The Official January 13, 2015 MCAT Thread

[kinipela]

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[Silence in ER]

PS: brutal. mainly because it was so conceptual which was not what i was expecting. i barely wrote on the scrap book.

Verbal: really not bad but i can never tell.

BS: I thought i was going to ACE this section... then some really obscure discretes happened... that one WTF orgo passage at the end happened.

AAMC avg: 36.
Too scared to predict anything.

Yeah I feel you.

I started the bio section, laid back and like yeah, go this, maybe missed one or two on the experiment passages, but got some discretes that I just wasn't sure on and the orgo was like .....ugh.

 

[Sai111394]

Why did you think the Orgo was tough? I thought it was pretty basic

 

[azor ahai]

Yeah I feel you.

I started the bio section, laid back and like yeah, go this, maybe missed one or two on the experiment passages, but got some discretes that I just wasn't sure on and the orgo was like .....ugh.

i was glad to see orgo. especially after hearing that the jan 10th test barely had any. just means less dense bio passages about asdfsafs21 gene expression and the worst graphs ever. i like pictures.

 

[cdyryky]

I don't remember any biochem q's...

Huh, one of my passages was definitely biochem...

 

[Sai111394]

Also, did any of you take the TPR courses and feel like the material prepared you adequately?

 

[Jlopez]

Also, did any of you take the TPR courses and feel like the material prepared you adequately?

I didn't take the course but I use some of their exams to practice. The exams discouraged me more than anything because they were so hard and I scored terribly (25 was my highest?) but on the AAMCs i scored and average of 32. So idk! I have read that the tpr material is set up that way because of a guarantee and it's not a good representation of the real thing, which I agree.

To each his own though.

 

[sexophile]

Guess i'll post my post-exam feeling as well

PS: The physics was freaking insane, I never saw such complicated questions, and even some of the "easier" questions were actually tricky ones that they tried to throw people off with. Chem was pretty straightforward I'd say.
AAMC AVG: 12.5

VR: My weakest section, but I didn't think it was too bad. Comparable to the AAMCs I'd say, just the passages were a bit longer.
AAMC AVG: 9.5

BS: Didn't think this section was too bad, couple of discretes threw me off a tad but overall not bad.
AAMC AVG: 12

Praying to God I got the 12 in PS, hopefully 10 in VR and 12/13 in BS. Guess we'll see in a month...

 

[Ribbitz]

That traffic man....

How do I say this......I usually do all the discretes and order the passages as I go based on desirable topics at a glance (based on graphs, maybe some questions, possible topic covered, etc) and I miiiiight have put the harder ones as the first two so.....I finished all discretes and struggle through two passages with 26-28 minutes left. The other passages were okish so I still finished luckily buy definitely not a goo start.

Felt the effects throughout the rest of the test :\

 

[agoron]

This might just be me but did anyone else see a possible error in one of the questions about halfway through the physical sciences section? I might write in and challenge because one of the answer choices said one variable did 2 different things at the same time, and I thought they made a mistake

 

[Sai111394]

I didn't take the course but I use some of their exams to practice. The exams discouraged me more than anything because they were so hard and I scored terribly (25 was my highest?) but on the AAMCs i scored and average of 32. So idk! I have read that the tpr material is set up that way because of a guarantee and it's not a good representation of the real thing, which I agree.

To each his own though.

I see! How did you feel about this real MCAT compared to tpr?

 

[Jlopez]

I see! How did you feel about this real MCAT compared to tpr?

I think even this mcat was more doable than the TPR exams in my opinion. The thing is I don't do well with heavy calculation exams and I feel like TPR has a tendency of this in their exams atleast in PS. Their verbal is easier than the real mcat, I think. Bio is subjective as it depends on what gets thrown at you during the real thing vs tpr. How about what do you think?

 

[Jlopez]

This might just be me but did anyone else see a possible error in one of the questions about halfway through the physical sciences section? I might write in and challenge because one of the answer choices said one variable did 2 different things at the same time, and I thought they made a mistake

Hmmm... I wish we could specify on the forum! I would love to know which question this was...

 

[Sai111394]

I think even this mcat was more doable than the TPR exams in my opinion. The thing is I don't do well with heavy calculation exams and I feel like TPR has a tendency of this in their exams atleast in PS. Their verbal is easier than the real mcat, I think. Bio is subjective as it depends on what gets thrown at you during the real thing vs tpr. How about what do you think?

Honestly physics has never been my strongest because of the math so I was relieved with the theoretical base the test took. Also I thought tpr verbal is harder than the real thing.... And the previous consensus has been that TPR verbal is harder so idk :/ why did you think it was harder? And i agree with bio lol Ochem is my stronger suit so the Ochem ones didn't phase me as much

 

[Jlopez]

Honestly physics has never been my strongest because of the math so I was relieved with the theoretical base the test took. Also I thought tpr verbal is harder than the real thing.... And the previous consensus has been that TPR verbal is harder so idk :/ why did you think it was harder? And i agree with bio lol Ochem is my stronger suit so the Ochem ones didn't phase me as much

Really? I didn't know the consensus for tpr verbal is that's it's harder. Hmm, well I tend to do really well in verbal (my strongest) though maybe that's why I don't find it harder. I'm glad Ochem was easy for someone lol! I had a hard time, haven't taken ORGO in a year and didn't review it for my retake because my last exam was minimal ORGO and they were very very easy stuff (probably should of reviewed after taking this exam! Haha)

The PS on this exam was tough. I didn't have time to check my marked questions and I guessed on a few :/ physics is usually my strongest especially physics 2! Unfortunately this exam had mostly gen chem which I haven't taken in 4 years! So I'm pretty bummed out about it

 

[Thirteen1993]

I'm so confused about this orgo passage people are talking about. I only had two and thought they were fine. And I hardly know organic. Maybe this just means I didn't even know I was missing things ha.

Lol yeah, I agree :/
There were two main passages and one of them had answers that seemed pretty straightforward. No weird synthesis questions. This was a retake from my Sept 6th exam and that test had like hardcore synthesis stuff. I thought the Orgo was more: "do you know how this happened" instead of "so, what's the product?"

 

[cdyryky]

This might just be me but did anyone else see a possible error in one of the questions about halfway through the physical sciences section? I might write in and challenge because one of the answer choices said one variable did 2 different things at the same time, and I thought they made a mistake

I had a similar question that took me like 10 times to read before I understood it. I kept reading "these" as "the" and it changed the whole meaning of the question.

 

[agoron]

Nah, I thought it was one with a gaseous mix and dealing with partial pressures. It's possible I misread it or something, but what's the worst that could happen if I challenge? They'll say I was wrong and that's that.

 

[agoron]

Did it have to do with velocity and/or mass? There was a question that took me like 10 times to read before I understood it because I kept reading "these" as "the" and it changed the whole meaning of the question.

See above, forgot to quote you, sorry!

 

[typoncho]

PS: Contrary to the consensus, I actually didn't feel bad about this section. It wasn't similar to most AAMC practices, but I still felt that I was on point with critical thinking.

VR: I also didn't feel awful about this section. 6/7 passages I was able to slow down and understand. Didn't feel rushed at all.

BS: The MCAT lulled me into a cozy sense of false security, then club punched me. I didn't even like the discretes, which I usually crush.

All those who thought they did terrible in PS, just try to not let it kill you for the next month. On AAMC 9, I thought i completely bombed the PS for a scaled score of 7 or 8, and when I finished it was actually a 12. That's the nature of the test. You could get it back and find out that you crushed it.

Post-game analysis. Doesn't matter. I'm still lighting these damn books on fire and having a drink.

 

[Jlopez]

Nah, I thought it was one with a gaseous mix and dealing with partial pressures. It's possible I misread it or something, but what's the worst that could happen if I challenge? They'll say I was wrong and that's that.

I think I know what question your talking about. "Certain things increasing and others decreasing" ?

 

[Thirteen1993]

That traffic man....

How do I say this......I usually do all the discretes and order the passages as I go based on desirable topics at a glance (based on graphs, maybe some questions, possible topic covered, etc) and I miiiiight have put the harder ones as the first two so.....I finished all discretes and struggle through two passages with 26-28 minutes left. The other passages were okish so I still finished luckily buy definitely not a goo start.

Felt the effects throughout the rest of the test :\

Glad I wasn't the only one that thought that the traffic was bad.

 

[agoron]

I think I know what question your talking about. "Certain things increasing and others decreasing" ?

Yeah, that's the one, but like I said, I could have misread under pressure or something.

 

[Syra]

Glad I wasn't the only one that thought that the traffic was bad.

Traffic was awful.

 

[Jlopez]

Traffic was awful.

Traffic I feel was out of left field and irrelevant

 

[klw336]

Funny thing is...I was pretty worried about what the morning traffic would be like since I had to go out of town for the test...

 

[KungFuPanda123]

PS is usually my strong section (average 13.5-14), but I felt like I did abysmally on it. I do know that I had trouble settling down before I could get my head on straight, and PS being the first section lent itself to hurting me. Still, I felt really really crappy on 1-2 of the passages (traffic from the testing center was HORRID).

Verbal wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be.

BS was here and there. I average 12-13 on BS but wouldn't be surprised if I scored a 10-11.

Overall, I felt crushed. Eh...

 

[Thirteen1993]

Funny thing is...I was pretty worried about what the morning traffic would be like since I had to go out of town for the test...

Yeah, maybe you should have figured out a way to get off the highway to the testing centerthe same time someone decided to come on.

 

[klw336]

Oh, also there was one bio passage that really threw me off...the rest were ok but there was one that I was like...."WTF, AAMC? That's like NEVER on the MCAT. Or if it is...it's only like 1 discrete question so why?????"

 

[klw336]

Yeah, maybe you should have figured out a way to get off the highway to the testing centerthe same time someone decided to come on.

I've always hated dealing with traffic...

 

[Thirteen1993]

I've always hated dealing with traffic...

We should all publicize how much we all hate traffic metaphorically. It's the best way!
Haha

 

[KungFuPanda123]

asdf

 

[Jlopez]

Yeah, maybe you should have figured out a way to get off the highway to the testing centerthe same time someone decided to come on.

Or maybe have someone build more lanes on the highway

 

[Thirteen1993]

You reckon that that is the best course of action to help reduce traffic on our highways in the United States?

Hmm, I don't know, it's a mystery.... Lol

 

[KungFuPanda123]

asdf

 

[Thirteen1993]

Or maybe have someone build more lanes on the highway

Or just think you're in like in Germany and go at whatever speed you want. Increasing your speed is really the best way to ensure that you do what you have to no matter how much fuel you burn. It would be better to drive in on Mars or somewhere in space though, at least there's a chance you wouldn't burn that much fuel!

 

[charistivity]

I love how I get all these inside jokes. Ahh such a great feeling after that test today. That physics passage was physically painful

 

[tequa]

I studied for this completely independently using the Kaplan books and for the most part that worked fine. But there was one vocabulary term on the BS discretes in particular that I've never seen before in my life, and it turned out to be the answer unfortunately. "Hear" me?

 

[raepal1]

Which BIO passage was hard? was it the one at the end which tested molecular genetics?

 

[raepal1]

Hey....you wanna come spend the night at my place tonight?

OHHHH YEAAAHHH.......but wait, are you hot?

 

[agoron]

Man I really hope I made some good educated guesses, because I really do not want below a 10 on PS, but after today, it looks likely that will be the case

 

[KungFuPanda123]

asdf

 

[Thirteen1993]

I love it when they play the organ at church. It sounds amazing when the acoustics are right in the building.

I put my money in the vestibule and left the one time i went to church. Guess i shouldnt have.

 

[raepal1]

Man I really hope I made some good educated guesses, because I really do not want below a 10 on PS, but after today, it looks likely that will be the case

Don't worry , according to my predication and cosmological sciences everyone on this thread will make at least a 30...I can feel the positive energy in you guys and I can see all of you wearing the white coats with a stethoscope on your shoulders.

The lowest score so far is 30 and the highest is 42 (She is beautiful young lady here in this thread).

 

[azor ahai]

awesome inside jokes, but be careful people. not worth risking a letter from AAMC about the examinee agreement. not after all we've been through.

 

[raepal1]

awesome inside jokes, but be careful people. not worth risking a letter from AAMC about the examinee agreement. not after all we've been through.

How are they gonna find out your real name when you are anonymous on this forum?
Does the AAMC has an agreement with the FBI and NSA? looooooool

 

[azor ahai]

How are they gonna find out your real name when you are anonymous on this forum?
Does the AAMC has an agreement with the FBI and NSA? looooooool

they got hackerz yo

 

[raepal1]

they got hackerz yo

lol you guys are so freaked about the AAMC...you remind with my comment today to the test center staff while she was doing all the security checks: "come on, even if I get a textbook inside the testing room I won''t be able to solve the exam questions"

 

[Thirteen1993]

After the panic attack I had in the bathroom in the break after PS today, the comments on this forum really made me a laugh I needed it. I thought that I would have to look at career options in management because Iv heard that it has to do with science and reasoning so my degree in bio should come in handy there. And i think the AAMC is more concerned with people pointing out specific topics and formulae to others. Or openly discussing answers and questions in writing.
We're just talking about the traffic.

 

[azor ahai]

lol you guys are so freaked about the AAMC...you remind with my comment today to the test center staff while she was doing all the security checks: "come on, even if I get a textbook inside the testing room I won''t be able to solve the exam questions"

just trying to help.

but **** traffic. steven soderbergh is overrated.

 

[azor ahai]

After the panic attack I had in the bathroom in the break after PS today, the comments on this forum really made me a laugh I needed it. I thought that I would have to look at career options in management because Iv heard that it has to do with science and reasoning so my degree in bio should come in handy there. And i think the AAMC is more concerned with people pointing out specific topics and formulae to others. Or openly discussing answers and questions in writing.
We're just talking about the traffic.

don't worry. you got a 13 in each section. i'd be more worried about huntington's