2nd time taking the mcat. Can't seem to improve verbal. Getting 2 or 3 right out

[alexfoleyc]

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I'm seriously getting 2 or 3 questions right out of 7 questions. This is the same exact thing that was happening to me last time. I am following the EK method. What to do? I'm really worried! My reading speed isn't the problem, but my comprehension seems to be screwing me up.

 

[V5RED]

What is your plan if you can't get into medical school?

Based on your post history, you have a 3.5 GPA, a 3.25 BCPM, and a 22 on your first MCAT after 3+ months of studying.

Do you have a lot of problems in your life preventing you from focusing?

If those numbers represent a person who is not facing difficulties like poverty, deaths in your family or of your friends, severe illness, etc., then it seems like medicine may not be a path you will be able to walk down.

 

[drshark]

use the highlight function (if it is available) while reading through the passage to highlight main ideas and themes or words in each paragraph. After the first paragraph ask yourself, what is the author's opinion/point of writing this article. After you read a paragraph try and figure out the authors attitude and what each paragraph is really saying. I like to read the questions first briefly so while i read the passage i know what to look for, I right down key words in the questions so i can find them while im reading.

 

[mr chievous]

What is your plan if you can't get into medical school?

Based on your post history, you have a 3.5 GPA, a 3.25 BCPM, and a 22 on your first MCAT after 3+ months of studying.

Do you have a lot of problems in your life preventing you from focusing?

If those numbers represent a person who is not facing difficulties like poverty, deaths in your family or of your friends, severe illness, etc., then it seems like medicine may not be a path you will be able to walk down.

Don't listen to this guy.

It took me months to study for the test. We're all different. Some of my friends took it right after they took the courses, so everything was fresh in their head and it took them a short amount of time to learn content. I wasn't a bio major, so I took all of the prereqs my freshman/sophomore year and I had to teach myself everything from scratch. It was a long and brutal process.

Don't let verbal keep you out. Just keep trying. I'm also in a similar boat to you (struggling with verbal) so just know you're not alone. And be real with yourself - you're not going to let verbal keep you out, are you? You can do it!

 

[medhope4]

You are not grasping the main idea. The EK method teaches you to get the main idea. When I first started doing verbal, I was getting 7s and 8s with the occasional 6s and 5s. Now Im around 10-11. The questions are dumb, and can be confusing. Just try to get the main idea. Takes some practice.

 

[LPpostbacc]

What are your other section scores averaging? What was your score distrib on the first one?

How do you do on the science passages, in the BS/PS and on the natural sci in the VR section?

What did you use to study the first time around?

Generally, I've found highlighting and writing summaries to be more of a tool to help point you in the right direction during the initial practice runs. After that, you really need to get "psyched" to just actively read some passages. Keep talking to yourself, kind of constantly evaluating what the author is trying to say, what they're opinion is, etc.

 

[LPpostbacc]

Also...

There's a thread specifically containing the strategies of high VR scorers. Find it. It was a great window into their thoughts while reading passages and questions.

 

[maybemed2013]

I was also scoring low on verbal in the beginning getting 4 and 5 on EK now I am getting 9 and 10s.
You just have to make up your own technique.
When you are reading the passage are you asking yourself, why is this info important, what is the author trying to tell me, look at for any contradictions, opinions, look at for any similarities the author states.

 

[LPpostbacc]

I was also scoring low on verbal in the beginning getting 4 and 5 on EK now I am getting 9 and 10s.
You just have to make up your own technique.
When you are reading the passage are you asking yourself, why is this info important, what is the author trying to tell me, look at for any contradictions, opinions, look at for any similarities the author states.

+1. Constant mental critique of the writing.

 

[Mehd School]

What is your plan if you can't get into medical school?

Based on your post history, you have a 3.5 GPA, a 3.25 BCPM, and a 22 on your first MCAT after 3+ months of studying.

Do you have a lot of problems in your life preventing you from focusing?

If those numbers represent a person who is not facing difficulties like poverty, deaths in your family or of your friends, severe illness, etc., then it seems like medicine may not be a path you will be able to walk down.

Good lord. 🙄

I'm getting a little sick of people telling others to reconsider medicine because they struggle a little bit on a test. I know some real dumb asses that pulled 28+. If you study for months and months, take the test multiple times, and truly exhaust all of your resources and time, then reconsider medicine.

In the meantime, try to figure out a better way to jump through the hoop.