Took my first FL (AAMC #3)...Advice on how to proceed.

[csx]

I took AAMC #3 and scored a 25 (10/6/9). How concerned should I be? My test is Oct. 25th. My goal is to go to a DO school (any; preferably close by like VCOM).

Right now I am concerned because I've read AAMC #3 is the 'easiest' of the FL's. So in theory my score should drop on the real thing.
Also...I'm concerned about my verbal (I am NOT esl). Today, I can attribute the poor score to 1) I suck at reading 2) I started to get really hungry (2 packs of fruity snacks prior to this section wasn't enough; high metabolism) 3) Ran out of time and completely guessed on the last passage. 4) passages were longer than expected. 5) didn't keep track of time. Point #1 however is the biggest contributer.

oddly, I KILLED the physics portion (got 23/25); but this is my most insecure subject so i am hesitant to accept this score. I think the system is glitcheted..it says i spent on average 3 seconds per question for physics.

1) Do you think my score is messed up cuz this glitch?
2) I also noticed the search function on my test was not working. Is this a common glitch??
3) How exactly do I go about post-gaming verbal??
4) does AAMC 3's verbal reflect the other's in terms of length?

Any other advice?

Thanks everybody!

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[stitchattack]

Your practice score isn't too far from a good score for a DO school. People say AAMC 3 is the easiest but I beg to differ. I took AAMC 3 after content review and not doing any practice and did worse than you. After doing practice, I took the next test AAMC 7 and ended up with a 10 pt difference. Since it's your first FL, I would not worry about it too much since 25 is not that horrible of a score for a first FL. I think with more practice and the more you do FLs and get to use to the AAMC format, your score will improve. When I first did the AAMC test, I had no done any SA or any AAMC tests so I was not use to the AAMC format...also, the highlighting and crossing out feature may be new and take some getting to use to although I don't highlight that much. Also, try not to use the search function because it won't be available on the real thing.

AAMC 3 is a bit fuzzy to me but for AAMC 7 I was able to finish my VR with 1 minute to spare. What I did differently from AAMC 3 was reading faster..I use to spend 4 minutes on a passage but now I read in 3 minutes or less and that seem to help. I know people say do not look at the clock but for me, if I am spending more than usual on a question, I mark it then put in an answer then move on. It's not worth spending so much time on 1 set of questions and missing out on another set which could be an easier set of questions. I suck at reading too..I think I've mentioned this in your other post that my VR started with 4-5 and that's major suckage. Once you find a method that works for you, your score should improve. Mine was just I was a slow reader so I needed to improve on my speed and of course to stop making dumb mistakes. I think the later AAMCs get a bit longer...I can't attest for the real deal but some people said that the passages for the VR and sciences were longer than TBR and all the AAMCs so perhaps it's time to get your timing part down now too.

 

[HCHopeful]

Stop listening to people who tell you a certain AAMC is more difficult than the others. The scale will take care of that. All it's going to do to you is either give you a false sense of confidence or make you scared going in. It just happened to me actually. I got a 28 on AAMC #7 (10/10/8) and made silly mistakes, took AAMC #4: 34 (13/12/9) and was feeling good. I decided to take AAMC #9, but I went in thinking it would be the most difficult exam I've ever taken. Well, it showed. I scored a 29 (10/10/9). It's really evident that I wasn't on my game because of the breakdown in the way I answered the difficulty of questions: Easy: 3/11; Moderate: 51/78; Hard: 52/55. Basically, this tells me that when I had to hunker down and quit thinking about how hard the test was and actually concentrate, I did well (i.e. hard questions). But when my mind was free to think about how this test should be harder, I overthought questions and didn't trust my gut instincts.

Seriously. These tests are all difficult. Go in to them with confidence.

On a different note, what has your verbal been around in practice scores? A 6 is going to be concerning unless you get around a 12 and 13 in the other sections.

1) No, I don't believe the scores were messed up. You can check this by going back and making sure you selected the answers it says are right.
2) Don't use the search function as it's not available on actual tests.
3) I don't know. I never post game verbal. I find it useless. SORRY.
4) I don't know.

Truthfully. All of us like to overthink this stuff, including myself. I try to do this now. If I can't control something, why worry? So, who cares how long the other passages are? You can't really prep for it any other way except for doing practice verbal passages, which aren't going to miraculously become longer. Regarding the difficulty, so what if another is more difficult? Guess what, I'm still going to have to kick the **** out of it.

CONFIDENCE. You're going to absolutely kill the next AAMC you take. Then the one after that, and then you're going to murder the real one, get in to medical school, and live your dream. Keep fighting for it. Every minute counts. Take advantage of the time you have left and give it all you've got. If the night before the exam you feel as if you've done your best, you've already succeeded. The hard part will be over and all that's left is 3 hours of making that MCAT know that you aren't afraid of it.

Seriously. You got this.

 

[baxt1412]

gotta practice that verbal. you can definitely get 2-3+ more points just by practicing more and learning a good strategy (they are different for almost everyone)

 

[csx]

Just took another FL; got a 25 (8/7/10). Got 6 more questions from in PS but +1 in BS and +4 in Verbal. 1 more additional question right in verbal would have likely given me a 8 in that section.

Kind of demotivated. Will find out tomorrow what went wrong. Hopefully ill do better next test. Will up-date every 2 days.

 

[stitchattack]

Just took another FL; got a 25 (8/7/10). Got 6 more questions from in PS but +1 in BS and +4 in Verbal. 1 more additional question right in verbal would have likely given me a 8 in that section.

Kind of demotivated. Will find out tomorrow what went wrong. Hopefully ill do better next test. Will up-date every 2 days.

Which FL did you do and have done so far?

 

[csx]

Which FL did you do and have done so far?

That was #4 I just did. Did # in the original post. Plan on doing 9,10, or 11 next because I heard they are slightly different.

 

[stitchattack]

That was #4 I just did. Did # in the original post. Plan on doing 9,10, or 11 next because I heard they are slightly different.

I've done 3,4,and 7 and they seem like the same length/question types. I also heard 9-11 are different in that they are more like the real deal so I'll be doing those in the upcoming weeks too!

 

[bervidote]

heard 9-11 are different in that they are more like the real deal so I'll be doing those in the upcoming weeks too.thanks

 

[Jumb0]

I know that feeling of being disappointed with your first few aamc scores. I got a 33 on my first three full lengths, aamc 3, 4, and 5...then I decided I would do a bunch of kaplan tests before attacking the next aamc, since the Kaplans are significantly harder. Well, this strategy worked well. After doing 4 kaplans, I took aamc 7 and got a 37 !

Do some harder exams and post - game them really hard before doing any more aamc's

 

[csx]

Just took one of the later MCATs and scored a 24. I got apx the same # of questions right in each catagory however the scoring scale was harsher for this test. If the scale used for #3/4 was used I would have scored a 26 (9/7/10). For comparison to test #4, I got more PS questions right (+3), more BS questions right (+2), and equal in VR and my score is less on this test.

 

[Gauss44]

My comments:
1. Review that entire exam. Do so with a tutor who scored well recently if you can afford it. I recommend www.wyzant.com for this. If there isn't a tutor near you, then use a different zip code and meet online/video conference or something.
2. Use AAMC 3 for post-game evaluation. "What will you do the same? What will you do differently next time?"
3. Take another AAMC practice test and see if you've improved.

Your questions:
1&2 - Either forget about that for now, and follow my instructions above. Or, take another AAMC practice test. (Just don't take all 8 of them in case you need one for later. They are the best way to estimate your score.)
3.Try to figure out why the right answers are right, and wrong answers wrong. You can also go through the passages again for more practice reading and to get use to AAMC's unique VR style.
4. Length is variable. 6 paragraphs is normal for MCAT.

FYI - AAMC 3 is considered harder by some and easier by others. There is no consensus. Once you take another AAMC test or two, you should have a pretty good idea of how you would do if you took your test tomorrow. As a heads-up, I've heard that the search function doesn't work on the real MCAT.

 

[HCHopeful]

Just took one of the later MCATs and scored a 24. I got apx the same # of questions right in each catagory however the scoring scale was harsher for this test. If the scale used for #3/4 was used I would have scored a 26 (9/7/10). For comparison to test #4, I got more PS questions right (+3), more BS questions right (+2), and equal in VR and my score is less on this test.

May I ask which AAMC this was? Unfortunately, the later ones are a lot more "passage-based." When I took AAMC #9, I was honestly shocked, because I had only taken 4 and 7 up until that point. It really threw me off my game. When you go in expecting to answer mostly recall questions and it's inference-based, it's a hard thing. Now that you've taken one of the later ones, you know the structure. You know you need to pay attention to the details and possibly use the passage to your advantage more. I got a 29 on #9 (10/10/9), but I went into 8 expecting some similarities and scored a 32 (12/10/10). Just being comfortable with the style is huge.

If you're keeping your 25th spot, you really need to do effective post-gaming. I am not an expert at this by any means, but it seems to be helping me a bit. Just go through the questions, write down why you missed it, maybe rework it a few times, and then write down the topic that needs to be addressed. Now, I hate rereading materials, because I tend to glaze over. So, I have been utilizing Khan Academy's MCAT prep page. It's great for a little brush up on stuff you may have shoved beside in your brain a bit.

For instance, the excretory and circulatory system are my kryptonite, so I have been watching Khan Academy's videos trying to improve those. It's been working up to this point.

Good luck!

 

[csx]

May I ask which AAMC this was? Unfortunately, the later ones are a lot more "passage-based." When I took AAMC #9, I was honestly shocked, because I had only taken 4 and 7 up until that point. It really threw me off my game. When you go in expecting to answer mostly recall questions and it's inference-based, it's a hard thing. Now that you've taken one of the later ones, you know the structure. You know you need to pay attention to the details and possibly use the passage to your advantage more. I got a 29 on #9 (10/10/9), but I went into 8 expecting some similarities and scored a 32 (12/10/10). Just being comfortable with the style is huge.

If you're keeping your 25th spot, you really need to do effective post-gaming. I am not an expert at this by any means, but it seems to be helping me a bit. Just go through the questions, write down why you missed it, maybe rework it a few times, and then write down the topic that needs to be addressed. Now, I hate rereading materials, because I tend to glaze over. So, I have been utilizing Khan Academy's MCAT prep page. It's great for a little brush up on stuff you may have shoved beside in your brain a bit.

For instance, the excretory and circulatory system are my kryptonite, so I have been watching Khan Academy's videos trying to improve those. It's been working up to this point.

Good luck!

This was AAMC #10. I didn't really feel like it was much different from the other two tests I took. Maybe a bit more using the passage as you've said than the previous exams I took but I didn't really notice much of a difference. Maybe I'm crazy lol.

I've been post-gaming and while there's a good # of q's I just had no idea what the answer was, I've noticed I've been making a lot of mistakes in the realm of not applying what I know/other stupid mistakes. I gotta be more careful and read more closely. I noticed a marked the wrong answer for a few q's incorrectly so I gotta pay more attention. I've also been ending the science sections with a good 10 minutes to spare so I need to slow down a tad. If I could fix this an score 'perfectly' (barring Q's I don't have the knowledge to answer), I can boost my score by 3 points.

Verbal though...haha ughhh

 

[HCHopeful]

This was AAMC #10. I didn't really feel like it was much different from the other two tests I took. Maybe a bit more using the passage as you've said than the previous exams I took but I didn't really notice much of a difference. Maybe I'm crazy lol.

I've been post-gaming and while there's a good # of q's I just had no idea what the answer was, I've noticed I've been making a lot of mistakes in the realm of not applying what I know/other stupid mistakes. I gotta be more careful and read more closely. I noticed a marked the wrong answer for a few q's incorrectly so I gotta pay more attention. I've also been ending the science sections with a good 10 minutes to spare so I need to slow down a tad. If I could fix this an score 'perfectly' (barring Q's I don't have the knowledge to answer), I can boost my score by 3 points.

Verbal though...haha ughhh

I have the same problem with stupid mistakes. Right before I sit down to take it I take a deep breath and consciously make myself aware of the fact that I make mistakes on easy questions. It actually seems to help. I always re-read the question ONCE, but only once. If I re-read and find that I agree, I leave it alone. You have to trust your instincts the majority of the time.

As for AAMC #10, I am under the understanding that it is the dream killer of the practice tests (tough scale). I am actually taking it tomorrow, so I'll let you know what I think. Having said that, some people say that your 9-11 average is more indicative of your actual score than the overall AAMC average. I tend to disagree, but I haven't really had the experience yet, so who knows.

I am sorry I can't sympathize with your verbal sufferings, but I wonder what the problem is? Are you having trouble finishing the passage in time? Are you having trouble narrowing down answers? I generally narrow it down to two answers before selecting one. I really don't do any special strategy, hah. Just read the passage and answer the questions.

I would focus first on filling those gaps. You still have two weeksish, so you have plenty of time to learn some material you may be lacking. Then I'd focus on making your mind FULLY aware of the fact that you tend to miss easy questions and to be on the lookout. After you have those down, I'd say pray (to whatever it is that you pray to). I found it interesting, but an article said that even if one doesn't believe in any divine being, saying a prayer is still an excellent way to get some confidence.

One last thing. I heard this in another thread (might have been this one, but too lazy to look up) and it hit home for me. Don't approach this with a sense of competition. If you were at an ATM and someone approached you and asked you for directions, would you scream in his/her face giving them the answer? No! You'd have a nice polite conversation and figure it out (maybe together if that's what it took). Many of the answers can be deduced from the passage, so take advantage of that. Not to mention, you've put a ton of time into studying for this, so chances are you've seen the answer you're trying so desperately hard to find. Just calm down, take a deep breath and recall everything you know about that particular topic. Sometimes it might surprise you what may come to light.

Honestly, that conversation thing helped my psyche a lot for some reason. Maybe it's just me. Regardless, good luck!

 

[QueenJames]

Hey OP,

Just a bit of inspiration...

My entire AAMC average was a little over 21. On the real thing I was able to hit a 27. I know it's not a great score on SDN but I am certainly happy with my score.

Honestly, take some time off and refresh your mind. That's what I did 4 days before my exam and it definitely helped. No AAMC can or will predict what you will get. I got a 21 on AAMC 3. My HIGHEST AAMC score was a 26, and I zoned out through the last section of that one. One thing, though, everybody is different and instincts will kick in and take over. Good luck. You got this!

 

[HCHopeful]

Just thought I'd drop in and let you know how my AAMC #10 went. I got a 31 (10/11/10). Honestly, I wasn't expecting that walking out of it, so I'm pleased.

All I have to say about PS is holy crap. That was more difficult than any I've experienced. The scale was definitely strict in this area.
I loved the verbal, as most of it interested me.
BS was definitely very passage-oriented. This suits me, as BS is my weakest area. I got a 41/52 and I have about half a semester's worth of Orgo, which tells me that it's mostly details I can extrapolate.

Overall, it was the hardest section of Physical Sciences (especially that last passage) I've encountered, but I became more comfortable as the test went along.

 

[BobaBoba]

Hey OP,

Just a bit of inspiration...

My entire AAMC average was a little over 21. On the real thing I was able to hit a 27. I know it's not a great score on SDN but I am certainly happy with my score.

Honestly, take some time off and refresh your mind. That's what I did 4 days before my exam and it definitely helped. No AAMC can or will predict what you will get. I got a 21 on AAMC 3. My HIGHEST AAMC score was a 26, and I zoned out through the last section of that one. One thing, though, everybody is different and instincts will kick in and take over. Good luck. You got this!

Congrats!!

 

[csx]

Just thought I'd drop in and let you know how my AAMC #10 went. I got a 31 (10/11/10). Honestly, I wasn't expecting that walking out of it, so I'm pleased.

All I have to say about PS is holy crap. That was more difficult than any I've experienced. The scale was definitely strict in this area.
I loved the verbal, as most of it interested me.
BS was definitely very passage-oriented. This suits me, as BS is my weakest area. I got a 41/52 and I have about half a semester's worth of Orgo, which tells me that it's mostly details I can extrapolate.

Overall, it was the hardest section of Physical Sciences (especially that last passage) I've encountered, but I became more comfortable as the test went along.

I dont remember the PS section being too difficult (for me a 10 is an awesome score which equates to not difficult in my perception but we all have different standards). A 10 in any section for me is a godsend .I felt good about the BS section of AAMC #10.

I just took AAMC#11. I think the results are horse**** (as in I did much better than I expected). I got a 28 (10/10/8). It was a 39/52, 29/40, 32/52 spread respectively. I remember feeling OK about the PS section..felt it was def a step harder and tested me on stuff I was weak in so I got lucky with my educated guesses. Verbal I felt like I did no better than my previous attempts...so I think a lot of luck was involved esp since I was rushed towards the end. The BS section I felt was much harder, especially one of the later passages which really screwed me up. For the BS section, I think I got the score I deserved or better. For PS/VR I think I got a much higher score than I deserved.

 

[HCHopeful]

I dont remember the PS section being too difficult (for me a 10 is an awesome score which equates to not difficult in my perception but we all have different standards). A 10 in any section for me is a godsend .I felt good about the BS section of AAMC #10.

I just took AAMC#11. I think the results are horse**** (as in I did much better than I expected). I got a 28 (10/10/8). It was a 39/52, 29/40, 32/52 spread respectively. I remember feeling OK about the PS section..felt it was def a step harder and tested me on stuff I was weak in so I got lucky with my educated guesses. Verbal I felt like I did no better than my previous attempts...so I think a lot of luck was involved esp since I was rushed towards the end. The BS section I felt was much harder, especially one of the later passages which really screwed me up. For the BS section, I think I got the score I deserved or better. For PS/VR I think I got a much higher score than I deserved.

To me, that's progress! Seriously, half of this test is how good you are at making educated guesses, so the fact that you killed it is awesome.

Whatever you did during verbal, try to keep that mindset during test day, as it clearly worked.

I would look at this test this way: You have just proven that you are capable of a high 20's score, so go out and get it! AAMC #10 is generally a dream killer, and I think the scale just got you more than anything. I actually had 118/144 on AAMC #10 and got a 31, whereas I had a 121/144 on AAMC #4 and got a 34, so that's a little insight.

Stop doubting yourself. YOU GOT THE SCORE YOU EARNED. Now go get that score on test day.

 

[csx]

To me, that's progress! Seriously, half of this test is how good you are at making educated guesses, so the fact that you killed it is awesome.

Whatever you did during verbal, try to keep that mindset during test day, as it clearly worked.

I would look at this test this way: You have just proven that you are capable of a high 20's score, so go out and get it! AAMC #10 is generally a dream killer, and I think the scale just got you more than anything. I actually had 118/144 on AAMC #10 and got a 31, whereas I had a 121/144 on AAMC #4 and got a 34, so that's a little insight.

Stop doubting yourself. YOU GOT THE SCORE YOU EARNED. Now go get that score on test day.

lol you are crazy!!!!

 

[HCHopeful]

lol you are crazy!!!!

Nah. Just optimistic!

 

[stitchattack]

I dont remember the PS section being too difficult (for me a 10 is an awesome score which equates to not difficult in my perception but we all have different standards). A 10 in any section for me is a godsend .I felt good about the BS section of AAMC #10.

I just took AAMC#11. I think the results are horse**** (as in I did much better than I expected). I got a 28 (10/10/8). It was a 39/52, 29/40, 32/52 spread respectively. I remember feeling OK about the PS section..felt it was def a step harder and tested me on stuff I was weak in so I got lucky with my educated guesses. Verbal I felt like I did no better than my previous attempts...so I think a lot of luck was involved esp since I was rushed towards the end. The BS section I felt was much harder, especially one of the later passages which really screwed me up. For the BS section, I think I got the score I deserved or better. For PS/VR I think I got a much higher score than I deserved.

I just posted on the other thread but I wanted to chime in. Even though we got luck with making educated guesses, we should really study up on those topics tested in AAMC 11 to close any gaps. Never know if those topics will show up again on the real deal and I wouldn't want to feel like I barely managed by guessing. I know making educated guesses is part of the MCAT but I think we should definitely brush up on those topics just so we know we've done everything we could have. Also, I don't think we should discount ochem showing up more either..aamc 11 did not have many ochem stuff imo.