Lost and Confused

[txmed73]

Heeeeelllllllp! I'm taking the MCAT in April and have no idea where to start.

This is what I have:

-old everything for the MCAT (books, tests, etc)

This is what I don't have:

-any 2015 material

I've read the Next Step (Bryan?) posts but I'm still not sure if I should buy the new books. And if I do, I'm not sure what to do from there. I NEED a schedule template or something because I don't trust myself enough to make a reliable one. I know Next Step posted one but I don't have a study group nor do I know if I can afford/purchase the CARS and NS Verbal books.

I just don't know where to start. I'm going to take the practice 2015 MCAT first thing but after that, I'm pretty lost.

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[erythrocyte666]

Take the practice AAMC AFTER you finish content review, otherwise it'll be a bit of a waste.
You can just use TBR for all the sciences including biochem, Kaplan/NextStep for Soc/Psych only, and you can still use EK/TPR verbal passages at least for now with strict 7-8 min timing (the new section gives you more time per passage, so this would be a good start if you can't get Kaplan CARS). You should make your own schedule and go to the April 2015 MCAT thread to compare

 

[Gauss44]

If I were you, I would simply study physics, general chemistry, biology, and organic chemistry as if you were taking the 2014 test. Work on some VR material from one of the more popular companies and pay plenty of attention to why right answers are right and wrong answers are wrong (test maker's logic). Also practice reading MCAT passages in 2.5-4 minutes. (Around February, start doing 2-3 VR passages every day and start doing AAMC VR on a regular basis, even if you have to reuse passages.) Get through at least a basic level of all of that.

By the time you are through, check back here and elsewhere to see what people have to say about the subjects unique to 2015. The reason there's a shortage of information for 2015 is because no one's taken it yet and all 2015 material is so new that there are few reliable reviews. That will all change with time.

Good luck!

 

[texan2414]

There's little to no changes in the VR-CARS section (Natural science passages are being phased out and being replaced with social health passages).

There are some content changes to the Chem & Phys foundations section (PS section) with some specific physics concepts being phased out and generally the section being more chem-heavy. Consult the official AAMC 2015 guide for more specifics on this.

Gen Biochem is now included in the BS section so you would have to supplement some materials for studying this.

You probably only have to purchase study books for the Psych/Social foundations of behavior section.

That being said, the current ("old") material you have overlaps nicely with much of the 2015 test so you should be O.K.

 

[pithy84]

I would take exactly one AAMC practice exam (full-length) before you begin content review. Just one, just to see where you stand. There are 8 full-length practice exams, using up one is not a waste. Knowing where you stand will likely relieve some anxiety and uncertainty.

 

[sbook2]

I would take exactly one AAMC practice exam (full-length) before you begin content review. Just one, just to see where you stand. There are 8 full-length practice exams, using up one is not a waste. Knowing where you stand will likely relieve some anxiety and uncertainty.

The problem is there is only one AAMC practice exam released for the 2015 MCAT. I believe the 8 AAMC FL's you are referring to are for the old MCAT...or am I missing something?

 

[txmed73]

Thank you all so much! I purchased the Kaplan books just because I hate to be scattered and would like all my information from one place. I plan on supplementing all of it with the Khan Academy videos. I'm going to use all the old AAMC exams and passages and questions (because really, there's nowhere else I can get practice). Thank you all for your help!