Anyone feel violated by the April 16th MCAT?

[Zendoc]

So, I took the MCAT two days ago. I know nothing I am about to say is new, but it's new to me. I took seven full lenth practice exams and multiple section tests. I knew every F****** flash card and equation Kaplan made available. I did topicals and even covered every cabinet in my house with post-its about equations and embryonic stages, hormones, etc. Much to my dismay, the test was totally different than anything I've ever taken. I had been doing very well on my practice exams, scoring around 34. Usually, during practice exams I felt sure of at least half of my answers. In the verbal and biological sciences, I only felt sure of a few, the rest was educated guessing. I was totally out of my comfort zone. On the other hand, I felt that I knew a ridiculous about of equations that were not even tested in the physical sciences. I kept my cool through the first section and then half way through the verbal I just kept having the invasive thought, "this is hard, this is very hard." I pushed through it and only missed about a half a passage worth of questions in the last two sections, so I blindly guessed on about four questions in each section, but this is totally out of my comfort zone. Also, there was way more o-chem than Kaplan said there would be though it was not too difficult. When the test was over, I stared at the screen for all 5 minutes it gives you to decide whether or not to void your score. After recalling my friend who almost voided her score because she thought she failed and then got a 37, I decided to have my exam graded. After that, I went outside and fell to the floor crying like a five year old kid having a temper tantrum in the middle of a department store. I was quite a scene. After whipering the whole drive home, I drowned my sorrows in pino grigio and a nice homemade turkey burger, flipping through my notes to verify the few answers I was in fact sure about. Now two days later, I feel a little more human, a litter bit better but I am worried that it is because I have begun to elude myself about how well I may have actually done. I feel like I dedicated the last four months of my life to birthing this exam and to have botched it because it was so hard would be great loss. Does anyone else feel like this? Does anyone else know what the curves have been like in the last year? Like a 70% in verbal to get a 10, etc? Does anyone know where I can find those curves or statistics? I need something to cling to for the next 28 days?

Congrats to all who finished and good luck to the May test takers. Last tid bit of advice for future test takers, if you are going Kaplan, take Kaplan and AAMC practice exams so you don't get too comfy with just Kaplan. Ciao!

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[AlleghenyPOD]

So, I took the MCAT two days ago. I know nothing I am about to say is new, but it's new to me. I took seven full lenth practice exams and multiple section tests. I knew every F****** flash card and equation Kaplan made available. I did topicals and even covered every cabinet in my house with post-its about equations and embryonic stages, hormones, etc. Much to my dismay, the test was totally different than anything I've ever taken. I had been doing very well on my practice exams, scoring around 34. Usually, during practice exams I felt sure of at least half of my answers. In the verbal and biological sciences, I only felt sure of a few, the rest was educated guessing. I was totally out of my comfort zone. On the other hand, I felt that I knew a ridiculous about of equations that were not even tested in the physical sciences. I kept my cool through the first section and then half way through the verbal I just kept having the invasive thought, "this is hard, this is very hard." I pushed through it and only missed about a half a passage worth of questions in the last two sections, so I blindly guessed on about four questions in each section, but this is totally out of my comfort zone. Also, there was way more o-chem than Kaplan said there would be though it was not too difficult. When the test was over, I stared at the screen for all 5 minutes it gives you to decide whether or not to void your score. After recalling my friend who almost voided her score because she thought she failed and then got a 37, I decided to have my exam graded. After that, I went outside and fell to the floor crying like a five year old kid having a temper tantrum in the middle of a department store. I was quite a scene. After whipering the whole drive home, I drowned my sorrows in pino grigio and a nice homemade turkey burger, flipping through my notes to verify the few answers I was in fact sure about. Now two days later, I feel a little more human, a litter bit better but I am worried that it is because I have begun to elude myself about how well I may have actually done. I feel like I dedicated the last four months of my life to birthing this exam and to have botched it because it was so hard would be great loss. Does anyone else feel like this? Does anyone else know what the curves have been like in the last year? Like a 70% in verbal to get a 10, etc? Does anyone know where I can find those curves or statistics? I need something to cling to for the next 28 days?

Congrats to all who finished and good luck to the May test takers. Last tid bit of advice for future test takers, if you are going Kaplan, take Kaplan and AAMC practice exams so you don't get too comfy with just Kaplan. Ciao!

I'm taking mine in May 25th and thinking about reserving a july date just in case, =(

Good luck and hope for the best!

 

[Raihan Mirza]

sorry, repeated post

 

[Raihan Mirza]

Let me give you and many other members on SDN some wisdom from Rocky Balboa.

"Let me tell you something you already know. The World Ain't Sunshine and Rainbows, its a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you it, its about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That how winning is done! Now if you know what you are worth go out and get what you are worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits! And not pointing fingers saying your not there cause of him or her or anybody! Cowards do that, and that ain't you! Your better than that!

 

[sexyman]

Rocky Balboa was an awful movie haha.

Zendoc, I actually feel a lot like you (besides the tantrum lol, and the great practice scores).

I duno its crazy stuff, hey worse comes to wrose we take it over right.

 

[Mufasa2020]

I feel exactly like you Zendoc and have been looking for those statistics myself I am freaking out since I spent enormous amounts of my savings on every possible book made by every test prep company from Kaplan,EK, Princeton Review, Columbia Review, e.t.c... I have been studying for about a year and have been scoring solid 30's on all my practice exams, but after this test on monday I felt like droping out of life.. This was beyond anything and this was my third time taking it. I was looking at the void screen to the last second and decided not to I just hope we all get saved by the curve.

 

[Parabola]

I feel for ya man! I thought the test was really hard too...

 

[Yoyomama88]

hey man count me in, I thought it sucked overall too...i feel like i got half the questions right period....

 

[gotmeds?]

For what it's worth, I felt I absolutely bombed last August's MCAT. There were passages where I was just flat-put guessing. My score ended up being in the high 30's, but the two months waiting for it were hell. Luckily you only have to wait half as long as I did. Try to relax. It's over now and you probably did a lot better than you think.

 

[Zendoc]

Rocky Balboa was an awful movie haha.

Zendoc, I actually feel a lot like you (besides the tantrum lol, and the great practice scores).

I duno its crazy stuff, hey worse comes to wrose we take it over right.

Yes, you are right...We will take it over if we have to. I am prepared to take this test as many times as I have to. I WILL go to medical school.

 

[Zendoc]

I feel exactly like you Zendoc and have been looking for those statistics myself I am freaking out since I spent enormous amounts of my savings on every possible book made by every test prep company from Kaplan,EK, Princeton Review, Columbia Review, e.t.c... I have been studying for about a year and have been scoring solid 30's on all my practice exams, but after this test on monday I felt like droping out of life.. This was beyond anything and this was my third time taking it. I was looking at the void screen to the last second and decided not to I just hope we all get saved by the curve.

I feel you Mufasa 2020...This was my second time taking the exam. Don't drop out of life though...we need you here on Earth. Have you navigated this site thoroughly? There are some alternative routes to medical school I've recently been discovering. For instance there are special masters programs associated with medical schools that actually accept the AMCAS application as the application to their program. These programs are geared specifically toward people who have either below ideal GPA or MCAT score. I will find the specifics as far as where the information is located on this site and get back to you...

Also, have you thought about DO school? I am currently considering this and now because it is supposedly easier to get into than medical school. (Though this is a plus.) I am considering this field because I strongly believe in integrative medicine yet I want all the rights to perform surgery or prescribe medication just like any other doctor. As a DO you can practice like an MD with the whole person in mind, not just their broken arm or heart condition...It might be something to look into.

Best of luck and feel free to bitch and moan as much as you want, all us post MCAT-ers have earned the right...

 

[Zendoc]

For what it's worth, I felt I absolutely bombed last August's MCAT. There were passages where I was just flat-put guessing. My score ended up being in the high 30's, but the two months waiting for it were hell. Luckily you only have to wait half as long as I did. Try to relax. It's over now and you probably did a lot better than you think.

Congrats on livin' the dream...I hope you're right and I appreciate the kind words. The reason I did not void my score is that I have heard of people like you before who felt they failed and then scored very well. I think perceived performance has little to do with actual performance for many people...

Where are you at Med school if I may ask?

 

[prettymonkey]

So, I took the MCAT two days ago. I know nothing I am about to say is new, but it's new to me. I took seven full lenth practice exams and multiple section tests. I knew every F****** flash card and equation Kaplan made available. I did topicals and even covered every cabinet in my house with post-its about equations and embryonic stages, hormones, etc. Much to my dismay, the test was totally different than anything I've ever taken. I had been doing very well on my practice exams, scoring around 34. Usually, during practice exams I felt sure of at least half of my answers. In the verbal and biological sciences, I only felt sure of a few, the rest was educated guessing. I was totally out of my comfort zone. On the other hand, I felt that I knew a ridiculous about of equations that were not even tested in the physical sciences. I kept my cool through the first section and then half way through the verbal I just kept having the invasive thought, "this is hard, this is very hard." I pushed through it and only missed about a half a passage worth of questions in the last two sections, so I blindly guessed on about four questions in each section, but this is totally out of my comfort zone. Also, there was way more o-chem than Kaplan said there would be though it was not too difficult. When the test was over, I stared at the screen for all 5 minutes it gives you to decide whether or not to void your score. After recalling my friend who almost voided her score because she thought she failed and then got a 37, I decided to have my exam graded. After that, I went outside and fell to the floor crying like a five year old kid having a temper tantrum in the middle of a department store. I was quite a scene. After whipering the whole drive home, I drowned my sorrows in pino grigio and a nice homemade turkey burger, flipping through my notes to verify the few answers I was in fact sure about. Now two days later, I feel a little more human, a litter bit better but I am worried that it is because I have begun to elude myself about how well I may have actually done. I feel like I dedicated the last four months of my life to birthing this exam and to have botched it because it was so hard would be great loss. Does anyone else feel like this? Does anyone else know what the curves have been like in the last year? Like a 70% in verbal to get a 10, etc? Does anyone know where I can find those curves or statistics? I need something to cling to for the next 28 days?

Congrats to all who finished and good luck to the May test takers. Last tid bit of advice for future test takers, if you are going Kaplan, take Kaplan and AAMC practice exams so you don't get too comfy with just Kaplan. Ciao!

did you do the topic tests (the short ones of like 15-17 passage based questions each)? would having done more section tests or full lengths have helped you prepare better? i am taking the test on may 11th and just trying to figure out how best to spend my time. kaplan gives you so much stuff but what really would make a difference on test day?

 

[novawildcat]

I really think people over thought this exam too much. The Bio section was indeed hard, but the ochem really wasn't that bad. The beginning bio passages were hard as hell though.

The physical sciences, I felt, weren't too bad. Some questions were just simple manipulations of units.


Then again, I can understand why a lot of people found some things difficult. I guess I am privileged to be an organic chemist.

 

[sexyman]

The orgo wasn't all that bad.

I think that when your in the heat of the moment taking the actual MCATthe questions that you get wrong seem to over shadow the ones you get right.

Pretty monkey,

If I were you I would stay away from kaplan topical tests like the plague. I would say no most of Kaplan's stuff does not make a difference on test day. Instead of doing all of the nonsense Kaplan has (High Yield Problem Solving Book- what a disaster that book is). Get the EK books and study from another perspective.

Thats just my two cents.

 

[sixkix]

I really think people over thought this exam too much. The Bio section was indeed hard, but the ochem really wasn't that bad. FThe beginning bio passages were hard as hell though.

The physical sciences, I felt, weren't too bad. Some questions were just simple manipulations of units.


Then again, I can understand why a lot of people found some things difficult. I guess I am privileged to be an organic chemist.

That is my problem with the orgo. The questions were vague enough that you really needed to have a good overall picture, not so much into the specifics, which is what I spent most of my time working with. It teases you enough that you feel like you may have gotten the question right, but are you sure? Just like the question you stated, when your trying to decide between 6 degrees and 12 degrees, how sure can you be that you got it right? I went with 6 just like you, but I have an unfortunate cast of doubt hovering over me.

just my 2 cents

 

[Zendoc]

did you do the topic tests (the short ones of like 15-17 passage based questions each)? would having done more section tests or full lengths have helped you prepare better? i am taking the test on may 11th and just trying to figure out how best to spend my time. kaplan gives you so much stuff but what really would make a difference on test day?

I took every single quiz, every topical test (15-17 question) and every subject test (content only.) I took multiple full section tests as well.

I think the Kaplan materials are great, but I would also give a stabb at some of the AAMC testing materials just to compare and get a different flavor or the test. Some people think its better to use the Kaplan material and some people feel that AAMC is the best to practice with. I think using both is the best way to go.

Best of luck and feel free to keep asking questions.

 

[Tired Pigeon]

FWIW, 2 thoughts:

1. Keep in mind that some of the more different/incomprehensible stuff could be those sections that they test out before actually using in future years - in other words, these wouldn't affect your score.

2. I felt much the same as you when I came out of my MCAT. I had studied my ass off, then came down with a high fever & gruesome hacking cough just in time for the test. So I was filled with cold medicine, and looking at these passages and questions and just thinking, WTF - this is nothing like what I studied. I came out of there pissed, exhausted, and depressed. Then a few weeks later I found out I got a 36R. So stop worrying -- there's nothing you can do about it now, and with all your preparation you probably did a lot better than what it feels like right now. Focus on the positive side, which is that the damn test is behind you.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Friendly reminder: Please do NOT post actual questions you had on your MCAT exam. Thanks!

 

[novawildcat]

deleted

 

[sexyman]

The questions were vague enough that you really needed to have a good overall picture, not so much into the specifics, which is what I spent most of my time working with.

i actually felt this way about the entire test.

 

[gotmeds?]

Where are you at Med school if I may ask?

I'm starting this fall, but I'm still not sure where yet -- trying to decide between east coast and west coast.

 

[fisko82]

I really think people over thought this exam too much. The Bio section was indeed hard, but the ochem really wasn't that bad. The beginning bio passages were hard as hell though.

The physical sciences, I felt, weren't too bad. Some questions were just simple manipulations of units.


Then again, I can understand why a lot of people found some things difficult. I guess I am privileged to be an organic chemist.

I agree to an extent. The physical sciences were very straight forward in my opinion, (with the exception of the last passage), and I felt that the biology was the easiest I had taken of all the e-mcat exams AAMC 3-10. It had no "real" genetics, the genetics passage didn't require you to really know anything about genetics at all, just be able to interpret graphs. The discreets on Bio were pretty straight forward and the orgo/immunology asked was pretty basic, which I admit could have been difficult if I didn't have a strong background in that area.

So, I didn't think the April 16th sciences were all that bad. It wasn't an easy exam by any means, but I felt like if you knew your stuff down cold you had a good chance at getting most of the questions right.

 

[sexyman]

Well I agree with you about the genetics 100%

 

[BoxcarWilly]

Let me give you and many other members on SDN some wisdom from Rocky Balboa.

"Let me tell you something you already know. The World Ain't Sunshine and Rainbows, its a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you it, its about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That how winning is done! Now if you know what you are worth go out and get what you are worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits! And not pointing fingers saying your not there cause of him or her or anybody! Cowards do that, and that ain't you! Your better than that!

This is the difference in my generation and yours.

You take your counsel from a film and advice, as dispensed, from the lips of an actor.

~Boxcar

 

[wideawake45]

Yea, everyone is dwelling on the questions that were really hard. I mean, overall, the PS was really easy. There were a few questions that were hard, especially 2 from the last passage, and that was all I could think about after the exam. The VR was hard, but I was able to finish it and did not feel any worse about it than any practice test I took. Believe me people, if I finished the VR and remained sane, all of you probably did better than you think. For the BS, the last passage was the only hard part.
All I could think about after the exam was the hard questions, and it is because I spent the most time on them. Thinking about the whole exam today, I think it went well. Relax, you all did better than you think!!!! It had tough questions because it is the MCAT!!!

 

[CD4helpCD8]

Well, it is really difficult to say whether it is hard or not because everyone got different forms (i.e. different combination of questions). In my case, I took the MCAT last August and end up with 12 on both PS and BS, and I scored quite high on AAMC practice CBT 10 (39 composite), but I felt I was totally killed by April 16's exam in ALL sections (VR, PS, BS). I could not even finish PS and BS on time and had to guess a couple of questions - and I had at least 5 minutes to spare on CBT 10. I guess we can just wait and see 4 weeks later.....

 

[Zendoc]

Well, it is really difficult to say whether it is hard or not because everyone got different forms (i.e. different combination of questions). In my case, I took the MCAT last August and end up with 12 on both PS and BS, and I scored quite high on AAMC practice CBT 10 (39 composite), but I felt I was totally killed by April 16's exam in ALL sections (VR, PS, BS). I could not even finish PS and BS on time and had to guess a couple of questions - and I had at least 5 minutes to spare on CBT 10. I guess we can just wait and see 4 weeks later.....

Amen...can I ask why you took the MCAT again after getting 12's? Just curious...

 

[prettymonkey]

if you do aamc's 3-10 and go over every single question and concept touched would you have seen everything that they could ask you? of course they could ask about the same thing 10 bazillion different ways but should everything seem familar after doing all of the practice tests?

 

[NFiasco]

Do anyone of you guys remember how many passages there were for Biological and Physical? I know verbal is 7.
Kaplan is giving us 7 passages for all sections, I'm a bit concerned that it maybe off. Thanks.

 

[fisko82]

if you do aamc's 3-10 and go over every single question and concept touched would you have seen everything that they could ask you? of course they could ask about the same thing 10 bazillion different ways but should everything seem familar after doing all of the practice tests?

Quite simply, no. You shouldn't go into the mcat with that mindset either, imo. You need to go in realizing you will be shocked at some point with the stuff you see. It will appear very foreign or strange, but since you spent time on the concepts and know them well, you will think it through and choose the correct answers as best you can based on what they give you and what you know.

 

[CD4helpCD8]

Amen...can I ask why you took the MCAT again after getting 12's? Just curious...

Beacause I tried to pull up my VR (hopefully into double digits).