The Official August 1, 2014 MCAT Thread

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Dreamin&WakinDoc

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Hi fellow August 1sters

I'm shocked that there isn't a thread for this date already!
It's July 24th today, meaning we have approx a week left....
How's studying going? STAY SANE!
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The August 2nd group isn't getting a lot of action either haha.

I'm just taking practice tests now, hoping for the best next Saturday :dead:
 
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Haven't had nearly as much time as I would have liked to prepare for this exam because of my work schedule. I searched last night for an August 1st thread--no luck. Thanks for starting a thread. Finished content review a couple of weeks ago. So far I've taken AAMC 7,8,9. Planning on taking 3 more exams up until Wednesday. How's your final prep coming along Dreamin&WakinDoc and MolonLabe16?
 
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photo.gif
*sigh*
 
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I'm taking it August 1st and my practice test scores have been dropping!
So far I've taken 6 practice tests (3 Kaplan, 3 AAMC), and literally EVERY time, I get an 8 on PS and 9 on BS (got a 10 once)
No pattern for VR

Within the next week I'm taking 2-3 more practice tests and post-phrasing like crazy and going to give it my all...hope I don't have to retake :\
 
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j306c954 said:
I'm taking it August 1st and my practice test scores have been dropping!
So far I've taken 6 practice tests (3 Kaplan, 3 AAMC), and literally EVERY time, I get an 8 on PS and 9 on BS (got a 10 once)
No pattern for VR

Within the next week I'm taking 2-3 more practice tests and post-phrasing like crazy and going to give it my all...hope I don't have to retake :\
Click to expand...
They say that the AAMC tests are harder specifically 7,8,9. I've also heard that test 9 is the most indicative of your actual score. Try taking this one?

I unfortunately work all of next week from 8-6 so after this weekend there won't be much I can do. I'm praying I have time to fit in 2 more next week. Hopefully 2 this weekend as well. My VR has been a consistent 9. Praying for a miracle 10-11 although I don't expect much increase in a weeks time. PS is 7-8. BS 8-10. I don't wanna retake :((((((. And hopefully not an orgo heavy BS considering I took them both freshman year and remember very little. D:
 
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Haha I actually wish there was more orgo, I took 1 and 2 my senior year so it's all very fresh. It's the only topic I usually get nearly every question right on! Now if I could just kill VR...
 
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lol no way!!!! it will be my luck that it's orgo heavy, in which case I will curl up in a ball and cry... After reviewing explanations on AAMC VR, I've concluded that there is no 'reasoning' whatsoever. Just praying for a miracle at this point....
 
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Aug 1st crew what up!!

I actually like MCAT orgo haha. I was taking 11 the other day and always smiled when an orgo passage came up. Those were a breeze compared to those experimental bio passages :/
 
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K1NG said:
Aug 1st crew what up!!

I actually like MCAT orgo haha. I was taking 11 the other day and always smiled when an orgo passage came up. Those were a breeze compared to those experimental bio passages :/
Click to expand...

Me too, I always do them first
 
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I'm retaking this monster, and the tears have gradually all rolled down my eyes to the point where there are no longer any left to spare... LOL, my BS section may need some work.

In all actuality, I'm polishing up my biology to make sure I know EVERYTHING so I don't miss points for not reading enough. I just recently have been getting the hang of verbal and have been scoring 10's on practice exams, so hopefully I can bring my best game to the table next Friday.

Sorry K1NG - hoping for 1 orgo passage MAX, if it is about elimination addition at the carbonyl carbon, that would be GOLDEN.
 
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Nothing spectacular. Have faith. We will get through this together. How have you been doing on your practice tests?
 
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Hey everyone! I am taking the exam on the 1st as well. One week left! We can do this!!
 
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Hey guys,

I've been practicing with mostly Kaplan FLs and more recently with AAMC tests.

Anyone taking the AAMC tests (3&4) feel like the questions are easier on PS and BS (compared to Kaplan which I was using before), but the curve is just brutal? I'm only missing around 4-5 questions and getting bumped to a 12.

Verbal scores pretty consistent though between Kaplan and AAMC. I literally get a 9 every. single. time. :wtf:Definitely need to work on this section, I keep missing 1-2 questions per passage - adds up in the end.

My Kaplan and AAMC practice tests have ranged from 31-36. So I have no idea what my actual test score could end up looking like, but hopefully still above a 30.



I'm hoping to take a few more practice exams before test date, . If I had to choose 3 AAMC exams to take, which ones should I pick?

Good luck to everyone!!
 
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Although all of the AAMC tests are comparable depending on what topic you are most strong at, I guess I could suggest AAMC 8, 10, and 11. I feel like 10 and 11 are musts because they're most like the actual exam. I like 8 because I felt like the PS was a bit harder than the other exams (of course, this could just be me).

Has anybody been taking TBR CBT's? How do you feel those might correlate to the actual exam scores?
 
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So far this is my break down. Very inconsistent and I am terrible at biology unless it is orgo heavy.
AAMC 3 = 7/10/12
AAMC 4 = 13/11/5
AAMC 5 = 11/9/10
AAMC 7 = 10/7/12
AAMC 8 = 12/10/11
 
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Most of what I have read says that AAMC 9, 10, and 11 are the best. This is also what my kaplan instructor told me. But there are others that mention other AAMC tests like 8. Does anyone have any tips/tricks for biology? I have been consistently hitting an 11 and would like to see it go up another point or so before the big day!
 
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Hey guys, are you guys talking about the August 2 test? Or is there really an Aug 1 and an Aug 2 date? When I saw this thread I double checked my AAMC registrtation to make sure I wasn't imagining things
 
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There is an August 1st and a 2nd test date. I'm taking it the 1st.
 
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waywin22 said:
So far this is my break down. Very inconsistent and I am terrible at biology unless it is orgo heavy.
AAMC 3 = 7/10/12
AAMC 4 = 13/11/5
AAMC 5 = 11/9/10
AAMC 7 = 10/7/12
AAMC 8 = 12/10/11
Click to expand...

have you done an AAMC bio SA? Find what it is your weak at and focus on those topics if you have time.
 
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Yeah I actually didnt do so hot in orgo 1 lol hated it actually. I had an amazing prof for orgo 2 though and his class really got me interested.

Anyways what are your guys plans for the next few days? I'm taking 10 and 9 and then gonna wrap it up. Take the day before off and head to the beach or something.
 
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premd07 said:
Anyone applying this cycle?
I am..
Click to expand...

Just saw this.. yup! Already have my primary submitted but won't be verified till mid August. Going to have all my secondaries pre-written though after I'm done with the mcat. Already have a 28 from last year though.
 
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K1NG said:
Just saw this.. yup! Already have my primary submitted but won't be verified till mid August. Going to have all my secondaries pre-written though after I'm done with the mcat. Already have a 28 from last year though.
Click to expand...
oh nice! We are in the same boat. I hate that it takes so long for apps to get verified. Im just gunna start the secondaries after I finish the mcat and submit the same day I get secondaries. Are you a reapplicant or are you just taking retaking the MCAT? A 28 isn't bad but if you feel like you can improve, why not :)
 
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premd07 said:
oh nice! We are in the same boat. I hate that it takes so long for apps to get verified. Im just gunna start the secondaries after I finish the mcat and submit the same day I get secondaries. Are you a reapplicant or are you just taking retaking the MCAT? A 28 isn't bad but if you feel like you can improve, why not :)
Click to expand...

Yeah re-applicant. My GPA is pretty average so I really have to get the MCAT above a 30 to have a good shot. Although I am applying a lot earlier this year so that will help as well. I'm averaging a 30 right now but was aiming for a 32.. we'll see I have 2 more tests to go.
 
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K1NG said:
Yeah I actually didnt do so hot in orgo 1 lol hated it actually. I had an amazing prof for orgo 2 though and his class really got me interested.

Anyways what are your guys plans for the next few days? I'm taking 10 and 9 and then gonna wrap it up. Take the day before off and head to the beach or something.
Click to expand...

I'm working on AAMC 3 untimed (so I don't get too burnt out) tonight. Tomorrow I am going to simulate the actual exam and take AAMC 9. Post-phrasing the next day and doing some practice questions taking AAMC 8 on Monday, and although it is not recommended, might take AAMC 7 on Wednesday. I've already taken Kaplan 1, 2, 3, and AAMC 4, 5, 10 and 11. At first my score was going up linearly, then started making the opposite trend :(
 
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j306c954 said:
I'm working on AAMC 3 untimed (so I don't get too burnt out) tonight. Tomorrow I am going to simulate the actual exam and take AAMC 9. Post-phrasing the next day and doing some practice questions taking AAMC 8 on Monday, and although it is not recommended, might take AAMC 7 on Wednesday. I've already taken Kaplan 1, 2, 3, and AAMC 4, 5, 10 and 11. At first my score was going up linearly, then started making the opposite trend :(
Click to expand...

Nice bro, just don't burn yourself out! My scores haven't changed at all.. don't know what to make of it. Should I be happy with the consistency or upset at no improvements?

Here's my breakdown so far:

AAMC PS VR BS Total
3 12/7/11 30
4 12/8/11 31
5 11/8/11 30
7 12/8/11 31
8 10/7/12 29
11 10/7/11 28

My scores have been dropping recently but not by much. Enough for me give myself a little breather today. Hopefully I knock out AAMC 10 tomorrow. I'm also considering taking 9 on Tuesday, but it depends on how 10 goes.
 
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Going to take AAMC 8 tomorrow, thanks for the recommendations!

This is my progress so far (if you can call it that..)

Kaplan Diagnostic: 22 (8/6/8) <-- before content review

Kaplan FL1: 29 (10/9/10)
Kaplan FL2: 32 (10/9/13)
Kaplan FL3: 33 (12/9/12)
Kaplan FL4: 32 (13/8/11)
Kaplan FL5: 34 (12/10/12)
Kaplan FL11: 25 (11/5/9) <--- this test was ridiculously hard...
Kaplan FL6: 36 (12/10/14)
Kaplan FL7: 34 (10/9/15)

AAMC FL3: 33 (13/9/11)
AAMC FL4: 31 (12/9/10)
AAMC FL8: TBD
AAMC FL10: TBD
AAMC FL11: TBD

Definitely should have started the AAMC's a little earlier but can't change that now. Content and question-wise Kaplan was more difficult in PS and BS, but much more lenient in the curve, probably explains some the inflated scoring; it seemed a little generous at times. AAMC exams have been easier, but very very little room for any error on them. Dumb mistakes have been plaguing me on the AAMC ones, I just psych myself out sometimes.

VR has been very stagnant... I've kind of lost hope on this section, I guess I'll just try to do more and more practice.

Anyways, I hope everyone's final prep is going well and that we crush the real thing :thumbup:
 
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August 15th test taker here. I come to the earlier threads to give myself a little scare and motivation to keep studying lol. Anyone taken TPR tests? Would y'all agree they are generally tougher than AAMC tests?
 
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K1NG said:
Nice bro, just don't burn yourself out! My scores haven't changed at all.. don't know what to make of it. Should I be happy with the consistency or upset at no improvements?

Here's my breakdown so far:

AAMC PS VR BS Total
3 12/7/11 30
4 12/8/11 31
5 11/8/11 30
7 12/8/11 31
8 10/7/12 29
11 10/7/11 28

My scores have been dropping recently but not by much. Enough for me give myself a little breather today. Hopefully I knock out AAMC 10 tomorrow. I'm also considering taking 9 on Tuesday, but it depends on how 10 goes.
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on what your goal is. For me I would be pretty happy with those scores (I'm just aiming for at least a 28). I've heard of situations from people doing poorly on practice tests then doing unusually better on test day, but I've also heard the opposite. I guess it's just a matter of individual differences or luck?
 
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K1NG said:
Yeah re-applicant. My GPA is pretty average so I really have to get the MCAT above a 30 to have a good shot. Although I am applying a lot earlier this year so that will help as well. I'm averaging a 30 right now but was aiming for a 32.. we'll see I have 2 more tests to go.
Click to expand...
Good luck!!
 
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Has anyone anyone taken AAMC 6 FL? I thought the PS was easy until I looked up the answers. :shrug:
 
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Updating my score. Kind of nervous for the test on friday.
AAMC 3 = 7/10/12
AAMC 4 = 13/11/5
AAMC 5 = 11/9/10
AAMC 7 = 10/7/12
AAMC 8 = 12/10/11
AAMC 10 = 12/10/11
 
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I FOUND THE AUGUST FIRST THREAD!!!!
Has any one heard anything about if the verbal section is longer on the real thing (than say AAMC)
I will cry if it is. I've been consistently finishing with 30 sec - 2 min left my last 3/4 practice tests
 
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biology by far just irritates me because I have consistently gotten an 11/12 on every single practice test - so much studying so little improvement.
 
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llore_lie said:
biology by far just irritates me because I have consistently gotten an 11/12 on every single practice test - so much studying so little improvement.
Click to expand...
Same here cant get any higher than a 12. AAMC 11 destroyed me but the curve was far better than other test.
 
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I've gotten 1 13 (but it was probably kaplan so it doesnt count)
AAMC is SO hard to break the 12 barrier, its usually only 4 problems wrong, all 4 of which usually chalk up to something like
Passage: this projectile went up, then exploded
question: how did the perceived frequency used to measure the velocity change based on passage information
my answer: well it decreased continually until it came to its max hight, duh
answer: well it decreased as it went up and increased as it came down, duh
in my head "BUT IT NEVER M*&^%( F(*&%^(% CAME DOWN! IT NEVER FELL DOWN, IT EXPLODED. NO. I HATE THIS. FOREVER."
 
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^ Ahh!! I had that question today too and thought the same thing!! I had to read the passage at least three times to finally figure out the answer! So frustrating!
How is everyone holding up?! We are almost there! My overall score is holding pretty steady but my individual scores are all over the place all of the sudden! :confused:
 
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llore_lie said:
I've gotten 1 13 (but it was probably kaplan so it doesnt count)
AAMC is SO hard to break the 12 barrier, its usually only 4 problems wrong, all 4 of which usually chalk up to something like
Passage: this projectile went up, then exploded
question: how did the perceived frequency used to measure the velocity change based on passage information
my answer: well it decreased continually until it came to its max hight, duh
answer: well it decreased as it went up and increased as it came down, duh
in my head "BUT IT NEVER M*&^%( F(*&%^(% CAME DOWN! IT NEVER FELL DOWN, IT EXPLODED. NO. I HATE THIS. FOREVER."
Click to expand...

Yup I got that one wrong. So annoying.
 
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Im about to take AAMC 11 whenever this library opens. I know its pretty close to test day but I want one realistic run through before the big day.
(aka actually starting at 8 am not 10 and not "giving up on bio cuz its just a practice test")
 
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llore_lie said:
Im about to take AAMC 11 whenever this library opens. I know its pretty close to test day but I want one realistic run through before the big day.
(aka actually starting at 8 am not 10 and not "giving up on bio cuz its just a practice test")
Click to expand...
Me too! I'm doing 11 for the second time tomorrow around 8am. I haven't posted on here yet, i've been on the August 7th because I didn't even know this existed! Anyways, four days! (I include today to make myself feel better)
 
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Did you take it? I felt like bio had a few tough passages - the experimental ones kind of threw me off.
 
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