38 on a dignostic?

[tik-tik-clock]

This friend of mine told me that she got a 38 on her TPR diagnostics.

Is that even possible? Or bull****ting?

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[EndSong]

It's certainly possible. But very difficult considering that TPR diagnostics are not only slightly harder than the actual MCAT but also scaled differently. If she can do that well on a diagnostic, I shudder to think about her actual MCAT score.

 

[EndSong]

The highest I've seen anyone do in TPR is about low 30ish and they scored high 30s on the real thing.

 

[Shrike]

I've seen 34, I believe, on 4931. I scored higher myself, but let's say that that doesn't count.

The 34 wound up with 39 on the real test.

 

[QofQuimica]

This friend of mine told me that she got a 38 on her TPR diagnostics.

Is that even possible? Or bull****ting?

I've never seen TPR's tests, but on the Kaplan diagnostic, it's definitely possible. Like Shrike said, if you don't count me, I haven't ever seen anyone score that high, but I have had a few students who scored in the low thirties on it.

If your friend is scoring that high on the diagnostic, you know who to ask to be your study buddy.

 

[EndSong]

i've seen Kaplan diagnostics, they're usually way easier than TPR, especially the verbal section.

 

[jeffsleepy]

I got 39, but that was on the last one. 38 this early in the game is awesome.

 

[ahhh123]

I heard that the highest individual score you can get is a 12.. on eachof the three sections.. so that would be a 36.. i'm not sure if a 38 is possible

 

[SensesFail]

i've seen Kaplan diagnostics, they're usually way easier than TPR, especially the verbal section.

Maybe so in Verbal, but definetly not in Physical Sciences. Kaplan PS is harder than Tests A-D PS. The scales are different, leading to higher scores than predicted on the Kaplan tests. But in terms of just pure questions, Kaplan is harder.

Interestingly, I've done TPR exams 4911-4931 and Kaplan FL's 1 and 6 and on all exams my composite score hasn't fluctuated that much at all (29-31).

 

[errozion]

whats even more amazing is that on TPR diag, my first i got a 15!!!

if i can get that towards later 20s to even 30 in six weeks, that would be astonishing, do you think its humanly possible?

pretty depressing stuff...

 

[OwnageMobile]

My first TPR test was a 21. I got a 37 on the real thing. So you will see improvment.

 

[QofQuimica]

whats even more amazing is that on TPR diag, my first i got a 15!!!

if i can get that towards later 20s to even 30 in six weeks, that would be astonishing, do you think its humanly possible?
...

Yes, it is possible, but it won't be easy. You should plan to study for the MCAT like it's your full-time job for the rest of the time between now and the test. Start with your weakest areas and study them first, so that if you run out of time the things that you don't get to will be the things you know best anyway.

 

[tik-tik-clock]

What's more amazing is that, she has not taken genetics and O CHEM II yet or even statistics for that matter. Its hard to imagine that she did well on BIO section. I dont know how the numbers would add up to a 38, considering she did REALLY well on the other two sections.

 

[errozion]

thanks guys for your words of wisdom, appreciate it.

 

[71263]

Let me enlighten yall further:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=210840

See post 10

 

[errozion]

interesting, i guess i'll have to find out on my own. I've herd both...in the end seems like these practice really do indicate where your going to stand on the real deal.

Like gujuDOC said its about how you correct your problems and assessing what one is doing wrong or what areas they are really lacking in that will help gain a few points.

 

[topdogg82]

Well if the first couple tests are way harder and the last couple way easier, then the average rule should still hold, meaning the average of your practice tests should be a good predictor of your actual MCAT. Prazmatic you say your last diag was 5 pts. above your actual score, but how did your actual score compare to the average of your practice scores? I think thats a much better indicator than just one test here or there.

 

[71263]

I highly disagree with your sentiments.

No matter how hard or easy the practice tests are, they will 9 out of 10 times predict the range in which your scores fall. It has been proven to be the case over and over for a long time now.

The actual test may be slightly harder then any practice test you take, but that does not mean you should discount how you are doing on your practice tests. Only 1 out of 10 people actually fall out of the range. But most get within 1-2 points of their score range or fall within it. this is excluding your initial diagnostic test.

And I don't believe that TPR teachers say that only because they are paid to do so. Many of the TPR instructors are people that have taken the real deal and taken TPR course. Others may not have taken a course, but have taken the real deal and then taken the TPR test to see how they compare.

a combo of TPR and AAMC tests did correctly predict my scores both times.

Shrike, actually put it best..........

He said that your score will be at least 4 pts higher then 4921, somewhat comparable to 4931 and your AAMC tests. Somewhat comparable to 4911 after studying. If you took the same 4911 test that you initially took.....after studying you'll find your score on that and your real score to be similar. That was the case with me the first time I took the real deal, and when I went back and retook it as a diag in November.

4921's score was indeed 4 pts lower then my actual new score, 5 pts below my August score.

4941 and 4951 gave me the same overall score with slightly different breakdowns.

Depending on what you put into it, you'll find that there is a possibility of a huge score increase from diags to the real deal.

But that depends on your ability to reassess what you are doing wrong and go about correcting it.

As per how my scores compared to the AAMC's........

They were within 1 pt of scores on 3R, and 2 pts of my score on 7 and 8.

For me the verbal was the only thing that seriously messed me up. See other posts on lack of concentration that I spoke about in the August 2005 MCAT thread for explanation of that one.

Regardless of how difficult the actual test is, your scores will most likely come out to be within the range of the practice scores unless something fatally goes wrong on test day.

Just look at what the April/August 2004 and April 2005 people have said about their practice ranges vs. scores.

First off, yes we are paid to say that. It was one of the first things our trainer told us to do during teacher training. Of course, this is again my personal experience. I dont know how other TPR offices work across the country, but I assumed they would have the same tactics everywhere.

As for the accuracy of the tests, I still maintain that they are off. I took the MCAT for real in April 2004. On the date of the April 2003 MCAT, TPR offered a free diag on campus. My score was in the mid 20s. In January, after having completed 2nd semester Bio and 1st semester Orgo, I took my first diag and didnt even break a 20. Either I got dumber in the last 9 months, or something was wrong with the test they took.

Furthermore, between the last TPR and first AAMC diags, I witnessed an 8 pt jump (this being over the range of 2 weeks). Again, seeing as it is highly unlikely for someone to make that kind of improvement by studying alone in that little time, I would have to point to the diags.

TPR also does not account for other factors that create false negatives. Not only are the tests more harder at first and then get easier, but students forget that on their first diag, they are usually not used to waking up and sitting in for a test at 8 am and enduring it till 4 pm. Setting a good sleep schedule alone will improve you from your first diag 3-4 pts.

I am not saying that TPR is completely ineffective. I respect the teachers' ability to convey the material and give good strategies. All I am saying is that they mislead you to believe youve improved more than you actually did. If for arguments sake, they gave the AAMC diags first and then TPR diags, scores would be stagnant, as people would start higher than they would, and be studying, but the tests would be harder.

With actual studying and taking classes, your score should actually improve 4-5 pts, the same as kaplan, and the same as me from the diag i took a year early to my actual score.

 

[71263]

Well if the first couple tests are way harder and the last couple way easier, then the average rule should still hold, meaning the average of your practice tests should be a good predictor of your actual MCAT. Prazmatic you say your last diag was 5 pts. above your actual score, but how did your actual score compare to the average of your practice scores? I think thats a much better indicator than just one test here or there.

Agreed, Id say the average is much closer. Unfortunately, the average isnt the standard most students go by. They look at the trends in their scores and hold the last couple to be most acccurate. My avg was slightly lower than my actual MCAT, but still way closer than either AAMC.