Unconventional MCAT Strategy

dnelsen · Jun 17, 2004

Am I just evil or has anyone else had thoughts like this before?

The Detroit Pistons' fans gave me an idea. On the MCAT you are essentially competing against your fellow test takers so one way to make your score go up is to study hard and do better than others. Another way is to make others do worse!

Why not recruit a bunch of friends to go make noise at testing centers other than the one you are at? :idea:

Think about it...most people probably apply to schools near where they take the MCAT so the test takers in nearby locations are most likely your most direct competition!

Wonder if this has ever been attempted?

(disclaimer: I am not condoning this behavior in any way)

Pinkertinkle · Jun 17, 2004

I guess if everyone hired one fool to come fail the test with them, the curve would be lowered and all serious takers would get higher scores.

dnelsen · Jun 17, 2004

Pinkertinkle said:
I guess if everyone hired one fool to come fail the test with them, the curve would be lowered and all serious takers would get higher scores.

Hey, that is a great idea too!

On a related note, I wonder how many people cheat on the MCAT by having someone who looks like them take the test for them? I really don't see any way to cheat on the MCAT other than to have someone else take it for you.

OnMyWayThere · Jun 17, 2004

dnelsen said:
Hey, that is a great idea too!

On a related note, I wonder how many people cheat on the MCAT by having someone who looks like them take the test for them? I really don't see any way to cheat on the MCAT other than to have someone else take it for you.

They fingerprint so looks alone won't cut it.

pyra · Jun 17, 2004

OnMyWayThere said:
They fingerprint so looks alone won't cut it.

But they wouldn't analyze each fingerprint would they?

dnelsen · Jun 17, 2004

OnMyWayThere said:
They fingerprint so looks alone won't cut it.

And they compare the fingerprint they took to what may I ask?

I'm sure they could somehow use the fingerprint if they suspected that someone cheated, but other than that, I don't see how they can use it as they don't have a big database with all of our fingerprints on file.

liverotcod · Jun 17, 2004

Someone at my test site had their cell phone on vibrate and it kept going off. I guess because it wasn't actually ringing, the person thought he/she could get away with just letting it ring to avoid the problem.

I'm convinced that this person was working your suggested strategy. During VR of all times. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Then a few minutes later, just when I'm regaining my composure:
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Buzz!

dnelsen · Jun 17, 2004

My Kaplan instructor even suggested using some Machiavellian tactics like going out into the commons area after a section and expressing loudly how easy it was, etc., just generally psyching others out with your words and actions.

aingeal · Jun 17, 2004

dnelsen said:
And they compare the fingerprint they took to what may I ask?

I'm sure they could somehow use the fingerprint if they suspected that someone cheated, but other than that, I don't see how they can use it as they don't have a big database with all of our fingerprints on file.

or do they!

aingeal · Jun 17, 2004

also, my prep course instructor told us they have instructors sit for the exam to get an idea of how it went. isnt this a really bad idea? dont they get higher scores therefore skewing the average in a bad way?

thewzdoc · Jun 17, 2004

aingeal said:
or do they!

You will be printed in the future (if you get into med school and get licensed).... if there is ever a question they can check the two against each other...imagine the horror of going through med school and then having everything stripped because of this.... gawd.... the humanity. It?s best to not even joke about having a ringer take the MCAT for you.

sinfin · Jun 17, 2004

if you cheat on the MCAT you don't deserve to be a doctor - there is no way I'd want somebody treating me who had to cheat on their MCAT

thewzdoc · Jun 17, 2004

sinfin said:
if you cheat on the MCAT you don't deserve to be a doctor - there is no way I'd want somebody treating me who had to cheat on their MCAT

Well?aside from the ethical perspective?. look what I posted earlier. You?d be throwing away your life to gain what? Maybe a few points on the MCAT! The consequences are so huge that it isn?t even worth thinking about doing this.

Plus you'd always know that you don't deserve it..... 👎

MoosePilot · Jun 17, 2004

aingeal said:
also, my prep course instructor told us they have instructors sit for the exam to get an idea of how it went. isnt this a really bad idea? dont they get higher scores therefore skewing the average in a bad way?

Usually the instructors void their scores. One or two isn't really enough to change the average much when N = 25K

dnelsen · Jun 17, 2004

I agree with all of the above statements about cheating being a stupid idea, but look at how neurotic people on this board are! It must happen!

I should have gone to see that movie about stealing the SAT tests...it came out right before the April MCAT. I wonder if anyone has tried this? There are so many forms though...

You could possibly just bribe someone at AAMC and they could change your score in the computer 😉

KNightInBlue · Jun 17, 2004

All this energy and braincells wasted in thinking about scamming aamc. Why not put it towards practice.....

dnelsen · Jun 17, 2004

KNightInBlue said:
All this energy and braincells wasted in thinking about scamming aamc. Why not put it towards practice.....

Eh...

I already kicked the test's ass so now I can put my energy into creative ways to scam aamc

😀

Potato! · Jun 17, 2004

Are you serious about the fingerprinting thing on the MCAT? That's a joke, n'est pas?
*shaking uncontrollably in a paranoid frenzy*

rcd · Jul 24, 2004

Potato! said:
Are you serious about the fingerprinting thing on the MCAT? That's a joke, n'est pas?
*shaking uncontrollably in a paranoid frenzy*

don't worry, there are creative ways of destroying your fingerprints in freak chem lab experiments.

Unconventional MCAT Strategy

dnelsen

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Pinkertinkle

2003 Member

dnelsen

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OnMyWayThere

OMS-III

pyra

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dnelsen

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liverotcod

Lieutenant Crunch

dnelsen

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aingeal

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aingeal

Senior Member

thewzdoc

Ah Newton...how quaint.

sinfin

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thewzdoc

Ah Newton...how quaint.

MoosePilot

Y Bombardier

dnelsen

wienerschnitzel

KNightInBlue

Full Member

dnelsen

wienerschnitzel

Potato!

Senior Member

rcd

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