pearson practice PCAT vs. actual PCAT scores

I did a bit worse on the real test. First practice test was somewhat hard, I got a 80-99% on the second, and on the 3rd...I never got around to that one

Verbal - 92
Bio - 54
Reading Comprehension - 77
Quantitative - 85
Chemistry - 48
Composite - 79

Actual Test: July 27
Verbal: 437 / 92
Biology: 430 / 88
RC: 416 / 71
Quant: 443 / 94
Chemistry: 449 / 95
Writing: 3.0 / 3.0
Composite: 435 / 94

Pearson Test 1: July 18
Verbal: 79-99
Biology: 75-95
Chemistry: 53-73
RC: 40-60 (highly distracted)
Quant: 78-98
Composite: 76-96

Pearson Test 3: July 23
Verbal: 80-99
Biology: 61-81
Chemistry: 75-95
RC: 80-99
Quant: 80-99
Composite: 80-99

Pearson Test 2: July 26
Verbal: 86-96
Biology: 80-99
Chemistry: 62-82
RC: 80-99
Quant: 75-95
Composite: 80-99

Looks like I scored a little higher than practice tests would have indicated for Chemistry, and a little lower on RC, but pretty much spot on otherwise. There was one question directly from a practice test on my version of the PCAT.

I felt that the range of material tested by the practice tests didn't overlap too much unless it was particularly heavily represented on the PCAT itself. I wouldn't say one practice test or the other was "harder."

I took this exam on the Saturday before my exam:

Pearson Prac Test 1 from 2008:
Verbal 58-78
Biology 72-92
Chemistry 80-99
Reading Comp 63-83
Quantitative Ability 55-75
Composite: 73-93

Actual PCAT scores:
Verbal 77
Biology 94
Chemistry 96
Reading Comp 47
Quantitative Ability 77
Composite: 88

Hope that helps!

futurpharmacis said:

Your scores on the actual test are not bad. What did you get on the first test. I thought that one was easier.

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60-80 on the first one. I used the two tests to study, so I hadn't really studied until after the 1st test. I got back from the beach a couple days before the test so I didn't really study much. Pearson practice tests on the beach ftl

So close are these Pearson's practice test to the Real PCAT?

Is the difficulty level about the same?

ummm how do you score a pearson practice exam?


I have 3 practice exams and only one of them have a rc section....

futurpharmacis said:

After you have answered the questions, you should be directed to the review page. Then, click on the top where you can get your diagnostic scores. The website will give a diagnostic report. It should show your percentile range.

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Oh you guys did it online. I bought mines from a user here.

future, were you distracted during any portion of the test? I found my performance on the practice plummeted when I played music, or even worse when my boyfriend was talking on the phone. (Through a whole RC section! OMG.)

futurpharmacis said:

May be I got distracted on the RC a little bit. My mind wonders when I was reading. I also felt that I made careless mistakes in QA and chem.

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Perhaps this is a skill you could work on for the next couple weeks - sitting down for an hour & doing practice RC / working QA & Chem problems. This might get your mind's stamina up some prior to the test & make you sharper.

The reason I asked about distraction is because it could explain the widely varying RC scores.

IMO I think the 3rd practice test was alot easier than the actual thing. Was definitely caught off guard today...

futurpharmacis said:

Can you post your Pearson PCAT sores (including subtest percentiles) and your scores you got from taking the real PCAT?

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For the practice test I'm just estimating the percentile range; I can't seem to find the actual percentage range.

Practice test - 7/06/11
Verbal- 45-75%
Biology-78-98%
Chem-80-99%
Reading- 70-90%
QA- 45-63%

Actual test- 7/20/2011
Verbal- 97%
Biology-94%
Chem-77%
Reading- 76%
QA- 67%
Composite- 91%