MCAT goes digital!!!!!!

[justh0ang]

Hey I'm new to the forum and I've been reading many of the threads for awhile and you guys have been a lot of help for me. I'm a second year premed attending UCLA and I am thinking about taking the MCAT in August 2006. Do you think taking it at the end of my second year is a good time? I was just wondering because I am concerned about the new MCAT format starting after August 2006. I'm sure you guys have heard that its going to be on computer now. I'm not sure what to expect with the new format so should I take it before it switches over? I just wanted your opinions. Thanks a lot!

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[doctorJP]

I would go and do the practice test 3R, 4, 5 etc. that AAMC has to offer online, 3R is free and you pay $80 for all the other tests. The format will be exactly the same. I think the VR section will be the hardest for most people because they like to make notes in the margin and you can't do that on a computer screen. Best way to study is to get used to reading things online and marking answers online. I personally hate reading documents and articles online, but you have to do what you have to do. Besides, the exam is going to be 5 hrs instead of 8, so consider yourself lucky, I know I would read from a scroll if it meant shorter sections.

 

[osli]

The AAMC online practice tests do have some nifty features that allow you to highlight passages, cross out answers you believe are incorrect, and make notes in passages. Not sure if the new MCAT format (or the current computer based format for that matter since I only took the paper) will be similar or not, but the capability is certainly there.

Biggest help the computer would give, IMO, is the speed increase in typing over writing for the essays... and presumably the ability to do normal backspace, copy/past, etc. which would help in revising tremendously. I think many of us have grown accustomed to writing by just spitting out a bunch of stuff on the screen and sorting out the good from bad, reorganizing, rewriting sections, etc. For me, even though I made a decent writing score, it was very awkward trying to organize my thoughts and choose my words carefully before I wrote each sentence.

Of courses, the writing means by far the least so it isn't really that much help overall at all.