paper or computer version of MCAT

[Dr. N]

Please help! I just tried to register for August MCAT and apperantly I have to choose paper or computer based version. From your experience, which one is better?
thanks

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[bigdan]

N-
I'll say it first, and many others will follow: It's up to what you feel more comfortable with. Did you do all of your practice tests on computer or paper? I wouldn't deviate from that unless you are sure you can keep a high performance level. Maybe try both...
End note: it's still up to you.
And good luck. I took April (and will likely have to retake in Aug) and the test - in any format - sucks.

dc

 

[TRUE]

Personally, I would choose paper. I heard it can be a little cumbersome to go backwards. I don't think you'd need another distraction when you're taking the test. If you think you can do well on the compute,r then go for it, but no reason to risk it.

 

[duka]

I would say paper-- I definately needed the margins on some questions to figure out answers for physics etc, and then in the writing section, I always underline/circle important stuff. I doubt there is a way to do this on the computer version.

Please help! I just tried to register for August MCAT and apperantly I have to choose paper or computer based version. From your experience, which one is better?
thanks

 

[mikeyboy]

I would only choose the computer version if they could tell me my raw score right after the test. Then, I might be tempted...otherwise, the paper version seems much faster (skipping back and forth between passages/questions), and all my tests were done on paper, though I don't know how the computer version is set up.

On the other hand, my friend recently took the test and realized with 2 minutes left that she had bubbled in the questions wrong. She was off by one bubble, and had no idea where she made the mistake, and had to void her test. If this is something you might do frequently, maybe the comptuer version would be better.

 

[celticmists18]

there is a computer version, when did they start that?

 

[fonzy]

Paper version for me as the computer screen can tire eyes [mainly due to the length of the exam] and excite the neural networks thus affecting performance.

 

[docmemi]

Omg Omg I Cant Believe Its Here.

Paper All The Way!!!

 

[docmemi]

In April and August 2004, the AAMC is offering the MCAT in a Computer-Based Format (CBT) in a limited number of U.S. cities:

Baltimore/Towson Testing Center, 8501 LaSalle Road, Suite 115 Towson, MD 21286-5919
Boston/Burlington Testing Center, 6 New England Executive Park, Suite 120, Burlington, MA 01803
Chicago Test Center, 20 North Clark Street, 16th Floor, Chicago, IL 60602-5001
Washington DC Test Center, 1660 L Street NW, 2nd Floor, Suite 204, Washington, DC 20036-5603
Seating is strictly on a limited, first-come, first-served, basis. To register and sit for the MCAT CBT, you must read and agree with the information below.

 

[docmemi]

Please help! I just tried to register for August MCAT and apperantly I have to choose paper or computer based version. From your experience, which one is better?
thanks

registration for august is not open yet...

 

[Dr. N]

I am not sure when they started that but computer option was already available for some areas in April, 2004

there is a computer version, when did they start that?

 

[Sharkfan]

I would totally stick with paper, for all the reasons other posters have said. First, being able to flip back and forth and skip questions you feel like coming back to is crucial for a lot of people, and I think trying to do that on a computer would be hell on earth. Second, making notes in the margins for the verbal section, a big help, will be impossible from a computer screen. Third, the length of the test. Who in their right mind wants to be staring at a computer screen for that long? Fourth, using margins for scratch in the science sections is also nice.

To each his own, but in my opinion the peculiarities of the MCAT would render a computer format very obnoxious.

 

[flighterdoc]

Please help! I just tried to register for August MCAT and apperantly I have to choose paper or computer based version. From your experience, which one is better?
thanks

Wow, they're offering computer? Go for it, the written sample will be way easier

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Wow, they're offering computer? Go for it, the written sample will be way easier

Hmmm... that's a pretty good point. Now if we can just get the adcoms to give a damn about the written sample portion of the test.

 

[exmike]

paper is good b/c you can scribble notes in the margins next to a passage or underline important phrases/data in the passage. it's so much easier that way. I hated taking the GRE on computer.

Its also alot easier to cross out wrong answers on a paper test. It must get annoying tryng to track elimianted answer choices on computer.

 

[CanIMakeIt]

I think it is not allowed to change the answer once you have saved the answer on computer format... at least not for GRE and GMAT ... but MCAT could be different

 

[Alexander99]

There are no advantages to taking it on computer and several disadvantages (they've already been mentioned.) I would never take the computer version unless it was the only choice they gave me.

 

[docmemi]

Hmmm... that's a pretty good point. Now if we can just get the adcoms to give a damn about the written sample portion of the test.

they dooo care. but thats another arguement.

 

[Conquistador]

i find my eyes get tired after looking at the cpu screen for too long. I'd take the paper test.