Retaking in 1.5 months...help!! What should my study plan be?

[noelletnw]

I took my MCAT on 9/6/14 and got a 8PS, 10VR, 10BS. I did the Kaplan course and was scoring between 31 and 33 on my practice exams. Because the test is changing in 2015, I'm currently signed up to retake on 12/6/14, which is obviously very soon. This date is not flexible for me and I'm currently in school.

I'm really lost as to where to begin my studying now, so I would really appreciate any advice anyone has for me!

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[ciestar]

Did you take AAMC exams the first time?

 

[noelletnw]

No, I only did the Kaplan practice exams because I ran out of time (I was working 40 hrs/week while studying).

 

[Gauss44]

Get a tutor for the physical sciences. I recommend www.wyzant.com because you get to choose who you hire and there's no commitment. If there's no one in your zip code, try another zip code. Wyzant allows tutoring over video conference as well as in person.

The most concise physical sciences prep is Examkrackers MCAT Lecture book (NOT the 1001 questions). The tutor can help you get through that book and learn what you need to know.

Given that time frame, I recommend 2 hours a week with the tutor, and plenty of practice outside of tutoring sessions. To be frank, you may need to drop down to 12 credits, cancel some extracurriculars (if you have a lot going on), or make similar sacrifices to ensure that you are ready on time.

AAMC full lengths are the best predictors of your score. Kaplan has a reputation for score inflation.

 

[NextStepTutor_1]

So now you've accepted that you have to retake the test, and luckily it's right on the tail of your first test (silver lining). This means that a lot of the information should come back to you, and the score you received means to me that a lot of the prep you did paid off. However, there need to be some tweaks this go around.

My general advice is to focus heavily on timed practice in between taking all of the AAMC practice tests (or at least 8, 9, 10, and 11). You may need to review content, but do this smartly. Review what you really need to and skim the topics you feel more confident in (you'll most likely see them in your practice, which will act as a refresher while giving you the benefit of seeing more questions, working under timed conditions, etc.).

Good luck!!



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