Biology Section - logic behind problems?

[Aceventura74]

My biggest issue is the BS section right now. I found that on older exams, AAMC 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, I was able to pull off a 12 or guaranteed 10+. I'm suddenly seeing, in AAMC 9 + the self assessment, a new element of logic/analysis of the material presented. In prior exams, I found the questions to be less passage based/less analytical, you'd just need to know, for example, aldosterone raises BP, but not really in relation to anything else in the passage/new material presented in the answer choice itself.

Anyone else feel like modern MCAT BS section is very logic/deductive intense? For example, in a passage, two hypothesis' are presented, and you're asked to find which is more accurate to the situation originally described. I have a lot of trouble distinguishing because both hypothesis' sound fair to me and logical (for example, no crazy outliers, like you need a body temp of 110 degrees for hypothesis B to work). what's the best way to attack these types of questions/passages? Thanks!!

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[txlonghorn2314]

I've had the same problem and I promise, it's 10x more analytical/experimental on the real deal. What helped me improve is doing it with a study buddy. Do 4 or 5 bio passages (from TPRH SW I recommend) and then just spend sometime talking about it. Talk about why the experiment was conducted, possible outcomes, it helped me get more in the analytic mindset. Then time yourself doing a few on your own, rinse and repeat. Also spend a TON of time reviewing the AAMCs, and try not to just read the explanations at first but to go through and figure out on your own why you got that answer wrong, why the other answers were also wrong, and why the right answer was so.

 

[Shirafune]

I have been trending up from 12 to 14 in BS recently with this strategy so hopefully this helps.

(1) Eliminate answer choices that are factually incorrect. If a choice is clearly wrong factually, then there is no reason to consider it the right answer. Don't preemptively eliminate any answers. You have to be absolutely sure that something is wrong.
(2) What facet of the passage is this question trying to test? Is there a specific experiment the question is referring to? Start thinking about the experimental set up.
(3) Take each answer choice and plug it into the experimental set up. If this answer choice is correct, would I see the data the passage provides? By now, you should pretty much have only 2 choices, if even, left.
(4) Is one of the choices too extreme? Usually, experiments cannot prove things definitely. The choice is most likely conservative.

For example, let's say a passage is talking about the relationships between A, B, and C, specifically the effects of A on C.
If the passage presented data like this:

Without B With B
Effect on C: +0.15 +0.15

My natural conclusion would be that the effect of A on C is independent of B. However, I would not choose a choice that suggested that the physiological effects of A is completely independent of B. There is nothing supporting this conclusion because the passage only looked at A, B and C. Likewise, I would also be weary to choose an answer that suggested that B is not involved in cardiac physiology. Again, the answer is tempting because it seems correct, at least partially, but the evidence in the passage does not support such an extreme choice.

I would most likely choose the answer that said that B is not directly involved in the A -> C step for whatever physiological process.

 

[Aceventura74]

I have been trending up from 12 to 14 in BS recently with this strategy so hopefully this helps.

(1) Eliminate answer choices that are factually incorrect. If a choice is clearly wrong factually, then there is no reason to consider it the right answer. Don't preemptively eliminate any answers. You have to be absolutely sure that something is wrong.
(2) What facet of the passage is this question trying to test? Is there a specific experiment the question is referring to? Start thinking about the experimental set up.
(3) Take each answer choice and plug it into the experimental set up. If this answer choice is correct, would I see the data the passage provides? By now, you should pretty much have only 2 choices, if even, left.
(4) Is one of the choices too extreme? Usually, experiments cannot prove things definitely. The choice is most likely conservative.

For example, let's say a passage is talking about the relationships between A, B, and C, specifically the effects of A on C.
If the passage presented data like this:

Without B With B
Effect on C: +0.15 +0.15

My natural conclusion would be that the effect of A on C is independent of B. However, I would not choose a choice that suggested that the physiological effects of A is completely independent of B. There is nothing supporting this conclusion because the passage only looked at A, B and C. Likewise, I would also be weary to choose an answer that suggested that B is not involved in cardiac physiology. Again, the answer is tempting because it seems correct, at least partially, but the evidence in the passage does not support such an extreme choice.

I would most likely choose the answer that said that B is not directly involved in the A -> C step for whatever physiological process.

Thanks for the awesome message, it seems to make a lot of sense what you're saying. What's tripping me up, is that I know full content, but sometimes when I'm reading a passage, I'm looking for a word-to-word answer choice. Sometimes answer choices convey the same idea, but obviously, as a test-taking tool to gauge the students, modify the answer to reflect the passage idea without using those same words.