Is it the summer MCAT harder than the spring MCAT

[sweetness34]

Is the MCAT harder in the summer than the spring MCAT???

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[music2doc]

AAMC says no. Some rumors, yes. Let us know what you think after taking it.

 

[sweetness34]

hard me to say. if i took the spring mcat i would be able to compare

 

[sweetness34]

is there anyone who has taken an exam in the summer and spring be able to say what it felt like?

 

[serosanguinous]

I took the MCAT this spring and also last summer. I felt like the spring MCAT was a lot easier than the summer one. My score also reflected this. However, that being said, I did study a lot more when I took the spring test.

 

[raltima07]

Since it is standardized...I don't think there should be a difference. If anything, you should not count on either - expect the real thing to be difficult

 

[whiteshadodw]

the AAMC makes money off this test as the measuring stick for medical schools. do you honestly think the spring, summer, or winter MCAT has any difference? the only reason this exam is revered by so many medical schools is because the test has so much statistical significance, credibility, and value. also, they reuse passages a lot which is why you can't take the MCAT more than 3 times in a year. that doesn't necessarily mean you'll see the same passage more than once in a year, or more than once ever, but perhaps someone else will see it the day after you take it. maybe they'll see a passage you took a week after or a month after. there is no way to know. the only thing you can do is prepare to the best of your abilities.

 

[sweetness34]

aamc must be making alot of money from this stuff.

 

[whiteshadodw]

aamc must be making alot of money from this stuff.

i can't tell if that's sarcastic or not. but with about 50k applicants a year shoveling over:

$300 for the MCAT (maybe not everyone taked it every year since there are some reapplicants)
$150 for AMCAS primary
$30 per school for primary

if even half of that is all profit, then we're talking about $200 * 50,000. that's just from applicants.

then consider USMLE, and other data and crap they probably sell to medical schools.

 

[raltima07]

i can't tell if that's sarcastic or not. but with about 50k applicants a year shoveling over:

$300 for the MCAT (maybe not everyone taked it every year since there are some reapplicants)
$150 for AMCAS primary
$30 per school for primary

if even half of that is all profit, then we're talking about $200 * 50,000. that's just from applicants.

then consider USMLE, and other data and crap they probably sell to medical schools.

I am going into that business....

 

[sweetness34]

yes sir.. and then how many people retake the mcat and that money too...

 

[Donald Juan]

I believe the rumor isn't that the problems are inherently harder during any particular cycle, but that better candidates take the mcat during particular cycles, and therefore the curve gets steeper.

Of course, I'm not sure why the summer would lead to better candidates taking the mcat. It would seem that the smarter, more well prepared candidates (not me) would have already taken the mcat during the spring.

 

[Isoprop]

Lots of misconceptions in this thread. The MCAT bases its scale on past performance, not how well test-takers do on a particular administration of the exam. In theory, everyone who takes the next MCAT can get the exact same score. Of course, this is statistically unlikely.

When the AAMC puts together an exam, they use questions that have been administered to students before. Once they have built a test, they scale it (1-15 on each section) according to how many people have gotten those questions right or wrong. So for instance, they may build a test where many students in the past have answered the problems incorrectly. This may be a 'difficult' test but the scale would be more lenient. In other words, they expect an average student who should get an 8 on that section to get a lower raw score.

This is how the AAMC can claim that a student who took the test in 2009 will get the same score if he took the test in 2011 (of course assuming he was equally prepared).

One consequence of this: this is why a few administratinos of the exam, a 15 on a section is impossible. The AAMC chose many passages and problems that a lot of students historically have answered correctly, so the scale makes it impossible for a person to get a 15.

 

[gettheleadout]

One consequence of this: this is why a few administratinos of the exam, a 15 on a section is impossible. The AAMC chose many passages and problems that a lot of students historically have answered correctly, so the scale makes it impossible for a person to get a 15.

What? I'm pretty sure the scales are always topped with X out of X answers correct = 15.

 

[whiteshadodw]

What? I'm pretty sure the scales are always topped with X out of X answers correct = 15.

same. if you couldn't achieve a 15/15 then the max composite would be 42. also, there are plenty of people on SDN who have hit a 15 in one of the sections.

 

[NickNaylor]

Oh look, it's this thread again. Right on time.

 

[Big Dog]

I believe the rumor isn't that the problems are inherently harder during any particular cycle, but that better candidates take the mcat during particular cycles, and therefore the curve gets steeper.

(If not, why would you believe that the mcat would be curved?)

Hint: there is no such thing. ALL standardized tests are scaled, not curved.

 

[tman5890]

I sure hope not!

 

[sweetness34]

Well with AAMC, any administration has an easy and difficult version of an exam on a given test day. just hope when you get the exam its easy!

 

[gettheleadout]

same. if you couldn't achieve a 15/15 then the max composite would be 42. also, there are plenty of people on SDN who have hit a 15 in one of the sections.

I think he was referring to specific administrations of the test and specific sections, not implying that a 15 is always impossible. However, I still don't buy that a 15 is EVER impossible due to the scale. That just doesn't make sense.

 

[iceman132]

I sure hope not!

Agreed

 

[whiteshadodw]

yeah, i think we just misunderstood each other. but you're right, a 15 is not impossible due to the scale. it'd be like the teachers who don't give out 100% because it goes against their principle (wtf?) but any given assignment is still out of 100 points. lol

 

[Donald Juan]

(If not, why would you believe that the mcat would be curved?)

Hint: there is no such thing. ALL standardized tests are scaled, not curved.

Hint: it's obviously scaled. Noone just receives a raw score on the mcat. Obviously the 45 isn't just your percentage or how many questions you got right.

Further Hint: It is curved, in the sense that a harder test indicates a more lenient scaling; the determinant of how hard a test is is based off of how other individuals have done on those questions, so it is a curve.

But, I don't believe that any particular time of the year is beneficial.

 

[sweetness34]

whenever you take it, whether summer or spring... just know your stuff well. i've heard friends get 30+ in both summer and spring.

 

[gettheleadout]

Well with AAMC, any administration has an easy and difficult version of an exam on a given test day. just hope when you get the exam its easy!

Unless you work better under pressure. Really though, as long as confidence doesn't get crushed by a really challenging test, neither would be more advantageous since they're both curved to be off the same difficulty with regard to scoring. Once you realize this, you shouldn't lose confidence if you think you're taking the difficult one.

 

[Sailor Senshi Dermystify]

Hmmm I heard the January MCAT is the easiest though. Not sure if this is true

 

[sweetness34]

I think it all depends on the test version you have. Each test administration has a difficult and easy version on a particular test. Pray that you get an easy version!!!

 

[Big Dog]

It is curved, in the sense that a harder test indicates a more lenient scaling; the determinant of how hard a test is is based off of how other individuals have done on those questions, so it is a curve.

...in that the scores of the individuals who sit that test day do not matter. The scale is predetermined; the authors know with near certainty prior to the test administration what it takes to earn a 12 on each section of that test version. Many testers could earn a 12 that day, or just a few. It will not matter (which it would if it was a true "curve").

btw: "easier" or "harder" version doesn't matte for the same reason. An "easier" version means you need more correct so score as high as you would on a "harder" version. Of course, that may only be one more correct question.

Think back to the days of the SAT. In some versions, leave one blank and it's an automatic 30 point deduction, for a 770. In others, leave one blank and its a 780. The difference is that the latter was a "harder" version of the test. The same thing applies to the Math Subject Test. On some versions, you could miss 7/8 and earn an 800. On a "harder" version of M2, you could miss 9/10 and still earn an 800. But all of those scales were predetermined; they had nothing to do with those that tested that day. (On an extremely rare occasion, CB finds a bad question and throws it out after the fact, but that only happens every few years.)

 

[pizza1994]

does anyone have any opinions on the NOVEMBER mcat? its the very last 2014 mcat of the year but difficulty wise any thoughts?

 

[TexasSurgeon]

does anyone have any opinions on the NOVEMBER mcat? its the very last 2014 mcat of the year but difficulty wise any thoughts?

Why are you people asking these ridiculous questions? It's the MCAT. It's ALL HARD.

It doesn't matter whether its easy in one time of year and hard in another. Every single MCAT has been pre scaled to adjust for difficulty.

So if you take an "easy" MCAT, that doesn't mean you're going to get a higher score because the scale is adjusted. If you take a "hard" MCAT that doesn't mean you're going to get a lower score because the scale is adjusted.

Seriously, people. If it really was easier in Spring or something then don't you think med schools would have caught on?

Also @pizza1994 you could simply have scrolled up to read the plethora of answers mimicking mine right here.

 

[pizza1994]

Why are you people asking these ridiculous questions? It's the MCAT. It's ALL HARD.

It doesn't matter whether its easy in one time of year and hard in another. Every single MCAT has been pre scaled to adjust for difficulty.

So if you take an "easy" MCAT, that doesn't mean you're going to get a higher score because the scale is adjusted. If you take a "hard" MCAT that doesn't mean you're going to get a lower score because the scale is adjusted.

Seriously, people. If it really was easier in Spring or something then don't you think med schools would have caught on?

Also @pizza1994 you could simply have scrolled up to read the plethora of answers mimicking mine right here.

true true. good points! Thanks!

 

[TheAnonymous]

I am going to chime in on this because I believe what AAMC says and does are two different things. They say the difficulty is the same from one administration to the other (or at least the curve reflects that) simply because they can't say otherwise. Just think about what would happen if they actually said it's easier to take in Jan than in September. So yeah, no one should be expecting those words to come out from their mouth. But, anyone who has been around SDN for a while and has read the Official Guide and all the other PDFs that AAMC has published can admit that AAMC doesn't make A LOT OF things clear with regards to these stuff. There are many things that AAMC doesn't address.

I am going to go ahead and say that it will likely be to your advantage if you write it in a not so popular time whether it be january vs august, or 8am vs. 1pm.... believe it or not but I think the more people who write it with you, the harsher the "curve" is going to be..

That is, of course, my personal opinion

 

[pizza1994]

I am going to chime in on this because I believe what AAMC says and does are two different things. They say the difficulty is the same from one administration to the other (or at least the curve reflects that) simply because they can't say otherwise. Just think about what would happen if they actually said it's easier to take in Jan than in September. So yeah, no one should be expecting those words to come out from their mouth. But, anyone who has been around SDN for a while and has read the Official Guide and all the other PDFs that AAMC has published can admit that AAMC doesn't make A LOT OF things clear with regards to these stuff. There are many things that AAMC doesn't address.

I am going to go ahead and say that it will likely be to your advantage if you write it in a not so popular time whether it be january vs august, or 8am vs. 1pm.... believe it or not but I think the more people who write it with you, the harsher the "curve" is going to be..

That is, of course, my personal opinion

Yeah you see I was under the initial impression similar to yours....but Im not the most informed person on this opinion. I just wanted to get a feel for what the general view was on this topic.

Im not sure how the curve works but anyhow that shouldn't impact how I study for it. I'm writing in November and I'll try my best and just see what happens.

 

[TheAnonymous]

Yeah you see I was under the initial impression similar to yours....but Im not the most informed person on this opinion. I just wanted to get a feel for what the general view was on this topic.

Im not sure how the curve works but anyhow that shouldn't impact how I study for it. I'm writing in November and I'll try my best and just see what happens.

Exactly. Regardless, you should be studying as much as you can, doing as many practice passages as possible, and preparing yourself for the curveballs they throw at you. Good luck.