3 Weeks Until MCAT -- Question about Score

[Chimpolla]

Hey guys!
I have approximately 3 weeks until my MCAT (9/3) and I have finished all my content review (except for Organic Chemistry -- I'm a biochem major so Orgo is kind of second nature)...I have just started aggressively practicing passages (TPR Science Workbook) and MCAT style questions...throughout the summer I had been lightly practicing passages.
I recently took AAMC 4 and received a 28 (P:10 V:8 B: 10) and when going through the test I feel as though I made many silly mistakes
In order to remedy my low verbal score I will be (and have been) using EK 101 passages and have been taking a test/day...I have also been using TPR Verbal Workbook.
I am aiming to get a 34-37 on my (9/3) MCAT...can you guys forsee such a score jump? Also, any tips on minimizing silly mistakes?

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[NickNaylor]

That's a pretty generous bump, especially considering you've already done one round of content review. I'd recommend running through all of the content again to gain a firmer understanding of the material.

As far as silly mistakes, I had that issue throughout my preparation. It's really a mental thing. If you don't already, be sure you double-check (and triple-check if possible) all of your answers. If you have a relatively good memory, you can usually run through a section in 5-7 minutes by skimming the questions and making sure they make sense.

 

[sphun65]

The guy above is the expert. In addition to his advice, I would recommend keeping your goal of a high score. Frankly, it doesn't matter whether it is likely or not. You need to work very hard over the next few weeks to achieve it (no miracles). The moral of the story is that the people who seem to get "lucky" on the actual test are probably the ones who worked the hardest.

My advice for eliminating those silly mistakes and doing well on your test is the same, you really need to focus a lot harder. You need to think harder than you are. I'm certainly not saying that you lack focus, this is just my general advice. You need to be mentally drained by the time you are finishing up the BS section on your practice tests. Basically, take the practice tests as if the score really matters. It shouldn't feel like a diagnostic anymore, it should feel like the real thing.

My personal advice would be to stop content review and devote your time to taking / studying the AAMC tests, but do what you believe suits you best. Good luck.

 

[Chimpolla]

My approach now is to complete passage after passage to gain a firmer understanding of how the MCAT works/reinforce content. Any other recommendations?

 

[Chimpolla]

So...I just took AAMC 5 and got a 33 (P: 12 V: 10 B: 11)...quite a jump (in the right direction ). Can I expect my score to keep increasing until a plateau? Is this common?

 

[sphun65]

So...I just took AAMC 5 and got a 33 (P: 12 V: 10 B: 11)...quite a jump (in the right direction ). Can I expect my score to keep increasing until a plateau? Is this common?

AAMC #5 is considered one of the easy ones. #4 is considered a difficult test. It is likely that your actual predicted score is somewhere in between. My best advice to you is to avoid becoming complacent and continue to work very hard. For example, if by some stroke of luck you got a 37 on a practice test tomorrow, do not think you can just waltz into your big day riding high. You can only achieve this score on the real test if you keep at it.

In regards to your question, it is not common for scores to rise significantly after you have already completed CR. If you were taking this test halfway through CR, and comparing your score to when you had completed CR, your score would probably increase. Again, I would say that the best indicator of your predicted score would be in between a 28 and a 33 at this point. You did not actually improve your overall ability by 5 points that quickly, your skills were essentially the same for both. The majority of the differential is simply due to different tests.

I'm not trying to be a dick here. Stay focused.