Specific Strategies for MCAT Verbal?

[andybshaker]

Hi, I'm taking my MCAT on the 21st. I feel pretty good about all of the sections, but what concerns me slightly is that I don't really have a concrete strategy for verbal. Since I began taking the tests from the EK101 book, and the AAMC practice tests, with few exceptions, I have been able to do well (10+) because usually the answer they want just "feels right" to me. I just worry that with the nerves and mind racing on the actual exam it might behoove me to actually have better criteria with which to choose the answers. Does anyone have recommendations? Thanks!

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[Cyberdyne 101]

Hi, I'm taking my MCAT on the 21st. I feel pretty good about all of the sections, but what concerns me slightly is that I don't really have a concrete strategy for verbal. Since I began taking the tests from the EK101 book, and the AAMC practice tests, with few exceptions, I have been able to do well (10+) because usually the answer they want just "feels right" to me. I just worry that with the nerves and mind racing on the actual exam it might behoove me to actually have better criteria with which to choose the answers. Does anyone have recommendations? Thanks!

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/30-mcat-study-habits-the-cbt-version.503250/
You should also check out ppl's MD apps profiles. A few rock stars have been kind enough to elaborate on their strategies.

 

[eatkalteenbars]

I didn't have a concrete strategy on Verbal either (I'm also a "feels right" test-taker) but I don't think it was really a problem for me. If what you've been doing works for you, I'd say stick with it instead of forcing yourself to adopt a complicated strategic approach that might backfire.

That being said, I did sometimes do a simplified version of the "passage-mapping" that Kaplan suggests, which was fairly helpful for the denser passages. (Basically, scrawl down a couple words about the point of each paragraph. I have very illegible handwriting, so this was more to mentally reinforce the idea than to have notes to come back to.) Highlighting words/phrases that appear in the question can also help. I dunno if that counts as a "strategy" though.

Since you've been scoring well with what you're doing, you might want to focus on simulating the actual exam environment when you do practice tests. That will probably help with the nerves. You can also visit the test center beforehand to see what it's like.