MCAT Scores?

[ermonty]

I'm taking the MCAT in August and I've been taking pratice sectionals(Kaplan). I'm consistently making 80-85% on Bio and 65-70% on physical. But there's no grading key so I have no idea what scaled scores these %s whould correlate to. I understand it varies with the body of test takers, but there must be some general guidelines for %s and the scaled scores. Anybody know?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[c_redleg]

rough estimate...
80-85% = 10-11
60-70% = 7-8

 

[Rapid Decomposition]

Not necessarily though. I remember on some of the Kaplan tests a 60-70 on physical was like an 11 or 12.

 

[RT]

Kaplan materials have been consistently more challenging than AAMC's. Their scales reflect that.

AAMC: for both section
80-85% ==> high 11 - low 12
60-70% ==> high 7 - low 9

Kaplan: (roughly)
80-85% Bio ==> 11 - 13
60-70% Phy ==> 9 - 10

Don't trust the scales, but don't give yourself excuses either. Use the materials to learn what you haven't already known.

 

[relatively prime]

It depends what Kaplan tests you're taking I'd say this (and I've taken them all... and the real thing)...

Kaplan tests I to V:
bio 80-85%: 9-11
phys 60-70%: 9-11

Kaplan tests VI to XII:
bio 89-85%: 10-11
phys 60-70%: 10-13

This is just my own educated guess though... Kaplan tests 6-12 have really messed up physical sceince sections... I got a 7s (by there scale not mine) on their PS sections and a 12 on the real thing.

 

[nero]

I thought the sections were scored differently because more people do well on the bio than on the ps. for example getting 62 (81%) questions right on the bs would be like a 10 or 11, whereas getting 62 (81%) right on ps is like a 12 or 13. on my kaplan test for example, i got 80% right on the bs and got a 10 and got 67% right on the ps but got an 11. .........

nero

 

[relatively prime]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by nero:
•I thought the sections were scored differently because more people do well on the bio than on the ps. for example getting 62 (81%) questions right on the bs would be like a 10 or 11, whereas getting 62 (81%) right on ps is like a 12 or 13. on my kaplan test for example, i got 80% right on the bs and got a 10 and got 67% right on the ps but got an 11. .........

nero•••••Yeah I think that's sometimes true... but I think that Kaplan sometimes makes the bio section extra hard (for example puts in more o-chem) so it cancels out... I could be wrong though... it just seems that way

 

[laviddee]

if you want to increase your physics score-- get Nova's MCAt Physics review-- it helped me out soooo much. I haven't received my scores, but every aamc practice test i took- I got a score of 12+, and on kaplan's i got a scaled score of 14. So get that book- and if you work through every problem- it'll help you out.

 

[sng33]

laviddee does Nova have any other subject books? How did you prepare for the other sections, and what were your AAMC practice scores. Looking for good bio prep also...

 

[Luv Nietzsche]

Nova has Physics, Bio & Chem - one book for each subject. I don't know how helpful they are. Here's Barnes & Noble links.

<a href="http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=6525CYRB6M&mscssid=1E41QS36BK9C9N10LT04XS4WB94X8A22&isbn=1889057002" target="_blank">Physics</a>
<a href="http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=6525CYRB6M&mscssid=1E41QS36BK9C9N10LT04XS4WB94X8A22&isbn=1889057088" target="_blank">Bio</a>
<a href="http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=6525CYRB6M&mscssid=1E41QS36BK9C9N10LT04XS4WB94X8A22&isbn=1889057126" target="_blank">Chem</a>

 

[laviddee]

i bought the gen chem orgo and physics..
physics by far has the best..
i dont' think it's worth it to get the other subjects..

 

[laviddee]

also check out this post as well--
<a href="http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012648" target="_blank">http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012648</a>

i list all the books i used..
also i liked signing up on <a href="http://www.e-mcat.com" target="_blank">www.e-mcat.com</a> where you have access to all the aamc practice exams and they grade it for you on the computer.
I wouldnt' start using those exams till like 3 weeks before however to get the whole feel of the exams.