What study materials to use/how to prioritize study time?

[SClENCE]

I am taking the PCAT in a month for the second time

Around 2 year ago I just walked into the test without studying AT ALL just to see what it was like and scored a composite of 71, with a really REALLY low chem score

I plan on really only studying for Biology, Chemistry, and Quant as I feel as if the rest are kind of difficult/pointless to study for

I have these study materials:
-Dr. Collins
-Kaplan
-Cracking the PCAT
-Peterson's "Master the PCAT"
-Barron's PCAT

My plan is to literally memorize everything in the Dr. Collins packets, but obviously I won't have much time to study the rest of these books

Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations as to which sections of these additional books are useful?

Especially in Quant/Chem. I heard the Kaplan is not that great and would really appricate it if someone has any suggestions as to where to study Quant/Chem aside from the Dr. Collins packet

Thanks!

What I'v read/people have suggested so far:

Kaplan is good for Biology
Dr. Collins is strong for Chemistry/Quant

EDIT: So I'v decided to mainly study from Dr. Collins and when I feel like I have a topic down I take the a Pearson test in that subject to see where I am

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[nxq875]

Don't focus so much on memorizing...it's about doing practice problems and time management

 

[SClENCE]

So far I read (didn't really memorize) the Biology from the Dr. Collins and took one of the practice tests.

Finished it with time to spare and scored 40/48. I'm guessing that as far as percentile rankings literally 2-3 questions could be the difference between 70 percentile and 90 percentile?

I keep misreading questions (like misreading meiosis for mitosis and reading protozoan as prokaryote) which is what always costs me a few questions . 2-3 questions I'm guessing is very significant when calculating percentile rankings as opposed to raw score

Guess I need to pay better attention, though the Collins practice test seemed easier than I expected (not that I did any good anyways)

Biology feels like a relaxing review though, chem and quant I feel is going to be a nightmare

 

[nxq875]

Bio is a bit more detailed on the actual PCAT then what Collins gives, but his questions are a good start to get into bio review. Chem wasn't a problem for me (chem major lol), but quan definitely was a nightmare. Really hard to finish on time, but good news is almost no one does, so it'll factor into the percentile.

 

[ilikesquirrel]

With all those materials, you're gonna do great!

I stopped studying for a good month and when I came back and only had a week for the test, I crammed like hell and still got a 91. Here's how to get in the 90:

Learn to speed read and pick out key words that shows what the author is thinking.
Learn the connections in biology, list out the major concepts and how to connect them.
Definitely physiology concepts, vitamin and their deficiencies, basic of cell communication pathway, anatomy
Do calculus problems out of AP books and make sure you can do them fast enough. Very important that you can do math fast! Learn the art of estimation.
Chemistry is fairly easy, list concepts and draw connections.
Verbal is learning what each word is asking for. E.g. tool : profession : tools:? The answer is probably a profession using that tool.
For essay, make sure you can brainstorm and write with concrete points and support.
You can work on content if you have time, but it's crucial that you can have the format of an essay down!

Lastly, to review I did every single Dr.Collins test at once. Well, one subject per day but every subject at once. Then I moved on to Pearson and made sure I understand what I got wrong.

I honestly didn't feel ready and wish I had studied more, but it wasn't bad.
Dr. Collins is crucial for chem, verbal and bio. Reading, you should use mcat passages. And math, pick out HARD problems. Don't even bother with the easy ones for math.

 

[SClENCE]

My main focus like you said has been Dr. Collins, though I have only been studying Bio so far. I feel like the practice tests are easier than the real thing though, and I am still feeling very unprepared. The bio tests pretty much ignore all immunology/biochemistry and a lot of the questions are very basic/common sense

I just took a practice test in the bio packet that I have yet to look at and scored a 46/48 in 12 minutes... as good as that sounds it's not at all boosting my confidence

Going to move on to chemistry soon as I believe that and quant will require a lot more study time for me personally

 

[SClENCE]

Biology done Chemistry time!

Took one of my Pearson tests for Biology only and scores around 95 percentile

Lets go!!!

 

[ilikesquirrel]

Yeah Dr.Collins biology seemed way too easy but I was surprised at how much similar it was when I took the PCAT. If you could memorize every single questions and answerw and make all the important connections in the topics given. A 85 is definite, and 90 is probably. If you've taken all the bio pre-reqs, you should be good. I'm only taking anatomy now and is regretting my bio score because I missed a lot of anatomy questions :/

 

[SClENCE]

Yeah I'm feeling really good about Biology, I'm pretty confident I can score 90+ percentile in Bio. Plus I just took Micro over the summer and dominated that class and I'v seen A LOT of repeat material from it. I'v been looking at chemistry for a day or 2 now and I'm feeling terrible about it. I'v worked through the inorganic material for Dr. Collins but I feel like I'v made no progress. I'm about to just start taking practice tests and learning it by looking at the solutions and then reverting back to the study material at this point.

 

[SClENCE]

Took my first chem test from Dr. Collins 38/50 FML
These questions where an atom is exposed to radiation... I'v never seen that before in my life which probably cost me 2-4 questions so at least I can improve there

 

[nancyyy]

I am looking for study partner for PCAT. please contact me on [email protected]

I am also looking for books. please recommend me books and if possible,please guide me about from where to buy those books? if anyone can send me the images of books,that will help me a lot. i already have Kaplan

 

[nancyyy]

please please please guide me
from where to start? which books should I buy? what is the best resource to practice more tests?

 

[belmont3]

What is the best material to prepare for the verbal section and the essay writing section?

 

[SClENCE]

please please please guide me
from where to start? which books should I buy? what is the best resource to practice more tests?

I emailed you

 

[SClENCE]

So I'v taken 3 of the Collins chemistry tests and got 38/50, 42/50, and 40/50 and took two of the Pearson tests and got around 75 percentile and 78 percentile

At least my scores are consistent but they are not improving at all... and I feel like if I took the PCAT now I'd do terrible

I don't know where to study as Dr. Collins asks stuff (over and over) that does not show up on the Pearson test and the Pearson test is more difficult and covers material that Collins never mentions

Are there any reactions/lists that I need to flat out memorize?

Like does anyone have a list of the organic reactions I should know/electronegitivities/periodic table trends/common charges for oxidation numbers and stuff like that?

Also I remember the test covering SN1,SN2,E1,E2 and Markovnikof /anti-Markocnikof (or however you spell it) which has not come up in a single practice test I have taken and I am clueless about all of it (and I don't think I ever understood it to begin with in organic)

And I know there are tons or organic reactions which I need to know

The only questions I feel good about are the biochem questions

 

[nancyyy]

So in your opinion, I should have Pearson practice test and Dr. Collins? Can you send me images of those resources?So that I can try to find out online if I know exactly how does these books look? I am searching those on amazon, but I do not find them.

I appreciate if anyone reply me on my email. thank you for suggestions.

 

[SClENCE]

So in your opinion, I should have Pearson practice test and Dr. Collins? Can you send me images of those resources?So that I can try to find out online if I know exactly how does these books look? I am searching those on amazon, but I do not find them.

I appreciate if anyone reply me on my email. thank you for suggestions.

You have to order Dr. Collins from the website (search on Google) and all Pearson is is practice tests that give percentile ranks which you can also find on Google

On Amazon you could order Kaplan, Barron, Peterson, cracking the PCAT, any many more if you just search "PCAT". They are all pretty similar but there is a lot of information that isn't very important and/or is a waste of time reading because an 8th grader would know it

 

[SouthStudent31]

So in your opinion, I should have Pearson practice test and Dr. Collins? Can you send me images of those resources?So that I can try to find out online if I know exactly how does these books look? I am searching those on amazon, but I do not find them.

I appreciate if anyone reply me on my email. thank you for suggestions.

I have the Collins ones