13PS 6VR 12BS S (31S)
MCAT 2: 13PS 9VR 12BS T (34T)

2) The study method used for each section

PS: learned the material and concepts well enough to apply to multiple situations (always tried to look for the concept being tested when doing passages, then worked from there)

VR: practice, practice, practice (this tends to require at least a decade of lots of reading to do well...at least that's what it seems)

BS: did practice EK bio passages (wish I could have found the motivation to study physiology more...just couldn't bring myself to do it, however, i was very confident in my genetics/organic chemistry/biochemistry/experimental passages...that's probably why i was still able to manage a 12 twice but peaked at that score very quickly)

WS: kaplan mock exams

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS: Kaplan, EK, AAMC
VR: Kaplan, mostly EK, AAMC
BS: Kaplan, EK, AAMC
WS: AAMC practice prompts...and the kaplan method

4) Which practice tests did you use?

AAMC/Kaplan

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Genetics (however, all my options/electives are in biochemistry so it might as well be biochemistry)

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Concepts/skills will trump rote memorization when it comes to the MCAT.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

1st time - moderately for 3 months...then intensely for 2-3 weeks
2nd time - did a 2 AAMC exams

 

[K2theG]

This might seem like a stupid question but what do the initials TPR stand for .. I am in the midst of looking for good MCAT prep materials. i will be taking my test July. Thanks for any advice ...

 

[EECStoMed]

This might seem like a stupid question but what do the initials TPR stand for .. I am in the midst of looking for good MCAT prep materials. i will be taking my test July. Thanks for any advice ...

Stands for The Princeton Review. = TPR.

 

[AggieSean]

) Your individual scores and composite score

MCAT: 11PS 11VR 11BS P (33P)

2) The study method used for each section

PS: Being a physics major helped tremendously. For anyone who can, take a class in optics, it'll help a lot, and will help develop the kind of problem solving skills necessary for the MCAT. As far as study materials:
1. Kaplan's material review was great, but their practice materials (the online quizzes, full-lengths, subject tests) sucked. I didn't like them at all and thought they were way too involved.
2. For practice problems, I had hand-me-down Princeton Review stuff, and used their science workbook. For me, my weakpoints were fluid mechanics, electrochemistry, and acids/bases. So I would study all the material in the Kaplan books, and then do ALL of the passages in Princeton's book.
3. The week before the MCAT, I never really had time to sit down and take more full lengths, so I took 5 AAMC old PS sections (Kaplan gave us access to ALL AAMC practice tests as part of our course) just to get a feel for what the real thing would be like.

VR: Honestly, didn't study a whole lot for this. I had EK101, Kaplan's workbook, and TPR's workbook, but didn't use them too much. I maybe did 7 passages from EK, and 30 passages out of the TPR book (Kaplan's verbal stuff is kinda worthless, in my opinion). Verbal has always been a strong point for me (740 Verbal SAT), so I devoted more time to....

BS: Eek! My weakest section. I had AP credit for Bio 101 and 102, and the only other bio. classes I took were a year of physiology and organic chemistry. Needless to say, I had to hit this one hard. I read and took notes on every chapter in the Kaplan book, used all of the Kaplan flashcards, read and took notes on many of the Kaplan chapters AGAIN, did practice EK bio passages and for my weakest areas (Micro, Molec. Bio, Biochem, and some Organic stuff), I read the TPR review books and took notes. By the way, for each chapter I read and took notes on, I pasted helpful pictures into the 5-subject notebook where I was taking notes. It helped a lot just to be able to flip through it when I needed a visual aid (I'm a very visual person).
So, as far as practice passages, again I pretty much didn't do any Kaplan stuff, and I did just about EVERY biology and organic chemistry passage and standalone question in the TPR science workbook. And again, the week before the MCAT, I did AMCAS BS sections. I made an 8 on the first one (which wigged me out, seeing as it was the thursday before the test and had been making 12-13), but settled down and things got better.


WS: Didn't even study. All I knew is that if I did exactly what the prompt told me, I'd get a P. And that's just fine with me.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS: TPR, AAMC
VR: TPR, EK, AAMC
BS: TPR, EK, AAMC
WS: None

4) Which practice tests did you use?

Kaplan and AAMC

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Physics with a math minor

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Kaplan full lengths are good indicators of how you'll score on the real deal (you are scored according to how everyone else does, just like the real thing), but AAMC tests are probably more indicative of the kind of content and weirdness (haha) you'll see on the MCAT.

Also, this is very important, if you take away anything from this post, get this:

When/if you walk out on test day feeling like you just got owned, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, I walked out feeling like I'd made a 20. Believe me, ignore the voices and just relax (easier said than done, I know). It is completely normal to leave the center feeling like you'll never get into med. school with the score you'll probably get. I dealt with this doubt for over a month and it really screwed me up. Don't let post-test shock take you over like I did, it seriously affected me. I'm not exaggerating or being over-dramatic. Just CHILL when you're done, and trust in your preparation (if you've been serious).

Also, there is a sweet median to hitting it hard on your weaknesses and playing to your strengths. For me, my strengths were Verbal and Physical, but my weakness was Bio, so for example, if it came between taking another hour to do physics problems or organic reactions, I went with organic. It isn't always easy because doing the things you're good at is a great confidence booster, but it can also impart a false sense of security. However, I knew also that a great score on physical sciences was definitely possible b/c it's graded easier and because of my background, so every now and then I'd be hardcore with physics and chemistry to do whatever I could to push the range of what I could possibly score. It didn't quite pan out for me like that on test day, but that's fine. I'm completely happy with my score and wouldn't retake for the world.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

3 months. Also, don't take 7 classes the same semester of your MCAT. Not cool. Not cool at all. If I had to do it over again, I would have taken a minimal load and been extra hardcore about everything. But that's okay. Honestly, I had been scoring 34-35 range on my practice tests, but I'm not gonna complain about my score, ESPECIALLY after the April 7th MCAT Nightmare.

 

[dobbysamosa]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

April 7, 2007 MCAT: 13PS 11VR 15BS R (39R)

2) The study method used for each section

PS:
Taking calculus-based physics for engineers definitely helped. I'm a molecular bio major, so only conceptual physics would have been required, but I took the calculus-based course and it definitely paid off. Taking other random bioengineering courses also helped develop physical intuition for solving PS problems.

I used Berkeley Review's test prep materials for reviewing Physics and General Chemistry. (http://berkeley-review.com). Their books are very thorough and well-written (I think the main author studied chemistry at UC Berkeley). The material seemed more in depth than necessary for the exam, but that helped give me a solid understanding of the fundamental physical principles being tested...and it paid off with a 13 in PS =)

VR:
I put off studying for this until a few weeks before the exam. For me, studying verbal strategies didn't help nearly as much as doing LOTS of practice passages. The Berkeley Review material was pretty weak in their verbal prep, so I bought the EK 101 passages and did a bunch of those. I improved from an 8 to an 11, but then days before the exam, I plummeted back down to a 9. That kinda freaked me out and made me realize that maybe I was trying too hard and screwing myself up. So I decided to chill out, and not look at verbal again til the real exam. On the exam, VR felt really good, and for me at least, my performance on verbal depends mostly on both how relaxed and how alert I am.

BS:
So the material that showed up on my BS section on the real exam was TOTALLY different from what I had prepared for. I used Berkeley Review to study o-chem; it was very in depth but good preparation. They mention some more obscure lab techniques (like Tollen's test), which actually ended up on my exam.

Berkeley Review's anatomy materials were also supplemented with TPR's anatomy (which I think is better written). And since I'd never taken an anatomy class in my life, I also borrowed my friend's anatomy textbook.

The AAMC practice tests I used had a balanced amount of anatomy/physiology and o-chem in addition to cell/molecular bio. But on the real thing, my actual test form was almost 80% MCB. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it worked out well for me because I'm an MCB/biochemistry major. So a lot of the test questions reflected topics my professors had been talking about lately (ie mechanisms of viral transduction, Koch's postulates, establishing whether something is "necessary AND sufficient," etc.). Got a 15 on this section, so ultimately, it worked out well.

WS:
Didn't really look at this section until the week of the exam. I used my friend Princeton Review Hyperlearning verbal book, which was pretty useful. Their essays seemed much better written than what I wrote on the exam, but I still got an R (I was expecting more like a P). It makes me wonder whether test companies purposely make exam sections seem harder than they are, just to scare us into paying $2000 to take their courses.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS: Berkeley Review
VR: EK 101
BS: Berkeley Review, TPR (anatomy), Anatomy textbook
WS: TPR

4) Which practice tests did you use?

AAMC

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Molecular and Cell Bio (emphasis in Biochemistry), BioE minor

This combo of biochem and bioE coursework ended up providing pretty balanced preparation for the MCAT (gave a solid foundation in physics, chemistry, and molecular/cell bio)...but I definitely would NOT recommend choosing a major just because you think it will help you on the MCAT. Study the topics you enjoy for your major, and your MCAT preparation will fall into place later.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Do well in your classes, even ones only peripherally related to the MCAT. Anything that helps hone your logical abilities and physical intuition will help you out.

I didn't take a prep course (felt it was too much $$). I just bought the Berkeley Review books (GREAT for reviewing science material) and borrowed my friends old TPR and anatomy books. I was studying during the semester, so like most people, I had ~20 hours of class per week, not to mention a bf and a life outside school to balance with this. Self-discipline was definitely hard sometimes, so I decided to look up the course schedule for one of the Berkeley Review classroom courses, and just followed that everyday. This way, I could go at the same pace as the classroom courses, without shelling out $2000!

Also, this is very important, if you take away anything from this post, get this:

1. Again, do well in your classes! (or at least understand the material well, even if you don't get a great grade)

2. Memorizing is not the key (well, for me at least). I've heard about people memorizing o-chem reactions and kinematics equations, etc for this exam, but I think that's unnecessary. What's more important is have an intuitive understanding of the phenomenal being tested. For instance, it'll benefit you more to have an intuitive grasp of (a) in o-chem, how electrophiles and nucleophiles interact with each other and (b) in physics, how moving bodies and forces interact. Also, a lot of times, all the information you need is contained within the passage; rather than have certain trivia memorized, you just need to logically piece together points already stated in the passage to answer some of the questions.

3. Don't let this test take over your life! There's a lot of stories about premeds falling off the face of the planet for 6 months at a time, just to prepare for this exam. This may work for *some* people, but I'm definitely not one of them. For me, all the studying in the world won't help my score if I'm miserable. Balancing study time with hanging out with my bf on a regular basis and going out with my friends really helped maintain my mental sanity...which in turn boosted my score if anything.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

2.5 months. (With 2 weeks of gap for midterms and recovering from strep throat).

I came out of that exam feeling like I got hit by a truck (especially on PS). I was dreading finding out my score, and practically crapped my pants when I saw it was >33P (about what I was expecting). I'm still pretty shocked with how well I did compared to how crappy it felt, but I guess that's just how it is with this test.

 

[jochi1543]

Someone PMed me asking for my info, so here it goes:


1) Your individual scores and composite score

12 PS 10 BS 10 VR T 32T

2) The study method used for each section

BS and PS - read the material twice, 3x for weak areas, take practice tests - I did not have an extensive science background and thus needed to focus on learning all the material.

VR - take practice tests

WS - wrote one essay, gave it to a friend, he said "you'll get an R at least, don't bother studying" - he was right!



3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

AAMC - 3R and 9R

Kaplan for Bio, Gen Chem, Orgo, Physics, and VR (just the Big Book - mine was a 2003, btw, so I just skipped the alkene/alkyne/aromatics in the Orgo section)

Examkrackers -
did 3 tests from 101 verbal passages,
read the Orgo book (LIFESAVER - if you're clueless in orgo or will not have taken both parts of the course by the test, I would HIGHLY recommend this), read the Physics book (some sections great, some not so much, but it did add onto Kaplan nicely as it was more concept-focused)
Did a few problems from 1001 Gen Chem and Physics books, but didn't like them much

Barrons - the New 2007 MCAT book. Helped me out with bio a bit, and I liked the mini-tests after every bio section to help you evaluate the material, but the book has LOTS of mistakes and the Orgo/Physics sections are very poor. Don't get this book unless you can get it for free (say, from the library).

4) Which practice tests did you use?

AAMC 3R (29, 10, 10, 9 PS) and 9 R (30, 10, 10, 10). Did a Kaplan, got 30 or something.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Japanese Language and Culture
The first 2 years I was in Economics, so a bit more quantitative than my eventual major


6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?


Well, first off, YES, your score on the real thing MAY be higher! As I mentioned elsewhere, I never got above a 30 on my tests - however, I only got below 30 once, and it was 29, so still not a terrible score by any means.

Secondly, if you didn't do too hot on 3R, don't despair - I had a 29 on that one, and 32 on the real thing, so while you may hear people saying it's the easiest one out there, my scores obviously illustrate the opposite - and I was nowhere under near as much stress during 3 R as during the real thing, obviously. Also, I had a 9 PS on 3R and 12 on the real thing. So don't beat yourself up if your 3R is not as high as you hoped.

Third, don't go in there thinking "I will rock this section, but this other one is gonna slaughter me." I was very anxious about PS and chill about VR and BS before I went into that little room, and the outcome was the exact opposite.

Fourth - for those who have written and are waiting for scores - while you can't accurately predict the numerical scores, I found that my feelings after the exam were an accurate predictor of how my scores stacked relative to each other. I walked out of there ass-raped by BS and VR and feeling pretty good about PS and WS, and my scores reflected that.

Fifth - don't just study the material, work on your test-taking skills. Learn to pick the right answer (or a 50-50 guess) on a question you know NOTHING about. It's reasonable to expect a question like that on discretes. I walked in feeling pretty confident about evolution, but had a discrete that asked me for a definition of a term - which I had NEVER heard before. I looked at the answers and noted that 3 of them had similarities between them, so I knew the 4th one was the correct answer because it differed from the rest - even though I had no clue about the meaning of the term in question.

Sixth - make sure to take at least one full day off weekly. I was able to avoid burnout despite studying quite a bit (see below). Also, stay healthy - exercise and not drinking/avoiding junk food does wonders for your ability to concentrate.

Seventh - just because you are not a science major doesn't mean you'll blow PS and BS (see my scores). Nor does it mean that you'll get a 13+ in VR (same). For the WS, make sure to ALWAYS address all 3 tasks. As far as examples, they need not be concrete historical things or quotes from literal works. Both of my essays were based on hypothetical examples - I don't think I referred to something that *actually* happened once in my 2 essays.

Eighth and last - while a poor science background is not a death sentence, I found that having taken Cell Bio and Genetics helped me a lot during the prep, so I do recommend taking some bio before going into the test. I think that the high yield courses would be Genetics and Cell Bio as mentioned above, and I really wish I had taken anatomy and physiology - the memorization of facts would've been easier that way.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

4.5 months. I started easy - 1-2 hours a day 5-6 days a week. A month into it, it became 2-6 hours daily 6 days a week. I would say I averaged 3-4 hours a day. Other than that 1 day off every 6 days, I only took time off once (for 3 days) - I had an important trip to make and couldn't really study. Note that I had little science background. I had only taken Genetics and Cell Bio for biology (A-, B+ respectively, though this is relative because I had health problems at the time that limited my ability to attend class and study), took Gen Chem I (A), but withdrew halfway through Gen Chem II because I was sick AND was doing badly mostly because of the illness. I did terribly in Orgo I and never took Orgo II. I got a B+ in physics I and withdrew from Physics II because of illness/doing terribly. So yes, you can have a crappy science background and still do above average in the science sections.



Good luck! But not so much that you score way higher than I did and steal my spot, haha.

 

[SketchLazy]

Hello everyone,

I know this question has been asked a zillion times, but I like to get fresh perspectives. For those who got 30+ MCAT scores(SouthernGirl, beanbean, JScrusader, Samoa, nero, and anyone else who has a 30+ MCAT score), can you post the following information please? It would be greatly appreciated.

1) Your individual scores and composite score

2) The study method used for each section

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

4) Which practice tests did you use?

5) What was your undergraduate major?

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

Thanks guys and congrats to everyone who recently took the MCAT ,

confewshz

1)VR 11 PS 12 BS 13 WS Q Total 36
2)VR: spent time on wiki just reading, practiced passages
BS: my major preparation was a huge factor in my score, worked in a developmental biology lab and tried my best to understand the reasoning behind experiments, practiced passages
PS: focused the most on PS by doing at least 15-20 passages a day.
3) The Princeton Review and Baron's MCAT prep
4) Kaplan MCAT question bank: Did not really reflect MCAT questions in terms of concept and format. Depended heavily on calculations which I couldn't do off the top of my head rather than the concepts behind the passages. Timed questions just became frustrating and demoralizing. Scored only 40-50% of the questions right because I ran out of time. It didn't help me.
MCAT-Prep.com: Tests on this website better reflected the actual test that I took.
Ironically, never got around to my free AAMC test. Damn it.
5) Major: Biochemistry and cell biology.
6) I think doing practice tests is the most important way of studying for the MCAT. I didn't use most of the memorization material in the TPR and Baron's review books. As I did the practice tests, looking up the information as I went along helped far more than trying to memorize all the material presented in those books. Also, I think it really helps if you do tests that are on the computer itself. Even though those pen and paper practice tests in the back of self-study aids have the same material, I feel the experience of taking a CBT is so different that it could affect performance. I'm no stranger to using the computer, but I was so disoriented during the exam that I was thrown by the format. One last thing with the CBT is you only get a 10-minute break between sections with no lunch break. I knew this ahead of time and brought food and water, but it was hard to clear the head between sections in order to prepare for the next one and snack at the same time. Get used to transitioning between sections in less time than it takes to take a crap.

7) One and a half months - 3-4 hours a day about 5 days a week. (quit my job just to study)

 

[mundungus]

VR: 10
PS: 13
BS: 13
Writing: S

VR: I took a Kaplan course and I really thought they were completely useless. I bought a EC 101 book, and that was a lot more useful. Unfortunately I decomposed during the verbal section, and was hella nervous.

PS: I studied with the kaplan course, and found it to be useful for content review. However, they're questions were kind of simple, so the AAMC tests were a lot more accurate.

BS: Again, kaplan was a decent content review, but the questions were still easier, especially in Organic Chemistry. The AAMC tests were a lot better too.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend the Kaplan course, mainly because the questions were WAY easier than the AAMC tests or the real test. I feel that a much better way to prepare would have just been using the EC books, so I recommend that people invest in the books and the online exams. You have to pay for the online tests, but the net is cheaper than the Kaplan course.

Good luck everybody.

 

[hazel16]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

37S: PS 12, VR 12, BS 13

2) The study method used for each section

For PS and BS, see (4)

VR - Just kept taking practice tests and checking wrong answers.

WS - Wrote a few sample essays in 3 weeks before test. Helped to realize that I could blatantly make up information -- they just wanted to see how well I could argue it.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

• Kaplan MCAT 45 (I went through this book a few weeks before the MCAT -- really helpful in identifying my weaknesses so I could shore them up)
• Kaplan MCAT Comprehensive Review (all beaten up and dog-eared now since I used it so much -- definitely recommend)
• Kaplan MCAT Practice Tests
• Princeton Review Practice MCATs
• Gold Standard MCAT (the style of the review didn't work for me so I really just used it for its practice tests)

4) Which practice tests did you use?

In addition to the above, in order:

AAMC 3R: PS 11, VR 11, BS 10
AAMC 10: PS 10, VR 13, BS 11
AAMC 9: PS 12, VR 13, BS 12
AAMC 3: PS 12, BS 13 (re-take because I'm cheap)
AAMC 10: PS 12, BS 12 (re-take because I'm cheap)
AAMC 8: PS 13, VR 12, PS 12

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

I had two strategies:

1. I started off really unconfident and with a low initial practice test score, so I allowed myself a lot of crutches when doing daily practice passages (I did about one passage from each section a day). Untimed and I let myself look up the formulas, etc. Gradually, I got rid of the crutches, but they really helped with my initial confidence and taught me how to get the right answers. Memorising facts I did later.

2. The Kaplan MCAT 45 book had a succinct list of topics tested on the MCAT for each section. I made a flashcard for each topic and memorised them all in the few weeks before the test. You do have to know a lot for the MCAT but it's a finite amount of information. Knowing all the flash cards helped my confidence since I could approach the science sections knowing that I knew everything I needed to know to get the answers right, it was just a matter of thinking about them in the right way.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

I'm 25 so I've been out of college for a few years and had forgotten just about all the science I needed, so I started almost a year early, reading through some old textbooks and reading through the Kaplan book. I took my first practice test and started studying in earnest in January (took the exam April 12). I took the practice test (Princeton Review) under completely non-standard conditions and still only got a 25. Don't be discouraged if you're starting low!

Hope this helps somebody. Good luck!

 

[tartrate]

Alright, since this thread has helped me a lot to prepare, here's my input:

1) Your individual scores and composite score

35Q: PS 13, VR 10, BS 12

2) The study method used for each section

PS - EK books and a few chapters from Nova book for specific trouble I had with EM stuff. Initially this was actually my lowest section, but everything fell into place later on.

BS - EK books, though I didn't pay too much attention to this area having a strong biology background. EK books actually covered in enough detail everything needed for organic portions.

VR - My toughest section to raise, though also the most stable. Used EK 101 book. Most of my scores ranged 10-12 area. Really tricky since even with a "feeling" of having done well, this yielded only a 10 overall...some passages you may have been flawless, while you have too many mistakes in others. Practice helps to stabilize your score, and especially your timing, but only up to a certain extent.

WS - Knowing this section was not too important, I didn't prepare for this section much. If you know how to structure an essay and make a good argument, I think that's fine.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Examkrackers
Nova Physics (few chapters)

4) Which practice tests did you use?

In addition to the above, in order:

AAMC 3R, 8R, 9R, 10R scores ranging from 33-38

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Molecular and Cell Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Finding and addressing weaknesses seemed to be the highest yield for me. Studying independently without any prep-course is just fine. Keep everything in perspective, and don't freak out too much.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

For about two months, I studied whenever I had blocks of free time. This equals about 2-10 hours a week. So overall I didn't study nearly as much as most people. During this time I just read over the review books and did the provided questions. Then in the final few weeks I started taking practice tests.

 

[Whoozit]

1) Scores14PS, 15VR, 12BS----41T

I used all of the Examkrackers books (complete package and 1001 questions series), studied a lot with flashcards, and took all of the AAMC practice tests as well as three PR practice tests, 1 EK practice test, and about one and a half Kaplan practice tests (stopped in the middle of one because of a real life problem that demanded my attention)). My Kaplan score (about a month before the real test)) was a 27,, so I don''t really trust Kaplan scores, but my AAMC practice scores averaged around 37.5. I studied for three months, most heavily weighted in the middle month (I had to cool it a little the third month because my grades had gone down from focusing so much more on the MCAT than on school). In using the Examkrackers complete package, I went through each book once, doing the review questions, then again writing everything on flashcards and taking the end of chapter quizzes. Then I used 1001 questions (and occasionally some Kaplan subject tests) to work on problem areas. Then I went through each entire book again. Then I worked on problem areas again. I didn't study for or practice the writing section because I didn''t feel like I had time.. For that,, I just tried to focus on answering each question in order,, in about a paragraph each.

 

[12thandSouth]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

37Q: PS 11, VR 13, BS 13

2) The study method used for each section

PS - I used the Kaplan online materials -- physics and gen chem subject tests, etc. Doing 50 physics problems in one sitting will toughen you up.

BS - Same as above. Really, if you're taking a Kaplan course, make use of the online material as much as possible.

VR - Nothing in particular. I was a humanities major as an undergrad, and I read constantly, so I guess you could say that my whole life has been prep for the verbal section.

WS - I didn't take this section very seriously, and so I didn't prepare for it much either.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Kaplan for PS and BS.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

Kaplan 1-4 (30, 33, 35, 37)
AAMC 3-6 (33, 37, 35, 38), as well as the PS and BS sections of test 10 (13 for both)

5) What was your undergraduate major?

History and Religion (double major)

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

I found that taking practice tests -- particularly the AAMC practice tests -- was the best way to prepare. I think that the key to doing well on the MCAT is knowing how to take the test. After all, there really isn't that much content they expect you to know. Once you've mastered the material (or most of it, anyway), move on to the practice tests so that you get used to applying that science knowledge to the unfamiliar situations presented in the passages.

While taking the practice tests, learn to pace yourself. I can't stress this enough. Try to move through each section quickly, marking the toughest questions as you go, but not wasting time on them the first time around. Then, if you've moved quickly enough, you should have about 10 minutes at the end of each section to go back to the marked questions and give them more patient, serious thought.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

I specifically studied for the MCAT for about a month and a half or two months. But, since I was a postbacc student (and finished all of my prereq's in this past year) you could really say that I had been prepping for the MCAT all year.

 

[CATallergy]

1) Your individual scores and composite score: 36O - PS 12, VR 11, BS 13

2) The study method used for each section: I've always been good at math/science, so I just read through the EK 1001 problem books for chem/phys as a refresher. For Bio, I read the Campbell/Reece textbook (6th edition) cover to cover. I've never taken organic chem, but really fell in love with it after picking up Organic Chemistry for Dummies at Borders over Christmas, and subsequently bought a graduate level physical organic textbook (Anslyn) to try and get a deeper idea of reactions at the MO level. I also looked through the EK book, which seemed pretty good. Verbal - I did 3 sets from the EK practice book.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc): I bought the EK books, but really relied most on textbooks.

4) Which practice tests did you use? AAMCs (P,V,B) - 3 (13,10,12), 8 (12,11,13), 9 (12,11,13), 10 (12,8,12). [note: I started 10 at 9pm after starting my workday at 5am - this was intentionally to simulate feeling stressed out during the test]

5) What was your undergraduate major? economics (bs in 2001) and work in non-science field. my last science class was in high school in the 90's (and ochem, never!)

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us? (1) really try to learn the material in your classes - this test would have killed me if I had just crammed through hs. (2) Spend time reviewing terms - the MCAT is mainly just reading charts and diagrams, but even if you can figure out an entire set-up, you will not know if Rf is +/- if you don't know what Rf stands for (real example). (3) Cycle through multiple subjects when studying - this might help you tie everything together. (4) try not to memorize anything. all the equations in PS can be derived from maybe 10 equations - spend a couple of hours trying see how many you can eliminate by deriving from others - this exercise will pay off in spades (btw, it is incredibly annoying that there is no overnight delivery option on those spades - be prepared for a long wait after your test) (5) when I was waiting for the test to start, I was sitting in the parking lot watching the leaves rustling in the wind, and I thought "this test is really just a celebration of our beautiful universe," and this thought was nice to remember throughout the exam.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT? casually for a couple months, seriously for one - almost exclusively on weekends, due to hectic job, but I always tried to squeeze in 20 minutes each morning for problems. Also, forget about going cold turkey on the day before the test - I agree that you shouldn't cram or burn yourself out with problems, but definitely keep thinking about science and keep the new synapses forming!

 

[strive01]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

10, 14, 13 = 37

2) The study method used for each section

call me crazy, but i reviewed all my basic 4 books.....if i was weak in an area, i did practice problems...so if i thought i was weak in archmides' principle, then i would do problems til i was sick of it....same thing for orgo mechs, and chem problems....bio is sort of a reveiw, but get the details down well!


3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Took kaplan course and used their practice materials, did every
topical tests. did TPR practice exams, about 3 of them (as close as you can get with all aspects, i loved the verbal), used examkrakers verbal got me up from a 5 to a 10, so i was pleased

4) Which practice tests did you use?

Kaplan and TPR, kaplan only cause it was part of the course, but found that they weren't close to anything, except bio was good

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Bio - genetics, microbio and cell bio was very helpful....had atleast one passage where an advanced level was very helpful,...on rabbit genetics, on viruses, and lac operon.....advanced clases help!..
physio was not necessary, i had an EKG passage, but it was doable without the class, i'm taking it now and the book said no more than did the passage......i had taken anatomy before the mcat, but didn't find it of any use.....

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

make sure you have all the concepts down well and you can integrate everything, so for example, be able to solve a problem taht involves the circulatory system wired like a circuit...parallel and series

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

started in May....Mid July started tests.......last test one week before real thing, ........didn't do much of anything in august, except practice verbal......took about 10 tests, aamc V was the same as my real score......and VI was 2 points lower than my real score.............but same difficulty.....

PM me if you want to know anything else, i'd love to help in any way i can.....

nero

Hi Nero,

I had a couple of questions for you if that is cool. I am just starting out my mcat prep and it takes me about 4-5 mins to read a verbal passage.. how much time should it take to read a passage? How can I improve this? Also, what were the scores you got on each section when you first started out?

Thanks for the help
take care

 

[strive01]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

10, 14, 13 = 37

2) The study method used for each section

call me crazy, but i reviewed all my basic 4 books.....if i was weak in an area, i did practice problems...so if i thought i was weak in archmides' principle, then i would do problems til i was sick of it....same thing for orgo mechs, and chem problems....bio is sort of a reveiw, but get the details down well!


3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Took kaplan course and used their practice materials, did every
topical tests. did TPR practice exams, about 3 of them (as close as you can get with all aspects, i loved the verbal), used examkrakers verbal got me up from a 5 to a 10, so i was pleased

4) Which practice tests did you use?

Kaplan and TPR, kaplan only cause it was part of the course, but found that they weren't close to anything, except bio was good

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Bio - genetics, microbio and cell bio was very helpful....had atleast one passage where an advanced level was very helpful,...on rabbit genetics, on viruses, and lac operon.....advanced clases help!..
physio was not necessary, i had an EKG passage, but it was doable without the class, i'm taking it now and the book said no more than did the passage......i had taken anatomy before the mcat, but didn't find it of any use.....

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

make sure you have all the concepts down well and you can integrate everything, so for example, be able to solve a problem taht involves the circulatory system wired like a circuit...parallel and series

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

started in May....Mid July started tests.......last test one week before real thing, ........didn't do much of anything in august, except practice verbal......took about 10 tests, aamc V was the same as my real score......and VI was 2 points lower than my real score.............but same difficulty.....

PM me if you want to know anything else, i'd love to help in any way i can.....

nero

Hi Nero,

I am just starting my mcat prep and it takes me about 4 -5 mins to read a verbal passage.. being a slow reader, i know that is not good enough.. how long should it take me to read a verbal passage? also, what scores did you get on each section when you first started out? How many hours a day did you do for the mcat?

thank you for your help
take care

 

[strive01]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

MCAT 1: 13PS 6VR 12BS S (31S)
MCAT 2: 13PS 9VR 12BS T (34T)

2) The study method used for each section

PS: learned the material and concepts well enough to apply to multiple situations (always tried to look for the concept being tested when doing passages, then worked from there)

VR: practice, practice, practice (this tends to require at least a decade of lots of reading to do well...at least that's what it seems)

BS: did practice EK bio passages (wish I could have found the motivation to study physiology more...just couldn't bring myself to do it, however, i was very confident in my genetics/organic chemistry/biochemistry/experimental passages...that's probably why i was still able to manage a 12 twice but peaked at that score very quickly)

WS: kaplan mock exams

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS: Kaplan, EK, AAMC
VR: Kaplan, mostly EK, AAMC
BS: Kaplan, EK, AAMC
WS: AAMC practice prompts...and the kaplan method

4) Which practice tests did you use?

AAMC/Kaplan

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Genetics (however, all my options/electives are in biochemistry so it might as well be biochemistry)

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Concepts/skills will trump rote memorization when it comes to the MCAT.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

1st time - moderately for 3 months...then intensely for 2-3 weeks
2nd time - did a 2 AAMC exams

Hi,

I was wondering what did you find the most helpful in getting your verbal up from a 6 to a 9? I am kind of worried about my verbal as i am starting out my mcat prep. I only got a 600 on my SATs on verbal so im kind of worried. Thank you so much, take care

 

[g7enn]

After my first 2 years at Cal, my GPA was just over a 2.0. I barely passed my first year. Then I learned how to study properly and I found that getting good grades now means knowing strategic study skills. My last 2 years I averaged close to a 4.0. I took a 5 year hiatus and returned after acing the OCAT. I graduated in 1979 with honors. Optometry was a breeze. I had a great time.

I attended a number of ballroom dancing classes. So many that I later taught ballroom dancing. I was able to do all this because of good study technique. It's the single most important aspect of getting good grades or acing achievement tests. Here's the key:

""Studies have shown that people remember 20% of what they
read, 40% of what they read and hear and 60% of what they
read, hear and write."

If you didn't know this fact about getting good grades
now, much less how to transform it into effective study
skills, then you've been losing anywhere between 20%-40% of
your potential study efficiency!

On the Optometry College Admission Test my lowest score was 95. In two
other areas I scored the highest score possible 99 because The Method
taught me good study skills.

For more information link to:

http://www.parenting-healthy-children.com/studyskills.html

 

[hj7korp]

I was wondering what did you find the most helpful in getting your verbal up from a 6 to a 9? I am kind of worried about my verbal as i am starting out my mcat prep. I only got a 600 on my SATs on verbal so im kind of worried. Thank you so much, take care[/quote]


Dude, I had a 380 on my SAT verbal and got an 8 on verbal for the MCAT. I know an 8 is actually below average and nothing to write home about, but I still improved upon the previous MCAT, in which I had a 6. I'm not a native speaker of English, so that didn't help much either. I did around 40-50 verbal practice exams, and it really helped me a bunch. Just practice, practice, and practice.

 

[strive01]

I was wondering what did you find the most helpful in getting your verbal up from a 6 to a 9? I am kind of worried about my verbal as i am starting out my mcat prep. I only got a 600 on my SATs on verbal so im kind of worried. Thank you so much, take care

Dude, I had a 380 on my SAT verbal and got an 8 on verbal for the MCAT. I know an 8 is actually below average and nothing to write home about, but I still improved upon the previous MCAT, in which I had a 6. I'm not a native speaker of English, so that didn't help much either. I did around 40-50 verbal practice exams, and it really helped me a bunch. Just practice, practice, and practice.[/quote]

wow, that is really inspiring! congrats on how far you have come!! what did you do for the other sections? were you always good at physics?

 

[mhwetsch]

I might be forward to post before actually taking the real test but it frustrates me to hear people getting high scores attribute there success to "reading a lot as a child." Ok, some innate reading skill helps but the reality is that the verbal exam is not like any casual reading scenario, it demands a specific strategy and ultimately the use of techniques and skills that are not used in an average reading context.
So this post is for those that are not innately brilliant but have the grit to put in some hard work to get that score where they want it. A disclaimer, I'm not an authority nor do I claim to be, this is merely what worked for me and it was born only out of personal experimentation but my scores so far are proving that this can work.

Before....
Kaplan Diagnostic: 28 (7 VR)
Bunch of Kaplan Tests: 28-31 Range (7-11 in VR, very scary range)

After self imposed practice schedule....
AAMC 3 : 36 (11 in VR)
AAMC 4: 38 (12 in VR)
AAMC 5: 39 (14 in VR)
AAMC 6: 40 (13 in VR)

To be honest I can't believe the scores popping up....but I figure, if I can do this than most should be able to as well. So here is how I got those VR scores.

General Philosophy: My thought is that VR success is about achieving a good test taking process. I found that trying to focus on why exactly I missed problem X was a waste of time because for the most part the final conclusion was I hadn't understood what was going on. So all of my effort went into the TECHNIQUE of passage reading and absolutely no focus on what my results were. I completed 10 full VR sections without scoring them (honestly because when I did the results were depressing). Instead of harping on missed questions I got down on myself for going over time, glazing or bogging. Think means not ends, technique not scores, positive results grow naturally from positive habits.

The Grind: I do a VR section first thing in the morning every day without fail. For this I have found Kaplan to be an excellent source of endless practice sections. For those enrolled in the Kaplan course, I used the VR workbook to practice steps one and two and then moved to the online resources to practice full sections. For those of you flying solo, remember that the real thing is 7 passages and each resource has its own flavor, my experience here is limited so I’m not going to make any suggestions. I will report how the AAMC practice tests compare to the actual exam but from what I have read AAMC is most analogous to the actual exam and if that is the case expect longer passages but less ambiguous questions.

STEP 1: Passage Mapping and Micro-Timing.
-I completely agree with Kaplan's passage mapping suggestion. Though I don't use it while answering the question it keeps me processing and integrating the passage as I go and most of all keeps me from glazing over.

-Do a section one passage at a time with a break between passages and then break each passage down further into the reading section and the the question section. Time each component of the passage separately and shoot for 6 min per passage. So for clarity:

Reading (3 min)
Pause
Questions (3 min)
Pause

6 min!?!?! But why?
Before I had been having trouble staying under 10 min per passage so I wanted to essentially beat my brain into submission. After about three full-length sections taken in this manner I was hitting those times pretty consistently (occasionally going over). The focus is figuring out how much to write, when you can cut corners on an easy(er) passage, etc. Its all about experimenting….a lot. Breaking up the sections allows you to collect yourself, establish a goal for the passage then implement it, if it feels good, keep doing it, if not try another idea.

What I found: I write short hand sentences, at least one per paragraph, and when the paragraphs are long, I write something down when my brain feels full. Like I said I rarely refer to my notes afterwards, I just use it as a tool to keep myself engaged.

STEP 2: Full Passages

-Do sections timing both the reading and questions as one piece and bump the time up to 7 min a passage. Now the routine is passage, break, passage, break, etc. Again, focus on time and understanding as much as possible. You should really have refined your passage mapping to just the perfect amount of writing. Too little and you aren’t retaining enough, too much and you go over time, experiment and find that balance.

STEP 3: The Real Deal

-The line between step two and three isn’t very clear. I found that I was hitting my times better and taking shorter breaks between passages. For a full section my routine is as follows…

1. 8 min a passage – After struggling to hit 6 min/passage this should feel pretty roomy for normal passages and a little tight on the long ones. This creates checkpoints that you should use for pacing [52 min, 44 min, 36 min, 28 min, 20 min, 12 min and 4 min.] I actually write these numbers in the top corner of my scratch paper just so I don’t need to figure it out while I’m doing the passage.

2. One deep breath between passages while looking at a distant point. The ciliary muscles are contracted while looking at objects close (such as a computer with a horrific VR section) focusing on a distant point relaxes those muscles. I have also found that the short single breath break makes the whole thing a little more emotionally palatable. It retains the feel of doing 7 separate, manageable passages rather than one big scary section. Also if a passage doesn’t go well it gives a moment of space to mentally reset your mind to dominate the next passage. Furthermore, I have found that I actually finish faster giving myself that small break. Make the breath really count, the whole process should take about 10 seconds. Don’t let yourself see the break as slacking, it is as essential as passage mapping, convince yourself of that so you can let your mind totally relax instead of maintaining the stress of feeling like you are behind.

3. The four min buffer. For those math whizzes, you have probably figured out that 8 min x 7 passages = 56 min giving a 4 min buffer at the end. I don’t use this as review time. Rather, I treat it as my breathing space for that inevitably evil passage. I think of it as paying out a little slack that I plan to get back later. Knowing that you have the breathing room subdues the panic attack when you get a little stuck on a passage and don’t hit your times. For the most part if I only get behind by a minute I have always found a passage that I can get the time back. If I am down by four min that is really bad and I know that I will probably have to sacrifice the quality of one passage to catch up. Ultimately using the buffer during practice is not desirable. Remember, the real thing is supposed to have longer passages so train accordingly.

4. Go back? The final question…do we review in attempt to make those last minute heroic changes? My personal conclusion, no. Over the last three tests I have stayed firm in resisting my desire to go back and change answers and my scores have been the best yet (I’m not saying it is the cause of my good scores but it certainly isn’t detrimental). I answer while reading the passage and stick to it, at the very worst I may bypass a question in a series and then answer it last before moving on to the next section. At the end of the day, a guess is a guess, its lousy but they happen so don’t fret over it; just focus on your passage mapping/reading technique and eventually the guesses will be minimized and your instincts will become more reliable. I’m getting 13’s and 14’s and I still feel like some of my answers are nothing better than educated guesses or gut feelings. Use your time checkpoints to keep you on track and to force a choice on those agonizingly ambiguous questions (I would say the roman numeral ones are the most exquisitely painful).


The End: That was a lot, I’m sorry if I have overstepped my bounds and for those of you who have actually read this whole thing, congrats. Feel free to use or not use any part of this towards your own success. I think that, in the end, the right way of going about taking this section is very personal and must be found through a lot of trial and error. At the very least this can act as a stepping-stone into your own ideas and experiments on what works. If anyone decides to implement any of these concepts into her own routine, please let me know in what way and if you made any progress utilizing it. Again, I don’t think you need to be a genius that has been reading the Encyclopedia since birth to get good scores. Rather it’s the tenacity and intensity with which you practice that will determine your success. How bad do you want it? All the best!
Matt

 

[Ironslave]

I might be forward to post before actually taking the real test but it frustrates me to hear people getting high scores attribute there success to "reading a lot as a child." Ok, some innate reading skill helps but the reality is that the verbal exam is not like any casual reading scenario, it demands a specific strategy and ultimately the use of techniques and skills that are not used in an average reading context.
So this post is for those that are not innately brilliant but have the grit to put in some hard work to get that score where they want it. A disclaimer, I'm not an authority nor do I claim to be, this is merely what worked for me and it was born only out of personal experimentation but my scores so far are proving that this can work.

Before....
Kaplan Diagnostic: 28 (7 VR)
Bunch of Kaplan Tests: 28-31 Range (7-11 in VR, very scary range)

After self imposed practice schedule....
AAMC 3 : 36 (11 in VR)
AAMC 4: 38 (12 in VR)
AAMC 5: 39 (14 in VR)
AAMC 6: 40 (13 in VR)

To be honest I can't believe the scores popping up....but I figure, if I can do this than most should be able to as well. So here is how I got those VR scores.

General Philosophy: My thought is that VR success is about achieving a good test taking process. I found that trying to focus on why exactly I missed problem X was a waste of time because for the most part the final conclusion was I hadn't understood what was going on. So all of my effort went into the TECHNIQUE of passage reading and absolutely no focus on what my results were. I completed 10 full VR sections without scoring them (honestly because when I did the results were depressing). Instead of harping on missed questions I got down on myself for going over time, glazing or bogging. Think means not ends, technique not scores, positive results grow naturally from positive habits.

The Grind: I do a VR section first thing in the morning every day without fail. For this I have found Kaplan to be an excellent source of endless practice sections. For those enrolled in the Kaplan course, I used the VR workbook to practice steps one and two and then moved to the online resources to practice full sections. For those of you flying solo, remember that the real thing is 7 passages and each resource has its own flavor, my experience here is limited so I’m not going to make any suggestions. I will report how the AAMC practice tests compare to the actual exam but from what I have read AAMC is most analogous to the actual exam and if that is the case expect longer passages but less ambiguous questions.

STEP 1: Passage Mapping and Micro-Timing.
-I completely agree with Kaplan's passage mapping suggestion. Though I don't use it while answering the question it keeps me processing and integrating the passage as I go and most of all keeps me from glazing over.

-Do a section one passage at a time with a break between passages and then break each passage down further into the reading section and the the question section. Time each component of the passage separately and shoot for 6 min per passage. So for clarity:

Reading (3 min)
Pause
Questions (3 min)
Pause

6 min!?!?! But why?
Before I had been having trouble staying under 10 min per passage so I wanted to essentially beat my brain into submission. After about three full-length sections taken in this manner I was hitting those times pretty consistently (occasionally going over). The focus is figuring out how much to write, when you can cut corners on an easy(er) passage, etc. Its all about experimenting….a lot. Breaking up the sections allows you to collect yourself, establish a goal for the passage then implement it, if it feels good, keep doing it, if not try another idea.

What I found: I write short hand sentences, at least one per paragraph, and when the paragraphs are long, I write something down when my brain feels full. Like I said I rarely refer to my notes afterwards, I just use it as a tool to keep myself engaged.

STEP 2: Full Passages

-Do sections timing both the reading and questions as one piece and bump the time up to 7 min a passage. Now the routine is passage, break, passage, break, etc. Again, focus on time and understanding as much as possible. You should really have refined your passage mapping to just the perfect amount of writing. Too little and you aren’t retaining enough, too much and you go over time, experiment and find that balance.

STEP 3: The Real Deal

-The line between step two and three isn’t very clear. I found that I was hitting my times better and taking shorter breaks between passages. For a full section my routine is as follows…

1. 8 min a passage – After struggling to hit 6 min/passage this should feel pretty roomy for normal passages and a little tight on the long ones. This creates checkpoints that you should use for pacing [52 min, 44 min, 36 min, 28 min, 20 min, 12 min and 4 min.] I actually write these numbers in the top corner of my scratch paper just so I don’t need to figure it out while I’m doing the passage.

2. One deep breath between passages while looking at a distant point. The ciliary muscles are contracted while looking at objects close (such as a computer with a horrific VR section) focusing on a distant point relaxes those muscles. I have also found that the short single breath break makes the whole thing a little more emotionally palatable. It retains the feel of doing 7 separate, manageable passages rather than one big scary section. Also if a passage doesn’t go well it gives a moment of space to mentally reset your mind to dominate the next passage. Furthermore, I have found that I actually finish faster giving myself that small break. Make the breath really count, the whole process should take about 10 seconds. Don’t let yourself see the break as slacking, it is as essential as passage mapping, convince yourself of that so you can let your mind totally relax instead of maintaining the stress of feeling like you are behind.

3. The four min buffer. For those math whizzes, you have probably figured out that 8 min x 7 passages = 56 min giving a 4 min buffer at the end. I don’t use this as review time. Rather, I treat it as my breathing space for that inevitably evil passage. I think of it as paying out a little slack that I plan to get back later. Knowing that you have the breathing room subdues the panic attack when you get a little stuck on a passage and don’t hit your times. For the most part if I only get behind by a minute I have always found a passage that I can get the time back. If I am down by four min that is really bad and I know that I will probably have to sacrifice the quality of one passage to catch up. Ultimately using the buffer during practice is not desirable. Remember, the real thing is supposed to have longer passages so train accordingly.

4. Go back? The final question…do we review in attempt to make those last minute heroic changes? My personal conclusion, no. Over the last three tests I have stayed firm in resisting my desire to go back and change answers and my scores have been the best yet (I’m not saying it is the cause of my good scores but it certainly isn’t detrimental). I answer while reading the passage and stick to it, at the very worst I may bypass a question in a series and then answer it last before moving on to the next section. At the end of the day, a guess is a guess, its lousy but they happen so don’t fret over it; just focus on your passage mapping/reading technique and eventually the guesses will be minimized and your instincts will become more reliable. I’m getting 13’s and 14’s and I still feel like some of my answers are nothing better than educated guesses or gut feelings. Use your time checkpoints to keep you on track and to force a choice on those agonizingly ambiguous questions (I would say the roman numeral ones are the most exquisitely painful).


The End: That was a lot, I’m sorry if I have overstepped my bounds and for those of you who have actually read this whole thing, congrats. Feel free to use or not use any part of this towards your own success. I think that, in the end, the right way of going about taking this section is very personal and must be found through a lot of trial and error. At the very least this can act as a stepping-stone into your own ideas and experiments on what works. If anyone decides to implement any of these concepts into her own routine, please let me know in what way and if you made any progress utilizing it. Again, I don’t think you need to be a genius that has been reading the Encyclopedia since birth to get good scores. Rather it’s the tenacity and intensity with which you practice that will determine your success. How bad do you want it? All the best!
Matt

I'm new here too, but you have not overstepped anything! I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to share, and I'm sure many more will as well.

 

[strive01]

I might be forward to post before actually taking the real test but it frustrates me to hear people getting high scores attribute there success to "reading a lot as a child." Ok, some innate reading skill helps but the reality is that the verbal exam is not like any casual reading scenario, it demands a specific strategy and ultimately the use of techniques and skills that are not used in an average reading context.
So this post is for those that are not innately brilliant but have the grit to put in some hard work to get that score where they want it. A disclaimer, I'm not an authority nor do I claim to be, this is merely what worked for me and it was born only out of personal experimentation but my scores so far are proving that this can work.

Before....
Kaplan Diagnostic: 28 (7 VR)
Bunch of Kaplan Tests: 28-31 Range (7-11 in VR, very scary range)

After self imposed practice schedule....
AAMC 3 : 36 (11 in VR)
AAMC 4: 38 (12 in VR)
AAMC 5: 39 (14 in VR)
AAMC 6: 40 (13 in VR)

To be honest I can't believe the scores popping up....but I figure, if I can do this than most should be able to as well. So here is how I got those VR scores.

General Philosophy: My thought is that VR success is about achieving a good test taking process. I found that trying to focus on why exactly I missed problem X was a waste of time because for the most part the final conclusion was I hadn't understood what was going on. So all of my effort went into the TECHNIQUE of passage reading and absolutely no focus on what my results were. I completed 10 full VR sections without scoring them (honestly because when I did the results were depressing). Instead of harping on missed questions I got down on myself for going over time, glazing or bogging. Think means not ends, technique not scores, positive results grow naturally from positive habits.

The Grind: I do a VR section first thing in the morning every day without fail. For this I have found Kaplan to be an excellent source of endless practice sections. For those enrolled in the Kaplan course, I used the VR workbook to practice steps one and two and then moved to the online resources to practice full sections. For those of you flying solo, remember that the real thing is 7 passages and each resource has its own flavor, my experience here is limited so I’m not going to make any suggestions. I will report how the AAMC practice tests compare to the actual exam but from what I have read AAMC is most analogous to the actual exam and if that is the case expect longer passages but less ambiguous questions.

STEP 1: Passage Mapping and Micro-Timing.
-I completely agree with Kaplan's passage mapping suggestion. Though I don't use it while answering the question it keeps me processing and integrating the passage as I go and most of all keeps me from glazing over.

-Do a section one passage at a time with a break between passages and then break each passage down further into the reading section and the the question section. Time each component of the passage separately and shoot for 6 min per passage. So for clarity:

Reading (3 min)
Pause
Questions (3 min)
Pause

6 min!?!?! But why?
Before I had been having trouble staying under 10 min per passage so I wanted to essentially beat my brain into submission. After about three full-length sections taken in this manner I was hitting those times pretty consistently (occasionally going over). The focus is figuring out how much to write, when you can cut corners on an easy(er) passage, etc. Its all about experimenting….a lot. Breaking up the sections allows you to collect yourself, establish a goal for the passage then implement it, if it feels good, keep doing it, if not try another idea.

What I found: I write short hand sentences, at least one per paragraph, and when the paragraphs are long, I write something down when my brain feels full. Like I said I rarely refer to my notes afterwards, I just use it as a tool to keep myself engaged.

STEP 2: Full Passages

-Do sections timing both the reading and questions as one piece and bump the time up to 7 min a passage. Now the routine is passage, break, passage, break, etc. Again, focus on time and understanding as much as possible. You should really have refined your passage mapping to just the perfect amount of writing. Too little and you aren’t retaining enough, too much and you go over time, experiment and find that balance.

STEP 3: The Real Deal

-The line between step two and three isn’t very clear. I found that I was hitting my times better and taking shorter breaks between passages. For a full section my routine is as follows…

1. 8 min a passage – After struggling to hit 6 min/passage this should feel pretty roomy for normal passages and a little tight on the long ones. This creates checkpoints that you should use for pacing [52 min, 44 min, 36 min, 28 min, 20 min, 12 min and 4 min.] I actually write these numbers in the top corner of my scratch paper just so I don’t need to figure it out while I’m doing the passage.

2. One deep breath between passages while looking at a distant point. The ciliary muscles are contracted while looking at objects close (such as a computer with a horrific VR section) focusing on a distant point relaxes those muscles. I have also found that the short single breath break makes the whole thing a little more emotionally palatable. It retains the feel of doing 7 separate, manageable passages rather than one big scary section. Also if a passage doesn’t go well it gives a moment of space to mentally reset your mind to dominate the next passage. Furthermore, I have found that I actually finish faster giving myself that small break. Make the breath really count, the whole process should take about 10 seconds. Don’t let yourself see the break as slacking, it is as essential as passage mapping, convince yourself of that so you can let your mind totally relax instead of maintaining the stress of feeling like you are behind.

3. The four min buffer. For those math whizzes, you have probably figured out that 8 min x 7 passages = 56 min giving a 4 min buffer at the end. I don’t use this as review time. Rather, I treat it as my breathing space for that inevitably evil passage. I think of it as paying out a little slack that I plan to get back later. Knowing that you have the breathing room subdues the panic attack when you get a little stuck on a passage and don’t hit your times. For the most part if I only get behind by a minute I have always found a passage that I can get the time back. If I am down by four min that is really bad and I know that I will probably have to sacrifice the quality of one passage to catch up. Ultimately using the buffer during practice is not desirable. Remember, the real thing is supposed to have longer passages so train accordingly.

4. Go back? The final question…do we review in attempt to make those last minute heroic changes? My personal conclusion, no. Over the last three tests I have stayed firm in resisting my desire to go back and change answers and my scores have been the best yet (I’m not saying it is the cause of my good scores but it certainly isn’t detrimental). I answer while reading the passage and stick to it, at the very worst I may bypass a question in a series and then answer it last before moving on to the next section. At the end of the day, a guess is a guess, its lousy but they happen so don’t fret over it; just focus on your passage mapping/reading technique and eventually the guesses will be minimized and your instincts will become more reliable. I’m getting 13’s and 14’s and I still feel like some of my answers are nothing better than educated guesses or gut feelings. Use your time checkpoints to keep you on track and to force a choice on those agonizingly ambiguous questions (I would say the roman numeral ones are the most exquisitely painful).


The End: That was a lot, I’m sorry if I have overstepped my bounds and for those of you who have actually read this whole thing, congrats. Feel free to use or not use any part of this towards your own success. I think that, in the end, the right way of going about taking this section is very personal and must be found through a lot of trial and error. At the very least this can act as a stepping-stone into your own ideas and experiments on what works. If anyone decides to implement any of these concepts into her own routine, please let me know in what way and if you made any progress utilizing it. Again, I don’t think you need to be a genius that has been reading the Encyclopedia since birth to get good scores. Rather it’s the tenacity and intensity with which you practice that will determine your success. How bad do you want it? All the best!
Matt

Thank you so much! Your advice is very motivating! Just a quick question, how did you pace yourself doing all these practice exams? I know you said you did one every morning, but when did you start?

 

[mhwetsch]

I wish that question was easier to answer. I had started about three months ago trying the pure Kaplan method and I was getting a wild range of scores that scared the living daylights out of me. I would have to say it was about a month ago that I really started the once a day verbal reasoning section. Just start with the micro-timing. Whats great about that is you can fit in a few any time during the day. I would sit down randomly and run through a bunch if I had a random 20 min. Whats so good is that doing 6 min a passage means that you finish a section FAST!

MAJOR POINT THAT I FORGOT....if you get cut off by time in the question section....just move on. Remember, you aren't doing this for a score, you are trying to perfect a process. If you consistently let yourself cheat by 30 seconds you are merely reinforcing a habit you don't want. I would recommend using old material, or even going over full length sections that you have already done before. Save the most realistic sections for when you are linking passages together near the end of the progression.

As far as when you should move to the next step...thats your call entirely. If you feel ready or want to see, just try....time a passage as a whole, or try a full section. If it didn't go as well as you wanted, take a step back and hammer away for a while more then try again. Personally, I did at least three, if not five full VR sections, just micro-timing. Then I did another 5 timing individual passages. Now I do a full section every morning before my other studying and I have probably done about 10 of those. I probably gave a much longer answer than expected, I'm sorry....its a bad habit of mine to take the long way to get to a point. Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
Matt

 

[benjjang751]

I wish that question was easier to answer. I had started about three months ago trying the pure Kaplan method and I was getting a wild range of scores that scared the living daylights out of me. I would have to say it was about a month ago that I really started the once a day verbal reasoning section. Just start with the micro-timing. Whats great about that is you can fit in a few any time during the day. I would sit down randomly and run through a bunch if I had a random 20 min. Whats so good is that doing 6 min a passage means that you finish a section FAST!

MAJOR POINT THAT I FORGOT....if you get cut off by time in the question section....just move on. Remember, you aren't doing this for a score, you are trying to perfect a process. If you consistently let yourself cheat by 30 seconds you are merely reinforcing a habit you don't want. I would recommend using old material, or even going over full length sections that you have already done before. Save the most realistic sections for when you are linking passages together near the end of the progression.

As far as when you should move to the next step...thats your call entirely. If you feel ready or want to see, just try....time a passage as a whole, or try a full section. If it didn't go as well as you wanted, take a step back and hammer away for a while more then try again. Personally, I did at least three, if not five full VR sections, just micro-timing. Then I did another 5 timing individual passages. Now I do a full section every morning before my other studying and I have probably done about 10 of those. I probably gave a much longer answer than expected, I'm sorry....its a bad habit of mine to take the long way to get to a point. Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
Matt

Hey,
Thank you so much for the inspiring strategy.
English is my second language, so I like to try new strategy to improve my MCAT verbal scores.
I noticed you stating that MCAT verbal is more about technique than knowing how to read fast. I am very glad to hear that because most people told me that I need to read faster, I always miss the main idea and ending up missing most of questions.
Well, I was wondering if you could share some tips on actual MCAT verbal test taking skills. What I mean is that if you focus more on the main idea? (I do not know if you have read EK's strategy, but they emphasize on using main idea of the passage to solve the problems). What do you usually write down when you map? (name? main idea? simple facts?) How do you deal with those hard passages that you don't understand or questions that is confusing. How do you choose your answer when it goes down to 50:50? Something like that I guess.
I know it is not easy to answer, but I am now getting about 7~8, and I really want pull it up to 9~11.
Thanks

 

[benjjang751]

I wish that question was easier to answer. I had started about three months ago trying the pure Kaplan method and I was getting a wild range of scores that scared the living daylights out of me. I would have to say it was about a month ago that I really started the once a day verbal reasoning section. Just start with the micro-timing. Whats great about that is you can fit in a few any time during the day. I would sit down randomly and run through a bunch if I had a random 20 min. Whats so good is that doing 6 min a passage means that you finish a section FAST!

MAJOR POINT THAT I FORGOT....if you get cut off by time in the question section....just move on. Remember, you aren't doing this for a score, you are trying to perfect a process. If you consistently let yourself cheat by 30 seconds you are merely reinforcing a habit you don't want. I would recommend using old material, or even going over full length sections that you have already done before. Save the most realistic sections for when you are linking passages together near the end of the progression.

As far as when you should move to the next step...thats your call entirely. If you feel ready or want to see, just try....time a passage as a whole, or try a full section. If it didn't go as well as you wanted, take a step back and hammer away for a while more then try again. Personally, I did at least three, if not five full VR sections, just micro-timing. Then I did another 5 timing individual passages. Now I do a full section every morning before my other studying and I have probably done about 10 of those. I probably gave a much longer answer than expected, I'm sorry....its a bad habit of mine to take the long way to get to a point. Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
Matt

Hey,
Thank you so much for the inspiring strategy.
English is my second language, so I like to try new strategy to improve my MCAT verbal scores.
I noticed you stating that MCAT verbal is more about technique than knowing how to read fast. I am very glad to hear that because most people told me that I need to read faster, I always miss the main idea and ending up missing most of questions.
Well, I was wondering if you could share some tips on actual MCAT verbal test taking skills. What I mean is that if you focus more on the main idea? (I do not know if you have read EK's strategy, but they emphasize on using main idea of the passage to solve the problems). What do you usually write down when you map? (name? main idea? simple facts?) How do you deal with those hard passages that you don't understand or questions that is confusing. How do you choose your answer when it goes down to 50:50? Something like that I guess.
I know it is not easy to answer, but I am now getting about 7~8, and I really want pull it up to 9~11.
Thanks

 

[wongb18c]

Quick newbie med school question....

Roughly, what MCAT score do I need in order to be considered competitive at a "lower-tier" med school if my GPA is only 3.45?

 

[nshams]

I might be forward to post before actually taking the real test but it frustrates me to hear people getting high scores attribute there success to "reading a lot as a child." Ok, some innate reading skill helps but the reality is that the verbal exam is not like any casual reading scenario, it demands a specific strategy and ultimately the use of techniques and skills that are not used in an average reading context.
So this post is for those that are not innately brilliant but have the grit to put in some hard work to get that score where they want it. A disclaimer, I'm not an authority nor do I claim to be, this is merely what worked for me and it was born only out of personal experimentation but my scores so far are proving that this can work.

Before....
Kaplan Diagnostic: 28 (7 VR)
Bunch of Kaplan Tests: 28-31 Range (7-11 in VR, very scary range)

After self imposed practice schedule....
AAMC 3 : 36 (11 in VR)
AAMC 4: 38 (12 in VR)
AAMC 5: 39 (14 in VR)
AAMC 6: 40 (13 in VR)

To be honest I can't believe the scores popping up....but I figure, if I can do this than most should be able to as well. So here is how I got those VR scores.

General Philosophy: My thought is that VR success is about achieving a good test taking process. I found that trying to focus on why exactly I missed problem X was a waste of time because for the most part the final conclusion was I hadn't understood what was going on. So all of my effort went into the TECHNIQUE of passage reading and absolutely no focus on what my results were. I completed 10 full VR sections without scoring them (honestly because when I did the results were depressing). Instead of harping on missed questions I got down on myself for going over time, glazing or bogging. Think means not ends, technique not scores, positive results grow naturally from positive habits.

The Grind: I do a VR section first thing in the morning every day without fail. For this I have found Kaplan to be an excellent source of endless practice sections. For those enrolled in the Kaplan course, I used the VR workbook to practice steps one and two and then moved to the online resources to practice full sections. For those of you flying solo, remember that the real thing is 7 passages and each resource has its own flavor, my experience here is limited so I’m not going to make any suggestions. I will report how the AAMC practice tests compare to the actual exam but from what I have read AAMC is most analogous to the actual exam and if that is the case expect longer passages but less ambiguous questions.

STEP 1: Passage Mapping and Micro-Timing.
-I completely agree with Kaplan's passage mapping suggestion. Though I don't use it while answering the question it keeps me processing and integrating the passage as I go and most of all keeps me from glazing over.

-Do a section one passage at a time with a break between passages and then break each passage down further into the reading section and the the question section. Time each component of the passage separately and shoot for 6 min per passage. So for clarity:

Reading (3 min)
Pause
Questions (3 min)
Pause

6 min!?!?! But why?
Before I had been having trouble staying under 10 min per passage so I wanted to essentially beat my brain into submission. After about three full-length sections taken in this manner I was hitting those times pretty consistently (occasionally going over). The focus is figuring out how much to write, when you can cut corners on an easy(er) passage, etc. Its all about experimenting….a lot. Breaking up the sections allows you to collect yourself, establish a goal for the passage then implement it, if it feels good, keep doing it, if not try another idea.

What I found: I write short hand sentences, at least one per paragraph, and when the paragraphs are long, I write something down when my brain feels full. Like I said I rarely refer to my notes afterwards, I just use it as a tool to keep myself engaged.

STEP 2: Full Passages

-Do sections timing both the reading and questions as one piece and bump the time up to 7 min a passage. Now the routine is passage, break, passage, break, etc. Again, focus on time and understanding as much as possible. You should really have refined your passage mapping to just the perfect amount of writing. Too little and you aren’t retaining enough, too much and you go over time, experiment and find that balance.

STEP 3: The Real Deal

-The line between step two and three isn’t very clear. I found that I was hitting my times better and taking shorter breaks between passages. For a full section my routine is as follows…

1. 8 min a passage – After struggling to hit 6 min/passage this should feel pretty roomy for normal passages and a little tight on the long ones. This creates checkpoints that you should use for pacing [52 min, 44 min, 36 min, 28 min, 20 min, 12 min and 4 min.] I actually write these numbers in the top corner of my scratch paper just so I don’t need to figure it out while I’m doing the passage.

2. One deep breath between passages while looking at a distant point. The ciliary muscles are contracted while looking at objects close (such as a computer with a horrific VR section) focusing on a distant point relaxes those muscles. I have also found that the short single breath break makes the whole thing a little more emotionally palatable. It retains the feel of doing 7 separate, manageable passages rather than one big scary section. Also if a passage doesn’t go well it gives a moment of space to mentally reset your mind to dominate the next passage. Furthermore, I have found that I actually finish faster giving myself that small break. Make the breath really count, the whole process should take about 10 seconds. Don’t let yourself see the break as slacking, it is as essential as passage mapping, convince yourself of that so you can let your mind totally relax instead of maintaining the stress of feeling like you are behind.

3. The four min buffer. For those math whizzes, you have probably figured out that 8 min x 7 passages = 56 min giving a 4 min buffer at the end. I don’t use this as review time. Rather, I treat it as my breathing space for that inevitably evil passage. I think of it as paying out a little slack that I plan to get back later. Knowing that you have the breathing room subdues the panic attack when you get a little stuck on a passage and don’t hit your times. For the most part if I only get behind by a minute I have always found a passage that I can get the time back. If I am down by four min that is really bad and I know that I will probably have to sacrifice the quality of one passage to catch up. Ultimately using the buffer during practice is not desirable. Remember, the real thing is supposed to have longer passages so train accordingly.

4. Go back? The final question…do we review in attempt to make those last minute heroic changes? My personal conclusion, no. Over the last three tests I have stayed firm in resisting my desire to go back and change answers and my scores have been the best yet (I’m not saying it is the cause of my good scores but it certainly isn’t detrimental). I answer while reading the passage and stick to it, at the very worst I may bypass a question in a series and then answer it last before moving on to the next section. At the end of the day, a guess is a guess, its lousy but they happen so don’t fret over it; just focus on your passage mapping/reading technique and eventually the guesses will be minimized and your instincts will become more reliable. I’m getting 13’s and 14’s and I still feel like some of my answers are nothing better than educated guesses or gut feelings. Use your time checkpoints to keep you on track and to force a choice on those agonizingly ambiguous questions (I would say the roman numeral ones are the most exquisitely painful).


The End: That was a lot, I’m sorry if I have overstepped my bounds and for those of you who have actually read this whole thing, congrats. Feel free to use or not use any part of this towards your own success. I think that, in the end, the right way of going about taking this section is very personal and must be found through a lot of trial and error. At the very least this can act as a stepping-stone into your own ideas and experiments on what works. If anyone decides to implement any of these concepts into her own routine, please let me know in what way and if you made any progress utilizing it. Again, I don’t think you need to be a genius that has been reading the Encyclopedia since birth to get good scores. Rather it’s the tenacity and intensity with which you practice that will determine your success. How bad do you want it? All the best!
Matt

Matt, this is awesome!! Thank you so much!! I was trying the glance @ the questions before starting out the passages but that wastes time I don't have. I'm going to try the 8min/passage thing & see how it works out

 

[hj7korp]

wow, that is really inspiring! congrats on how far you have come!! what did you do for the other sections? were you always good at physics?

I did pretty much the same for other sections as well. Reviewed materials, and practiced questions. I never went to my physics class, so I had to put some extra effort on that. I ended up with 12 on PS and 11 on BS. When you get to a point where you know the prep-book inside and out, it's all about test-taking strategy. Not only you need to know the materials for the MCAT, but also the MCAT exam itself. And the only way to do it is by practicing questions.
Practice with other people in the similar environment. If you do the practice exams enough, then you won't panic on the real thing. On my third try, I had only about 7 minutes left with a verbal passage. After about 50 practice exams, I knew that it was nothing to panic and I just needed to extra-focus to get my pace up. (I still had to guess the last question, but oh well, it happens) Hope this helps.

 

[hj7korp]

Hey,
Thank you so much for the inspiring strategy.
English is my second language, so I like to try new strategy to improve my MCAT verbal scores.
I noticed you stating that MCAT verbal is more about technique than knowing how to read fast. I am very glad to hear that because most people told me that I need to read faster, I always miss the main idea and ending up missing most of questions.
Well, I was wondering if you could share some tips on actual MCAT verbal test taking skills. What I mean is that if you focus more on the main idea? (I do not know if you have read EK's strategy, but they emphasize on using main idea of the passage to solve the problems). What do you usually write down when you map? (name? main idea? simple facts?) How do you deal with those hard passages that you don't understand or questions that is confusing. How do you choose your answer when it goes down to 50:50? Something like that I guess.
I know it is not easy to answer, but I am now getting about 7~8, and I really want pull it up to 9~11.
Thanks

I feel your pain because English is my second language as well. I had a 6 on my verbal on the first try and that was the reason why I didn't get in anywhere this year. It is amazing to see some people who never had to practice and get 11 or 12 on the real thing. For the main idea, look at the bottom of each verbal passage (AAMC and real thing only) and it will tell you the title of the passage. That helps you to figure out what the passage will be about. As for our non-native speakers, it is highly probable that there will be 1-2 passages that you basically understand virtually nothing from the passage. On the real thing, when this happens, you will have no time to go back and re-read the passage, so you have to find the main idea from the question stems.
I read smithsonian and economists magazine for preparation for the MCAT since the second time I had a 6 on my verbal, and that helped as well. And if you think about it, 8 or 9 on verbal isn't that bad.. 8 is like 50th percentile, which means you did the same or better than 50 percent of the people who took the exam. It may keep you away from all the high-ranked schools, but you will have two more years until you prove yourself on board exams.

 

[paceey]

Hi Guys,
I find that I have done better on the Kaplan tests compared with the AAMc tests that I have taken. Although other factors may account for the difference I am wondering if anyone thinks the Kaplan tests are easier than the AAMC tests.
Thanks!

 

[pazan]

1) Your individual scores and composite score: 35T (13 PS, 11V, 11 BS)

2) The study method used for each section: Read and took typed notes on a subject, then did about 8 - 10 passages for that subject. By the end I had 65 pages of typed notes on every possible topic covered on the MCAT. I read them about 5 times the week before test day. I really recommend it... it beats going through 1000+ pages of material in the MCAT prep books.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc): Berkeley Review class + books + tests.

4) Which practice tests did you use? AAMCs (P,V,B) - 3 (Took it before I really started studying and got a 29), 8 (33: 11, 11, 11), 9 (34: 11, 9, 14), 10 (33: 11, 10, 12). I took 4 Berkeley Review tests but the scale really isn't accurate -- They were also much harder than the AAMC tests.

5) What was your undergraduate major? Psychobiology and Neuroscience. Neurosci classes really helped, especially the ones that emphasize molecular biology and development.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us? Study at your own pace and focus completely during the practice tests. There is no magic formula that will get you a great score. You need try new things and find what works for you. Once you're comfortable and set with a strategy, good things will happen.


7) How long did you study for the MCAT? January I studied on and off... barely kept up with the material from class. February and March I studied almost every day for 2 - 3 hours, sometimes more. I finished all of the review materials about 10 days before April 12 and found that was more than enough time to review. By about April 8, I just wanted to take the damn test! April 12 couldn't come soon enough and I was so eager/excited about taking the real thing it was almost fun (almost....).

 

[mhwetsch]

Hey,
Thank you so much for the inspiring strategy.
English is my second language, so I like to try new strategy to improve my MCAT verbal scores.
I noticed you stating that MCAT verbal is more about technique than knowing how to read fast. I am very glad to hear that because most people told me that I need to read faster, I always miss the main idea and ending up missing most of questions.
Well, I was wondering if you could share some tips on actual MCAT verbal test taking skills. What I mean is that if you focus more on the main idea? (I do not know if you have read EK's strategy, but they emphasize on using main idea of the passage to solve the problems). What do you usually write down when you map? (name? main idea? simple facts?) How do you deal with those hard passages that you don't understand or questions that is confusing. How do you choose your answer when it goes down to 50:50? Something like that I guess.
I know it is not easy to answer, but I am now getting about 7~8, and I really want pull it up to 9~11.
Thanks

I wish there were some concrete answers that I could give to help you out, but honestly at that level of detail I really think what works will vary person to person. English is my first language so I think I would be overstepping my bounds to start preaching about what you should do to bring your score up. I do feel confident in suggesting that you do a bunch of VR without grading...it will make you focus on keeping a solid pace and passage mapping rather than scores. The whole point is to get to a place that makes you feel confident and solid, the bottom line is how many VR sections have you done....I would almost bet there is a linear relationship between # of practice sections taken and final score on the MCAT. Don't get down on yourself and keep pushing.

That being said....I do remember really wondering how the heck people actually mapped and what exactly they were writing. So the following is a word for word translation of one of my passage maps from this morning's practice section....

society - from our wants
government - restrain bad desires

society from want of community
government above tyranny
becomes too complex

Government - replace moral virtue
protection of property

most protection least expense

legislative

elections

Thats it....I think the whole point is that it is borderline meaningless for anyone else but me. Even reading it now I can't remember what some of that stuff means. It was just the bare minimum to keep it straight in my head for the time I was answering the questions, nothing more. I guess I stray from Kaplan in that I don't entirely ignore detail because too many times I have been frustrated by questions that require detail to answer. Through trial and error I have sort of developed a feel for what type of questions the test asks, so while reading a little light goes off that I am looking at something that seems prime to be a question and perhaps I'll jot down a word or two to cement it in my head.
In the end all I can say is that pure practice is the only thing that will really provide the "feel" that helps improve your score. I think the most challenging part of VR is the emotional stress of trying so hard and getting terrible scores....I would literally just lay face down on my floor after getting worked by a VR section. I believe that if you take 10 VR sections in any manner....you can't help but improve....and I argue that knowing why you missed ambiguous question X really won't increase your rate of improvement significantly. So skip the stress of looking at depressing scores, keep practicing and keep trying to improve your technique. If you think about it "trying to get an 11" is a pretty abstract goal...how do you practice "getting 11's" What is the action of "getting an 11" From my perspective goals are things we can directly pursue, "2 VR sections a day" is a goal, "more thorough passage mapping" or "8 min a passage" is a goal. A higher score will be a result of achieving your self defined goals. I think this may have been a bit of a tangent, sorry, I hope at least some of this was relevant...keep working hard and good luck!

Matt

 

[njmedstudent87]

I have a few questions for those lucky few who have a score of 37 or above on the MCAT.

1. How long did you study?

2. Did you use college textbooks or just study books (EK, Kaplan, etc.)?

3. How did you prepare yourself for the verbal section?

4. What study method did you use? (like how many hrs. a day, etc.)

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

1. How long did you study?

-about 30-40 hours a week. I reduced my credit hours to give myself more time.

2. Did you use college textbooks or just study books (EK, Kaplan, etc.)?

-Didn't touch my college textbooks because kaplan notes condensed everything I need.

3. How did you prepare yourself for the verbal section?

-Massive amounts of Kaplan problems

4. What study method did you use? (like how many hrs. a day, etc.)

-Notes up to about a month before the exam. Practice problems throughout that time period but started focusing more on problems within a month before exam. Two weeks before exam I focused on practice exams.

I haven't been to the MCAT forum in a while but aren't there quite a few threads that answer your question?

 

[PTWoB229]

Wow, this is actually my first post on SDN. I haven't had my scores for even a month yet...so I still remember looking for help, or experience from folks that had already taken the test. I thought I should reciprocate.

1. How long did you study?
I started studying about 14 months before the real thing. I had taken a year of physics and g-chem, plus a semester of bio at the time. But I had taken them all about 5-7 years earlier. When I started studying I began with the exam krackers and used it to brush up with the material. I did that for about 8-10 hours a week from 14 to 8 months out. Then I took a break and didn't study too much for a month-and-a-half. I finished up with a Kaplan class and was studying for about 10-20 hours a week during that period (though close to the test that number shot up).

2. Did you use college textbooks or just study books (EK, Kaplan, etc.)?
I typically used study books, but, when material was too foreign (I was taking O-chem while I was studying which was challenging) I would use text books as references.

3. How did you prepare yourself for the verbal section?
It depends on how much time you have. Spending a decent amount of time reading and increasing your ability to read challenging articles helps (I'm a fan of the Wall Street Journal). Though when it came down to it I enjoyed Kaplan's focus on timing, and the EK's focus on forming a mental image of the author and trying to perceive how they would interpret things.

4. What study method did you use? (like how many hrs. a day, etc.)
I believe I already covered this above, in question 1.

I hope my meandering thoughts were of some use. Best wishes and good luck.

Blue Skies...

 

[Coclean]

Bumping with the original set of questions...

Also, anyone taken the paper test, then the computer test and recommending major study changes?? I studied for the paper test 5 years ago and got a score I was happy with...studying anew these days and wondering what I should change.

Questions:

1) Your individual scores and composite score

2) The study method used for each section

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

4) Which practice tests did you use?

5) What was your undergraduate major?

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

 

[Critical Mass]

Bumping with the original set of questions...

Also, anyone taken the paper test, then the computer test and recommending major study changes?? I studied for the paper test 5 years ago and got a score I was happy with...studying anew these days and wondering what I should change.

Questions:

1) Your individual scores and composite score

2) The study method used for each section

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

4) Which practice tests did you use?

5) What was your undergraduate major?

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

I took the paper test too, but I didn't realize that the computer exam used a different question bank.

1) 11P-11B-10V-R

2) I took it pretty much cold. The MCAT is more of a "forest" exam (as opposed to a "trees" exam, such as those seen in medical school). If you can intepret what you were supposed to learn, then you'll do well.

3) The only section that I prepared for was verbal. I went through EK verbal passages once. Great practice IMO.

4) None other than those mentioned in 3).

5) My last degree was in criminal justice. Many years prior, I had completed UG degrees in biochemistry and microbiology.

6) Relax.

7) Long enough to read EK verbal passages once.

 

[Booter008]

I took the paper test too, but I didn't realize that the computer exam used a different question bank.

What exactly did you mean by this?

 

[BrokenGlass]

Hello everyone,

I know this question has been asked a zillion times, but I like to get fresh perspectives. For those who got 30+ MCAT scores(SouthernGirl, beanbean, JScrusader, Samoa, nero, and anyone else who has a 30+ MCAT score), can you post the following information please? It would be greatly appreciated.

1) Your individual scores and composite score

2) The study method used for each section

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

4) Which practice tests did you use?

5) What was your undergraduate major?

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

Thanks guys and congrats to everyone who recently took the MCAT ,

confewshz

I am 30+. My age that is, not my MCAT score.

 

[burningsky]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

34Q VR:10 PS:12 BS:12 WR:Q

2) The study method used for each section

Reading and notetaking, Practice tests, Flashcards

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Examkrackers study package, 1001/101 question books, 16 mini MCATs, Practice Tests

4) Which practice tests did you use?

EK 1-3, a few Kaplan tests, AAMC 3-10

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Study hard, take a lot of practice tests, don't procrastinate

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

5 months, 3-4 hours a day, 2-3 times a week

 

[hotdog003]

My daughter got 2250 on SAT and she wants to do premed at an expensive private school (48.5K/yr) as opposed to inexpensive instate school.
Assuming she puts in a lot of effort for undergrad and MCAT, is it likely that she will get high score for MCAT? Is there a corelation between SAT scores and MCAT scores?

There is another reason behind this question. If she has potential of getting a good score in MCAT, I tend to think that she can go to in state public school and save some hard earned money (for me) which can be used to fund Med school.

Any comments?

 

[SketchLazy]

My daughter got 2250 on SAT and she wants to do premed at an expensive private school (48.5K/yr) as opposed to inexpensive instate school.
Assuming she puts in a lot of effort for undergrad and MCAT, is it likely that she will get high score for MCAT? Is there a corelation between SAT scores and MCAT scores?

There is another reason behind this question. If she has potential of getting a good score in MCAT, I tend to think that she can go to in state public school and save some hard earned money (for me) which can be used to fund Med school.

Any comments?

Jesus H. Christ! That's like a 750 for each section! Kids are so smart these days. Unfortunately the MCAT is a very different test from the SAT and is more consuming than the SAT is. Just because someone does well on the SAT doesn't mean they will do well on the MCAT.

But more importantly, college is a crazy place that drastically changes people. There is no guarantee that your daughter will remain a pre-med while in college. The school that might be better for her is not the the school that has a better pre-med program, but a school that offers more of a broad range of opportunities that your daughter can explore. Everyone is guaranteed to change majors at least once so the better school is probably the most diverse one, not necessarily the one that costs more. Ultimately, if she does decide to stay a pre-med, the most important things are her GPA, her activities outside of school and her MCAT score, which private or public, a school will not teach you how to take. Maybe if you told us what schools they are, people could chime in on the experiences they had there.

 

[hotdog003]

Jesus H. Christ! That's like a 750 for each section! Kids are so smart these days. Unfortunately the MCAT is a very different test from the SAT and is more consuming than the SAT is. Just because someone does well on the SAT doesn't mean they will do well on the MCAT.

But more importantly, college is a crazy place that drastically changes people. There is no guarantee that your daughter will remain a pre-med while in college. The school that might be better for her is not the the school that has a better pre-med program, but a school that offers more of a broad range of opportunities that your daughter can explore. Everyone is guaranteed to change majors at least once so the better school is probably the most diverse one, not necessarily the one that costs more. Ultimately, if she does decide to stay a pre-med, the most important things are her GPA, her activities outside of school and her MCAT score, which private or public, a school will not teach you how to take. Maybe if you told us what schools they are, people could chime in on the experiences they had there.

schools are: UC berkeley, UCSD, Arizona State University, Duke.

 

[SketchLazy]

schools are: UC berkeley, UCSD, Arizona State University, Duke.

All of those are excellent schools that will be great preparation for your daughter, if she does decide to go to medicine. I went to UCSD as a transfer and I thought the experience overall was great. The difference between quality of education will probably minimal. Duke and UCB have huge reputations so that might add a little bit to her application when she is applying to medical school but seeing as how those are all great schools, it'd be hard to quantify the advantage. Has your daughter visited all the schools? Ultimately, when she has such good choices, it might just come down to which one she likes better. If she stays pre-med, the most important things are GPA, MCAT, and ECs which are mostly up to her, more than the place where she decides to go.

 

[whoisthedrizzle]

All of those are excellent schools that will be great preparation for your daughter, if she does decide to go to medicine. I went to UCSD as a transfer and I thought the experience overall was great. The difference between quality of education will probably minimal. Duke and UCB have huge reputations so that might add a little bit to her application when she is applying to medical school but seeing as how those are all great schools, it'd be hard to quantify the advantage. Has your daughter visited all the schools? Ultimately, when she has such good choices, it might just come down to which one she likes better. If she stays pre-med, the most important things are GPA, MCAT, and ECs which are mostly up to her, more than the place where she decides to go.

wow those are some wicked 30+ MCAT habits

 

[SketchLazy]

wow those are some wicked 30+ MCAT habits

Oi. Oi. Oi. She's the one that started it.

 

[QofQuimica]

bumping for the May folks-please contribute!

 

[Barts]

bumping for the May folks-please contribute!

1) Your individual scores and composite score: 38P (13 PS, 12V, 13 BS)

2) The study method used for each section: Studied one topic (BIO, CHEM, OCHEM..) for about 2-3 hours each night. Practice test on Sunday.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc): EK complete study package and AO.

4) Which practice tests did you use? AAMC and EK.

5) What was your undergraduate major? Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us? Start to study early and take your time-don't put off preparing and then try to cram. I just don't think most people would have much luck with that.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT? About 3-4 months.

 

[ICanDoThis]

1) Your individual scores and composite score: 36R (11 PS, 11 V, 14BS)

2) The study method used for each section: relied extensively on Kaplan materials, both books and kaptest.com subject/topical tests. Tried to target my weakest areas toward the last 2 weeks by looking up hard topics in old chem/physics text books.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc): Kaplan class, Examkrackers (a little bit)

4) Which practice tests did you use? AAMC and Kaplan

Kaplan 1 28-Feb 34 10 11 13
2 24-Mar 35 11 11 13
3 5-Apr 39 11 14 14
4 31-Mar 33 10 11 12
5 3-May 37 11 12 14

AAMC 3 16-Apr 35 10 12 13
4 18-Apr 32 10 10 12
5 20-Apr 36 11 12 13
6 24-Apr 35 10 13 12
7 26-Apr 36 11 12 13
8 28-Apr 34 10 12 12
9 1-May 33 11 11 11
10 5-May 32 10 9 13

As you can see, my trend was going down for the last 3 AAMC's...but I didn't let it get to me. I tried to keep a positive attitude going into the test (banishing all negative thoughts). I think that helped a lot!


5) What was your undergraduate major? Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us? Take practice tests and tackle those hard/pesky topics, even though you are probably more inclined to ignore them!! Start early, taper off towards the last week.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT? January to May

 

[mvenus929]

1) Your individual scores and composite score: 36R (12 PS, 11 VR, 13 BS)

2) The study method used for each section: No particular method. I studied about a lecture a day out of the EK books until about two weeks before the exam, then did practice tests constantly. I was also studying for my genetics, organic chemistry, and physiology finals the same week as the exam, so that helped keep information for the BS section fresh. The last week, I also listened to AO whenever I got free time.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc): EK complete study package and AO.

4) Which practice tests did you use? AAMC (CBT 3 and CBT 10) and Gold Standard (1-10), plus the princeton and kaplan diagnostics

AAMC 3R (Nov 3) - 31 (9P-12V-10B)
GS-1 (Feb 3) - 27 (8P-9V-10B)
GS-2 (Feb 17) - 25 (7P-8V-10B)
GS-3 (Mar 10) - 26 (8P-9V-9B)
Kaplan Diagnostic (Mar 17) - 26 (8P-7V-11B)
GS-4 (Apr 6) - 26 (8P-11V-7B)
Princeton Diagnostic (Apr 9) - 27 (10P-7V-10B)
GS-5 (Apr 28) - 26 (9P-8V-9B)
GS-6 (Apr 29) - 26 (8P-9V-9B)
CBT 3 (Apr 30) - 33 (11P-9V-13B)
GS-7 (May 1) - 25 (7P-7V-11B)
GS-8 (May 2) - 25 (7P-7V-11B)
GS-9 (May 5) - 26 (7P-7V-12B)
GS-10 (May 7) - 27 (9P-8V-10B)
CBT 10 (May 9) - 33 (11P-9V-13B)

So, GS exams aren't all that accurate, and the CBT (AAMC) tests are moderately so, and definitely the closest to my actual exam score.

5) What was your undergraduate major? Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us? Really go over your exams. In the last week, since I wasn't making any progress, I started to take notes on the questions that I missed, writing down what the concept was, and why I missed it. I then went through and studied those concepts, including practice problems, until I understood them.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT? About 5 months, stressing studying heavily at the end more than the beginning.