How will the admissions compare scores from the old test vs the new tests for the next cycle?

[Hongiddong]

How will the admissions compare scores from the old test vs the new tests for the next cycle?

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[DrBowtie]

How will the admissions compare scores from the old test vs the new tests for the next cycle?

Percentiles

 

[GCSDOC]

Percentiles

I agree, although there is no way to quantify how much "weight" adcoms will put on this new MCAT score since there is no set of data showing a coorelation that relates good performance on the new mcat to success in medical school, whereas the old mcat had so much data to support its significance on what each socre means. In addition, AAMC has also stated it is not possible to compare the two scores because they test different material.

 

[TheAnonymous]

I agree, although there is no way to quantify how much "weight" adcoms will put on this new MCAT score since there is no set of data showing a coorelation that relates good performance on the new mcat to success in medical school, whereas the old mcat had so much data to support its significance on what each socre means. In addition, AAMC has also stated it is not possible to compare the two scores because they test different material.

^ Disagreed. If anything, the new MCAT is going to be a better predictor, hence the change. Yes, no one has taken it yet, but saying there is no data showing a correlation is a bit unjustified in my opinion.. remember the new MCAT contains almost all of the content tested on the previous MCAT... I can't see how someone can score better on the new MCAT compared to the previous MCAT but I can definitely see it the other way around.... obviously this is my personal opinion but if anything schools are going to prefer a high percentile on the new MCAT vs. the old MCAT.... think about it... getting a high percentile on a test that almost covers all of the previous topics, plus psyc/socio, plus biochem and questions now are more critical-thinking research/experiment type stuff.... and muchhh longer..... doesn't that show anything?

 

[GCSDOC]

^ Disagreed. If anything, the new MCAT is going to be a better predictor, hence the change. Yes, no one has taken it yet, but saying there is no data showing a correlation is a bit unjustified in my opinion.. remember the new MCAT contains almost all of the content tested on the previous MCAT... I can't see how someone can score better on the new MCAT compared to the previous MCAT but I can definitely see it the other way around.... obviously this is my personal opinion but if anything schools are going to prefer a high percentile on the new MCAT vs. the old MCAT.... think about it... getting a high percentile on a test that almost covers all of the previous topics, plus psyc/socio, plus biochem and questions now are more critical-thinking research/experiment type stuff.... and muchhh longer..... doesn't that show anything?

So you would like to challenge this source.....---->>>>> https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/faq/421682/good-score-on-the-new-mcat-exam.html

 

[TheAnonymous]

So you would like to challenge this source.....---->>>>> https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/faq/421682/good-score-on-the-new-mcat-exam.html

There is really nothing there to challenge... AAMC has not released a chart saying a 33 is equal to a 504 yet because there is a new section on the new MCAT and simply percentiles and score distribution are yet to be determined ... that's it... that's why schools are going to go by percentiles not actual scores because a 502 wouldn't mean much if that's 50th percentile ..

The new MCAT tests almost all the content previously tested + additional (extremely important) topics + much longer + relatively heavier critical thinking .... Someone with 90th percentile on the new MCAT, in my personal opinion/logic, is better off compared to someone with 90th percentile on the previous MCAT.

If the previous MCAT was a perfect predictor, they wouldn't have updated it...to make it more accurate..

 

[GCSDOC]

There is really nothing there to challenge... AAMC has not released a chart saying a 33 is equal to a 504 yet because there is a new section on the new MCAT and simply percentiles and score distribution are yet to be determined ... that's it... that's why schools are going to go by percentiles not actual scores because a 502 wouldn't mean much if that's 50th percentile ..

The new MCAT tests almost all the content previously tested + additional (extremely important) topics + much longer + relatively heavier critical thinking .... Someone with 90th percentile on the new MCAT, in my personal opinion/logic, is better off compared to someone with 90th percentile on the previous MCAT.

If the previous MCAT was a perfect predictor, they wouldn't have updated it...to make it more accurate..

Yeh, I definitely agree, no one test is going to be a predictor with 100% confidence. I just don't think an adcom is going to be able to confidently rule someone in or out based upon a heavy weight of their new mcat score, whereas in the past, if you got a <20, you basically were automatically ruled out everywhere no matter what b/c they were certain of what the data says about a score less than 20 for example.

 

[gyngyn]

Yeh, I definitely agree, no one test is going to be a predictor with 100% confidence. I just don't think an adcom is going to be able to confidently rule someone in or out based upon a heavy weight of their new mcat score, whereas in the past, if you got a <20, you basically were automatically ruled out everywhere no matter what b/c they were certain of what the data says about a score less than 20 for example.

We must judge. We will judge.

 

[Goro]

With tens of thousands of qualified applicants, you are engaging in wishful thinking.

I just don't think an adcom is going to be able to confidently rule someone in or out based upon a heavy weight of their new mcat score, whereas in the past, if you got a <20, you basically were automatically ruled out everywhere no matter what b/c they were certain of what the data says about a score less than 20 for example.

We definitely know what poor performance means. We also know how to read percentiles.

I agree, although there is no way to quantify how much "weight" adcoms will put on this new MCAT score since there is no set of data showing a coorelation that relates good performance on the new mcat to success in medical school, whereas the old mcat had so much data to support its significance on what each socre means. In addition, AAMC has also stated it is not possible to compare the two scores because they test different material.

 

[efle]

@gyngyn @Goro Do you currently weight performance on each subsection equally (eg if an applicant will have two 70th and one 90th percentile scores, it doesn't matter which subsection gets the 90th)? Will the new sections be valued as much as the previously existing ones despite lack of data on their predictive ability?

 

[gyngyn]

@gyngyn @Goro Do you currently weight performance on each subsection equally (eg if an applicant will have two 70th and one 90th percentile scores, it doesn't matter which subsection gets the 90th)? Will the new sections be valued as much as the previously existing ones despite lack of data on their predictive ability?

Individual examiners may have preferences but this tends to be blunted by the number of evaluators.

 

[Goro]

My gut tells me that people will look at, and value, Bio the highest.

@gyngyn @Goro Do you currently weight performance on each subsection equally (eg if an applicant will have two 70th and one 90th percentile scores, it doesn't matter which subsection gets the 90th)? Will the new sections be valued as much as the previously existing ones despite lack of data on their predictive ability?

 

[KungFuPanda123]

My gut tells me that people will look at, and value, Bio the highest.

Do you reckon that Verbal on the old test and CARS on the new test will be viewed approximately the same? I ask this because I scored below what I had expected to on the VR section, and I wanted to take the new MCAT to show improvement in it through a high score in CARS. Thank you!

 

[Goro]

My gut tells me that performance on the newest section will get the most slack, just as the VR section did/does.

Do you reckon that Verbal on the old test and CARS on the new test will be viewed approximately the same? I ask this because I scored below what I had expected to on the VR section, and I wanted to take the new MCAT to show improvement in it through a high score in CARS. Thank you!