**The Official July 2015 MCAT Thread**

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Medaholic Dr

Medaholic Dr

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Hello Forum,
This is the official thread I've created for all the July test takers. I know its kinda early to start preparing for the July MCAT, but I know some who may have already begun the marathon since the new MCAT requires more than 3 months of study prep. Let's fill the thread with rich MCAT related discussions and be helpful to one another. The white coat down the lane is awaiting us ! Let's go....
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Yea what tests have been seen as most representative of the real one? What's the general consensus and where can we get them.

I have the 3 princeton exams that come with the purchase of book and the practice AAMC once. What else should I get and where? Also are the old emcat tests worth doing anymore?
 
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cjcarter said:
You have to buy their full set of prep books
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That sucks. How many Kaplan exams are there and are they even good based on what most people are saying? Also to make sure there are 3 EK exams? Where do people get the other 2 TPR exams as well?
 
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So do we need to know the reaction mechanism for Acetyl-CoA synthesis (I'm talking about Pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme complex and the 5 enzymatic reactions it carries out)... On the AAMC outline it says "Acetyl-CoA production"
 
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nolookpass said:
That sucks. How many Kaplan exams are there and are they even good based on what most people are saying? Also to make sure there are 3 EK exams? Where do people get the other 2 TPR exams as well?
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3 kaplans from the book - I've done 2 and I personally don't like them very much. Good for measuring content knowledge and building mental stamina though.

3 EKs

Not sure about TPR, but I think they used to sell 8 for $300 on their website.
 
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trimethylpurine said:
3 kaplans from the book - I've done 2 and I personally don't like them very much. Good for measuring content knowledge and building mental stamina though.

3 EKs

Not sure about TPR, but I think they used to sell 8 for $300 on their website.
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Thanks. People seem to say the EK tests are as close as a prep company has gotten to the actual exam. Shelling out 150 for them sucks though.
 
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Took a diagnostic exam today and got a 494 from TPR. Not off to a good start, but I just started content review. Hoping to improve significantly once content review is complete in about a month or so.
 
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Just started seriously watching Khan videos. Super helpful. I had no idea what that weird somatosensory homunculus picture in Kaplan was until watching the video about it just now.
 
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Excision said:
So do we need to know the reaction mechanism for Acetyl-CoA synthesis (I'm talking about Pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme complex and the 5 enzymatic reactions it carries out)... On the AAMC outline it says "Acetyl-CoA production"
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New test takers have said no arrow pushing but know the bigger concepts. For this I would think: What type of reaction (decarboxylation), what do you start with and what are the products spit out (eg NADH), is pyruvate oxidized or reduced?

BUT considering how much they're emphasizing Biochem it might still be beneficial to dig into each step (eg what is each enzyme actually doing or what is happening in each step? What would happen if you removed one of the enzymes?) That's how I'm approaching these multi-step processes anyway. I don't have my prep books right now (on vacation) so I'm not sure how much Kaplan or EK emphasize it...
 
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WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot said:
New test takers have said no arrow pushing but know the bigger concepts. For this I would think: What type of reaction (decarboxylation), what do you start with and what are the products spit out (eg NADH), is pyruvate oxidized or reduced?

BUT considering how much they're emphasizing Biochem it might still be beneficial to dig into each step (eg what is each enzyme actually doing or what is happening in each step? What would happen if you removed one of the enzymes?) That's how I'm approaching these multi-step processes anyway. I don't have my prep books right now (on vacation) so I'm not sure how much Kaplan or EK emphasize it...
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Yeah. That's what I'm thinking... from the KA videos I've watched it isn't highlighted, and TBR mentions the cofactors briefly. I decided that I'm comfortable with knowing that pyruvate + CoA-SH is converted to Acetyl-CoA by Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex, as there seem to be plenty of other convoluted areas to be tested over. I was just skimming through my biochem text last night and saw the multi-step process and thought to myself "awfuk"

Thanks
 
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Does anyone know how in depth the biochem is on the real test? I read through Kaplan's biochem and it seemed like it was way too detailed. I read through the Princeton reviews 3 chapters on biochem and fet like it didn't have enough biochem.
 
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Welp had to switch from June to July. So here I am... I hope it's not too late in the process. Going to have to knock it out of the park and then submit the app early in June for verification. This is gonna be risky but oh well.
 
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BornSinner said:
Welp had to switch from June to July. So here I am... I hope it's not too late in the process. Going to have to knock it out of the park and then submit the app early in June for verification. This is gonna be risky but oh well.
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I'm applying this cycle as well :) I don't think all hope is lost for us! We got this.
 
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I got rocked by TPR course test 3 this past weekend. Got a score in the low 490 range :(. I had a 495 on the first two tests. Average now is a 493-494ish.

I'm getting discouraged that I will be ready by July. I went over Chem/Phys last night and it seems I made tons of dumb errors/misreading questions.

It was also the first practice test I took under the "one question per page" setup. I do hope I can eventually break 500 by the end of June.
 
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Dreamstoo said:
I got rocked by TPR course test 3 this past weekend. Got a score in the low 490 range :(. I had a 495 on the first two tests. Average now is a 493-494ish.

I'm getting discouraged that I will be ready by July. I went over Chem/Phys last night and it seems I made tons of dumb errors/misreading questions.

It was also the first practice test I took under the "one question per page" setup. I do hope I can eventually break 500 by the end of June.
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Don't worry about it! I have faith that we will be able to do it! We have plenty of time. I only took one practice test (TPR test 1) and got a 494 so I am in the same boat as you. I think these tests will help us build stamina but we shouldn't put too much pressure on ourselves over what the numbers mean. I got a 494 and have only done about a week of content review so I have faith that in a month it'll improve (slowly but surely!) You will too...remember you have quite some time. Stay consistent and by mid-June I think you will get much better.
 
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July 18 test date here. Trucking through the psych/soc and I will be just about finished with content review. Then i'll be hitting practice passages and questions very heavily to find the holes in my knowledge. Good luck everyone!
 
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Hi all! July 18th here. I signed up for June 20th and felt tremendously unprepared, so I bumped it.

Has anyone heard anything about Barron's? I bought it because it's cheap and I'm poor, but I haven't been able to find any reviews online. I got nervous so I asked for PR for my birthday which I'll get this Saturday. Pushing through the content review but I feel like it's taking too long.

Also, we can send in our applications without our mcat score, right? They just won't look at it until our mcat scores are added in?
 
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Brand_new_colony said:
Hi all! July 18th here. I signed up for June 20th and felt tremendously unprepared, so I bumped it.

Has anyone heard anything about Barron's? I bought it because it's cheap and I'm poor, but I haven't been able to find any reviews online. I got nervous so I asked for PR for my birthday which I'll get this Saturday. Pushing through the content review but I feel like it's taking too long.

Also, we can send in our applications without our mcat score, right? They just won't look at it until our mcat scores are added in?
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Exactly. However, since they won't see our mcat score for a while we don't have to have it turned in by June 2nd.
 
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Brand_new_colony said:
Hi all! July 18th here. I signed up for June 20th and felt tremendously unprepared, so I bumped it.

Has anyone heard anything about Barron's? I bought it because it's cheap and I'm poor, but I haven't been able to find any reviews online. I got nervous so I asked for PR for my birthday which I'll get this Saturday. Pushing through the content review but I feel like it's taking too long.

Also, we can send in our applications without our mcat score, right? They just won't look at it until our mcat scores are added in?
Click to expand...

The MCAT 2015 FAQ has a list of a bunch of free resources for the MCAT, by the way. :)
 
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Is anyone else here feeling some of the SDN posters are scoring way higher than the average score on these practice FLs for the 2015 exam? I know two people in which only one of them broke a 500 on one of their FLs (Kaplan) and both had prelims within the range of a 29-34 on the old MCAT when on the old scale a 500 is technically a 25.
 
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Dreamstoo said:
Is anyone else here feeling some of the SDN posters are scoring way higher than the average score on these practice FLs for the 2015 exam? I know two people in which only one of them broke a 500 on one of their FLs (Kaplan) and both had prelims within the range of a 29-34 on the old MCAT when on the old scale a 500 is technically a 25.
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Remember that the userbase of SDN consists of a larger-than-average number of neurotic overachievers. :)
 
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July 18th taker here...I've been using the EK books and love them. I plan to buy their practice tests as well. You can take them and the PR tests as many times as you want so my boyfriend and I have spilt the cost and used the same account. Might want to consider that if you have friends also taking the MCAT.

I don't think you're ever going to fell READY for a 7hr exam summing up your entire undergrad career so just stop worrying about it and put the time into studying. I took the old exam last year and didn't do super great but I was working full time and didn't really study (I got a 25). Now I'm studying 4-6hrs a day taking a day off a week. I want to postpone the test but I don't want to take another gap year so we just need to suck it up and take it. You've crammed for a final before I'm sure. Now do that for 2ish months and cross your fingers.

Good luck everyone ;)
 
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Seems like out of all the test days, July has the least number of testers. Wonder if this is a good or bad thing. Or just doesn't affect us at all.
 
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Has anyone heard reviews of Barrons or TPR from anyone who has taken the test? The Reddit thread from April test takers had some pretty mixed opinions, I don't know whether to bail on both or just keep trucking.
 
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July 17th test taker here! I am just finishing up with content review and then starting all my practice tests and practice questions hopefully this Friday!

Tests: TPR x8 Test Package, AAMC Practice, and maybe purchase EK tests since they seem to be most relevant.
Practice Questions: AAMC Pack, EK 30-minute Exams, and TPR Practice Passages ~40

Love to hear what everyone else is doing!
 
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SkyJumper42 said:
July 17th test taker here! I am just finishing up with content review and then starting all my practice tests and practice questions hopefully this Friday!

Tests: TPR x8 Test Package, AAMC Practice, and maybe purchase EK tests since they seem to be most relevant.
Practice Questions: AAMC Pack, EK 30-minute Exams, and TPR Practice Passages ~40

Love to hear what everyone else is doing!
Click to expand...

Almost through with content review. Will be done by mid June. Doing practice tests, had one planned for this Saturday but my schedule got extremely busy lately with applications, doing lab work, and other time commitments.
 
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I keep seeing that TPR and Kaplan practice FLs are available if you buy the sets; anyone know if I can buy these by themselves? Previous research says no but I just thought I'd ask :)
 
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WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot said:
I keep seeing that TPR and Kaplan practice FLs are available if you buy the sets; anyone know if I can buy these by themselves? Previous research says no but I just thought I'd ask :)
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Well good thing you asked. You know the worst that can come from asking a question is no. To answer your question, I am not sure about Kaplan, but TPR you can buy an 8 test package for $299 with unlimited uses. I can't seem to find the link anymore online, but the link didn't work for me anyways. I went ahead and called their 1-800 number and had no problems at all purchasing it. It showed up in my TPR account within the hour.

I'd suggest making a TPR account first, and then calling 1-888-955-4600. Ask for the MCAT Practice Test Package which includes 8 practice tests.
 
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I'm honestly kind of skeptical if it's worth taking all 8 TPR FLs. I took the first 3 and had an average of 494. I didn't think the Physical Science section is representative of the new MCAT although I do feel if I knew about these TPR PS sections for the old MCAT, I would have tried them out.

I feel I'm not prepped for my practice test this Saturday and I'm busy all until June 20th or so to take a practice test. I had planned to do at least 3 more (TPR course FL 4+5, AAMC FL but I'm trying to save this for last).
The TPR course was helpful but I feel a lot of us in the class feel overwhelmed with the amount of material. TPR books are dense, real dense so are the courses. They mentioned some science terms I have never seen in undergrad or in any MCAT book.

If I don''t take a practice test this Saturday, I'm planning to do a ton of psych/soc and biochem stuff on Khan Academy. I'm actually leaning towards this because I feel TPR tries to focus far too much on physics more than all the other topics. In a few years once they figure out how to correctly cover Biochemistry (they did cover it only in two classes, this needs more emphasis) I think the TPR course will be a great option. It's good now but it has a few kinks to it in terms of the emphasis on certain topics that bother me.
 
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I was nervous about TPR because I'd heard it was dense, but I'm actually finding it a lot more engaging and interactive than some of my other study materials. They have questions on every single page of their books. They aren't necessarily test level questions, but at least questions to make sure you're absorbing your content review and not just mindlessly skimming through it. I have focus troubles sometimes so this is helpful! Haha.

I am thinking about taking the AAMC FL on Saturday to gauge my progress, and then again the week of my exam. Thoughts on this? I don't think I'm going to remember the questions or anything, so hopefully it won't be a waste?
 
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Brand_new_colony said:
I am thinking about taking the AAMC FL on Saturday to gauge my progress, and then again the week of my exam. Thoughts on this? I don't think I'm going to remember the questions or anything, so hopefully it won't be a waste?
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While you may not explicitly remember many of the passages and answers, you will recognize some answers choices. You will recognize passages and have a much easier time going through it the second time. It's good for practice, but don't expect it to be a good predictor of your score if you do it again.
 
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trimethylpurine said:
While you may not explicitly remember many of the passages and answers, you will recognize some answers choices. You will recognize passages and have a much easier time going through it the second time. It's good for practice, but don't expect it to be a good predictor of your score if you do it again.
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Agreed. The only way this works is if you haven't looked at an exam for over 3 months IMO. I did that for the old MCAT and I remember doing AAMC 6 after a 3-4 month gap and remembering only 2-3 PS passages vaguely. It arguably helped me answer one or two questions quicker but overall it was still effective. Especially VR, I forgot all of that stuff.
 
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Still not scoring where I want to be on this Kaplan exams :dead: gotta revisit content and go harder. Have to stay motivated....ugh:(
 
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These exams (from the general consensus) aren't even similar to the real one. Correct me if I'm wrong. So you guys shouldn't worry too much.

Any of you guys study orgo using TBR? If anyone did could you reassure me the last two-three chapters are unnecessary (aka Nitrogen compounds and Lab techniques). Carbs would be useful due to the biochem heaviness of the exam possibly.
 
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Hello people, I was scheduled for june 20th but moved it to july 7th. I wanted to ask what people are averaging because I haven't broken 500 yet in the TPR tests. I read that they aren't very accurate but I want to see how others are doing. My last test was 499. Have any of you taken both tests to compare?
 
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malamia said:
Hello people, I was scheduled for june 20th but moved it to july 7th. I wanted to ask what people are averaging because I haven't broken 500 yet in the TPR tests. I read that they aren't very accurate but I want to see how others are doing. My last test was 499. Have any of you taken both tests to compare?
Click to expand...

I have taken two TPR tests and have gotten 494 on both--although I am only half way through content review. 494 was my diagnostic and took TPR test 2 about two weeks after that.
 
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prettylittledoctor22 said:
I have taken two TPR tests and have gotten 494 on both--although I am only half way through content review. 494 was my diagnostic and took TPR test 2 about two weeks after that.
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Ok so i'm seeing that most people are scoring in the 490s? Have you seen 500-10s?
 
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I'm going to start working on the 3 EK FLs. I wanted to do TPR and Kaplan early on, then go through NS strategy/pasage books (making it into a FL, albeit paper exam, and then end with AAMC/EKs.
 
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