Retaking MCAT, advice on verbal improvement?

[CarvM]

Hi guys,

So I just received my MCAT score - Got a 26.
11 Physical Sciences 9 Biological Sciences 6 Verbal

Definitely not what I was hoping for in terms of Verbal. For some background, I self-studied using Kaplan books for all 3 sections. Obviously I'm looking to crack down on Verbal to improve that section, and was wondering if there were any specific books/methods that people in a similar situation to mine used that really helped you improve your Verbal score? I was thinking of getting ExamKrackers 101 Passages in Verbal, but figured I'd get some input here first.

Thanks!

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[BrCo]

Examkrackers and AAMC. Don't even bother with anything else

 

[Bovary]

I haven't used the EK 101 passages, but lots of people do and they seem to be a suitable source of practice passages.

Practice a lot. A lot a lot. Review your answers and practice again. Highlight stuff that could be important. If you like the Kaplan method of annotating paragraphs, go for it. If you don't like it, then don't.

Don't neglect the other two sections before your retake.

If you didn't take all 8 AAMC Full Length practice tests before your first MCAT, acquire them and do the remainders in the weeks before your retake.

 

[elprezidente]

Sometimes it simply comes down to your technique. Try out a few different ways of approaching the verbal. I'm not sure how you work through it now, but try skimming the questions before reading the passage, try highlighting key points as you go through, and try anything you can think of; maybe it's your current approach that is slowing you down or causing you to make mistakes. Personally, the best thing that I ever learned was to use key words (therefore, since, because, for example, etc.) to identify what might be important information versus what can be skipped over. If you know how to approach passages and get good at it with practice, you don't always need to read the entire passage, but can sort of skim through it and identify important sentences that answer questions as you go along.

This was my advice to someone in a different thread with a similar issue. I think that it's very important to try a few different methods out before you settle on the one that you'll use. If there's one method gets you two points higher than another on your first try, then with practice, it will have a greater potential for score improvement.

 

[Aerus]

I highly recommend The Princeton Review Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook over EK. Many people find success in verbal through different strategies. What I recommend is be very familiar with question stems and how to look for the relevant information in passages.

 

[Uafl112]

The princeton review hyperlearning book helped a lot

 

[Lya]

Yup, Princeton Hyperlearning Verbal has many passages to work with. Highly recommended.

 

[soccerusa]

I got a 14 on verbal after getting some great advice. I used only the AAMC FLs and the Princeton Review Hyperlearning book which I found to be very similar to the actual test. I strongly believe that you shouldn't use any of the odd techniques taught by test prep companies or others. My strategy was to practice reading extremely carefully the first time through to the point where I could answer most questions without looking back at the passage. I know reading this carefully can lead to a time crunch; however, with enough practice I found I ended up being able to finish the VR section with ~5 min to spare. So I think it all comes down to practicing blocking out everything else and focusing like your life depended on it while taking the test.
Best of luck!

 

[hoihaie]

Depending on how far away your next mcat test date is, you should consider reading a ton more. Read not Twilight type of books, but read books by great authors, like Jane Austen. You can also read philosophical books to get comfortable with the style of writing you are goign to encounter in the verbal section

 

[soccerusa]

Respectfully, I would not do this. Focus on exactly the kind of practice you will get on the real test in test like conditions.