TPR Full Lengths

[plzNOCarribbean]

I just recently took a TPR FL, not the whole thing but the PS and BS sections to try and find my weaknesses. I am almost done with content review, and although I am a bit disappointed with my scores (bc i ran out of time in the PS section) and the passage that I missed I totally knew all of the answers......

Anyway, for those who have taken the MCAT already...how helpful were these tests?? Did you use all 9?? Did you find them to be harder than the actual AAMC tests or easier. I have heard several people say much harder but I have also ran into other who said they were on the easier side.... I've only taken 2 know since I have been focused on CR and problems but I will be taking AAMC #5 next week to see where I am at as I am about 2 months away from my test date. Any help/advice would be appreciated

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[goark]

I just recently took a TPR FL, not the whole thing but the PS and BS sections to try and find my weaknesses. I am almost done with content review, and although I am a bit disappointed with my scores (bc i ran out of time in the PS section) and the passage that I missed I totally knew all of the answers......

Anyway, for those who have taken the MCAT already...how helpful were these tests?? Did you use all 9?? Did you find them to be harder than the actual AAMC tests or easier. I have heard several people say much harder but I have also ran into other who said they were on the easier side.... I've only taken 2 know since I have been focused on CR and problems but I will be taking AAMC #5 next week to see where I am at as I am about 2 months away from my test date. Any help/advice would be appreciated

I thought the TPR tests were great. They were somewhat more difficult than the actual MCAT but the questions really show what your weaknesses are. I took all of the TPR tests and all of the AAMC tests and found that the topic areas mostly tested by the AAMC tests were very similar to the those tested by the TPR tests. I also found TPR 8 to be the hardest.

Since you have 2 months, I would suggest taking at least 1 practice test each week because getting used to the test format is important. You should definitely take AAMC 7 and 8 and TPR 8.

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

Thanks for the advice. Well, I've taken AAMC #3 & #4, but my scores were atrocious bc it was early on in my content review. I plan on taking AAMC 8,9,10 10 days before my mcat (aug 14-24)and thoroughly review them. I also plan on taking AAMC#5 next week, and #6 two weeks after than (halfway through july), and AAMC 7 at the beg of August. That way, i am putting in two weeks of review and practice problems between each AAMC. Do you think this is good? my test is on aug 24.

I want to take the TPR tests too, but they are so time consuming to take and review as it takes almost half a day to take and almost another day to review so I would be losing almost 2 days each week of review/practice (which i could really use). Do you think i should incorporate more TPR into my schedule that I mentioned above???? I also heard you lose the tests 30 days after the class....WTF?????

 

[Handinhand]

I'm finding the TPR material, while thorough when studying, is a fair bit more difficult on their full length, especially Verbal.

On my diagnostic (TPR1) I got a 23; 5,9,9. I was a little discouraged, but after talking to people in class, I felt pretty good about where I was at.

The other one I took last weekend, but because of my exam having problems, I got tossed off early and my score stayed the same. (Although I got kicked from bio with 10 questions left, 6 more marked for review, and 30 minutes left on the clock. I still got a 9, so I'm putting myself at around a 11-12)

Tomorrow I'll be taking my first AAMC test, so I'll be sure to post back here and see how I do.

 

[bamboo44]

I concur, TPR tests are definitely harder...not so much in the sciences though..but in verbal for sure. I switch off with my FLs, (one TPR then one AAMC, etc.) and every time my score goes up 5 points on the AAMC tests. Its become a pattern actually. And from those 5 points, 3 of them are usually from the verbal section alone..I just feel like the AAMC verbal is very different from the TPR FL verbal.

However, despite the score fluctuations, I really value TPR FLs since they make me in a way...work harder to get better. When I do well on a TPR FL it makes me feel really good because I know its supposed to be harder.

Oh and even though I think TPR verbal is really not representative of the AAMC verbal...I do think the TPR Verbal Workbook is wonderful practice. Its a great book to have if you're struggling in verbal.

I say, don't worry about the scale for TPR FLs...take them with a grain of salt. Use them for good practice and to find out your weaknesses.

 

[kehlsh]

From my experience, TPR's science is just as hard as AAMCs. (Not that much harder) But I mainly studied from TPR-H materials so that might be the reason.

 

[Handinhand]

If you guys don't mind me asking, what kind of scores were you starting out with on TPR? Did you take TPR1 as a diagnostic?

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

Yeah TPR verbal, and verbal in general are just killing me;

@Diggidy, thanks for the advice and I think now I will def try to to incorporate more TPR full lengths into my schedule if time permits. When reviewing, do you log what you got wrong/ why you got it wrong on a spreadsheet or do you just review it in one day to try and gauge your weaknesses.

My diagnostic was:
TPR#1: PS:4 V:4 BS: 10 (not taken physics II yet so i knew nothing on optics/circuits)
I took TPR#3: PS:7 V: skipped BS: 9
I took TPR #3 2 days ago after teaching myself circuits/optics last week, and although my PS jump is big, I think its because it hit the right material that I had reviewed thoroughly. I even didn't have time to finish the 1 passage on osmotic pressure b/c i skipped it and had to guess on all of them bc i didn't have time. I went back and i knew all the answers to that passage so i prob would have made a 9-10 on the PS.

I will be taking AAMC #5 this friday or saturday and let you know how it goes. I am hoping I made gains, and even though I have reviewed a lot (almost all gchem except thermo and all of the second half of physics except nuclear, it feels like i've done nothing. i'm taking Aug 24th, do you guys think this will be a sufficient amount of time to improve?? I'm starting Physics II in a week, and am currently enrolled in cell bio. I hope it doesn't impede my progress too much.

@Bamboo, Thanks, also a great point. I think I should take more so i can feel better.

 

[kehlsh]

------------------Sectionals------------------
05/24/10 AAMC #4 BS 7
05/26/10 TPR #1 BS 10
05/27/10 Gold Standard #1 BS 10
05/27/10 TPR #2 BS 7
05/27/10 TPR #3 BS 9
05/29/10 TPR #4 BS 9
06/01/10 Kaplan #6 BS 11
06/03/10 AAMC #3 BS 9
06/09/10 Kaplan #7 BS 11
06/10/10 TPR #5 BS 11
06/11/10 TPR #1 V 07
06/12/10 TPR #6 BS 10
06/13/10 AAMC #4 BS 11
06/14/10 TPR # 9 BS 11
06/15/10 TPR #1 PS 7
06/16/10 TPR #7 BS 11
06/20/10 TPR #2 PS 7
06/23/10 TPR #3 PS 11
06/23/10 TPR #4 PS 9
06/26/10 AAMC #3 PS 10
06/27/10 AAMC #4 PS 10

------------------Full Lengths------------------
06/24/10 Kaplan #1 PS 12, V 6, BS 9 - 27
06/25/10 Kaplan #2 PS 10, V 9, BS 8 - 27

Biggest mistake I made for sectionals is that I didn't do careful review afterwards. So I basically wasted them just to see where I stood. But then TPR exams aren't reflective of real MCAT so I'm not complaining.

I was skeptical at first but watching all chad's video @ coursesaver.com AFTER reading TPR-H PS book helped me greatly in cementing gen chem and physics knowledge. (watched all gen chem and most physics over 3-4 day period 6/20-6/23) Now only if I can stop making stupid mistakes I will hit 12-13 range in PS T.T. I'm thinking about re-reading TPR-biology also but I think I will end up just re-reading EK instead. If you have time reading TPR-H again will be super good for you, I think.

Recently been going FLs I hope all those practice will prove effective~ 2 27s been discouraging but I learned a lot from reviewing them.

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

------------------Sectionals------------------
05/24/10 AAMC #4 BS 7
05/26/10 TPR #1 BS 10
05/27/10 Gold Standard #1 BS 10
05/27/10 TPR #2 BS 7
05/27/10 TPR #3 BS 9
05/29/10 TPR #4 BS 9
06/01/10 Kaplan #6 BS 11
06/03/10 AAMC #3 BS 9
06/09/10 Kaplan #7 BS 11
06/10/10 TPR #5 BS 11
06/11/10 TPR #1 V 07
06/12/10 TPR #6 BS 10
06/13/10 AAMC #4 BS 11
06/14/10 TPR # 9 BS 11
06/15/10 TPR #1 PS 7
06/16/10 TPR #7 BS 11
06/20/10 TPR #2 PS 7
06/23/10 TPR #3 PS 11
06/23/10 TPR #4 PS 9
06/26/10 AAMC #3 PS 10
06/27/10 AAMC #4 PS 10

------------------Full Lengths------------------
06/24/10 Kaplan #1 PS 12, V 6, BS 9 - 27
06/25/10 Kaplan #2 PS 10, V 9, BS 8 - 27

Biggest mistake I made for sectionals is that I didn't do careful review afterwards. So I basically wasted them just to see where I stood. But then TPR exams aren't reflective of real MCAT so I'm not complaining.

I was skeptical at first but watching all chad's video @ coursesaver.com AFTER reading TPR-H PS book helped me greatly in cementing gen chem and physics knowledge. (watched all gen chem and most physics over 3-4 day period 6/20-6/23) Now only if I can stop making stupid mistakes I will hit 12-13 range in PS T.T. I'm thinking about re-reading TPR-biology also but I think I will end up just re-reading EK instead. If you have time reading TPR-H again will be super good for you, I think.

Recently been going FLs I hope all those practice will prove effective~ 2 27s been discouraging but I learned a lot from reviewing them.

Are you also doing a section at a time?? I did my PS and BS at the same time. When are you testing, and when will you be transitioning to doing the full test in full length. Thanks. Good bio scores btw.

 

[kehlsh]

I'm taking it on July 30th, this is roughly what my schedule looks like. Of course, I will do the review on the same day as I took the exam. I'm not a fan of re-taking exams so TPR's used as sectionals will be left as they are. I started FLs last week actually.

 

[Handinhand]

So I just took my first AAMC full length, and boy do I feel better. I've only been studying for a month, but reading/doing problems for ~6 hours/day is starting to pay off.

My first diagnostic: 22 (4,9,9). Obviously not having taken GChem in 3 years and not having a high aptitude for physics didn't do me so well.

Fast forward to today...

AAMC #3: 32 (10,11,11). I'm pretty sure #3 is considered one of the easier exams, but I'm still pretty happy, especially with PS. Now that I'm a month in, taking this is more valuable also. I know what areas I'm rock solid in, and what ones I need to go back and brush up on.

Oh, and TPR verbal is worse than AAMC. I highly recommend picking up EK 101 and doing like 3-4 passages a day out of that. I think it's really starting to help, although improving Verbal is easily the most arduous.

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

awesome score man. looks like you have made some serious gains. Yeah, I also have the EK 101 but again, my verbal is very weak. I am hoping to make the jump; I just want an 8..just an 8; is that too much to ask for.

 

[Silverfalcon]

awesome score man. looks like you have made some serious gains. Yeah, I also have the EK 101 but again, my verbal is very weak. I am hoping to make the jump; I just want an 8..just an 8; is that too much to ask for.

What exactly are you referring to as "very weak"?

@kehlsh: Nice scores... Just remember to take a lot of FLs with all the sections. I found out recently that how you think you perform in one section drastically affects how you actually do on other sections - including Verbal.

 

[Handinhand]

I'm confident that if you put in the work, the reward will come. Verbal is very tricky, and like I said, gains in that section come very slowly. The grading also drops off pretty fast, so going from a 6 to and 8 can mean getting as little as 4-5 more questions right. That's not terribly difficult to do in the long run if you're taking the time to go back and realize why you're getting certain question types wrong, and what you can do to correct making those mistakes.

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

Weak as in i have a hard time processing/ comprehending some passages...which kills me. I hit and miss, in bunches. Like the other day when I took Ek 101 #10, there were 2 passages where i missed none!!!! (very,very rare for me) and one passage where i got 1/6 and another where i got 2/6. So again, I am missing where there is a lapse in comprehension. I do very well on politicals/economical and history passages but very bad on anything that pertains to art,writing,ecology, and greek mythology.

I agree that if you put in the time, you will see huge jumps in BS and PS. Im working on my PS right now. Keep me posted on how things go and how you are progressing. Gluck.

 

[Medhatter]

I've done TPR 6 and 7, I find that BS seemed really easy while PS favors physics and were on par with the real MCAT.

I'm not really sure what to make of verbal.. yes the passage are harder but the questions are very formulaic. Most of the times, the correct answer can be located precisely in the passage and they rarely involve vague reasoning processes like in the EK101. I'm not sure if I should completely use the TPR verbal....

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

I've done TPR 6 and 7, I find that BS seemed really easy while PS favors physics and were on par with the real MCAT.

I'm not really sure what to make of verbal.. yes the passage are harder but the questions are very formulaic. Most of the times, the correct answer can be located precisely in the passage and they rarely involve vague reasoning processes like in the EK101. I'm not sure if I should completely use the TPR verbal....

I totally agree. I haven't studied bio at all, really at all. I got a 10 on TPR#1 and 9 on TPR #3. And yes, their PS does seem to favor physics. I agree w/ the verbal too, although they do ask some outlandish questions sometimes, and some can be found directly from the passage but still i think the PS is a pretty good representation of AAMC MCAT. yes its a bit harder and more specific, but that can only help. I knew several people who were gettin 10-11 on the TPR tests and ended up getting 13's on the MCAT for PS.