Khan Academy Passages

[futuredoc331]

Has anyone started on the Khan Academy passages? I'm working through the biological processes questions now and am getting my butt handed to me.

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[MimiMandrake]

Has anyone started on the Khan Academy passages? I'm working through the biological processes questions now and am getting my butt handed to me.

I haven't started any of them but upon scanning them quickly my 1st impression is that they are so short. I have taken the old MCAT and the passages are very long. This made me a little hesitant. However it seems from what you say that they may be difficult so that is similar to the real MCAT. I see this thread is a couple weeks old, are the passages the same for you?

 

[futuredoc331]

You must have read my mind today. I logged in tonight solely for this reason. I have been diving into the passages more deeply now that I covered more of the material. They are still kicking my ass. I'm getting 2 to 3 right on average out of the 5 questions per passage.

I watched their entire series for the social sciences topics and these questions are still completely unfamiliar to me. They seem wordy and convoluted. Almost like they are trying to provide a word puzzle that needs to be deciphered on top of testing your knowledge on the subject.

 

[huskerwolverine88]

You must have read my mind today. I logged in tonight solely for this reason. I have been diving into the passages more deeply now that I covered more of the material. They are still kicking my ass. I'm getting 2 to 3 right on average out of the 5 questions per passage.

I watched their entire series for the social sciences topics and these questions are still completely unfamiliar to me. They seem wordy and convoluted. Almost like they are trying to provide a word puzzle that needs to be deciphered on top of testing your knowledge on the subject.

Alright this makes me feel good that I'm not the only one. I'm also getting my butt handed to me. The questions and the passages are way too hard.

 

[nonamechemist]

I don't like the interface, although I can't complain because it must cost much to support an interface like the actual exam

 

[mddd2016]

getting my butt whipped on the social sciences as well. Has anyone done the aamc practice test yet? How is it comparable to the khan academy passages

 

[newbeginnings]

getting my butt whipped on the social sciences as well. Has anyone done the aamc practice test yet? How is it comparable to the khan academy passages

consensus is, aamc is more conceptual and based on the passage compared to Kahn's nitty gritty details.

 

[GCSDOC]

What's your thoughts on the biology and/or physical science Kahn passages? Do you reccomend doing them?

 

[NicksMD]

Those passages are ridiculous.

 

[Holmwood]

It's unfamiliar, but it's not ridiculous. You just have to get used to reading those sorts of things.

Gotta learn to calm down and chew slowly.

 

[NextStepTutor_3]

Khan Academy passages are hard, but I definitely recommend them. Admittedly the length seems off, but I think it's actually a benefit that they're short - it can serve as a good transition. The new MCAT is so biochem/bio/"experiment"-heavy that it's going to be full of detailed passages, often with lots of graphs, etc. Starting out with somewhat similar but shorter passages is a good way to get exposed to a lot of different topics without having to devote massive amounts of time to single, longer passages. I do advise lots of analysis though - KA is one of those sources where I wouldn't really take the number of questions you get wrong seriously - just treat every question like something new to learn.

I really wanted to mention the format though - as far as I know, KA is one of the only current sources that shows one question at a time. While of course it doesn't perfectly mimic the actual test, this can be good to do once in a while - it can be weirdly tough to get used to FULLY focusing on a single question otherwise.

 

[NeuResurgens]

The physical sciences passages are absurdly difficult.

"Which of the following graphs most likely represents the Fourier transform of an ECG reading that is well-fitted by the function t)V(t)=4sin(2π4t)+sin(2π8t)?"

What the hell? Even at the height of my high school trig days I wouldn't have been able to solve this.

 

[655703]

The physical sciences passages are absurdly difficult.

"Which of the following graphs most likely represents the Fourier transform of an ECG reading that is well-fitted by the function t)V(t)=4sin(2π4t)+sin(2π8t)?"

What the hell? Even at the height of my high school trig days I wouldn't have been able to solve this.

Yeah, some of them are like that (who knows what the writers were thinking), but there are many that are more akin to what we'd be expected to know for the MCAT. I have mixed opinions about these passages and still deciding whether it would be good to try to do them all. The most valuable thing, I think, is that they almost all experiment-based. The bad thing is that some of the passages are bizarre (like the EKG one) and overall they are poorly constructed..

 

[basophilic]

I like the KA passages, but wish they could just present the passages in a better way. It's literally impossible to do these in timed blocks, and you can't even go back to a question once answered (unless you start the whole set again)!

Also, did you all actually find them to be SHORTER than the real thing? Even without the figures/graphs, I find them to be pretty long and dense.

 

[NeuResurgens]

Yeah, some of them are like that (who knows what the writers were thinking), but there are many that are more akin to what we'd be expected to know for the MCAT. I have mixed opinions about these passages and still deciding whether it would be good to try to do them all. The most valuable thing, I think, is that they almost all experiment-based. The bad thing is that some of the passages are bizarre (like the EKG one) and overall they are poorly constructed..

My philosophy regarding the passages is that I should do them as realistically as possible (no calc, as fast as possible etc.) and if I can get used to more difficult passages like these (my Kaplan tests are the same way) and learn how to cope with the stress and difficulty of such passages, then the MCAT itself should feel easier, allowing me to have a less stressful experience during the actual test.

 

[NeuResurgens]

I like the KA passages, but wish they could just present the passages in a better way. It's literally impossible to do these in timed blocks, and you can't even go back to a question once answered (unless you start the whole set again)!

Also, did you all actually find them to be SHORTER than the real thing? Even without the figures/graphs, I find them to be pretty long and dense.

I agree. I think they're just as long, if not a bit longer.

 

[655703]

So I did a few more of the Bio Khan passages today, and I'm not sure how to feel.

I'm getting a good number of them wrong and I disagree with the logic behind a lot of their questions and answer choices. I think some of their questions and answer choices can be open to too wide of an interpretation and are often very unclear. I do like the variety of experimental passages that they have, but I just can't agree with the way the questions and answer choices are presented; they seem so convoluted to me. Any thoughts?

 

[nomdeplume1234]

So I did a few more of the Bio Khan passages today, and I'm not sure how to feel.

I'm getting a good number of them wrong and I disagree with the logic behind a lot of their questions and answer choices. I think some of their questions and answer choices can be open to too wide of an interpretation and are often very unclear. I do like the variety of experimental passages that they have, but I just can't agree with the way the questions and answer choices are presented; they seem so convoluted to me. Any thoughts?

yea sometimes Khan Academy passages can be a bit of a downer especially after coming off a hot streak with other materials. I am working on taking it as a learning experience as opposed to fighting their logic though or else risk not learning from the experience.

 

[655703]

yea sometimes Khan Academy passages can be a bit of a downer especially after coming off a hot streak with other materials. I am working on taking it as a learning experience as opposed to fighting their logic though or else risk not learning from the experience.

I've done better even on TBR's materials than Khan, and TBR is supposed to be one of the most difficult ones out there.

 

[TheAnonymous]

Hi all,

I was wondering if I could get some opinion here..

Between doing Khan Academy passages and Princeton Review's Science Workbook 2015 Passages, which one would you guys recommend? I have seen mixed/semi-positive reviews about KA passages but was wondering if they are "fine considering they are free" or they are on par / better than princeton review's passages. I know there is no real answer but any feedback/opinion would be very much appreciated.

For practice, my plan is to do TPR Workbook Science Passages + EK 30 min for psyc + KA for psyc and then move on to doing full lengths and reviewing content/weak areas until Test Day.

Thank you all

 

[basophilic]

I've done better even on TBR's materials than Khan, and TBR is supposed to be one of the most difficult ones out there.

Yeah I've definitely done better on the TBR bio ones than on a lot of the KA bio ones. However, I feel it's only the biotechnology-related ones (like PCR, gel, DNA probing, etc.) that are really hard; the organ system, biochem-related, cell/microbiology ones feel a good bit easier, though I haven't really finished even half yet.
Above all, I find the KA passages most useful in helping me iron out a good passage reading strategy, particularly in the bio and psych/soc sections.

 

[655703]

Hi all,

I was wondering if I could get some opinion here..

Between doing Khan Academy passages and Princeton Review's Science Workbook 2015 Passages, which one would you guys recommend? I have seen mixed/semi-positive reviews about KA passages but was wondering if they are "fine considering they are free" or they are on par / better than princeton review's passages. I know there is no real answer but any feedback/opinion would be very much appreciated.

For practice, my plan is to do TPR Workbook Science Passages + EK 30 min for psyc + KA for psyc and then move on to doing full lengths and reviewing content/weak areas until Test Day.

Thank you all

I've done maybe a little more than half of the TPR Workbook passages and they are decent practice, but I feel like they were a little bit too easy. I think they might be good for honing down your content, but in order to familiarize yourself with the AAMC style, it might be worthwhile to do some of the KA passages. This is not to say that KA is a good representation of AAMC style; like I mentioned above, I think the KA passages are very problematic. But they are all experimental, and I don't know of any other resource that provides experimental passages like KA does. Also the EK 30 minute tests are really good.

 

[TheAnonymous]

I've done maybe a little more than half of the TPR Workbook passages and they are decent practice, but I feel like they were a little bit too easy. I think they might be good for honing down your content, but in order to familiarize yourself with the AAMC style, it might be worthwhile to do some of the KA passages. This is not to say that KA is a good representation of AAMC style; like I mentioned above, I think the KA passages are very problematic. But they are all experimental, and I don't know of any other resource that provides experimental passages like KA does. Also the EK 30 minute tests are really good.

Thank you introverted !

 

[DesitnationMD]

I found the Khan stuff a mixed bag but overall very good, especially for the price (FREE!!). I was reading online they used a bunch of different authors so that explains why some passages mimic the AAMC really well (psych/soc, some bio/biochem) but others are just a couple sentences and then some figures (a lot of phys/chem). I would still recommend them to anyone looking for topic-specific MCAT practice. The interface stinks but that's because they are meant more to teach, rather than simulate the MCAT. The aamc wouldn't sell as many Q packs or other materials if Khan was spot on.

I used them throughout my prep to supplement my less-than-stellar NS content books. Some topics are not as useful as other in video form but the ability to speed them up, minimal mistakes and colorful setup make them more engaging than some of the other youtube videos I have seen on the sciences. Its a bit tough to know how much detail is needed for the MCAT, and many of these videos were made long before the MCAT, but I would 100% recommend doing them to target a weak area or practice data analysis.

If you have TPR, EK or some other book set, then Khan is an awesome supplement/gap filler. I wouldn't use it as a primary resource, not yet.

 

[NeuResurgens]

What has been y'alls experience with the official guide questions? Some of those are ass kickers as well, particularly the mechanical protein unfolding passage in the chem phys section. If problems of that difficulty make up much of the chem/phys section on the real test, I'm probably not getting into medical school.

 

[Dochopeful13]

I have been doing the khan bio passages and
most are experimental. However, alot of passages ask questions that are more fact recall I.E cortisol function.I would rather have fact recall questions but I heard the new bio section is more critical thinking similar to cars. Does anyone know if that is true?

 

[NeuResurgens]

I have been doing the khan bio passages and
most are experimental. However, alot of passages ask questions that are more fact recall I.E cortisol function.I would rather have fact recall questions but I heard the new bio section is more critical thinking similar to cars. Does anyone know if that is true?

It's basically CARS for science research. So there are a lot of questions about variables, changing which parameter would affect which hypothesis, solving questions based on things established by experimental evidence from the passage, etc.

 

[Dochopeful13]

Thank you. So there is not much fact recall like in khan passages? For example one of the questions was like when a person is stressed what hormone is likely released.

 

[655703]

Thank you. So there is not much fact recall like in khan passages? For example one of the questions was like when a person is stressed what hormone is likely released.

Some of the questions seem to be straight recall but actually I feel like most of them are based on critical thinking from the passage details.

 

[basophilic]

Some of the questions seem to be straight recall but actually I feel like most of them are based on critical thinking from the passage details.

Agreed. And even if there are recall-heavy passages, it's still possible to use the Khan passages as a way to hone your passage analysis skills

 

[mikepremed1987]

The questions are hit and miss. Some of them the logic is really 'weird' to say the least. I have had a few friends (bio, phys, chem phd's) look over some questions and they said the answers were flat out wrong or used some twisted logic.

I don't want to completely bash on KA. I really enjoy the site and have used it for a few years now. Just don't get discouraged because a passage kicks your butt. Sometimes I get 5/5 on a topic I don't quite understand and sometimes 1/5 on a topic I am well versed in. I think the questions are just a bit spotty, but still useful overall.

 

[NeuResurgens]

The questions are hit and miss. Some of them the logic is really 'weird' to say the least. I have had a few friends (bio, phys, chem phd's) look over some questions and they said the answers were flat out wrong or used some twisted logic.

I don't want to completely bash on KA. I really enjoy the site and have used it for a few years now. Just don't get discouraged because a passage kicks your butt. Sometimes I get 5/5 on a topic I don't quite understand and sometimes 1/5 on a topic I am well versed in. I think the questions are just a bit spotty, but still useful overall.

This is a good way of putting it. Like I said, there are some downright strange calculations required by some of those passages. If anything, I think using these more difficult passages is a good exercise in stress management as well as in handling things you've never seen before.

Aside from the passages, the videos are fantastic review and I definitely recommend them to solidify shaky concepts.

 

[rraidermd]

The physical sciences passages are absurdly difficult.

"Which of the following graphs most likely represents the Fourier transform of an ECG reading that is well-fitted by the function t)V(t)=4sin(2π4t)+sin(2π8t)?"

What the hell? Even at the height of my high school trig days I wouldn't have been able to solve this.

I just started doing these and OMG it's so damn frustrating. Idk if I'm wasting my time or if I should actually do these physical sciences passages. The Bio seem okay to me so far.

 

[NeuResurgens]

I just started doing these and OMG it's so damn frustrating. Idk if I'm wasting my time or if I should actually do these physical sciences passages. The Bio seem okay to me so far.

Agreed - all of the passages seem a reasonable difficulty except for the PS passages. Re-learning advanced trig certainly isn't on my schedule.

 

[Saf1]

The physical sciences passages are absurdly difficult.

"Which of the following graphs most likely represents the Fourier transform of an ECG reading that is well-fitted by the function t)V(t)=4sin(2π4t)+sin(2π8t)?"

What the hell? Even at the height of my high school trig days I wouldn't have been able to solve this.

Just finished this passage and it completely messed with my head. KA passages have been extremely difficult from what I've gone through so far, but I feel like they push me to work my brain and they do a great job of integrating concepts like I imagine the new MCAT is more focused on.

Don't be discouraged guys!

 

[Dreamstoo]

The questions are hit and miss. Some of them the logic is really 'weird' to say the least. I have had a few friends (bio, phys, chem phd's) look over some questions and they said the answers were flat out wrong or used some twisted logic.

I don't want to completely bash on KA. I really enjoy the site and have used it for a few years now. Just don't get discouraged because a passage kicks your butt. Sometimes I get 5/5 on a topic I don't quite understand and sometimes 1/5 on a topic I am well versed in. I think the questions are just a bit spotty, but still useful overall.

Similar with a Psych/Soc question. I showed it to someone who was a Psych major in college and they said the answer choices were so conflicting that none of them were actually right.

It's so hit or miss definitely. I liked some of their stand alone psych/soc problems a lot but some of them really have me go "really? that answer makes no sense and I can't imagine AAMC asking that"

 

[NeuResurgens]

Just finished this passage and it completely messed with my head. KA passages have been extremely difficult from what I've gone through so far, but I feel like they push me to work my brain and they do a great job of integrating concepts like I imagine the new MCAT is more focused on.

Don't be discouraged guys!

From what I'm gathering, the most useful KA passages are the Bio ones because they are largely research based, which is more reminiscent of the real test and which seems to be lacking from most prep material questions.

 

[PomiliaAnthony13]

I am praising God that everyone other than me has also experienced this hell.

Little bit of irony there...

Anyways, this is great — I'm not alone. I'd say that it's a good thing, being that Khan's MCAT material is difficult. May result in us completing the actual exam with ease (not really).

 

[LnSin]

The physical sciences passages are absurdly difficult.

"Which of the following graphs most likely represents the Fourier transform of an ECG reading that is well-fitted by the function t)V(t)=4sin(2π4t)+sin(2π8t)?"

What the hell? Even at the height of my high school trig days I wouldn't have been able to solve this.

Dude... you don't need to know trig for this question. This is a prime example of using the PASSAGE to answer the question. All you need to know how to do is identify the frequency, which in this case is 4Hz and 8Hz (just find the numbers inside the argument of the Sin function) which I'm pretty sure the passage tells you how to do. Then you just find the peaks on the graph which match to 4Hz and 8Hz, which is choice C. You don't need advanced trig, you just need to read the passage to figure out the answer!!

 

[DesitnationMD]

Agreed - all of the passages seem a reasonable difficulty except for the PS passages. Re-learning advanced trig certainly isn't on my schedule.

yeah i stopped using the han passages when i prepped. they are free, but so many just do NOT match the aamc style content or type of Q at all.

It comes from the fact that they simply asked science people to "write like the aamc" and nto necessarily MCAT experts or pre-meds. That is also why their videos are sooo long and sooo not effective for the MCAT. those videos have been around for 5-10 years in some cases, and contain hours of material that will never show up on the exam.

The psych/soc passages were ok, and ALL of the passages are good for analyzing figures. but the khan passages format, and explanations make them virtually worthless for real MCAt practice. But hey, free is free!!

 

[NeuResurgens]

Dude... you don't need to know trig for this question. This is a prime example of using the PASSAGE to answer the question. All you need to know how to do is identify the frequency, which in this case is 4Hz and 8Hz (just find the numbers inside the argument of the Sin function) which I'm pretty sure the passage tells you how to do. Then you just find the peaks on the graph which match to 4Hz and 8Hz, which is choice C. You don't need advanced trig, you just need to read the passage to figure out the answer!!

Luckily my MCAT didn't have anything like this because it's definitely not my strong suit!