I took the old test today and the only thing I would highly recommend is going through the AAMC FL. Being comfortable with the way the questions are asked and how to deduce the answers from the information provided is essential on this new test. They emphasize critical thinking and you cannot just rely on easy FSQs to get you through a section. I would also recommend getting used to the taking the entire test. In comparison to the old test (an easy 3 hours) this one definitely tests your stamina and focus, which you really to practice. By the time you get to the last section, you will be absolutely burnt. Bring snacks, water, anything to keep your energy up. Don't be the guy who drank too much coffee and had to run out of the test room because he couldn't hold it.
I took a TPR review course and was the least bit helpful. It is going to be harder for test companies to effectively prepare their students for the new test. I was constantly told not to waste my time studying amino acids and boy am I glad I didn't listen. The amount of time they spent on chemistry and physics is beyond me. Of course you need to learn the basic concepts but many of their passages and textbooks are filled with minutiae that will NEVER be found on the new mcat. If you want to feel prepared and know the information in and out, they will get you there but it won't help you take the test any better. Overall I finished each section with time to spare to go over questions which made me more comfortable in skipping questions and returning to them with a new perspective.
The TPR psych/soc book was the most helpful out of the four sections and it is probably the easiest section in my opinion. I took a bunch of psychology classes in school so many of the concepts weren't new for me. Some of the sociology concepts (from TPR) are poorly explained but you can get the jist of it. This is where you will be able to separate yourself from the rest of the pack with a high score. It's a lot of memorization but I would advise you memorize the concepts here rather than wasting your time memorizing derivatives of useless physics formulas.
Aside from the length, the CARS section is exponentially easier than the old verbal test where you would get 1-2 passages of wtf did I just read? Being able to predict questions from the text, as well as their answers in advance will save you a ton of headache. Key here is consistent practice.
The biology section is brutal. In the past, this has been my strongest section and I could breeze through it but the 2015 MCAT biology section is no joke. The ability to interpret information, draw conclusions from tables/data/figures, and to apply it to the basic biology you're expected to know. If you can read and understand pubmed research findings, you'll succeed here.
Physical sciences is no more. I probably had a handful of physics and chemistry sections and they were relatively easy. It's a lot of biochem, some ochem (know your structures and basic reactions), and if you haven't gotten the point already.. AMINO ACIDS. Know them in and out. Know your energy pathways.
I never thought I could walk out of the MCAT feeling good but I'm glad this one is over it's been a rough three months.
to everyone who took the exam today and yesterday
please help the rest of us who feel this way.
. Use spreading activation (see what I did there?) to create maps of how each topic relates to the next and try to predict the different ways they can ask you the topics.
