Pcat Advice !

[Pharmstudent01]

Hi guys,

I just ordered my Dr.Collins Pcat study guide-it is the 2015 version and I will be taking the Pcat for the first time in January. I have about 3 weeks total to study. I was wondering what is the quickest way to get through the information? Are the study guides necessary to go through the material, or should I just focus on the practice exams only? Any advice overall is appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

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[MusicianPharmD]

Read the study guide for biology and chem. Try to do all the tests of both sections always reviewing the explanations given in the back. You could skip the quant's guide, do the tests. the ones I found very similar to the real pcat was the last 3 tests, use the results given in the back to refresh your memory. Ready everyday the list of analogies/sentences for the verbal part. The tests are exactly the same so, are not so necessary to do them. If you finish all the tests, try to buy the pearson's practice tests. I think the key to success in the pcat is to understand the concepts, not necessarily memorizing stuff, specially for chem. I got 95 composite, so if you do all this, you could easily score around that too. Good luck!

 

[YOWAT]

Thanks for your advice. Sweet short condense to Da Point. Thank you again Sir

 

[YOWAT]

Read the study guide for biology and chem. Try to do all the tests of both sections always reviewing the explanations given in the back. You could skip the quant's guide, do the tests. the ones I found very similar to the real pcat was the last 3 tests, use the results given in the back to refresh your memory. Ready everyday the list of analogies/sentences for the verbal part. The tests are exactly the same so, are not so necessary to do them. If you finish all the tests, try to buy the pearson's practice tests. I think the key to success in the pcat is to understand the concepts, not necessarily memorizing stuff, specially for chem. I got 95 composite, so if you do all this, you could easily score around that too. Good luck!

List all your sub and composite score

 

[MusicianPharmD]

List all your sub and composite score

Verbal 78
Biology 99
RC 17 (english is my second language + this section on the real thing is brutal)
Chemistry 98
Quantitative 95

Composite 95


If you have any question during your preparation, feel free to ask (unless it is about reading comprehension... lol)

 

[Pharmstudent01]

Verbal 78
Biology 99
RC 17 (english is my second language + this section on the real thing is brutal)
Chemistry 98
Quantitative 95

Composite 95


If you have any question during your preparation, feel free to ask (unless it is about reading comprehension... lol)

Thank You for your advice and taking the time to reply.
I am currently going through the biology study guide and after finishing anatomy and almost microbiology, I reviewed the questions from one of the sample tests and wasn't able to answer a few of them that I should know by now. While reading the study guide, I am attempting to take notes aside. I am very nervous now because of this. Did this occur to you also or am I doing something wrong? Hope this is not too silly to ask, but just getting really nervous.

 

[HealthCareProfessional]

Thank You for your advice and taking the time to reply.
I am currently going through the biology study guide and after finishing anatomy and almost microbiology, I reviewed the questions from one of the sample tests and wasn't able to answer a few of them that I should know by now. While reading the study guide, I am attempting to take notes aside. I am very nervous now because of this. Did this occur to you also or am I doing something wrong? Hope this is not too silly to ask, but just getting really nervous.

I would say go through the study guides completely, before attempting any sample tests. That way you would know where you need to spend your time on after you've attempted a test. Also you have 3 weeks to prepare, so i think its better off if you take a practice test or two at the end of the week, so that you have ample time to prepare and analyze where your weaknesses are!

 

[Pharmstudent01]

I would say go through the study guides completely, before attempting any sample tests. That way you would know where you need to spend your time on after you've attempted a test. Also you have 3 weeks to prepare, so i think its better off if you take a practice test or two at the end of the week, so that you have ample time to prepare and analyze where your weaknesses are!

Thank you !

 

[PharmDoReMe]

How did you prepare for quantitative?? I only got a 51.

 

[MusicianPharmD]

Thank You for your advice and taking the time to reply.
I am currently going through the biology study guide and after finishing anatomy and almost microbiology, I reviewed the questions from one of the sample tests and wasn't able to answer a few of them that I should know by now. While reading the study guide, I am attempting to take notes aside. I am very nervous now because of this. Did this occur to you also or am I doing something wrong? Hope this is not too silly to ask, but just getting really nervous.

Take the time to understand the study guide first. There is everything you need to know. Of course, the tests will throw some detailed stuff so you keep learning in the process, read the explanation in the back and keep going. After you finish all the tests, go back and re-read all the explanations in the back, I felt they had more substance.

I suggest you do quickly the 17 o 18 chem tests, all of them are different. I found the pcat more similar to the last 10, which means less calculations and more organic stuff with conceptual questions about general chemistry.

Don't be nervous. I always scored in the practice tests around 38-42/48. Something like that!

Make sure you are timing yourself! I did that all the time, even if re-doing one of them.

How did you prepare for quantitative?? I only got a 51.

For quants, I only used the 8 tests, did them like three times each and the three pearson practice tests. At the end I made a choice to not make a huge effort to complete the section doing all the exercises. My strategy was to do the exercise kind of until the middle of the problem and then guess between two probable answer based on what I had. Just try to answer the most of the exercise in the time frame, of course, make sure you do right the easy ones. Do not spend time on the long ones, like for example, for me, I skipped the verbal math problems and guessed them. I hope all this makes sense and help you.