Real MCAT vs 2015 AAMC practice test

[FutureD.O]

For those who have taken both, could you shed some light on the relative difficulties of each? Also, could you compare the two tests overall by stating which subjects/sections you thought were of the same relative difficulty, harder, or easier.

Thanks in advance!

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[dushash]

For those who have taken both, could you shed some light on the relative difficulties of each? Also, could you compare the two tests overall by stating which subjects/sections you thought were of the same relative difficulty, harder, or easier.

Thanks in advance!

While we are waiting answers from those who have taken real mcat already, I can just put more flame into discussion: judging from mcatjelly table - vast majority of users got more % score on real thing than on AAMC FL. Which is controversial to what majority of takers are saying: "that real mcat was on par or slightly harder in some sections". So you can see that numbers are contradicting to each other. Unsolved mystery yet.

 

[El-Rami]

I hear a lot of BS about practice tests and real test scores all the time. To be on the safe side, just assume that your real test score will fall somewhere around your AAMC FL and OG performance. There are some people that will try to scare you by saying that the AAMC FL was way easier, so your real score will be lower.

 

[FutureD.O]

Both you guys brought up some of the major points that caused me to start this thread. There is a plethora of contradicting information out there..

 

[ausernamegoeshere]

While we are waiting answers from those who have taken real mcat already, I can just put more flame into discussion: judging from mcatjelly table - vast majority of users got more % score on real thing than on AAMC FL. Which is controversial to what majority of takers are saying: "that real mcat was on par or slightly harder in some sections". So you can see that numbers are contradicting to each other. Unsolved mystery yet.

For what it's worth, when reporting numbers for the AAMC FL on the spreadsheet, people are reporting the % of questions they got correct. When reporting their numbers for the real exam, they have to report their percentile. Percent correct obviously doesn't equal percentile, so you can't compare the numbers directly in that manner.

 

[dushash]

I agree with EI-Rami for now safest thing to assume would be that real mcat is roughly same as AAMC FL. It is most representative and made by same folks. More or less user taking real mcat in September should get same scores (give or take 2-3 points) as AAMC FL.

 

[dushash]

For what it's worth, when reporting numbers for the AAMC FL on the spreadsheet, people are reporting the % of questions they got correct. When reporting their numbers for the real exam, they have to report their percentile. Percent correct obviously doesn't equal percentile, so you can't compare the numbers directly in that manner.

Oh, that makes sense, so "total" column on AAMC where we see % for AAMC has nothing to do with total % on real mcat? I guess in that case AAMC FL leans toward been slightly easier than real mcat due to curve % grading for real mcat.

 

[El-Rami]

For what it's worth, when reporting numbers for the AAMC FL on the spreadsheet, people are reporting the % of questions they got correct. When reporting their numbers for the real exam, they have to report their percentile. Percent correct obviously doesn't equal percentile, so you can't compare the numbers directly in that manner.

I see your point, but I think the point of that is to get a ballpark estimate of performance based on %correct on the AAMC FL. You can't compare % and percentile, true, but people want to see if an 85% correct overall score on the FL corresponds to roughly mid 510s on the actual test. There are other threads about converting the raw score of the practice AAMC test to a scaled score based on percentile rank data for AAMC 3-11 and the April/May examinees. Many people feel that it provides a good ballpark projection for performance on their MCAT. For example, I scored 508 on my AAMC FL a few months back before I began studying, so I would expect to be around that ballpark (especially since I've reviewed things I forgot about and increased my knowledge in general). I wouldn't expect to score 500 on the real MCAT because that would mean the AAMC FL was useless (i.e., not representative at all) which contradicts the general feeling about the test (that the AAMC FL is similar or slightly easier).

 

[ausernamegoeshere]

Yeah, I definitely agree with you - I was specifically responding to dushash's post about how the numbers on the spreadsheet for the real exam and the AAMC FL don't make sense in comparison to each other. I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew that those numbers don't mean the same thing.

 

[StudyLater]

Very similar for me, in all sections. The one that stood out on the practice was CP -- super hard, got a 78% on it. Same kind of difficulty on the real test.

 

[jimmypod]

I do want to point out the view of my friend who had just taken the August 22nd test.

He describes the AAMC FL as easier than the real MCAT, and that the real MCAT was similar in difficulty to the Kaplan practice tests that he had taken. Of course, control for the fact that despite Kaplan's rigorous content-review intensive questions, my friend has no problem with those questions. So it would be safe to say that the analytical requirements are similar to Kaplan's tests (not necessarily the content review necessities.) He is a pretty smart guy, and scored 95% overall on the AAMC full length, and has gotten consistent 510+ on Kaplan and TPR practice tests leading up to the exam.

Though he says that he wishes he spent more time studying/practicing for CARS.

 

[StudyLater]

I do want to point out the view of my friend who had just taken the August 22nd test.

He describes the AAMC FL as easier than the real MCAT, and that the real MCAT was similar in difficulty to the Kaplan practice tests that he had taken. Of course, control for the fact that despite Kaplan's rigorous content-review intensive questions, my friend has no problem with those questions. So it would be safe to say that the analytical requirements are similar to Kaplan's tests (not necessarily the content review necessities.) He is a pretty smart guy, and scored 95% overall on the AAMC full length, and has gotten consistent 510+ on Kaplan and TPR practice tests leading up to the exam.

Though he says that he wishes he spent more time studying/practicing for CARS.

Kaplan shill!!! Disregard.

Kidding. But seriously that's weird. Nearly everyone has reported Kaplan is almost nothing like the real thing. Grain of salt, here.

 

[Ad2b]

@StudyLater - he has a tendency to exaggerate how brilliant he and his friends are.

@ others - Please take everything related to Kaplan being = to AAMC REAL thing with heaping grains of NaCl ... please.

No one has said that before. Ever.

 

[jimmypod]

@StudyLater - he has a tendency to exaggerate how brilliant he and his friends are.

Haha well I'm always talking about the same friend here, and after knowing him for a couple years I stand by it that he is brilliant (and that I wish I could say the same for myself but definitely can't). I don't know anyone else who just gets everything right like he does, and the scores aren't exaggerations. His AAMC FL is (C/P 98%, CARS 94%, BB 97%, P/S 93%)

And please do keep in mind that he said the reasoning and analysis were similar to Kaplan's. The real MCAT was not similar in how Kaplan throws in random questions that are complete bs sometimes.

 

[StudyLater]

Haha well I'm always talking about the same friend here, and after knowing him for a couple years I stand by it that he is brilliant (and that I wish I could say the same for myself but definitely can't). I don't know anyone else who just gets everything right like he does, and the scores aren't exaggerations. His AAMC FL is (C/P 98%, CARS 94%, BB 97%, P/S 93%)

And please do keep in mind that he said the reasoning and analysis were similar to Kaplan's. The real MCAT was not similar in how Kaplan throws in random questions that are complete bs sometimes.

I had this prof once that went on a 20min tangent about this pre-med that had such godly notes that no one's could compare, got all A+'s etc. etc.

Everyone's just like, "Cool can we get back to lecture now?"

He made us all write a love letter to said student before leaving class -- anyone who didn't got 10% knocked off their final grade.

 

[El-Rami]

That's better than what someone told me just the other day, that your real MCAT score will be Kaplan +/- 2. They also said in the same breath that they didn't get their MCAT score back and that they've been scoring like 520 on Kaplan. BS levels off the scale.

 

[StudyLater]

That's better than what someone told me just the other day, that your real MCAT score will be Kaplan +/- 2. They also said in the same breath that they didn't get their MCAT score back and that they've been scoring like 520 on Kaplan. BS levels off the scale.

Prolly gonna go neurosurg, but like.....I'd prolly have trouble dumbing myself down to handle their mortality so.....idk. Thinking of maybe just inventing a cure for AIDS if I'm super bored and have nothing else to do this Thursday.

 

[mcatjelly]

In my signature is a link containing a compilation of commentary on the new exam from April-June test-takers. Check that out!

Here's the link: https://m.reddit.com/r/Mcat/comments/338j9g/compilation_of_commentary_on_the_new_test/

 

[GrapesofRath]

In my signature is a link containing a compilation of commentary on the new exam from April-June test-takers. Check that out!

Here's the link: https://m.reddit.com/r/Mcat/comments/338j9g/compilation_of_commentary_on_the_new_test/

Do you by chance know of anywhere with commentary for the July and August versions of the test

 

[sephora89]

Do you by chance know of anywhere with commentary for the July and August versions of the test

Try the July and August MCAT threads!