Spread b/t AAMC & The real deal?

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amakhosidlo

amakhosidlo

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After reading the feedback posted regarding recent MCAT administrations I'm starting to get a little worried about my level of preparation.

I took a TPR class over the summer, and sat for roughly 14 practice tests. My AAMC's have been coming back in the 34-37 range fairly consistently, and after every test I've been reviewing the material surrounding questions that I got wrong.

Decent strategy, or so I thought..

Now I'm reading that sections of the real deal are randomly WAY harder than AAMC. My biggest weakness right now is my inability to let a question go (i.e I spend 5 minutes on it and end up playing catch-up).

I'm starting to worry that if I get sacked with a real ball-buster passage early on I'll freeze up and run out of time.

When people say that a passage was "harder" than aamc, what do you mean? Calculations are more involved? Concepts more abstract/nuanced?

Without posting mcat questions, give us an example of how an MCAT PS passage would be "harder" than AAMC...

Also, I've set a poll for late-cycle MCAT takers (July-August) regarding the spread between their AAMC average and their actual score. I realize that many don't have their scores back yet, but if you'd be willing to contribute once you do I'm sure everyone would greatly appreciate it.

Sorry if these questions have been posted in earlier threads, I'm just trying to get an idea of the level of difficulty of the actual MCAT specifically with regards to late-term administrations...
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I took it on August 26th. Go to the thread "August 26th MCAT club!" and you'll see many ppl who gave a little. summary of the test section by section.

My thoughts on my test on the 26th seemed to be the same as everyone else's.

The physical science section had A LOT of calculations, much more than AAMC practice tests. These calculations took up time, and as a result i ended up with like 2 minutes left for my last passage.

The verbal section was similar to the AAMC practice exams.

The bio section was descent, but their was one passage that was really really detailed and you had to follow a pathway of proteins, receptors, and enzymes which had abbreviations as their names. So it was really hard to follow what it was trying to say. There was another passage that many people had trouble with for the same reasons, as it was very detailed and the questions were mostly passage based. I didnt see anything like these on my practice exams.
 
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DrDre2001 said:
I took it on August 26th. Go to the thread "August 26th MCAT club!" and you'll see many ppl who gave a little. summary of the test section by section.

My thoughts on my test on the 26th seemed to be the same as everyone else's.

The physical science section had A LOT of calculations, much more than AAMC practice tests. These calculations took up time, and as a result i ended up with like 2 minutes left for my last passage.

The verbal section was similar to the AAMC practice exams.

The bio section was descent, but their was one passage that was really really detailed and you had to follow a pathway of proteins, receptors, and enzymes which had abbreviations as their names. So it was really hard to follow what it was trying to say. There was another passage that many people had trouble with for the same reasons, as it was very detailed and the questions were mostly passage based. I didnt see anything like these on my practice exams.
Click to expand...


when u say there were a lot of calculations...do you mean DIFFICULT calculations with multiple steps, or things like finding the wavelength or the molar solubility or pressure...things that we have seen on previous aamc's but just MORE than the usual amount?
 
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From quickly reading your post I would say you should make a effort to let some of the harder questions go. I know that is easier said than done, because I had that same problem. When I took my test I got stuck on a hard passage that I should have just left for the end, but luckily I have always been super fast at the Bio section and had pleanty of time to finish. Remember, every question is only worth one point, you don't get extra credit for answering the harder ones. Other than that is sounds like you are on the right track.
 
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amakhosidlo said:
After reading the feedback posted regarding recent MCAT administrations I'm starting to get a little worried about my level of preparation.

I took a TPR class over the summer, and sat for roughly 14 practice tests. My AAMC's have been coming back in the 34-37 range fairly consistently, and after every test I've been reviewing the material surrounding questions that I got wrong.

Decent strategy, or so I thought..

Now I'm reading that sections of the real deal are randomly WAY harder than AAMC. My biggest weakness right now is my inability to let a question go (i.e I spend 5 minutes on it and end up playing catch-up).

I'm starting to worry that if I get sacked with a real ball-buster passage early on I'll freeze up and run out of time.

When people say that a passage was "harder" than aamc, what do you mean? Calculations are more involved? Concepts more abstract/nuanced?

Without posting mcat questions, give us an example of how an MCAT PS passage would be "harder" than AAMC...

Also, I've set a poll for late-cycle MCAT takers (July-August) regarding the spread between their AAMC average and their actual score. I realize that many don't have their scores back yet, but if you'd be willing to contribute once you do I'm sure everyone would greatly appreciate it.

Sorry if these questions have been posted in earlier threads, I'm just trying to get an idea of the level of difficulty of the actual MCAT specifically with regards to late-term administrations...
Click to expand...
Here's the thing about skipping tough questions: if you are doing fine with finishing on time, and not worried about seizing up on the real deal, you have the ability to spend some extra time on a question or two. TPR is trying to get people up to a 30, and teaching to the middle of the bell curve, which you're way above.

If you know you'll have extra time at the end (and a 34-37 implies you will) then you can spend extra time on a hard one (within reason) to make sure you get it right. After all, if you skip it and come back, you'll have to re-read the question and get the gears turning on that subject matter all over again. By the same token, if you just CAN'T get the numbers to work right, skip the question and know that you'll surely have time for it later. I consistently had about 10 minutes left on PS in the AAMC's, and found this was true on the real deal as well.

Concerning the AAMC vs. real thing issue, there's no definitive answer for how good a predictor it is. It's good, but it isn't perfect. Just be ready for a test that isn't quite like your AAMC's, and you'll be able to hit the curve ball out of the park.
 
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I'd like to bump this thread up -- in light of recent scores received... August 5 and 7, lets hear it!
 
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A lot of people I've heard from have been slightly disappointed in their real scores based on their AAMC's. I think this may have something to do with the fact that AAMC MAKES MONEY WHEN PEOPLE TAKE THE MCAT. It's in their financial interest to give you slightly inflated practice test scores.

Just my $.02. I had scores ranging from 35-37, and ended up with a 34.

Verbal range: 9-11
Actual: 10

Physics range: 13-14
Actual: 12

Bio range: 11-13
Actual: 12
 
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I am an August 5 test taker and got my scores just yesterday. I think AAMC practice tests are really good indicators when taken under strict testing conditions. I picked 1 point in either direction but the truth is AAMC was spot on, even the averages for the individual sections were accurate.

PS average - 13 ; Real PS - 13
BS average - 12 ; Real BS - 12
V average - 11 ; Real V - 11
Average score - 36 ; Real score - 36
 
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Ya, BELIEVE in the AAMCs, I mean I thought the real deal with a bit harder, but I think the curve is a bit easier as well, because the AAMC curves are a bit rough. My average on the AAMCs was 31.5, and I got a 32 on the real deal. Even though it seemed a lot harder. If you do well on the AAMCs you should be fine provided you don't freak out.
 
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I couldn't agree more with ziggydoc. yes the real mcat is a little tougher than the practice aamc's but the curve is going to be more forgiving. I think the people who do much worse on the real thing than the aamc practice tests, freak out over the difficulty of the test and lose concentration/confidence. As long as you remain calm, you will land in the practice averages.
 
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Going by intuition, how much would you a think a 12 would be equivalent to on the real thing? On the practise AAMC's it's usually 6/7 wrong.
 
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jorje, i cant even make an educated guess on that. the score report does not contain our raw score, so there is no way to tell. just rely on your practice averages to determine how will do.
 
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amakhosidlo said:
After reading the feedback posted regarding recent MCAT administrations I'm starting to get a little worried about my level of preparation.

I took a TPR class over the summer, and sat for roughly 14 practice tests. My AAMC's have been coming back in the 34-37 range fairly consistently, and after every test I've been reviewing the material surrounding questions that I got wrong.

Decent strategy, or so I thought..

Now I'm reading that sections of the real deal are randomly WAY harder than AAMC. My biggest weakness right now is my inability to let a question go (i.e I spend 5 minutes on it and end up playing catch-up).

I'm starting to worry that if I get sacked with a real ball-buster passage early on I'll freeze up and run out of time.

When people say that a passage was "harder" than aamc, what do you mean? Calculations are more involved? Concepts more abstract/nuanced?

Without posting mcat questions, give us an example of how an MCAT PS passage would be "harder" than AAMC...

Also, I've set a poll for late-cycle MCAT takers (July-August) regarding the spread between their AAMC average and their actual score. I realize that many don't have their scores back yet, but if you'd be willing to contribute once you do I'm sure everyone would greatly appreciate it.

Sorry if these questions have been posted in earlier threads, I'm just trying to get an idea of the level of difficulty of the actual MCAT specifically with regards to late-term administrations...
Click to expand...

My first advice would be to definitely learn to skip questions that you do not know the answer to right away or if you do not understand the passage. I just got my scores back and got 11 on VR and BS but only an 8 on PS and I know the exact reason for getting that 8. It was my inability to let go of one passage that I really did not understand and spent 15 mins on it and then did not have enough time left to tackle the rest of the questions. I really wouldnt want anyone to make this same mistake.
 
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I got crippling anxiety on standardized tests, so I did 3pts worse the first time, and 5pts worse the second time. But I was at a higher level 2nd time so bombing wasn't as bad. Thumbs up to all those with anxiety! :thumbup:
 
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I took 4 practice tests before taking the 8/15 test. My practice scores were 25, 26, 21, 22. After the 22, I gave up with practice tests and just did pure content for about 5 days. I found the actual test a little easier than I thought it would be, and I got a 31R, which is a good bit higher than my practice tests, so it can happen.
 
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Aug 2007= PS: 6 VR: 6 BS: 8 20P :(

Aug 2008= PS: 9 VR: 9 BS: 9 27O :)

Overall I am really happy with the 7 point jump and I am really happy with the consistency with the sections. I took a Kaplan course over the summer and worked really hard on the testing format. Completed about 7 practice tests (4 AAMC, 3 Kaplan). My 27 was right around my Kaplan average and a few points higher than my AAMC tests. I thought the Kaplan tests did a good job preparing me for the boggy passages and abstract questions. Best of luck to those still fighting the battle. Keep working hard and never give up.
 
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bump. This is my favorite thread here, since it tells me just how much confidence to put into my practice exam scores.
 
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Here's a link to a study on real MCAT vs practice scores: http://www.studentdoc.com/practice-mcat.html

This is nice because it does all three types of practice tests (AAMC, Kaplan, Princeton Review) and separates them and shows which tests are the best predictors of the real score you should get on your real mcat.


In conclusion, it says the AAMC practice tests are the best predictors of your real score (no surprise) because the AAMC practice scores "accounted for 67% of the variance". If anyone knows exactly what that means, please tell me.


 
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murdoc9 said:
is it me, or are the regression plots exactly the same for the kaplan and tpr studies? the slopes sure are. seems bogus to me.
Click to expand...

Yea the slopes look to be almost exactly the same. This was all done by a top member of that forum though, so i dont see a reason why he would want to skew the results. I did even post a response to this study in that forum, asking them what exactly each point on the graph represented, but i didnt really get a response that clarified anything to me. Maybe ill try again.
 
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i think the key is you wont score significantly lower on your real test unless something unsual happened during your test as compared to your practice - like if you left a bunch of questions and didnt get to them

i really believe that if you give the test your best shot, and took it as you did every practice, your score will fall in line, and you should NOT be too worried about scoring much lower, by a couple points or something.

this is just my opinion from my test. So unless you reallu had a sh-tty day or really F-ed up a section (you will know when this is the case, you will know you did bad) just try to assure yourself you'll get around your practice score.
 
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On the behalf of all of us waiting for future scores, lets see if the August 22nd test scores match up at all with the AAMC practice scores!
 
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ill start with my aamc average: ~34.5

i came out of the aug 22 test with way, way more qs marked (that i didn't get to go back to) than any aamc practice test. also, after taking the test, i got really down because i kept looking up answers and realizing that i got them wrong.

so, on the aug 22 test, i made more stupid mistakes than i ever had (just bad luck) and also there were more tricky ones.

nevertheless, on the aug 22 test i got a 33S, 11V 11B 11P.

p.s. - on aamc 10 i also got a 33. aamc 10 was definitely most similar to the aug 22 mcat in my opinion, both in terms of the difficult and how it was scored.
 
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I scored a little lower.

My AAMC averages were (12.9 PS, 10.9 VR, 12.8 BS).

My actual score was a 12PS/11VR/12BS, R.

My AAMC 7-10 were all in the 38-40 range... I thought those were supposed to be most indicative?
 
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My AAMC scores were a direct predictor of my actual score. I got an average of approximately 30 for all of the AAMC tests, and my actual score was a 31S.

I used a Princeton Review Book, as well as a Kaplan book, and a Barron's book. However, none of these three were very indicative (ESPECIALLY Kaplan), and tended to give me inflated scores, as high as 40+'s on my tests.

I will say that what was perhaps the single MOST IMPORTANT study aid was the Kaplan "MCAT in a Box" flashcards. These were amazing, and really gave a great return in terms of knowledge gained in relation to the time/effort I put into studying them.
 
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ended up with a 32q. average aamc score was slightly above 32. average on 7-10 was a little above 33 with the last three being 33, 36, and 33. I think that the aamc were pretty indicative of the real thing suprisingly even though i though the real mcat was a lot harder.
 
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30Q

10, 11, 9 Q

Averages:

9-11, 9-11, All 10s

Pretty damn close to average, total at least.
 
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I generally scored between 31 -33 on the AAMCs, and mostly 30/31 on the Kaplan, with one 33. Ended up with 33R
V-11
PS-11
BS-11
for the August 26 MCAT
 
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Physics - within 1
Verbal - within 1
Bio - within 1
 
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don't worry, IMO the AAMC give a good measure on how you will score. Just don't lose your nerve, I think that's why people think the read deal is harder, simply because its the one that counts
 
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I was averaging around 11-12's on practice AAMC bio and phys sci sections. I didnt really take many practice AAMC verbal sections...i would do these one passage at a time.

Real score on the test lined up almost perfectly with my AAMC practice tests.


However, i felt the real MCAT was much much harder than the practice exams. There must have been a real nice curve though, so it all balanced out. Im guessing the curve was almost like a kaplan curve where around 42-43 correct = 12 scaled score.
 
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In general, did you guys feel the same way at the end of the real exam as you did on the practice ones? In terms of difficulty, time to finish the questions...etc.
 
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No, I felt the same way at the end of the VR section as I did on practice exams but NOT for PS/BS. They seemed trickier and left me feeling really unsure of my answers.
 
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2006 - (tests/scores listed chronologically)
AAMC 7 - 29
AAMC 8 - 31
AAMC 6 - 33
AAMC 9 - 31

August 2006 - 31R (11P, 11V, 9B) <-- 9 screws me as a Canadian applicant

2008

AAMC 7 - 32
AAMC 4 - 37
AAMC 5 - 32
AAMC 8 - 33
AAMC 10 - 32

Averages were about (11,11,11.5)

July 2008 - 32S (12P, 10V, 10B)

My story is on here in other places but quickly, on test day a 2 hour delay combined with a flight I had to catch after the test finished, and a crappy testing room lead to me being unbelievably and uncharacteristically frazzled during the PS, and VR... Calmed down near the end as I realized the time would likely work out and accepted that I may have already blown one of the first two sections. Thought the bio although on the easier side was one of my best bio's ever.... So just goes to show you, feelings count for little and averages are usually good predictors given no major extraneous influences are acting during your practices or test day.

Good luck all.
 
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AAMC Average: PS10/VR12/BS12, 34

Actual: PS12/VR13/BS12, 37S

Just a shout out to all the September 3, 5, and 6 test takers, make sure to weigh in so we can keep building this thread into a great resource for future test-takers.

Congratulations to all who received the scores they wanted today, and best of luck to those considering a second go around with the beast. :)
 
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I was extremely slack in studying, and only did AAMCs #8-10. I was still reading over the material (even after #10, sadly). In addition to these three AAMC exams, I had done the first four Kaplan full-lengths. On the real exam, I thought the PS was normal than the practice exams, VR was about the same, and BS was harder as it was almost exclusively passaged based with almost no outside information needed.

My scores on the AAMC exams:
#8 - 34 (PS: 11, VR: 13, BS: 10)
#9 - 36 (PS: 12, VR: 12, BS: 12)
#10 - 37 (PS: 12, VR: 12, BS: 13)
= average of 35.7 (PS: 11.7, VR: 12.3, BS: 11.7)

Score from 9/6 = 37P (PS: 14, VR: 12, BS: 11)
 
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Average across all AAMCs, 3 to 10: about 40.25 or something like that.

Actual: 41T.

Dead-on!

I will note though that you might want to take them in order. They get harder and harder. So my score actually stayed around the same, but I was pretty sure I was improving as I studied.
 
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I took the 9/6 MCAT. I thought it was harder than the AAMCs but apparently the curve was quite generous.
I took AAMC 4-10. But on #4, I didn't do Verbal because I was seriously burned out.

Here are my average for AAMC:

PS: 11
VR: 10.5
BS: 9.86
Total: 31.36

Here are my real score:

PS: 12
VR: 10
BS: 12
Total: 34

I did between 2-3 points higher on the real deal. Needless to say, I was quite surprised. If you walk out of the test thinking it was freaking hard and you did bad, don't worry yourself out like I did. The chances are other people found it hard too and the curve will help you out.
 
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So I don't have access to all my Kaplan and AAMC tests anymore, but (after I finished reviewing content) I remember getting a 35, 38, 32, 39 for Kaplan, and a 36, 38, 33, 38, 39 for AAMC.

My actual score was a 38. So I matched my mode, did a little better than my average (around 1 point i think). The AAMC tests are fairly good predictors if you ask me.
 
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i dont understand how everyone with a 38+ is on SDN. it will always amaze me.
 
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AAMC (#3, 7-10) scores: 23-28
Actual: 30M (11, 10, 9)

I'm very happy with my actual score!
I never practiced writing those essays and I was sleep-deprived during the day of the actual exam..and it shows in my writing score, haha.



For those of you who are studying for the MCAT, :luck: to you and never, ever give up!
 
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it only seems harder because of added factors of stress. They also try to present new types of passages and information in new avenues, so these things add up to the pressure.

but it's definitely not "harder".
 
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NSA MD said:
it only seems harder because of added factors of stress. They also try to present new types of passages and information in new avenues, so these things add up to the pressure.

but it's definitely not "harder".
Click to expand...

When did u take your real one?

I know for sure that mine (Aug 26) was harder (it had more difficult questions, but the curve would of course make up for it), and others agree.

Im very very sure that the curve for my test was much more forgiving than a practice aamc test curve. I ended up with a score right on par with my practice average, and i know that i got more wrong in the real one than my practice tests.
 
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I took Aug 22, and I most definitely think some of the questions (particularly PS) were harder than what I'd seen on practices. I'm positive because it wasn't nerves, I don't get nervous or stressed during tests. I walked in confident and I walked out confident, but I'm sure some of the questions were harder than any of the past AAMCs.
 
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but I'm sure some of the questions were harder than any of the past AAMCs.
Click to expand...
I agree! The curve might make up for it but there was a difference in the difficulty of the real MCAT versus practice AAMCs
 
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