Official July 24, 2014 MCAT Thread(because just once wasn't fun enough!)

[southpawcannon]

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[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

I heard there were many calculations in PS section and all experimental for BS section. Do you think have all equation written out on a sheet during 10 mins of tutoring would help?

I did it. Did it help? I don't think so, because I had them memorized already. But it makes you feel comfortable that you have them written down.

 

[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

May I ask which study materials did you use? Did you think those prepared you enough for the real exam?

TBR. And it prepared me for the exam quite well except for the Biology passages because they were all experiment/research based.

 

[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

Were they in the same level of difficulty like the ebola passage?

I thought the AAMC 11 passages were easier than what I saw on test day. However, AAMC 11 passages were the closest to the actual exam.

 

[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

Thank you. Maybe I should go to church and pray for easier PS and BS section haha.

LOL. Good luck with that.

 

[Raincouver]

I'm doing AAMC 11 tomorrow...and you guys are scaring me....

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

I'm doing AAMC 11 tomorrow...and you guys are scaring me....

Enjoy! It's a fun one

 

[Terps1011]

No more practice tests for me.... going to do some practice problems and review equations I am struggling with for the next 2 days. That's it....

Last time I studied the day for and morning of.... overkill!

 

[Summertime012]

Gonna head to the beach the day before. If we don't know it by now there is no amount of studying that is going to make a monumental difference. Good luck to everyone.

 

[Eklipz]

I have an appointment with my doctor the day before the exam (it was by coincidence).

 

[dohyh88]

I'm reviewing my notes intensely to squeeze in as much facts as i could. I'm going to continue doing this and then review my previous aamcs tonight. And i'm going to take my last practice test, aamc11, tomorrow.
Starting from three days before my first test, I burned myself out so i couldn't concentrate at all. I think wasting those last three days cost me easy fact-recall questions . I'm not going to repeat my mistake again!!

 

[Raincouver]

Guys I just did AAMC 11 today. I honestly feel like giving up right now. It was my lowest score BY FAR. I really don't know what to do at this point

 

[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[Terps1011]

Guys I just did AAMC 11 today. I honestly feel like giving up right now. It was my lowest score BY FAR. I really don't know what to do at this point

Dont give up. It'll be fine! Just review what you got wrong, practice more tomorrow, and iron out any silly mistakes you are making. Just make sure you dont burn yourself out because I did that last time and payed for it. Plus aamc 11 doesn't 100percent predict your score test day at all..

How did you feel after taking it? Did you run out of time on sections?

 

[dohyh88]

Guys I just did AAMC 11 today. I honestly feel like giving up right now. It was my lowest score BY FAR. I really don't know what to do at this point

Yeah tests difficulties fluctuate from time to time, so don't give it up yet especially if you're applying this cycle. Review thoroughly your aamc tests and see how the real one goes.

 

[Raincouver]

Dont give up. It'll be fine! Just review what you got wrong, practice more tomorrow, and iron out any silly mistakes you are making. Just make sure you dont burn yourself out because I did that last time and payed for it. Plus aamc 11 doesn't 100percent predict your score test day at all..

How did you feel after taking it? Did you run out of time on sections?

YES! I got lost in the passages. The one section I thought I did alright on was verbal...and even that I ended up with a 7. I really wish I hadn't left AAMC 11 last...in hopes of a confidence boost...pffttt...confidence boost my behind.

 

[Terps1011]

Well just see it as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Better to mess up on this one than the real thing. I feel you on verbal though I am always all over the place with it. Hopefully we will have some comprehensible short passages on thursday hahaha

 

[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[NobleGas14]

YES! I got lost in the passages. The one section I thought I did alright on was verbal...and even that I ended up with a 7. I really wish I hadn't left AAMC 11 last...in hopes of a confidence boost...pffttt...confidence boost my behind.

Keep your head up buddy. Don't let your confidence get shaken up by it. Just fix your mistakes and be ready on Thursday! :]

 

[maxn]

Guys I just did AAMC 11 today. I honestly feel like giving up right now. It was my lowest score BY FAR. I really don't know what to do at this point

I'm not sure what happened...but I just took it as well and it was my highest score by a wide margin lol

Might've been luck with being comfortable with the content they tested (I have taken virology so I guess the ebola passage didn't seem all that difficult?) but either way a good confidence boost going into Thursday . Don't worry about it though. I would just take the positives from this being a practice and try and learn from it for Thursday's beast.

 

[Raincouver]

I'm not sure what happened...but I just took it as well and it was my highest score by a wide margin lol

haha I'm happy for you. I think it all depends on your mental alertness when writing...and luck of the draw with regards to which concepts you feel most confident about. Either way, you should feel awesome cause I too felt like difficulty wise AAMC 11 was similar to the one I wrote a month ago. The results of which will be released tomorrow by the way. I'm not a happy camper right now.

 

[BeanBag2]

Hey everyone, been a while since I posted on the forums. Figured I would weigh in on my
Hey everyone, been a while since I posted on the forums. Figured I would weigh in on my progress and plans for today and tomorrow.

Okay, I am a retake. Self studied the first time around and did absolutely horrible. Received a 23 - 9 ps, 6 vr, and 8 bs. I was heartbroken and discouraged when I left the test. My bio background was weak, and I could tell during my test. The test was all experimental, and I got lost during it. I took cell bio lab and a cell bio class which has helped me immensely. I decided to sign up for kaplan and I am happy I did. I love their verbal strategy and also they make sure you don't waste time studying stuff you do not need to know.

Diag kaplan 1: 19
kaplan 2: 32
kaplan 3: 28 (7 in verbal)
kaplan 4:29 (7 in verbal) At this point, I really felt that Kaplan verbal wasn't indicative because they ask so many detail questions so i started doing EK full lengths. Took 4 tests avg was a 9.
AAMC 10 retake (I honestly didn't feel like I remembered anything from the passages from last time I took it, maybe only a few questions but I don't think I would have done any worse. Overall I felt the questions were very easy, and so were the passages. Def not how I felt last time taking the AAMC. Scored a 31. The curve is rough on this test.
Kaplan 5: 33 (subed in a kaplan verbal with EK verbal)
AAMC 11: 32 (Thought this test was most like my mcat on test day, the physical science on test was a lot harder though I must say.)

Plans today: review AAMC 11, figure out a way to learn optics. If anyone has any good suggestions, I would love you forever. I been running, it helps clear my head so I am going to continue doing that.
Tomorrow: Just hangout, go for a run. Keep my mind occupied. Go to test center make sure everything is in order, and I know where it is.
Test day: wake up, go to the gym just to ride the bike for 15/20 min and jug.

Best of Luck to everyone, Stay confident. Just remember, you put in the work and the hours. You got this.

 

[Eklipz]

so when we sit for the MCAT thursday do we all take different versions of the same test or do we all get completely different tests?

 

[BeanBag2]

so when we sit for the MCAT thursday do we all take different versions of the same test or do we all get completely different tests?

I believe all the same.

 

[DannySCR]

Whatsup guys. Took the last 3 AAMC practice tests: 9,10,11 and got a 32 on each of them. Can't believe I pulled it off on the 11, that was by far the most challenging and it was definitely a nice little confidence boost. I'm pretty nervous for Thursday to be honest. Just wanna get this thing over with.

 

[Eklipz]

Took CBT 11, got more wrong than usual but got about the same score. scaling FTW.

The physics and organic chemistry was definitely tougher than the other practice tests. IDK why people are complaining about the Ebola passage, i only got 1 wrong on that one

 

[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[DannySCR]

I saw how people scored on the June 21st MCAT that came out today and it just made me super anxious. I hate the fact that we have to wait SOOOO LONG to get our scores when it's immediate satisfaction with the AAMC practice

 

[dohyh88]

Hey everyone, been a while since I posted on the forums. Figured I would weigh in on my
Hey everyone, been a while since I posted on the forums. Figured I would weigh in on my progress and plans for today and tomorrow.

Okay, I am a retake. Self studied the first time around and did absolutely horrible. Received a 23 - 9 ps, 6 vr, and 8 bs. I was heartbroken and discouraged when I left the test. My bio background was weak, and I could tell during my test. The test was all experimental, and I got lost during it. I took cell bio lab and a cell bio class which has helped me immensely. I decided to sign up for kaplan and I am happy I did. I love their verbal strategy and also they make sure you don't waste time studying stuff you do not need to know.

Diag kaplan 1: 19
kaplan 2: 32
kaplan 3: 28 (7 in verbal)
kaplan 4:29 (7 in verbal) At this point, I really felt that Kaplan verbal wasn't indicative because they ask so many detail questions so i started doing EK full lengths. Took 4 tests avg was a 9.
AAMC 10 retake (I honestly didn't feel like I remembered anything from the passages from last time I took it, maybe only a few questions but I don't think I would have done any worse. Overall I felt the questions were very easy, and so were the passages. Def not how I felt last time taking the AAMC. Scored a 31. The curve is rough on this test.
Kaplan 5: 33 (subed in a kaplan verbal with EK verbal)
AAMC 11: 32 (Thought this test was most like my mcat on test day, the physical science on test was a lot harder though I must say.)

Plans today: review AAMC 11, figure out a way to learn optics. If anyone has any good suggestions, I would love you forever. I been running, it helps clear my head so I am going to continue doing that.
Tomorrow: Just hangout, go for a run. Keep my mind occupied. Go to test center make sure everything is in order, and I know where it is.
Test day: wake up, go to the gym just to ride the bike for 15/20 min and jug.

Best of Luck to everyone, Stay confident. Just remember, you put in the work and the hours. You got this.

Assuming you're referring to mirrors and lens, i'll share how i tackle those problems.

These are simple tricks i just memorized that works for pretty much every questions that i encountered
Equations you must memorize

1/f = 1/o + 1/i , m(magnification) = - i/ o , 1/f = 2/r (for mirrors) , 1/f = p (power) ,
UV , IR !!!!

focal point for converging lens and mirros are always positive , and negative for both diverging lens and mirrors.
Convering lens looks like () and divering lens )( . Convering mirror looks like ) and divering ( - the way i remember these shapes are i just know they are opposite direction to that of lens.

Following is important part,
Also for image, it will be positive(i> zero) if the image is formed along the direction of light. This is really confusing at first (find some google images to be more clear), but if you think about it, light will pass through lens, so if image is formed on the opposite side of the light source , this will form real image. If it formed on the same side, it forms virtual image.
However for mirror, light reflects so if image will be real and positive (i> zero) if the image is formed on the same side of the light source. If it's formed on the opposite side, then it will form virtual.

*once you figure out the sign of the image, you will know if the image formed is virtual or real. That's when you would know automatically if the image is upright or inverted using the following acronyms. UV , IR !!!


*Object will be always positive ( o >zero).
Everything could be double checked or solved using equation, 1/f = 1/o + 1/i t

If you know these and have it memorized, you can pretty much solve every MCAT mirror/lens problems.
I've seen double lens problem once in mcat, yet those were solvable using what i've written here.

Hope it helps

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I know this is beating a dead horse. But here's a question, if a transition metal has say a (4) after it, it means that essentially it has a formal charge/oxidating state or 4 right? So ex. Ti(4)o2 is the correct formula, because it has lost two electrons?

 

[dohyh88]

I know this is beating a dead horse. But here's a question, if a transition metal has say a (4) after it, it means that essentially it has a formal charge/oxidating state or 4 right? So ex. Ti(4)o2 is the correct formula, because it has lost two electrons?

roman numeral right after transition metal indicates the oxidation state. So Ti has 4+ ,meaning it lost 4 electrons from the outer orbital. So NO, it means it lost 4 electrons to oxygen. It makes sense because Oxygen usually gains 2 e- charges and O2 will double that charge.

 

[Raincouver]

Hey guys. We got our results back today. I did way better than I expected on Bio and Physics but bombed verbal. So super happy I'm writing the Thursday one with you guys.

Although I can't help out with specifics I'll say this. DO NOT freak out during the physics and bio. You'll get to passages that will seem impossible. Just try your best and push through. This is a scaled exam and has to do with how well you do compared to everyone around the world writing that day. I walked out of that exam expecting a 5 on physics cause I ran out of time but ended up with a 9. I felt SOO horrible after physics that I'm pretty sure is the reason I was so out of it with verbal which is right after. So here is to all you first timers:

1) Don't study tomorrow
2) Don't get discouraged during the exam if a couple passages just beat you to the ground.
3) Anything can happen on test day so go to your exam knowing you might start three hours late (like my exam centre).
4) If you have been scoring low on your AAMC FL do not get discouraged. It is very likely that you will do better on the actual exam.

Note for Beanbag: If you need help with optics go watch the entire series about it on Khan Academy's website. I'm sure you know what it is...if you don't let me know and prepare to have your mind blown by this website.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Hey guys. We got our results back today. I did way better than I expected on Bio and Physics but bombed verbal. So super happy I'm writing the Thursday one with you guys.

Although I can't help out with specifics I'll say this. DO NOT freak out during the physics and bio. You'll get to passages that will seem impossible. Just try your best and push through. This is a scaled exam and has to do with how well you do compared to everyone around the world writing that day. I walked out of that exam expecting a 5 on physics cause I ran out of time but ended up with a 9. I felt SOO horrible after physics that I'm pretty sure is the reason I was so out of it with verbal which is right after. So here is to all you first timers:

1) Don't study tomorrow
2) Don't get discouraged during the exam if a couple passages just beat you to the ground.
3) Anything can happen on test day so go to your exam knowing you might start three hours late (like my exam centre).
4) If you have been scoring low on your AAMC FL do not get discouraged. It is very likely that you will do better on the actual exam.

Note for Beanbag: If you need help with optics go watch the entire series about it on Khan Academy's website. I'm sure you know what it is...if you don't let me know and prepare to have your mind blown by this website.

Number 2 is arguably the biggest thing about the test. The worst thing you can do is lose your cool and starting answering questions poorly and below your actual ability. Likewise, you need to not only learn to pace yourself and be willing to sacrifice a point if it means being able to finish an entire passage. Literally, you'll have some questions that'll be like this, where you literally can spend 5 minutes just perplexing about what you could do to answer it and do it wrong anyway.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Number 2 is arguably the biggest thing about the test. The worst thing you can do is lose your cool and starting answering questions poorly and below your actual ability. Likewise, you need to not only learn to pace yourself and be willing to sacrifice a point if it means being able to finish an entire passage. Literally, you'll have some questions that'll be like this, where you literally can spend 5 minutes just perplexing about what you could do to answer it and do it wrong anyway.

I know this feeling very well. It is like you know what to do, but don't know how to actually do it (I should actually say you don't know how to do it yet).

 

[BeanBag2]

Assuming you're referring to mirrors and lens, i'll share how i tackle those problems.

These are simple tricks i just memorized that works for pretty much every questions that i encountered
Equations you must memorize

1/f = 1/o + 1/i , m(magnification) = - i/ o , 1/f = 2/r (for mirrors) , 1/f = p (power) ,
UV , IR !!!!

focal point for converging lens and mirros are always positive , and negative for both diverging lens and mirrors.
Convering lens looks like () and divering lens )( . Convering mirror looks like ) and divering ( - the way i remember these shapes are i just know they are opposite direction to that of lens.

Following is important part,
Also for image, it will be positive(i> zero) if the image is formed along the direction of light. This is really confusing at first (find some google images to be more clear), but if you think about it, light will pass through lens, so if image is formed on the opposite side of the light source , this will form real image. If it formed on the same side, it forms virtual image.
However for mirror, light reflects so if image will be real and positive (i> zero) if the image is formed on the same side of the light source. If it's formed on the opposite side, then it will form virtual.

*once you figure out the sign of the image, you will know if the image formed is virtual or real. That's when you would know automatically if the image is upright or inverted using the following acronyms. UV , IR !!!


*Object will be always positive ( o >zero).
Everything could be double checked or solved using equation, 1/f = 1/o + 1/i t

If you know these and have it memorized, you can pretty much solve every MCAT mirror/lens problems.
I've seen double lens problem once in mcat, yet those were solvable using what i've written here.

Hope it helps

Thanks so much, this is so helpful. SO any time its virtual it is upright , no matter what system, and anytime its inverted its automatically real?

 

[whoadere]

I just got my score today and I am still in Awe of the goodness of God so I figured I might as well spread some hope. I went from a april 24 2014 composite score of 20 to a june 21st composite score of 33. Anything is possible just study and have faith. You may feel like crap after your exam because I felt like crap I cried so much the days after my exam. you can fall but always remember to dust yourself up again. Im not any smarter than anyone here

 

[dohyh88]

Thanks so much, this is so helpful. SO any time its virtual it is upright , no matter what system, and anytime its inverted its automatically real?

Yes

 

[user12]

Hey guys. We got our results back today. I did way better than I expected on Bio and Physics but bombed verbal. So super happy I'm writing the Thursday one with you guys.

Although I can't help out with specifics I'll say this. DO NOT freak out during the physics and bio. You'll get to passages that will seem impossible. Just try your best and push through. This is a scaled exam and has to do with how well you do compared to everyone around the world writing that day. I walked out of that exam expecting a 5 on physics cause I ran out of time but ended up with a 9. I felt SOO horrible after physics that I'm pretty sure is the reason I was so out of it with verbal which is right after. So here is to all you first timers:

1) Don't study tomorrow
2) Don't get discouraged during the exam if a couple passages just beat you to the ground.
3) Anything can happen on test day so go to your exam knowing you might start three hours late (like my exam centre).
4) If you have been scoring low on your AAMC FL do not get discouraged. It is very likely that you will do better on the actual exam.

Note for Beanbag: If you need help with optics go watch the entire series about it on Khan Academy's website. I'm sure you know what it is...if you don't let me know and prepare to have your mind blown by this website.

I agree with 2, 3, and 4. but im studying tomorrow. no passages though

 

[vik66]

Hey everyone! I will be taking the test on Thursday with you guys. Never really thought to post because i figured i would get psyched out or something. Took all the AAMCs, made 2 29s, the rest 28/27 and somehow made a 31 on AAMC 11 yesterday which was a nice confidence boost. I only need a 28 for my BS/MD program for acceptance so fingers crossed.

I just feel like this test is such a crap shoot, my subsections fluctuated so much.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I'm doing AAMC 11 tomorrow...and you guys are scaring me....

I hope AAMC is highly reliable.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Hey everyone! I will be taking the test on Thursday with you guys. Never really thought to post because i figured i would get psyched out or something. Took all the AAMCs, made 2 29s, the rest 28/27 and somehow made a 31 on AAMC 11 yesterday which was a nice confidence boost. I only need a 28 for my BS/MD program for acceptance so fingers crossed.

I just feel like this test is such a crap shoot, my subsections fluctuated so much.

I also got a 31. Did you get a solid verbal? because it was pretty easy in my opinion. I also thought the PS was very relaxed.

 

[Eklipz]

Hey everyone! I will be taking the test on Thursday with you guys. Never really thought to post because i figured i would get psyched out or something. Took all the AAMCs, made 2 29s, the rest 28/27 and somehow made a 31 on AAMC 11 yesterday which was a nice confidence boost. I only need a 28 for my BS/MD program for acceptance so fingers crossed.

I just feel like this test is such a crap shoot, my subsections fluctuated so much.

you only need a 28 for your bs/md program? I need a 30 for mine. What school do you go to?

I also got a 31 on aamc 11.

 

[vik66]

I also got a 31. Did you get a solid verbal? because it was pretty easy in my opinion. I also thought the PS was very relaxed.

11-11-9
started feeling tired during bio (ate lunch and didnt have backup coffee) and that ebola passage was insane. only got one right. umm it was my highest verbal score and i attributed it to finally figuring out verbal, hopefully there is some truth in that.

you only need a 28 for your bs/md program? I need a 30 for mine. What school do you go to?

I also got a 31 on aamc 11.

University of South Alabama, you?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

11-11-9
started feeling tired during bio (ate lunch and didnt have backup coffee) and that ebola passage was insane. only got one right. umm it was my highest verbal score and i attributed it to finally figuring out verbal, hopefully there is some truth in that.




University of South Alabama, you?

I agree, by the time I got to the Ebola passage I felt like I had been ringed out. I honestly lost a crap ton of points for random crap though.

 

[HinduHammer]

Assuming you're referring to mirrors and lens, i'll share how i tackle those problems.

These are simple tricks i just memorized that works for pretty much every questions that i encountered
Equations you must memorize

1/f = 1/o + 1/i , m(magnification) = - i/ o , 1/f = 2/r (for mirrors) , 1/f = p (power) ,
UV , IR !!!!

focal point for converging lens and mirros are always positive , and negative for both diverging lens and mirrors.
Convering lens looks like () and divering lens )( . Convering mirror looks like ) and divering ( - the way i remember these shapes are i just know they are opposite direction to that of lens.

Following is important part,
Also for image, it will be positive(i> zero) if the image is formed along the direction of light. This is really confusing at first (find some google images to be more clear), but if you think about it, light will pass through lens, so if image is formed on the opposite side of the light source , this will form real image. If it formed on the same side, it forms virtual image.
However for mirror, light reflects so if image will be real and positive (i> zero) if the image is formed on the same side of the light source. If it's formed on the opposite side, then it will form virtual.

*once you figure out the sign of the image, you will know if the image formed is virtual or real. That's when you would know automatically if the image is upright or inverted using the following acronyms. UV , IR !!!


*Object will be always positive ( o >zero).
Everything could be double checked or solved using equation, 1/f = 1/o + 1/i t

If you know these and have it memorized, you can pretty much solve every MCAT mirror/lens problems.
I've seen double lens problem once in mcat, yet those were solvable using what i've written here.

Hope it helps

Just to reiterate, UV upright virtual and IR inverted real? And it ALWAYS holds true?

I always think I know the optics stuff, then I do it and I get it wrong...grr..

 

[Doctoblast]

Hey all, I haven't posted on here at all, but I thought I would now. I've been averaging around a 26 on my AAMCs (I'm aiming for DO, so these scores are okay with me... would really like a 27/28). I ended up burning out really hard on Friday during AAMC 10 and got a 23 on that exam. I literally cried for the first time in years. I looked at stuff I got wrong and saw some really dumb mistakes and attributed them to the burnout. I ended up taking the rest of friday and saturday off.

A lot of people told me to just review and avoid taking aamc 11, but I decided to go for it today. The main reason was to get a feel for what the exam will be like thursday and to trust my gut on whether to void or not depending on how bad I felt. I thought the PS was kinda easy, verbal was tough, and BS was brutal (especially that ebola passage). During the BS section I told myself "If I feel like this during the real thing, I'll void and retake."

I ended up scoring my average, 26, on aamc 11 which did wonders for my confidence after the abysmal 23 on friday. Now I know my scores aren't anything amazing, but my advice would be to stick it out and don't get discouraged during the real thing if you feel like a particular passage or section is tough! Hopefully I can go in thursday and get that 27/28

 

[dohyh88]

Just to reiterate, UV upright virtual and IR inverted real? And it ALWAYS holds true?

I always think I know the optics stuff, then I do it and I get it wrong...grr..

yes always true. Knowing that becomes really handy for majority of the optics related questions.