Best way to time PS and BS?

[cafeverona]

I've taken 4 practice AAMC's so far, and I always mess up my timing for PS and BS. I usually write down something concrete before I take the test, so that I give myself 8 min/passage.

For example, at the top of my sheet, I'll write:

end of pass 2: 1:02 min left
3: 54 min
4: 46 min
5: 38 min
6: 30 min
7: 22 min
discrete: 14 min
discrete 6 min

But sometimes while I'm taking the test, this really confuses me because there will be discretes thrown in between passages, and they're not always as long as the passage questions, so then I end up getting behind...

It's easy timing VB because it's all passages, but how do you all make a timing plan for the sciences? Help!

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[Dreamstoo]

I've taken 4 practice AAMC's so far, and I always mess up my timing for PS and BS. I usually write down something concrete before I take the test, so that I give myself 8 min/passage.

For example, at the top of my sheet, I'll write:

end of pass 2: 1:02 min left
3: 54 min
4: 46 min
5: 38 min
6: 30 min
7: 22 min
discrete: 14 min
discrete 6 min

But sometimes while I'm taking the test, this really confuses me because there will be discretes thrown in between passages, and they're not always as long as the passage questions, so then I end up getting behind...

It's easy timing VB because it's all passages, but how do you all make a timing plan for the sciences? Help!

I feel the same with Physical Sciences. Biological Sciences, I usually have 3-4 minutes to spare at the end.

 

[cafeverona]

Yeah exactly. Help anyone? I need to nail down timing--is the best way to do that just keep taking practice tests? What's a good timing plan to write before starting?

 

[Dreamstoo]

Yeah exactly. Help anyone? I need to nail down timing--is the best way to do that just keep taking practice tests? What's a good timing plan to write before starting?

Is computations slowing you down or is it just physical sciences in general?

 

[deleted388502]

I would love to hear thoughts on this as well, because I struggle with timing in PS majorly.
I start out writing out the times at the beginning, but I find that looking at the clock panics me as I'm going and causes me to lose focus from the passage, and the discretes also throw me off in the middle from how much time I should be devoting, especially if it's a particularly complicated discrete.

Thanks!

 

[cafeverona]

I would love to hear thoughts on this as well, because I struggle with timing in PS majorly.
I start out writing out the times at the beginning, but I find that looking at the clock panics me as I'm going and causes me to lose focus from the passage, and the discretes also throw me off in the middle from how much time I should be devoting, especially if it's a particularly complicated discrete.

Thanks!

Yeah I agree with this completely. Looking at the times I wrote panic me for PS and BS as well. And no, it's not the calculations per-say. I took AAMC 7, and for PS, I cheated by pausing it. My subscore went from a 9 to an 11...(and I don't think it was because I suddenly learned a lot in the 4 days since my last test). I'm pretty sure it's the fact that I feel like I need more time overall to just analyze the questions--because I hate knowing the content, but not being able to apply it because of time. That, and I have no idea how much time I have left in relation to what number I'm on (because of the whole passage/discrete issue).

The weird thing is that I was always able to do my TBR passages timed, averaging at about 7 min/passage...There's more pressure to be right on a practice test, so maybe that's why I'm taking a long time...I don't know.

 

[deleted388502]

Yeah I agree with this completely. Looking at the times I wrote panic me for PS and BS as well. And no, it's not the calculations per-say. I took AAMC 7, and for PS, I cheated by pausing it. My subscore went from a 9 to an 11...(and I don't think it was because I suddenly learned a lot in the 4 days since my last test). I'm pretty sure it's the fact that I feel like I need more time overall to just analyze the questions--because I hate knowing the content, but not being able to apply it because of time. That, and I have no idea how much time I have left in relation to what number I'm on (because of the whole passage/discrete issue).

The weird thing is that I was always able to do my TBR passages timed, averaging at about 7 min/passage...There's more pressure to be right on a practice test, so maybe that's why I'm taking a long time...I don't know.

Hahaha I feel you so hard. 8/8/7 on AAMC 4 timed. 10/10/10 untimed the next day.

 

[Skizye]

I've taken 4 practice AAMC's so far, and I always mess up my timing for PS and BS. I usually write down something concrete before I take the test, so that I give myself 8 min/passage.

For example, at the top of my sheet, I'll write:

end of pass 2: 1:02 min left
3: 54 min
4: 46 min
5: 38 min
6: 30 min
7: 22 min
discrete: 14 min
discrete 6 min

But sometimes while I'm taking the test, this really confuses me because there will be discretes thrown in between passages, and they're not always as long as the passage questions, so then I end up getting behind...

It's easy timing VB because it's all passages, but how do you all make a timing plan for the sciences? Help!

I write this before the PS and BS sections:
2 - 61
3 - 52
4 - 43
5 - 34
6 - 25
7 - 16

Meaning I should be starting passage 2 with 61 minutes left, 3 with 52 minutes left, etc. I do the discretes when I come to them but I usually blaze through them so I just ignore them in my timing. This should also leave you with 7 minutes leftover at the end to go back and finish any unfinished discretes, go over marked questions, etc.

I don't know if it's the best way but it has worked pretty well for me.

 

[iforget2]

I write this before the PS and BS sections:
2 - 61
3 - 52
4 - 43
5 - 34
6 - 25
7 - 16

Meaning I should be starting passage 2 with 61 minutes left, 3 with 52 minutes left, etc. I do the discretes when I come to them but I usually blaze through them so I just ignore them in my timing. This should also leave you with 7 minutes leftover at the end to go back and finish any unfinished discretes, go over marked questions, etc.

I don't know if it's the best way but it has worked pretty well for me.

I'm stealing this

 

[Skizye]

I'm stealing this

Go for it!

 

[cafeverona]

Cool thanks!

Yeah I guess the only way to keep track of time is to do your discretes quickly. It makes sense.

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

If you really want to get a structure for the timing, do this:

Click through and do all the discretes first. There's 13 of them, give yourself 1min/question, so 13 minutes to do all of the discretes:

Start: 70
Discretes: 57
Passage 2: 41
Passage 4: 25
Passage 6: 9
Passage 7: done

Don't time every passage, that will only freak out you. Time every other passage, so 16min for a pair of passages. Especially in the sciences some passages can take like 90 seconds to read and others take like 5 minutes. Timing pairs of passages will help wash out those difference.

 

[cafeverona]

If you really want to get a structure for the timing, do this:

Click through and do all the discretes first. There's 13 of them, give yourself 1min/question, so 13 minutes to do all of the discretes:

Start: 70
Discretes: 57
Passage 2: 41
Passage 4: 25
Passage 6: 9
Passage 7: done

Don't time every passage, that will only freak out you. Time every other passage, so 16min for a pair of passages. Especially in the sciences some passages can take like 90 seconds to read and others take like 5 minutes. Timing pairs of passages will help wash out those difference.

I like this a lot--I'm going to try it on my next test. Thanks!