Increasing CARS scores

[mikil100]

Hey guys, in my studies I am regularly getting scores of 60-85% on my CARS sections, this is quite a wide range and it's frustrating not seeing my score readily increase.

I am doing ~3-4 passages daily, with a mix of passages from EK101 and the TPR CARS workbook. I typically read through the passage, taking my time, but not focusing in in minute details. I use the EK method of strongly searching for the writers main idea, and in most cases I feel like I get the main idea. I'm finding that 3/4 passages I do well in, getting maybe 1 wrong, maybe 2 max, however there is always one passage that I bomb and get more wrong than I get correct.

What methods are you doing and how are you scoring with these methods? Does anyone have any insight?

I will mention that my best CARS score was on the AAMC practice test (85%) and I thought it was relatively easy compared to the review books.

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[JOLA46]

i would love to know this as well. everytime i have that one passage where i get almost every question wrong. score killer.

i'm using the ek method, but using TNS practice book. i find this as close to the real mcat (i took the 2014 mcat) as i have found. i found TPR to be a bit too easy and examkrackers to have alot of passages that are too interesting

 

[Jack Westin]

CARS is about two things:

1. Confidence in what you read
2. Skills/ strategy to answer MCAT-style questions.

I will explain what I mean by these two things and how this is applied after you do this passage. I'm going to write an MCAT-style CARS passage. (This passage is owned by me, Jack Westin, no one can reproduce this electronically or physically without my consent). Keep in mind the passage may not be totally historically accurate but it's very close (I'm a WWII buff). I will also give you 6 questions AAMC likes to ask. Then, I'll dissect it all in my next post on this thread in the next day or so. Post what you think are the answers and why. My goal is to capture the exact vagueness and density of an MCAT passage and also the type of thinking the MCAT expects from you.

Give yourself 9 minutes to read and answer all of the questions for this specific passage (I know the new CARS section gives you about 10 minutes per passage but for this specific passage, I recommend 9):

The rise of Hitler was nothing short of a recipe for disastrous outcomes. The manifestations that led to his megalomaniac regime (hence his grandiose label as "Fuhrer") could not be conjured up by the greatest fiction writer the world has seen. Today people would cringe at the ideologies the Nazi's presented, yet, most of the German people rallied arm to arm in the streets of Berlin and Nuremberg. An evil genius brainwashed a nation into ruin and as a result, changed how the world fought each other. The strength of his army presented a problem for the countries that declared war on the third reich.

By 1939, four countries had began enlisting the men that would inevitably sacrifice their lives for a freedom Hitler demoralized. Their conscious was strengthened by knowing that tyranny was unjustified in Europe. Julius Jola explained the mentality of the allies best, "The men of the war were strong but their courage- even stronger." However, this was not enough to bring an end to the Nazi regime, nor did it subdue their war-like behavior. To say the Nazi's were irenic is like saying football players are irenic during the Super Bowl.

The newly drafted men of the British militia lacked years of training. Although most were veterans of the Great War, the technological advancements leading up to the second world war proved to wipe out any advantages experience brought. The war shifted into aircraft battles, bombings, and close quarters combat which strayed from the trench warfare the world had seen before. Gas masks were replaced with bullet proof helmets but the blood that spilled was endless nonetheless. The second world war caused even more bloodshed than the first, even more civilians died, even more countrymen catapulted from existence. Decades later literary historians and commoners alike referred to the war as "the new incarnation of death."

It wasn't until France surrendered did England realize the trouble that lay ahead. Bombings by night shook the streets of London to it's core but did not unravel their will for freedom. The lack of fighting feet and preparedness was of least concern to Churchill. The ministry embarked on a mission to defeat the axis powers by cracking the technological superiority of the Nazi regime. For example, a special team was put together outside of Wales to hack the German communications device coined, Enigma, by creating a sophisticated machine called Charles. The British believed that to end the war, they must not bring more men to ruin, yet, showcase an innovative chess game via technology the world had not seen before.

While England was ill prepared for war and had only three-hundred thousand men to fight, the brain power and teamwork of England shifted the playing field. So much so that domestic technological achievements could be traced to this time period. Vacation cruises off the coast of Florida depend on sonar, something the British created to fight off German bombers. Alan Touring's mathematical algorithms opened doors to the creation of the modern day computer. The United States also had major technological innovations during their role in the allies success. The US hired a group of scientists which included the talents of Bohr and Einstein to help develop the atomic bomb, a weapon ultimately used on Japan to help end the war.

Millions died in the years of the war and millions more have been affected by the outcome of the war- for better or worse. It was Hitler who changed the course of history, yet it was the might of the people who made sure history's course would rebound into a better place we all call home.


Here are 6 questions the MCAT commonly asks:

1. What is the author's central thesis?

A) Millions died in the years of the war and millions more
have been affect by the outcome of the war

B) The second world war brought famine to the country of
England but the US sacrificed their own rations to help

C) England's lack of military personal resulted in using new
methods, which changed technology

D) All of the technology we have today was created from the
war efforts against Hitler's Germany


2. Which of the following assumptions can be made about
the technological achievements of England?

A) The British overcame the Nazi's because of their innovation

B) The brain power and teamwork of England shifted
the playing field

C) England had just as much manpower as Germany

D) England made the sonar of current cruise ships extremely
silent to Somali pirates


3. The word, "irenic" from the passage best means

A) Torturous

B) Peaceable

C) Omnipresent

D) Calculative



4. Which of the following would STRENGTHEN the author's
contention that England "must not bring more men to ruin"?

A) The English enlisted men from their African colonies
to increase their fighting numbers against Germany

B) Ballistic missiles were developed to defend against the
many German U-boats in the North Sea

C) The French surrendered to Germany in order to save
themselves from certain defeat

D) The English outsmarted the Germans by turning
off all visible light in London during the air bombings


5. Which of the following were examples of domestic
technological achievements stated in the passage?

I. Sonar
II. Enigma
III. Computer

A) I only

B) I and II only

C) I and III only

D) III only


6. Which of the following is NOT supported by an
example or reference to authority?

A) The English did not have many men to fight the war but
challenged the Germans by making technological breakthroughs

B) The US developed their own technologies during the war

C) It wasn't until France surrendered did England realize
the trouble that lay ahead

D) The will of the people of England was strong

 

[TexasSurgeon]

Thank you! My own answers are: C, B, B, B, C, C

When will you post the answers?

 

[mikil100]

CARS is about two things:

1. Confidence in what you read
2. Skills/ strategy to answer MCAT-style questions.

I will explain what I mean by these two things and how this is applied after you do this passage. I'm going to write an MCAT-style CARS passage. (This passage is owned by me, Jack Westin, no one can reproduce this electronically or physically without my consent). Keep in mind the passage may not be totally historically accurate but it's very close (I'm a big WWII buff). I will also give you 6 questions AAMC likes to ask. Then, I'll dissect it all in my next post on this thread in the next day or so. Post what you think are the answers and why. My goal is to capture the exact vagueness and density of an MCAT passage and also the type of thinking the MCAT expects from you.

Give yourself 9 minutes to read and answer all of the questions for this specific passage (I know the new CARS section gives you about 10 minutes per passage but for this specific passage, I recommend 9):

The rise of Hitler was nothing short of a recipe for disastrous outcomes. The manifestations that led to his megalomaniac regime (hence his grandiose label as "Fuhrer") could not be conjured up by the greatest fiction writer the world has seen. Today people would cringe at the ideologies the Nazi's presented, yet, most of the German people rallied arm to arm in the streets of Berlin and Nuremberg. An evil genius brainwashed a nation into ruin and as a result, changed how the world fought each other. The strength of his army presented a problem for the countries that declared war on the third reich.

By 1939, four countries had began enlisting the men that would inevitably sacrifice their lives for a freedom Hitler demoralized. Their conscious was strengthened by knowing that tyranny was unjustified in Europe. Julius Jola explained the mentality of the allies best, "The men of the war were strong but their courage- even stronger." However, this was not enough to bring an end to the Nazi regime, nor did it subdue their war-like behavior. To say the Nazi's were irenic is like saying football players are placid during the Super Bowl.

The newly drafted men of the British militia lacked years of training. Although most were veterans of the Great War, the technological advancements leading up to the second world war proved to wipe out any advantages experience brought. The war shifted into aircraft battles, bombings, and close quarters combat which strayed from the trench warfare the world had seen before. Gas masks were replaced with bullet proof helmets but the blood that spilled was endless nonetheless. The second world war caused even more bloodshed than the first, even more civilians died, even more countrymen catapulted from existence. Decades later literary historians and commoners alike referred to the war as "the new incarnation of death."

It wasn't until France surrendered did England realize the trouble that lay ahead. Bombings by night shook the streets of London to it's core but did not unravel their will for freedom. The lack of fighting feet and preparedness was of least concern to Churchill. The ministry embarked on a mission to defeat the axis powers by cracking the technological superiority of the Nazi regime. For example, a special team was put together outside of Wales to hack the German communications device coined, Enigma, by creating a sophisticated machine called Charles. The British believed that to end the war, they must not bring more men to ruin, yet, showcase an innovative chess game via technology the world had not seen before.

While England was ill prepared for war and had only three-hundred thousand men to fight, the brain power and teamwork of England shifted the playing field. So much so that domestic technological achievements could be traced to this time period. Vacation cruises off the coast of Florida depend on sonar, something the British created to fight off German bombers. Alan Touring's mathematical algorithms opened doors to the creation of the modern day computer. The United States also had major technological innovations during their role in the allies success. The US hired a group of scientists which included Bohr and Einstein to help develop the atomic bomb, which was ultimately used in Japan to help end the war.

Millions died in the years of the war and millions more have been affected by the outcome of the war- for better or worse. It was Hitler who changed the course of history, yet it was the might of the people who made sure history's course would rebound into a better place we all call home.


Here are 6 questions the MCAT commonly asks:

1. What is the author's central thesis?

A) Millions died in the years of the war and millions more
have been affect by the outcome of the war

B) The second world war brought famine to the country of
England but the US sacrificed their own rations to help

C) England's lack of military personal resulted in using new
methods, which changed technology

D) All of the technology we have today was created from the
war efforts against Hitler's Germany


2. Which of the following assumptions can be made about
the technological achievements of England?

A) The British overcame the Nazi's because of their innovation

B) The brain power and teamwork of England shifted
the playing field

C) England had just as much manpower as Germany

D) England made the sonar of current cruise-ships extremely
silent to Somali pirates


3. The word, "irenic" from the passage best means

A) Brutal

B) Peaceable

C) Oppressive

D) Calculative



4. Which of the following would strengthen the author's contention
that England "must not bring more men to ruin"?

A) The English enlisted men from their African colonies
to increase their fighting numbers against Germany

B) Ballistic missiles were developed to defend against the
many German U-boats in the North Sea

C) The French surrendered to Germany in order to save
themselves from certain defeat

D) The English outsmarted the Germans by turning
off all visible light in London during the air bombings


5. Which of the following were examples of domestic
technological achievements stated in the passage?

I. Sonar
II. Enigma
III. Computer

A) I only

B) I and II only

C) I and III only

D) III only


6. Which of the following is NOT supported by an
example or reference to authority?

A) The English did not have many men to fight the war but
challenged the Germans by making technological breakthroughs

B) The bombing of Japan helped end the war

C) It wasn't until France surrendered did England realize
the trouble that lay ahead

D) The will of the people of England was strong

Wow! This definitely felt like an MCAT style passage. Thank you for taking the time.

The main point: England was forced to develop new technologies because of the Germans power, because of this many new technologies were used in society after the war.

Question I: I chose C, I did not like choice D because of the use of the word "all". I did not choose B because it is irrelevant to the main point of the article. My second in line choice was choice A, because many people did die, but certainly many millions more were affected by the technology developed afterwards. I think C is the best answer as it is most relevant to the main point.

Question II: I chose B. This is supported in the passage verbatim, C and D are irrelevant. A is the second choice, as it seems really quite similar to choice B, however it was too general for my liking. The article also does not explicitly mention that the British "overcame" the Nazis.

Question III: I chose B. It was related to football players on the field of the superbowl day.. they certainly aren't peaceful.

Question IV: I struggled on this one, I chose D, as it relates to preserving life. A is certainly wrong, as it goes against the quote directly. B seems irrelevant, C is about France, not England.

Question V: I struggled here as well. I chose choice C. Sonar was mentioned to be used by civilians post war, the enigma was only mentioned once as a tool against the Nazis, therefore B is wrong. And it is subtly referred that creation of the computer is somewhat attributable to the technology of WWII... so it's a choice between C , D and A... I chose C because I think the article supported computers being developed, and sonar was directly supported. Both I and III are correct.

Question VI:
D) The will of the people of England was strong. While referenced once after mentioning the London bombings, there is not as much detail mentioned as the other 3 options.


How did I do?

It took me the full 9 minutes to complete

 

[TheAnonymous]

@Jack Westin Thank you for this. Do you mind posting the answers/explanations too? Really helpful, thanks

 

[trimethylpurine]

I agree with @mikil100 , except IV, which I said was B. It seems like this quote is implying a switch from brute manpower to technological advances, evident of the next sentence and consistent with the main idea of the passage. So the development of ballistic missiles seem to reflect this.
Thoughts?

 

[KOB]

I agree with @mikil100 , except IV, which I said was B. It seems like this quote is implying a switch from brute manpower to technological advances, evident of the next sentence and consistent with the main idea of the passage. So the development of ballistic missiles seem to reflect this.
Thoughts?

Agree！I would say answer to VI is C since I could not find any direct support

 

[mikil100]

Seeing these different opinions definitely makes me think in a different way... You both could be correct... in hindsight especially to number VI... although I chose this answer after the question was edited so I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm looking forward to seeing what was considered correct

 

[TestingSolutions]

The key to doing well on the MCAT CARS section is timed practice. Never take a passage without having a timer going. It's a waste of a passage and a waste of your time, because it doesn't simulate what you'll have to do come test day. The students who do the best are the ones that have done a ton of passages over a long period of time. This is one of those eat an elephant one bite at a time type deals...you simply can't increase your score in a short period of time for the CARS section. It's an art, a feel, a skill that you have to cultivate and develop.

You are not alone in feeling a little bit discouraged and "stuck." This is how everyone feels. Over time, you'll see your scores improve as you work out the wrinkles in your pacing and are able to let go of hard questions so you can pick up easier ones later on down the road.

Remember that it's not the question you get wrong on the MCAT that will keep you out of medical school, it's the one you spend too much time on. Pick up some of the old verbal resources for cheap and burn through those. Just be sure to skip the natural science passages.

 

[Ailleurs]

@Jack Westin That was awesome. Thank you for taking the time to create that. I really think the things you taught us/told us/showed us during tutoring sessions were really helpful for getting into the proper mindset for CARS. Especially since I think too much, although I'm cutting down on that. Although I don't have the time to work on this right now, I'm hoping to do so soon enough

 

[appcan]

I agree with @mikil100 , except IV, which I said was B. It seems like this quote is implying a switch from brute manpower to technological advances, evident of the next sentence and consistent with the main idea of the passage. So the development of ballistic missiles seem to reflect this.
Thoughts?

You could argue that the use of missiles to destroy the German U-boats involves killing Germans, which would imply "....bring[ing] more men into ruin". I would choose D for IV since it doesn't involve killing anyone else, but rather opts for saving lives.

 

[Wolverine2017]

Here are my thoughts as I went through the passage untimed:

1) A – while C is attractive, I do not think the Author has appropriately shown C, while A has definitely been shown and is summarized in the last paragraph. There is no doubt A has been shown, and so I think that is the better answer.


2) B – This is explicitly mentioned in the passage. A is also attractive from implication, but maybe because I am pulling in outside information about the outcome of the way. Also the author never said it was because of this innovation the Germans came to an end.


3) B – this makes most sense with the Superbowl comparison. Football playersare unlikely peacable before a game of that magntitude.


4) D – Ballistic missles would probably kill people, whereas D would not. Less people come to a ruin under D, and thus this is the strongest answer.


5) C – Recall question.


6) C – The author seems to give some references as to why/how the will of the people of England turned out to be strong with an entire paragraph. There is not much information on England changing because of the surrender of France, so i think C is the better answer.

 

[libertyyne]

1. What is the author's central thesis?



C) England's lack of military personal resulted in using new
methods, which changed technology

----------------------------------------------------------------------


2. Which of the following assumptions can be made about
the technological achievements of England?

A) The British overcame the Nazi's because of their innovation


----------------------------------------------------------------------


3. The word, "irenic" from the passage best means



B) Peaceable




----------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Which of the following would STRENGTHEN the author's
contention that England "must not bring more men to ruin"?




B) Ballistic missiles were developed to defend against the
many German U-boats in the North Sea


----------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Which of the following were examples of domestic
technological achievements stated in the passage?

I. Sonar
II. Enigma
III. Computer



C) I and III only

----------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Which of the following is NOT supported by an
example or reference to authority?


C) It wasn't until France surrendered did England realize
the trouble that lay ahead

 

[RaspberrySlushy]

For the passage
1. C
2. B
3. B
4. D
5. A - this was tough but I ruled out Enigma b/c that was a German thing and computer was mentioned but very indirectly, as sth that came later based on the guy's algorithms.
6. C

 

[MrRed]

A-B-B-D-C-C
I agree with wolverine2017

 

[DrEm91]

So yea... any updates on this

 

[Dreamstoo]

So yea... any updates on this

I'm curious too. I haven't attempted the passage because they aren't any answers posted lol.

 

[Vero Medico]

I am very curious about the answers

 

[El-Rami]

Agree！I would say answer to VI is C since I could not find any direct support

I agree about #6 being C. The question stem asks which statement is NOT supported by evidence or reference of authority. D might be attractive, but the author specifically quotes an authoritative source in the passage as saying that the Allies had courage and strength. D is implied but never supported by direct evidence or authority.

1. What is the author's central thesis?



C) England's lack of military personal resulted in using new
methods, which changed technology

----------------------------------------------------------------------


2. Which of the following assumptions can be made about
the technological achievements of England?

A) The British overcame the Nazi's because of their innovation


----------------------------------------------------------------------


3. The word, "irenic" from the passage best means



B) Peaceable




----------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Which of the following would STRENGTHEN the author's
contention that England "must not bring more men to ruin"?




B) Ballistic missiles were developed to defend against the
many German U-boats in the North Sea


----------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Which of the following were examples of domestic
technological achievements stated in the passage?

I. Sonar
II. Enigma
III. Computer



C) I and III only

----------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Which of the following is NOT supported by an
example or reference to authority?


C) It wasn't until France surrendered did England realize
the trouble that lay ahead

For #2, A is attractive but is too extreme. B is supported in the passage. The author never states that it was only because of technological innovations that the Germans were defeated, but rather that the innovations shifted the playing field. You can make the assumption for the latter because it has support whereas the former does not.

Also, #3 is B.

My answers: 1.C 2. B. 3. B 4. B 5. C 6. C

I wonder when @Jack Westin plans to give us the answers.

 

[Jack Westin]

Here are the answers:

Question #1. C

Question #2. A

Question #3. B

Question #4. B

Question #5. C

Question #6. C


I wanted to post the full solutions before I posted the answers because I know I'll get a lot of questions about why some of these are the correct answers. I will post the solutions/ how I think you should look at this passage later this week. Feel free to post your questions here and I'll get to them soon! I hope this helped. I plan to be more active on SDN in the coming weeks.

@mikil100 @TexasSurgeon @TheAnonymous @trimethylpurine @KOB @Ailleurs @appcan @Wolverine2017 @libertyyne @RaspberrySlushy @MrRed @DrEm91 @Dreamstoo @Vero Medico @El-Rami

 

[gibbsfree]

Hi Jack,

Thanks for the passage. I was wondering if you have taken the new MCAT CARS section? I saw your example passage and the question structure looks very similar to the practice AAMC's. This looks good for the older AAMC test, but I sat for two tests this Summer (voiding both), and saw A LOT of different question structures, many I had not encountered before (I have taken all old AAMC's 2-11). Also, the passages were longer. I wanted to ask if you have Verbal material that's more tailored to the new exam?

 

[Vero Medico]

Thanks for posting the answers Jack.

 

[Vero Medico]

Hi Jack,

Thanks for the passage. I was wondering if you have taken the new MCAT CARS section? I saw your example passage and the question structure looks very similar to the practice AAMC's. This looks good for the older AAMC test, but I sat for two tests this Summer (voiding both), and saw A LOT of different question structures, many I had not encountered before (I have taken all old AAMC's 2-11). Also, the passages were longer. I wanted to ask if you have Verbal material that's more tailored to the new exam?

@gibbsfree I believe the passages are not longer, the screen has smaller width and the font seems bigger, making it seems like longer since we have to scroll down.

 

[Jack Westin]

@gibbsfree the MCAT CARS questions are not completely new. They have been around for years on older versions of the exam. Why? It's because the exam is standardized. That means every question on the MCAT that will count towards your score must have been used in the past. This is how they determine the level of difficulty for each question. This is also why in 2013 and 2014, there was a completely new section (behavioral) the MCAT did not score but gave students Amazon gift cards if completed. The questions from the behavioral section for those years were absolutely brand new. After hundreds of thousands of students completed those questions, they standardized it and will use them in 2015 and the future.

So to answer your question about the new CARS questions, that's not a valid argument. They will definitely add new, experimental questions that no one has seen before but such questions will not count towards your score and are placed in the exam to determine their validity.

As for length of passages, there will always be some variability. Sometimes you'll get a really short passage. And sometimes you may get a really long passage. But the length averages out to be nearly the same for each exam. You should also consider the screen resolution for the computer in your prometric. Try going onto an AAMC question pack passage right now and press COMMAND + or COMMAND - on your mac. You will see that if you press CMD + you scroll more since the font is increasing. As you press CMD - you scroll less.