30+ MCAT Study Habits- The CBT Version

[omegaxx]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=13 WS=Q BS=14 Composite=41Q

2) The study method used for each section
PS&BS: Reviewed all the materials (except Organic Chem, because I just finished a year long O. Chem course and knew it like the back of my hand). Practiced.
VR: Practice, practice, practice.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Princeton Review all the way.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Princeton Review all the way.
I also bought AAMC 4-6 for building confidence two weeks before the actual exam.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Pharmacology & English, although I took the exam after sophomore year so I just had the prereq sciences and five English courses under my belt.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Read smartly, and read a lot, not just textbooks and scientific papers and newspaper, but also materials in the humanities department.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2.5 months (~10 weeks), averaging ~3 hrs/day.

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[saveourpens]

This was a retake from a 28M...I got this score basically doing what I shouldn't have done...using EK (damn it Salty!)...taking an insane amount of useless notes...using textbooks...and taking almost no practice tests. I honestly feel like I shouldn't even bother mentioning this score because it is reflective not of my effort, but of the way I studied completely wrong for this test the first time around.

The reason I tried to study using "my own" technique the first time was because I didn't think that it was possible to get a good score by simply doing "what everyone else was doing" (namely using only a company's books). I was obviously wrong. You can. You just have to put some work into it. My score is no 42T but I'm satisfied with it and think I can offer some hope to those who got less than a 30 their first time.

Below is what I did for my recent score of 35M (July 16th 2011).


1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS: 13 V: 10 BS: 12 Writing: M Composite: 35M

AAMC 5: 13 PS 10 V 11 BS - 34
AAMC 7: 11 PS 11 V 12 BS - 34
AAMC 8: 12 PS 9 V 12 BS - 33
AAMC 11: 11 PS 10 V 12 BS - 33
AAMC 9 - 14 PS 10 V 10 BS - 34

I never took these AAMC FLs the first time around. I was a bit skeptical as to how accurate a predictor these tests are but I am now a believer. Unless you completely flop, your real score shouldn't be too much of a surprise when looking at your practice scores.

2) The study method used for each section

TPR Hyperlearning only...I bought a set they used in class off of Ebay. I did all the passages and went through each of the two review books 3 times (2 times thoroughly). imo the people who recommend Berkley for this and EK for that section and Kaplan for another are just complicating things.

3) What materials you used for each section:

TPR for everything. The book with all the science practice passages was awesome. When I saw a "challenging" passage on the real thing I never panicked because I had seen much worse in that book. The little side notes on the bottom in the review books also helped to hammer down the material.

I credit doing all those verbal passages from TPR for improving my verbal from an 8 last year to a 10 now.

Writing: yeah, I was hoping I would increase it from an M my first take but I guess MCAT writing is not for me. I skimmed the TPR writing section tips and thought that would help me out. No writing advice here.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Sociology with a minor in Chemistry

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Do well in you pre-reqs. One of the reasons I did well in PS was because I A'cd gen chem and physics.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

Not including the wasted studying for my first take....from early May to July - anywhere from 3-6 hours a day


As an aside, I actually felt pretty damn good after the exam. When I took it the first time I felt pretty damn bad afterwards and got a 28M. So sometimes feelings actually do correlate with your performance.
I might add that I could feel my heart beating in my throat during the exam, so for me there was no way to escape the nerves. If you prepared well though your brain will carry you through.

About EK... some people praise it and get good scores with it but if I could go back in time I would burn those EK books the second I bought them and bought TPR.
With EK there were numerous times when it was like...OK what the hell are they talking about. It would only make total sense once I had finished with the whole book. imo MCAT review books shouldn't play games like that. If I were an MCAT virgin I would just play it safe with TPR. While reviewing with TPR I would be like, all right if this book is any good they'll talk about this next...and they did.

The practice material from TPR also beats the gimmicky EK hands down. Yeah, I kind of sound like an ad for TPR but that is what worked for me.

In terms of taking a class...unless you did terrible in your pre-reqs there is no need to do it imo. If you get your hands on the material they use in class what the hell do you need to go to class for? Motivation? It's the f'in MCAT!

 

[MaidMarian]

Hey guys,

I'm taking the MCAT in about six days, and I'm beginning to feel like I've maxed out my study resources (EK and AAMC tests). My aamc scores have ranged from 31 to 36, and I'd love to make a 33+ on the real deal. I want to get as much value as I can from this final week of studying, but I'm beginning to feel like I'm just putzing around and halfheartedly studying redundant material.

Any advice?

Additionally, how would you guys recommend preparing for the essay component? I haven't been as diligent about practicing essays as I probably should have been.

Thanks in advance!

 

[lem101790]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS 11/VR 10/ BS 11 Writing: T Composite: 32T

2) The study method used for each section
I took the Princeton Review Hyperlearning course from November 2010-May 2011 at my school. It had 6 hours of class time per week. Unfortunately, I was also taking a heavy course load and didn't follow along with the homework as well as I should have. I signed up for the July 16th MCAT (am applying next cycle), so once the semester ended, I reread all of the course materials (one book per subject), taking notes to force myself to read each and every page, and then I did all of the assigned homework. I also did some of the practice passages online in the areas where I thought I needed the most help. For the essays, I memorized TPR's formula (thesis, antithesis, synthesis) and did some of the practice essays when writing the AAMC FLs. Use real life examples to prove your point, as they make your point stronger, and you'll be fine!

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Princeton Review- one book for each subject plus the verbal and science hyperlearning workbooks and some of the online materials.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Princeton Review 1 and 2 - thought these were way harder than the AAMC practice exams and stopped using them since they were crushing my confidence.

I did all of the released AAMC FL tests and thought they were very helpful and representative of the real test! My final score was almost exactly my AAMC average.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology and Spanish

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Take the time to do the practice passages. It gets you familiar with the types of questions asked on the MCAT and helps you build your confidence. Also, though this is obvious, make sure you review the areas you're weak on/don't remember from pre-req classes. On my test, so many little things that I reviewed literally the day before popped up and I was so happy that I took the time to quickly look the facts up. Finally, TAKE THE AAMC EXAMS and have confidence that your real score will line up with your practice score. It was hard for me to remember that during the 30 day waiting period when you're stressed and want to know your score, but keep calm! Enter and leave the test center knowing that you've prepared to your fullest ability and remain confident in that fact.

How long did you study?
6 month course (but no heavy duty studying)
8 weeks prior to test, everyday for about 6 hours

 

[Bancrofti]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS: 10
VR: 8
BS: 13
WS: Q

=31 Q

2) The study method used for each section
Retaker, but this time I used Kaplan and was registered for their Advanced MCAT course. I read through all the materials once. Did about half of all the topical exams as well. About 3 weeks before test date I reviewed my 'Smart Report' up to that point and made a list of topics that I got less than 75% correct between all my Kaplan and AAMC exams. Didn't finish reviewing all of those topics before test day, but it gave me direction after content review instead of just starting to go through them all over again. I also began taking notes on these sections as well. Was hoping that writing would help some topics that I was a little hazy on stick in my head. Got a couple hours of the Kaplan notecards a week also.

I received a pretty decent discount on the course, only paying $800 in the end for it when it is usually $2000. I think the guidance and all of the practice materials make it borderline worth it. I had already went the EK route and it didn't get me a great score (doesn't mean it's EK's fault, I actually referred back to the books sometimes for clarification this time around). I think SN2ed method is the best option for most to go though, if you have the time and dedication. I would recommend Kaplan, but if this was my first time around I would just stick to a cheaper, structured plan like SN2ed's.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Kaplan for all sections.
I have all of the EK supplemental books. In the beginning of prep I attempted to do questions and extra passages from the books, as well as the BK physics book I have but towards the end of prep I just stuck with the practice exams and topicals.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
AAMC: 3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11
Kaplan: 1,2,3,4,5,6,10

AAMC Avg: 33
Kaplan Avg: 31

AAMC High: 36 (AAMC 4)
Kaplan High: 35 (FL #6)

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Exercise Physiology Major
Biochemistry Minor

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
I definitely don't have a crazy score, but I actually feel that I should have performed much better. Overestimated my break after PS and my section had already started for Verbal, freaking me out for a section I already lacked confidence in. I didn't do well in PS my first goes around, but after actually understanding how to study this time PS is arguably the easiest section to improve on. Practice tests are invaluable, but make sure you get as much extra practice outside of full lengths as possible. Occasionally you may hear or see people scoring 35+ who say they only took a few exams. But IMO most scoring that high use several different materials to work from i.e. what is seen in the SN2ed plan. The more experience you have, the less surprised you'll be on test day.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
Graduated May 15. Started a couple days after that, took the July 16th exam. A little less than 2 months. Averaged around 25 hours a week over that period, some days I would just take the exam because I was too burnt to do much else. Other days I would literally wake up and the only thing I would do besides eat and pee is study. I only did both essays during a full length once, on maybe one or two more I did one of the prompts completely, and on about 2 others instead of writing out my essay I just thought of what examples I would use, which IMO is good enough practice as long as you have basic writing skills.


Extra info: This is my third attempt at the MCAT. I just thought that those who may have to retake should know some people eventually perform ok.

September 2009 I scored a 26N 9V-8P-9B and September 2010 I scored a 24N 8-8-8.
I almost gave up on the idea of medical school when I saw my 2010 score. I literally DID NOT study for the first exam. The only reason I took it was because I registered super early in order to get the best seat because I heard it was tough to get somewhere close in my area. I ended up taking 2 classes that summer and working to pay for those classes. I had the EK books but didn't get past chapter 1 for any of them and only took AAMC 3, which I think I had scored a 19 on. I thought the exam didn't feel that bad, which is why I didn't void.

Second time I studied my ass off. I lacked a consistent schedule or a plan but the effort was there. My content knowledge was solid, and likely wasn't much worse than it was for this 2011 test. I still lacked the test taking experience this go around even though I took many more full lengths. During the actual exam I remember spending almost 15 minutes on a PS passage before I decided to finally move on, not knowing how bad that would hurt. I thought I was doing good on time and was getting ready to finish right on time, when I realized I had a whole passage left to go. Practically the whole passage was left blank. Was devastated after this and guess I just took a dump the rest of the exam.

Advice for verbal: In the beginning of prep look at all the different theories about how to tackle the verbal section, even design your own. Take verbal sectional tests from EK, TPR, or Kaplan and test out the different strategies to see what you are most comfortable with and what you like best. The important thing is to PICK ONE AND STAY WITH IT. This time around I only hit >10 once on VR in a FL, BUT I got a 10 on practically every single other exam except the last 3(and I took 15 total, excluding diagnostic). After the fourth to last exam I began to panic because I a) wanted to do much better in VR since my target score was 35+ and b) People often times don't do as well as they do on the practice exams. I had been using Kaplan mapping up to that point but I decided to try other things for the last 3. I scored less than 10 in VR for those last 3 exams, granted they were AAMC 10, 11, and Kaplan 6 I believe. That killed my confidence in VR and it showed on the exam. I remember PS and BS distinctly but VR was a blur that day. I just remember thinking OMG, I'm sucking right now, should have done more VR practice. PICK A STRATEGY EARLY, practice with it A LOT, and you should see success on test day.

Focus on the MCAT only. If you can live on campus, spend all day at a local library, or not have to work than do it. I worked about 20-24 hours/week during my studying and I can't help but to think that even half of that time spent studying would have made a big difference.

Lastly, as mentioned I used Kaplan. Don't be fooled by people or prep companies who tell you one prep company is more effective than another. At the end of the day, there are people who score 40+ having used all of the different companies and there are people who have tanked and scored ~20 using each of the companies. The AAMC site has a list of all the potential topics that can be tested for the sciences. Pick a company and towards the end of your content review make sure you have some type of grasp about the basics of each subject and you'll be fine. It's the effort and time put in which yields a high score, not the company.

Oh and don't overestimate your break time during the exam! -_- Good luck guys!

 

[BReal]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS 11/ VR 9/ BS 12 Writing: Q Composite: 32Q


2) The study method used for each section
I took the Kaplan Online Course. Once complete with the course, I spent 4 weeks studying until my test date (7/16). 5 to 8 hours per day in a well lit, quiet area with food and water. I ensured I was solid on content before using up all my Kaplan and AAMC practice exams. It's difficult to practice critical thinking and reasoning on a practice test when you don't have all the content down. On days I wasn't taking a full-length practice exam, I took section tests provided by Kaplan. These were more challenging than the real thing but they kept me on my toes and identified weak content areas (I didn’t let my low % scores on them get to me). After each full-length test, I filled out WIMI (Why I Missed It) charts. First, I analyzed each correct answer to ensure I knew why I got it right. Then I filled out the WIMI chart for each wrong answer. I periodically conducted trend analysis on each WIMI chart and focused on where I was weak and slowed down on question types I commonly missed. This process seemed helpful. There were several practice tests where I missed a higher score by one or two questions and each of those questions were stupid errors resulting from misreading a question, not taking the extra 15 seconds to work out an answer on paper etc. By identifying these trends, I found I started making fewer and fewer "stupid" mistakes.
Two weeks prior to the test date I took only AAMC practice tests (every other day) and did not take any full-length practice tests 6 days prior to the test. The last few days I studied weak content areas, went through old practice tests, and practiced various PS, VR, and BS passages with questions. The day prior to the test, I went hiking.

One thing I also did: when memorizing equations and other information, I would always quiz myself on relationships between related equations or information. For instance, all the kinematics equations are related in certain ways and are important under certain circumstances. Know these relationships in and out. Further, I would quiz myself on what would happen if a particular value within the equation was increased or decreased or removed or additional values were added etc. This helped me really understand what the equation meant and the MCAT likes to test your ability to reason this way.

NOTE: As a post-bac 10 years out of physics and general chemistry, I definitely experienced frustration early on in my studying. I broke a few pens and pencils and left a dent in my kitchen table. Vaguely recognizing concepts that I remembered spending hours studying as a college freshman and sophomore was very discouraging. Once I got through the content and started working through practice tests, my content knowledge began to solidify. I continued going back to the material (flash cards, text review, practice questions, Khan Academy videos, etc.) and by the time I got close to test day I was feeling relatively good. Perseverance worked. And don’t forget to get some exercise.

3) What materials you used for each section (Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Kaplan.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Kaplan 1-5. AAMC 4-11.

The following is the order I took the tests in and the scores I earned:

Kaplan FL 1 (8PS, 9VR, 9BS) – half way through Kaplan course
Kaplan FL 2: (10, 10, 10) -at end of course.
Kaplan FL 3: (9, 10, 12)
AAMC 8: (9, 10, 11)
Kaplan FL 4: (10, 10, 11)
AAMC 7: (10, 10, 10)
Kaplan FL 5: (10, 10, 10)
AAMC 4: (10, 10, 11)
AAMC 5: (9, 10, 10)
AAMC 11: (9, 10, 10)
AAMC 9: (11, 10, 11)
AAMC 10: (11, 9, 12)

AAMC Average: ~30.5
Kaplan Average: 30.5 (not including FL1)

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Psychology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
The adage “perfect practice makes perfect” applies. Do the work. If you skip a step or hand wave a concept while studying, you’ll find it easier to do that more often and you’ll find you won’t have the tools necessary to reason well on test day. I know there were several questions on test day that I would’ve gotten right had I actually sat down and taken the time to get it right in my head (these were the concepts I sort of knew but didn’t have a firm enough grasp on to be certain of my answer).

IF you’re going to take a review course (whether Kaplan, TBR, TPR, EK, or whatever), you have to do the work and you have to really use all the practice materials. I think each company has advantages and disadvantages, but I feel strongly that each test prep company has the ability to help you be successful if you do the work. There is no magic bullet.

Practice passages.
Take practice tests under test conditions (WITH the essays!).
Review practice tests.
Study weak content areas.
Review content areas you “know”.
Practice more.
Sleep.
Eat well.
Exercise.


7) How long did you study?
Studied from May 9th to July 14th (took test on July 16th).
Kaplan course was May 9th to June 14th. Did ALL work and then some.
Took physics and general chemistry 10 years ago so a significant portion of my early studying was dedicated to relearning those two subjects. Once I was pretty good on content, I really dedicated my time to deliberate test practice under appropriate conditions.

 

[BReal]

In terms of taking a class...unless you did terrible in your pre-reqs there is no need to do it imo. If you get your hands on the material they use in class what the hell do you need to go to class for? Motivation? It's the f'in MCAT!

I would add that a class is helpful for people like myself that are a decade out of the pre-req courses (physics and gen chem). I definitely needed instruction for some of the concepts. You also gain a few helpful tips and strategies with a class that you might not gain with independent study, but I'm not sure those tips will make or break you.

 

[vayntraubinator]

I would add that a class is helpful for people like myself that are a decade out of the pre-req courses (physics and gen chem). I definitely needed instruction for some of the concepts. You also gain a few helpful tips and strategies with a class that you might not gain with independent study, but I'm not sure those tips will make or break you.

Great job on breaking 30!

Kind of insane how close the latest aamc practice predicts your score. Your actual mcat is EXACTLY the same as aamc 10. That's ridiculously accurate

 

[cham90]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=12 WS=R BS=14

Composite=40R

2) The study method used for each section
PS&BS: I reviewed my study materials and took AAMC practice tests only after I had finished all content review.

VR: Some of the EK101 practice passages in addition to the AAMC tests.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
I primarily used Examkrackers and listened to Audio Osmosis religiously. If you are going to use Audio Osmosis be sure to Google the errata.

Although I didn't use any other test prep books, I supplemented Examkrackers with other (primarily internet) resources. I felt that EK was lacking in some BS topics so whenever I did not understand a topic well enough to (hypothetically) teach it to my friends, I would search the internet for more information. I read that genetics and molecular biology are becoming high yield topics, so I watched things like this: (http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sit...pter3/animation__mitosis_and_cytokinesis.html).

4) Which practice tests did you use?
I used the 30 min exams that correspond to each EK lecture (at the back of the books). Once I finished all content review (i.e. all of the books) I started the AAMC practice tests.

AAMC #3: 33
AAMC #8: 32
AAMC #9: 33
AAMC #10: 37
AAMC #11 was to be saved in case if I needed to retake.

I did not do too much between AAMC #9 and #10 or #10 and the real test except for review every MCAT related question I've ever missed, ever. I also improved a bunch on the VR simply due to practice. I learned to avoid stupid mistakes from this intensive review.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Chemical Engineering.
Due to my educational background, I was good to go on chemistry and physics (PS subjects) but I had only had one college biology class before the MCAT. Try to focus your time according to your strengths and areas that could use some improvement.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
If you don't have a ton of time to prepare, do a diagnostic or free FL and see where your weaknesses are. I think you can only improve in VR by practicing VR, so if time is limited avoid broad reading in an attempt to boost your comprehension abilities.

I like Sn2's method a lot, so be sure to check that out if you can fit yourself to the schedule.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2 months, averaging ~6 hrs/weekday.

Edit: PM me if you have any questions at all.

 

[deleted380953]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=12 WS=R BS=14

Composite=40R

2) The study method used for each section
PS&BS: I reviewed my study materials and took AAMC practice tests only after I had finished all content review.

VR: Some of the EK101 practice passages in addition to the AAMC tests.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
I primarily used Examkrackers and listened to Audio Osmosis religiously. If you are going to use Audio Osmosis be sure to Google the errata.

Although I didn't use any other test prep books, I supplemented Examkrackers with other (primarily internet) resources. I felt that EK was lacking in some BS topics so whenever I did not understand a topic well enough to (hypothetically) teach it to my friends, I would search the internet for more information. I read that genetics and molecular biology are becoming high yield topics, so I watched things like this: (http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sit...pter3/animation__mitosis_and_cytokinesis.html).

4) Which practice tests did you use?
I used the 30 min exams that correspond to each EK lecture (at the back of the books). Once I finished all content review (i.e. all of the books) I started the AAMC practice tests.

AAMC #3: 33
AAMC #8: 32
AAMC #9: 33
AAMC #10: 37
AAMC #11 was to be saved in case if I needed to retake.

I did not do too much between AAMC #9 and #10 or #10 and the real test except for review every MCAT related question I've ever missed, ever. I also improved a bunch on the VR simply due to practice. I learned to avoid stupid mistakes from this intensive review.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Chemical Engineering.
Due to my educational background, I was good to go on chemistry and physics (PS subjects) but I had only had one college biology class before the MCAT. Try to focus your time according to your strengths and areas that could use some improvement.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
If you don't have a ton of time to prepare, do a diagnostic or free FL and see where your weaknesses are. I think you can only improve in VR by practicing VR, so if time is limited avoid broad reading in an attempt to boost your comprehension abilities.

I like Sn2's method a lot, so be sure to check that out if you can fit yourself to the schedule.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2 months, averaging ~6 hrs/weekday.

Edit: PM me if you have any questions at all.

wow, congrats on shattering your practice test average!

did you see any improvements in your VR during ur AAMCs or did it stay pretty consistent?

 

[cham90]

wow, congrats on shattering your practice test average!

did you see any improvements in your VR during ur AAMCs or did it stay pretty consistent?

Thanks

My VR did improve with my AAMCs but I did not focus on it as much until I finished all of my content review/learning. I started with 8s and was able to get 10s and sometime 11s pretty consistently (in EK and AAMC). My favorite exercise involving VR was from the EK subject book (not the 101) where you had to answer passages given only the questions/stems. I realized that I often used outside information to answer questions, which would cost me a couple of points given the usually steep VR scale. Just as important as the practice is seeing/understanding the reasoning for each answer choice.

 

[deleted380953]

Thanks

My VR did improve with my AAMCs but I did not focus on it as much until I finished all of my content review/learning. I started with 8s and was able to get 10s and sometime 11s pretty consistently (in EK and AAMC). My favorite exercise involving VR was from the EK subject book (not the 101) where you had to answer passages given only the questions/stems. I realized that I often used outside information to answer questions, which would cost me a couple of points given the usually steep VR scale. Just as important as the practice is seeing/understanding the reasoning for each answer choice.

that gives me some confidence

 

[ialwayslose]

I got a 39R

Before I start talking about my strategy, I will say two things about my practice test scores -

2 days before my MCAT, i took a TPR practice test and i got a 28. I felt HORRIBLE. TPR tests were NOT AT ALL representative for me. I took a bunch of AMCAS practice tests (the 4 most recent ones) and I averaged around a 40-41.

After taking the test, I felt that I would get the following - 11 PS, 11 VR, 14 BS. I felt it was MUCH more difficult than any of the AMCAS practice tests (which all seemed VERY easy to me as far as PS and BS went). I ended up getting a 13 PS, 11 VR, 15 BS. At first I was happy, but I know that I was capable of doing better (especially on PS)

My study habits included -

I bought 3 overall "MCAT review" books that had all the subjects. I did one the summer before my junior year semester 1 of college. I did the second my second semester, and the third at the beginning of summer. At the beginning of summer, I did nothing but study for the MCAT for 7 weeks for about 4-8 hours a day. I bought specific review books for each subject (chemistry, physics, biology, orgo, VR), and I did them all.

As far as biology goes, if you are majoring in the biomedical sciences like myself, and you go to school with more challenging courses that teach critical thinking,, this section should be a breeze. IE I already had all the amino acids memorized in terms of polarity/pH range so a lot of practice questions were simply made easier for me. Just review things that you might not feel 100% comfortable with - for me this included carbohydrate structures and some orgo (which I took my 1st year of college so it wasn't that fresh).

For me, physics and chem included a lot more review, since I had taken these courses in high school, and had only taken physical chemistry and so forth in college. I found that ALL of the formulas like bulk modulus, thermal expansion, black box and so on were a COMPLETE waste of time to memorize. People always told me this was the case, and included some stuff about the MCAT being conceptual, but i never believed them. In the end, they were right, so if i were studying again, i wouldnt bother remembering less important formulas. DEFINITELY remember the wavelength one, that one always came up. Focus on reviewing the parts of physics and chemistry you are not comfortable with (for me, this was light and optics).

VR - this was always my weak point (maybe you can tell by my imperfect forum writing skills). I never got above a 12 on any practice test, although I found that the AMCAS practic etests were representative of the real thing. I only managed to raise my final grade 1 point from where I started, mainly due to lack of prep. If I had to do one thing differently the second time around, I would do 1 practice passage a day every day for a year before my test date (even more towards the end).

Time was an issue for me on the VR section of the MCAT, and I found that I improved significantly after I took two CBT VR sections reading/answering everything as quickly as possible (rushing). This made me a lot more comfortable with the exact pace I needed to maintain in order to finish the exam.

Writing - I wrote ~6 timed practice essays. I based all my essays on the simple outline -> explain, example, counterexample (even though they dont ask for an example, I would suggest giving one (but then again I didnt get a T)). my practice probably bumped my score up from a Q to an R. TBH I would only practice the writing if you have time to kill and if you dont feel confident in getting a Q. GET >Q and GET OUT. (TPR essay review service is useful here, at least as long as its free)

 

[BReal]

Great job on breaking 30!

Kind of insane how close the latest aamc practice predicts your score. Your actual mcat is EXACTLY the same as aamc 10. That's ridiculously accurate

Thanks! It was pretty interesting to see my actual score and then realize it was the same as my last practice test. Even before taking the real thing I remember thinking that it made sense to reasonably expect your actual score to be closer to your last two or three practice tests. Many people say you should expect your actual score to be closer to the average of ALL of your practice tests. Under most circumstances, I think I disagree with this. If you are seeing an upward trend in your practice test scores, then it makes sense that you should be capable of scoring somewhere in that higher range on the real thing. Flukes aside, this makes sense to me.

 

[kimicurtis]

I got a 39R

Before I start talking about my strategy, I will say two things about my practice test scores -

2 days before my MCAT, i took a TPR practice test and i got a 28. I felt HORRIBLE. TPR tests were NOT AT ALL representative for me. I took a bunch of AMCAS practice tests (the 4 most recent ones) and I averaged around a 40-41.

After taking the test, I felt that I would get the following - 11 PS, 11 VR, 14 BS. I felt it was MUCH more difficult than any of the AMCAS practice tests (which all seemed VERY easy to me as far as PS and BS went). I ended up getting a 13 PS, 11 VR, 15 BS. At first I was happy, but I know that I was capable of doing better (especially on PS)

My study habits included -

I bought 3 overall "MCAT review" books that had all the subjects. I did one the summer before my junior year semester 1 of college. I did the second my second semester, and the third at the beginning of summer. At the beginning of summer, I did nothing but study for the MCAT for 7 weeks for about 4-8 hours a day. I bought specific review books for each subject (chemistry, physics, biology, orgo, VR), and I did them all.

As far as biology goes, if you are majoring in the biomedical sciences like myself, and you go to school with more challenging courses that teach critical thinking,, this section should be a breeze. IE I already had all the amino acids memorized in terms of polarity/pH range so a lot of practice questions were simply made easier for me. Just review things that you might not feel 100% comfortable with - for me this included carbohydrate structures and some orgo (which I took my 1st year of college so it wasn't that fresh).

For me, physics and chem included a lot more review, since I had taken these courses in high school, and had only taken physical chemistry and so forth in college. I found that ALL of the formulas like bulk modulus, thermal expansion, black box and so on were a COMPLETE waste of time to memorize. People always told me this was the case, and included some stuff about the MCAT being conceptual, but i never believed them. In the end, they were right, so if i were studying again, i wouldnt bother remembering less important formulas. DEFINITELY remember the wavelength one, that one always came up. Focus on reviewing the parts of physics and chemistry you are not comfortable with (for me, this was light and optics).

VR - this was always my weak point (maybe you can tell by my imperfect forum writing skills). I never got above a 12 on any practice test, although I found that the AMCAS practic etests were representative of the real thing. I only managed to raise my final grade 1 point from where I started, mainly due to lack of prep. If I had to do one thing differently the second time around, I would do 1 practice passage a day every day for a year before my test date (even more towards the end).

Time was an issue for me on the VR section of the MCAT, and I found that I improved significantly after I took two CBT VR sections reading/answering everything as quickly as possible (rushing). This made me a lot more comfortable with the exact pace I needed to maintain in order to finish the exam.

Writing - I wrote ~6 timed practice essays. I based all my essays on the simple outline -> explain, example, counterexample (even though they dont ask for an example, I would suggest giving one (but then again I didnt get a T)). my practice probably bumped my score up from a Q to an R. TBH I would only practice the writing if you have time to kill and if you dont feel confident in getting a Q. GET >Q and GET OUT. (TPR essay review service is useful here, at least as long as its free)

Congrats on the great MCAT score? May I ask what test prep books you used and in what order?

 

[stsa84]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS = 13, VR = 12, BS = 11

Composite = 36Q

2) The study method used for each section

For BS and PS: Sat down for 2 months, 6 or 7 days a week, 6-8 hours per day, and did nothing but study. Read through entire Kaplan book 3 times. Made notes the first time, and "taught" myself each section as I went along on my 2nd and 3rd run throughs, checking myself and reviewing if I didn't know a section perfectly.

For WS: I did maybe 5 practice essays...practicing the timing was the biggest issue for me. It was easy to get stuck on trying to nail the perfect sentence and then have to rush to even finish the thing.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Kaplan's big review book, EK's Audio Osmosis, and my old class notes

4) Which practice tests did you use?

All of the questions in the Kaplan review book, as well as AAMC #3, 10, and 11.

3: 38
10: 37
11: 40

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Religion

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Plan to study during the summer when you have no classes. Save up enough money in the months before to take a leave of absence from work for two months. Study 40+ hours a week for 2 months. Make studying your life. Enter the test knowing that additional study time would basically be useless...you're as prepared as you think you could ever be.


7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

Over the course of 2 months I studied for probably 300 hours. I also listened to EK's Audio Osmosis for probably 150 hours over the course of six months before my test.

 

[ialwayslose]

Congrats on the great MCAT score? May I ask what test prep books you used and in what order?

hi kimicurtis-

i used the following books in this exact order (my test date was 06/16/2011

08/15/2010 - Cracking the MCAT Princeton Review - Overall Subject Review Book - Worth the money

12/15/2011 - MCAT - by McGraw Hill - Probably not worth the money as much

from 05/01/2011 until my test day, in this order

TPR - Chemistry Review - Good book
Kaplan - Physics Review - OK book, but would use TPR's instead
TPR - Verbal Reasoning Review - probably helped me improve my score by 1 pt and my writing from Q to R
TPR - Biology Review - Good book, a little too much detail, probably wasted a little too much time, but I am a physiology major so this might have been why i did well on bio
Kaplan - Organic Chem review - Meh, again id go for TPR.

Barrons MCAT review - took me 3 days to complete - not a good use of time.

MCAT 45 by Kaplan - good practice as far as pacing goes because the passages were difficult

MCAT Workout - decent practice/review

.............. and then i went through it all again while doing practic etests in between to get used to the CBT format.

 

[kimicurtis]

hi kimicurtis-

i used the following books in this exact order (my test date was 06/16/2011

08/15/2010 - Cracking the MCAT Princeton Review - Overall Subject Review Book - Worth the money

12/15/2011 - MCAT - by McGraw Hill - Probably not worth the money as much

from 05/01/2011 until my test day, in this order

TPR - Chemistry Review - Good book
Kaplan - Physics Review - OK book, but would use TPR's instead
TPR - Verbal Reasoning Review - probably helped me improve my score by 1 pt and my writing from Q to R
TPR - Biology Review - Good book, a little too much detail, probably wasted a little too much time, but I am a physiology major so this might have been why i did well on bio
Kaplan - Organic Chem review - Meh, again id go for TPR.

Barrons MCAT review - took me 3 days to complete - not a good use of time.

MCAT 45 by Kaplan - good practice as far as pacing goes because the passages were difficult

MCAT Workout - decent practice/review

.............. and then i went through it all again while doing practic etests in between to get used to the CBT format.

Wow, thanks, did you ever try or consider the Examkrackers series?

 

[ialwayslose]

Wow, thanks, did you ever try or consider the Examkrackers series?

haha sorry, i forgot to mention... I wasn't feeling like I would be able to pull a 15 on the PS section (kept getting 13s and 14s on practice exams) so i bought the 1001 MCAT questions in Physics and Chemistry. I did ~500 of the physics probems and 250 of the chem ones. to be honest, the problems were only 1/2 representative of what the MCAT/AMCAS tests were like - I found the books useful for going over things I wasnt comfortable with (light and optics), but a less efficient use of time when it came to things i understood well, like free-fall, kinematics, current etc, since it tended to overcomplicate things.

if i had to go back, i would buy the 101 passages in VR and do 1 per day as soon as i woke up starting 200 days before my test date.

 

[goodvibes]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
33R (11-11-11)

2) The study method used for each section
For Chem and Physics, I started off by reading through the EK books, and making a list of all the topics I was fuzzy on. Then I did all of the discrete problems related to those subjects in TPR Science Workbook, and added to the weakness list if need be. Then I did every 3rd or every other question in EK's 1001 books for Physics, Orgo, and Gen Chem and did every problem related to my weaknesses.

For Bio, I was pretty familiar with all of the physiology since I had just taken it, so I did targeted review with EK, TPR, and Kaplan. I never understood orgo, even as an undergrad, so I spent about 4 solid days teaching it to myself.

For Verbal, I tried to do a practice section every morning around the time that I would be taking it for real.

For Writing, I didn't do anything, except review the general essay format.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Used mostly TPR, EK, AAMC
Used Kaplan for access to AAMC tests and Kaplan's practice exams

4) Which practice tests did you use?
AAMC 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11...I scored between 27-33, and averaged 28. I'm kind of an anomaly since my practice scores don't really reflect what I got.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Sociology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
I've tried almost every prep method out there except for Berkeley, and if I had to do it all over again, I would:

Get online access to either TPR or Kaplan so that you have all of their online questions, tests, and AAMC exams.
I had Kaplan, and would recommend only doing their exams and section tests. Their Q-Bank isn't that realistic, and you can get better targeted review questions through EK and TPR.

Use TPR exclusively for every subject except for Orgo, which I would supplement with EK. When you go through TPR and EK, make sure that you do all of their lecture exercises. It really helps solidify everything.

Go through the EK 1001 question books for Physics and Orgo in order to identify weaknesses and to help you address any known ones. The EK 101 Bio and EK 1001 Gen Chem books weren't that helpful, so rely on TPR or the EK subject review book instead for questions.

Read through TPR text 2-3 days before the exam. It took forever but was definitely helpful the day of the exam.

Make a Weakness List, and check things off. I can't stress how important this is, plus it'll make you feel more confident going into the exam.

Take exams under timed conditions and in environments that mimic the test center. I traded off between uber-quiet places (I find it hard to concentrate when there isn't any noise) and pretty loud areas like a student lounge or near a construction zone.

Do a Verbal section everyday from TPR or EK 101 Verbal Passages, and write down why you got questions wrong. Verbal is all about developing an intuition for the MCAT's questions, not logic.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
6 weeks, 6-8 hours/day. If I had 2 or 3 more weeks to study though, I think I would've been able to really address all of my weaknesses, get my timing down, and ultimately done better. I'd recommend at least 8 weeks of studying. You'll know you're ready when you want to take the exam and get it over with.

Good luck!!! You can do it!

 

[michelyn226]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS = 13, VR = 13, BS = 15

Composite = 41P

2) The study method used for each section
For WS: I only practiced this section when doing the AAMC FLs.
Other sections: I pretty much followed the ExamKrackers schedule, except I saved all the AAMC FLs for the end. I outlined the chapter, did the in chapter tests, listened to audio osmosis, did every third problem in 1001, did the chapter test, did a mini-mcat, then reviewed everything.
Once I finished all the EK materials, I did one AAMC FL every other day, reviewing ALL answers (even correct ones) on non-test days. I finished the last practice AAMC 3 days before my real test, spent a day reviewing all the practices, then did nothing for 2 days.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Only EK

4) Which practice tests did you use?

All the AAMC FLs.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Linguistics and psychology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Take as many full length tests as possible! I wasn't tired at all by the end of the real MCAT, but many of my friends were.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

2 months of basically nonstop studying

 

[NeuroDevil]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS = 14, VR = 12, BS = 13

Composite = 39Q

2) The study method used for each section

PS: TBR. I read the chapters thoroughly and tried to complete as many practice passages as possible. I also used lots of youtube videos (shout out to FreelanceTeach) and my gen chem textbook because I hadn't seen that material in a long time.

VR: I did about 7 of the EK 101 practice tests before I got the the full length phase, at which point I didn't do anything other than the practice test sections. It was never a problem, but my score could certainly very 3 points or so depending on my guesses. This one really isn't in your control much, so I guess the best advice is to read often to develop the ability to consume a passage quickly.

BS: I had the Berkeley Review books for bio too but I thought they were way too detailed (especially the molecular bio one). EK was a great resource, however. I read that book 3 times and I think it prepared me well. I'd never taken a course in physiology so that was my weakness in this section for a long time. Khan Academy videos were a good way to jump into areas I was unfamiliar with-- I especially liked his stuff on immunology and renal physiology. For orgo I really liked TBR but EK was a good refresher towards the end of my studying.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

I had all of the EK and TBR books (minus TBR verbal).

4) Which practice tests did you use?

I took most of the AAMCs, starting about 7 weeks in. Here they are in the order I took them:
3: 37
5: 40
7: 36
8: 37
11: 37
9: 38
10: 36

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Neuroscience

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

One thing that really helped me was creating and maintaining a progress log. I had a word document with all of my scores-- from full lengths to EK 101 tests to individual passages in the TBR books. This made studying more like a game I was trying to beat; by keeping track of my stats and checking off passages I had a tangible sense of improvement and progress toward a goal. I think that was valuable with a test that's so vast in scope that it's easy to get lost.

I'd also like to echo the value of practice tests. I only had time to take AAMCs so I can't speak regarding tests from prep companies, but it really is true that the actual test strongly resembles the AAMC tests.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

8 weeks at about 3 or 4 hours/day (while working in a research lab), then 2 more weeks at about 8 hours/day.

Good luck to all!

 

[MT Headed]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=13 WS=M BS=15 Composite=42M

2) The study method used for each section
I followed the complete EK study guide as found on the EK website. I purchased all of the optional materials for each section (101 and 1001, Audio Osmosis, and the Mini MCATs). I modified it in two ways: when I completed a topic (say chemistry chapter 5) I did every single one of the 1001 problems for that chapter on the same day instead of waiting until saturday, and in the days off I worked on the TBR Bio series because I knew I was weak in bio. Finally, I started listening to EK Audio Osmosis about a year in advance. I probably listened to the entire series 20 times, generally while driving (the audio puts me to sleep if I'm just sitting still). I believe Audio Osmosis helped me with my classes as well as with the MCAT.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
PS: EK Only (including 1001)
VR: EK Only (including 101)
WS: none (does it show?)
BS: EK (including 101) and TBR Bio

4) Which practice tests did you use?
I did one AAMC cbt test a week, in order, 3->11. I averaged 40, with a range of 37-43. I got a lot of 39s and 41s. Since the EK study program is 10 weeks long and there are only 8 AAMC tests, I did the Official Guide to the MCAT Exam problems week 9 and did the Kaplan45 problems week 10.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
I majored in computer science 20 years ago, and somehow got a bachelor of science without completing a single basic science class. 2 years ago I started taking undergraduate basic science classes starting with general chemistry 101 but was not degree seeking.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
I am a science tutor at my university, and I tutor classes while I take them ("simultutoring"). It forced me to do my homework ahead of time, read the textbook, and I was able to explain each homework problem five different ways before the test arrived. I truly think that for the sciences the best way to study is to go back in time two years and do really really well in your basic science classes. For verbal, well it's a test of concentration, logic, and world awareness. The only "trick" I used in verbal was to close my eyes and relax for 5 seconds between passages. Other than that it was read the passage, read the questions, choose the answers, all in a zen state of ultra concentration. Computer science helps with the logic, and life experience (I'm 41) helps with the world awareness.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
10 weeks times 5 hours a day, following the EK schedule. On each EK break day I did a TBR Bio chapter instead.

 

[PwrBldr]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS = 11, VR = 11, BS = 12

Composite = 34R

2) The study method used for each section
I used the SN2ed 3 month study plan that you can find here on SDN with a slight variation to fit my schedule a bit better

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Berkley Review, EK biology and 1001 for all sections, PS MCAT review app on my droid, Kaplan Hyperlearning Verbal, and supplemented with Khan Academy videos on youtube.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

All the AAMC FLs

Scores In order:
3 = 21 (took before studying as diagnostic)
4 = 28 (approximately 2 months into studying)
5 = 32 (after completion of review)
7 = 32
8 = 34
9 = 32
10 =32
11 = 31

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Make sure you take breaks when you need them and base your studying off how you are feeling. If you are feeling burned out, take a day off and wait until you can fully absorb what you are studying so you don't have to go back numerous times during your review.

Also, make sure you have the time to really put your all into getting your target score the first time through. I would suggest devoting a summer to studying for this since you will not be distracted by having to study for other classes. Studying for this test was one of the most draining things I have ever done in my life, and you will not want to have to go through it again.

Finally, don't freak out and try to relax. If you put in the time and hard work, you will do great!

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

3 months with about 1 day off per week

 

[GreenEyes09]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS = 11, VR = 11, BS = 12

Composite = 34R

2) The study method used for each section
I used the SN2ed 3 month study plan that you can find here on SDN with a slight variation to fit my schedule a bit better

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Berkley Review, EK biology and 1001 for all sections, PS MCAT review app on my droid, Kaplan Hyperlearning Verbal, and supplemented with Khan Academy videos on youtube.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

All the AAMC FLs

Scores In order:
3 = 21 (took before studying as diagnostic)
4 = 28 (approximately 2 months into studying)
5 = 32 (after completion of review)
7 = 32
8 = 34
9 = 32
10 =32
11 = 31

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Make sure you take breaks when you need them and base your studying off how you are feeling. If you are feeling burned out, take a day off and wait until you can fully absorb what you are studying so you don't have to go back numerous times during your review.

Also, make sure you have the time to really put your all into getting your target score the first time through. I would suggest devoting a summer to studying for this since you will not be distracted by having to study for other classes. Studying for this test was one of the most draining things I have ever done in my life, and you will not want to have to go through it again.

Finally, don't freak out and try to relax. If you put in the time and hard work, you will do great!

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

3 months with about 1 day off per week

What kind of variation did you use for the method? Could you please be specific? Thanks

 

[PwrBldr]

What kind of variation did you use for the method? Could you please be specific? Thanks

Basically did the section that I felt like doing that day, but I did follow it for the most part. The Organic and gen chem chapters were on average a lot longer than the physics and bio chapters. So say I was supposed to read Ch 9 of Organic on day 72 for example, if I wasn't feeling organic, I would just read the next chapter in whatever topic I felt like reading that day. I felt like if I wasn't in the right mindset to do a certain section, then I wasn't going to retain it very well. Basically, I just switched around some days to fit my studying "mood". I did the same thing with the break days to help prevent me from burning out. Some times I would skip break days, and other times I would take days off back to back.

Also, I never did the last third of the BR chapter quizes while I was taking the AMCAS practice tests, nor did I reread the chapters at the end of the "week" after the first few chapters. Throughout my review, I had a composition notebook for each area (bio, orgo, gen chem, and physics). I would take notes while I read the chapters the first time though and used those to review alongside watching Khan Academy videos online if I felt I didn't have a strong enough grasp on the material. So later on, instead of doing the end of chapter BR questions, I just used that time to review my notes and improve my "weak" areas that I was noticing from the practice tests.

I don't really believe in a one program fits all kind of thing. You have to tailor it to fit you as an individual, but still allow it to get you to where you need to be in the allotted time frame.

I hope that is specific enough. I just got back from a flag football game and am pretty tired so I hope it makes sense. Hit me up in pm if you have any questions.

 

[epsilonprodigy]

Your individual scores and composite score
8/23/10: PS 8/VS 8/BS 9 Composite 25P
7/16/11: PS 12/VS 11/BS13 Composite: 36R


2) The study method used for each section: The first time, I used strictly Kaplan. BIG MISTAKE. Not only does Kaplan not go nearly in-depth enough, but they focus far too much on discrete questions and not nearly enough on passage analysis. Moreover, their passages are not realistic, and their method caused me to get way too hung up on the passage itself, rather than the important parts such as diagrams, question stems and the overall “big picture.” It’s been said that the MCAT is a “forest” exam, not a “trees” exam. Kaplan, in my opinion, neglects this majorly. The biggest reason Kaplan was a disaster for me is because I am a meticulous “box-checker” by nature. Kaplan gives you this syllabus with things that MUST be done, and a few others that are “recommended.” So naturally, you focus on the “musts.” There are two problems with this. 1) You move through everything in order, eventually forgetting what you first learned and never incorporating it into the new stuff, and 2) again, just way, way too many discretes. So I became kind of obsessed with just making sure I was doing everything as prescribed and feeling a false sense of security because I was staying on top of my assignments. I would have been better off focusing on the “q-bank” stuff where you take passages and can design your own exams. Who knows, maybe Kaplan works for some folks… but I don’t know any of them, at least not in person! Another big mistake I made was reading way way too much, and feeling false reassurance that I was OK because I had memorized a ton of information. Time is much better used doing timed practice materials!

OK. Enough ranting. The second time, I used a modified version of SN2ed’s schedule. This was phenomenal for many reasons. For one, the rotating structure ensures that you’re always going back to stuff you’ve already covered, and by the time you go back to do the second third of chaper X, or whatever, you’ve now gone over some new stuff and can form connections between it all. For another thing, it hones in on the two most important skills you’ll need for the MCAT: a well-practiced “feel” for timing and tackling the passages, and synthesis of a larger picture from multiple concepts. I modified the schedule in the following way:

Study Method (variation from SN2ed’s schedule):
I would read through each chapter and take notes. If you don’t understand something while going through the chapter, stop and clarify, don’t glaze over it! Don’t be afraid to include extrapolated explanations while going through things. For example, I would regularly stop and write down, or at least think through how what I was reviewing related to other topics. After reading the chapter, I’d do at least 1/3 of the EK1001 questions BEFORE moving onto passages. Then I’d do the first 1/3 of the passages if it was a subject I used TBR for, or a reasonably equivalent amount from TPRH if it was a subject I was using TPR for. I’d then push on, and later in the week I’d go back, review my notes, do a few more discretes, and the second round of the passages. I continued this until I’d gone through all the chapters. Before starting practice exams, I made a list of topics I had trouble with and did passages from TPRH Science Workbook until I felt comfortable. Upon starting practice exams, I’d take an exam and review about half of it that same day. Then the next day, I’d finish reviewing and do the final segment of a chapter’s topics. I planned it out so that I’d still have some extra passages at the end if I needed more practice.
I learn by writing, so spent a lot of time on note-taking during the first pass, and reviewed my passages in GREAT detail, so I was often “behind” per the schedule. Do not worry about this if you find yourself in the same situation! Just make sure you know your tendencies and plan for enough time, but don’t rush through it just because you want to feel “on schedule.”

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
For PS, I mainly used TBR as described by SN2ed’s plan along with EK 1001, but for topics I had trouble on, I supplemented with passages from the TPR science workbook, and, to a lesser extent, some of their discretes.

For VR, I used EK 101 and TPRH Verbal. I thought TPRH was especially helpful if you have to choose between the two, but would do both if possible. I finished both in total. I did a few passages from TBR Verbal but did not find it as helpful.

For BS, I started off using TBR but found them to be a little out there for biology. They were fine for the physiology stuff, but they get more deeply into the biochem and metabolic pathways than you probably need. So ultimately, I ended up switching to TPRH for bio. I used both the study book and the Science Workbook for passages. I didn’t really use EK 101 bio except for maybe 5-7 passages. I did very few discrete questions for bio, except in problem areas.

For orgo, I used TBR mainly, and supplemented with TPRH. This was probably my weakest area, so sometimes I also read material from the TPRH content book. I also did plenty of googling and Wikipedia-ing.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

I started out with Gold Standard Exams. I’d recommend doing these first because 1) the verbal isn’t as good and 2) the math is much more complex than you’ll need, but it’s good practice and makes you fast.
GS-1 PS 9/VR 7/BS 11
GS-2 PS 8/VR 9/BS 10
GS-3 PS 9/VR 9/BS 11
GS-4 PS9/VR 11/BS 11
GS-5 PS 8/ VR 10/BS 11
GS-6 PS10/VR11/BS 11
GS-7 PS 8 (took out of curiousity, heard it was the worst)
GS-8 PS10/VR10/BS13
GS-9 PS7/VR 11/BS 13
GS-10 PS9/VR11/BS 12
(as you can see, not predictive, PS way too hard, but decent practice for the price)

Next was TBR: (this is going from memory, eeek…)
TBR1- 12/13/10
TBR2-12/11/10
TBR 3- 12/11/10
TBR 4- 11/11/10
TBR-5 11/11/9 (??? I think….)
TBR-6 12/11/11
TBR-7 10/12/10

Last, AAMC’s. I had taken all of them but AAMC 11 a little over a year ago but they were actually quite predictive. Took in a weird order due to unplanned postponement of the actual exam.

AAMC 7: 14/10/13
AAMC 8: 13/11/13
AAMC 9: 12/14/12
AAMC 11: 11/11/11

AAMC 3: 12/11/13
AAMC 5: 12/12/15
AAMC 10: 12/11/13

Oh, and for you TBR-ers, my phase scores were about as follows:
Physics 67-72%, Gen Chem 75-80%, Orgo 60-70%, Bio 77-90%


5) What was your undergraduate major? Nursing. Graduated in 2006 and did most of my sciences as a post-bacc.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Other than trading a crappy study method and materials for a good one, the real “secret” to my success was an extremely detailed, honest and systematic analysis of all completed practice materials. I would regularly spend hours, or sometimes an entire day, on just reviewing. Get to know the types of mistakes you make and find out why you make them. For example, I found that the main sources of my mistakes were incorrectly extrapolating the question stem to include faulty assumptions, flat-out reading the question stem or answer choice wrong, or not paying close enough attention to a diagram, chart, or table in the passage (for the sciences, anyway.) The Kaplan method had brainwashed me into all of their stupid summarizing, and it was a huge time-drain. I had to actively train myself to skim through the prose of each science passage and pay the bulk of my attention to the figures. Try to notice trends in data and ask yourself how the thing works, if it’s an apparatus-type passage. After awhile you’ll find yourself mentally answering questions as you skim, before you even get to them. I regularly read Shrike’s PS strategy post prior to starting a practice exam.

As you go over the answers, before you even look to see if the answer is correct or incorrect, answer the question again (untimed, this time of course.)
Then mentally make a change in the question stem and tell yourself what that would change, and what the answer would be then. If you get the wrong answer, go back to the question stem and try again (this is all without looking at the explanation.) Try to explain why each wrong answer choice is wrong, and what would have to change or be assumed in order for each to be correct. Watch out for those answers that are just a bunch of jargon strung together to try to sound important. Finally, go over the explanation. Over time, you’ll find that your explanation to yourself more and more closely matches the book explanation. As you go along, try to connect the “why’s and how’s” to other topics.


7) How long did you study for the MCAT?


6 months, 5 days/week were 7-10 hours/day. I work 12 hour shifts Sat./Sun and would study sporadically for an hour or so on these days too. To be honest, I didn’t really take break days. I’m the type who’s more stressed by taking a break when I feel like I should be doing something, which defeats the purpose of taking a break! Plus I knew I was super slow at reviewing, so this often put me behind schedule. Again, take the time if you need the time… rushing through can be almost as bad as sitting around and doing nothing!


Oh, and one more thing about verbal- although my scores were fairly consistent, I struggled with fluctuating scores on practice passages. The thing that finally helped me get consistent was to quickly read the whole passage without going back, note any contrasts that are potential question material, and then when you’re done, quickly go back and skim the structure, mentally “telling yourself what the passage just told you.” This helped me see connections and relate to why the author brought up certain things, and also helped me grasp those dastardly “main purpose” questions by forcing me to pay attention to what the bulk of the passage was actually dedicated to.

Good luck! For those struggling to get over a low score, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!! Do not listen to the statistics or the naysayers. Flukes do happen (my first score was 8 points below my practice average of 33) and study methods are not a one-size-fits-all deal. PM me if you have any questions- I am serious about helping people overcome this beast!

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Absolutely, positively inspirational epsilonprodigy!

Thanks for taking the time to post such a thorough post. You hit on a point that rarely gets brought up but is so vital. Exposure to a vast range of different materials helps prepare you for the MCAT. The actual MCAT you get has several different authors and your study method had you exposed to all sorts of different voices and styles.

You used materials from four soruces in a well-planned fashion. Congratulations on the fruits of your labor. Your earned that great score in EVERY sense of the word earn. Best of luck on your journey!

 

[paul411]

the real "secret" to my success was an extremely detailed, honest and systematic analysis of all completed practice materials. I would regularly spend hours, or sometimes an entire day, on just reviewing. Get to know the types of mistakes you make and find out why you make them.

Proper post-game analysis of practice tests is one of the most important yet overlooked strategies for MCAT prep.

6 months, 5 days/week were 7-10 hours/day

These study habits you developed will serve you well in med school.


Great job on the commendable jump from 50th percentile to 97th percentile!

 

[muhali3]

Your individual scores and composite score
8/23/10: PS 8/VS 8/BS 9 Composite 25P
7/16/11: PS 12/VS 11/BS13 Composite: 36R

For one, the rotating structure ensures that you're always going back to stuff you've already covered, and by the time you go back to do the second third of chaper X, or whatever, you've now gone over some new stuff and can form connections between it all. For another thing, it hones in on the two most important skills you'll need for the MCAT: a well-practiced "feel" for timing and tackling the passages, and synthesis of a larger picture from multiple concepts. I modified the schedule in the following way

Even though I have not got my scores back yet, I will echo what you've said. In my content review, I went through one section at a time, and by the end of it, I realized that I should have rotated my subjects, because the earlier material in my prep was not as fresh in my mind.

Timing is also very important, especially on the verbal. As I improved my timing on the practice tests, my scores increased.

 

[kehlsh]

Your individual scores and composite score
8/23/10: PS 8/VS 8/BS 9 Composite 25P
7/16/11: PS 12/VS 11/BS13 Composite: 36R


Good luck! For those struggling to get over a low score, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!! Do not listen to the statistics or the naysayers. Flukes do happen (my first score was 8 points below my practice average of 33) and study methods are not a one-size-fits-all deal. PM me if you have any questions- I am serious about helping people overcome this beast!

Wow this is really an inspirational post... I hope I can follow your footsteps =)

 

[epsilonprodigy]

Kelsh, you can! I think you will get a 38. Not sure why, but that's my guess for you;-)

 

[liveoak]

great to see a nurse kick ass.

 

[sean842]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
35Q PS=12 VR=11 BS=12

2) The study method used for each section
Started out reading the EK series, but was given a free Kaplan course by my school. I read the whole EK series in about 1.5 weeks. This seemed decent as it gave me a rough overview of what I needed to know. But it wasn't that useful other than that. I would recommend not reading any of the MCAT books straight through, but instead use them as a reference.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

My general study method was to read the EK books first to get an idea of what I needed to know. From then on I really just did tests. I did all the Kaplan topicals, section tests, and FL tests. I also, took all the AAMC tests. I've always learned best by practice so this seemed to work well.

My general schedule was to take a FL test, review it the next day, take one science section test the next day and review it, then full length the day after, review the following day, then day off. When I reviewed the FL tests I would review every question, whether I got it right or wrong, write out a short explanation of why the correct answer was correct. Then I would look at every other answer choice given and make sure I recognized the logic behind why it was wrong and the content behind every answer choice. Doing this for every problem of the entire test would take a long time, but it was worth it. Initially this really helped to drill the content I was weak on. For this period I felt that the Kaplan tests were superior to AAMC. They are so much tougher that you just have more to review. On the AAMC exams I may only miss 1-3 questions on a section, which isn't very enlightening.

This helped initially, I hit a 33 on a Kaplan test after about 3 week of study. After reviewing that and drilling some weaknesses I hit a 39 about a week later. My Kaplan scores stayed around 39 for the rest of my study. This was frustrating, but I quickly realized as I continued studying that I had really stopped missing questions because of content deficits and was missing questions based on test logic. From there I basically ditched my review style of writing out answers after reviewing content and I started writing out my answers based on what I had missed in the passage. If I got a question wrong because I had misread a graph then I wrote that out rather than referencing a book to get my supporting evidence.

My scores never really budged after this initial plateau, but they were so tightly clustered that I was very confident going into my test. This was incredibly helpful, I was really very relaxed during my test and it felt no different than any of the other dozens of tests I had taken.

PS Used EK, kaplan, old textbooks, and AAMC. Kaplan was the most helpful, AAMC was the most representative of the real thing. Doing all the kaplan topicals helped a lot.

• Learn scientific notation
• Know how to manipulate logs
• Know the units for the newtons, watts, acceleration, etc. Now know how to construct units of power, energy, etc out of the basic units. You will get one of those "which one of these is the correct formula for..." questions on your test. Rather than figure it out, which is sometimes super hard, being able to determine which one has the correct units will save you.

Some EK at first, Kaplan, and AAMC, referenced some old textbooks

I'm a math major so most of the math for the MCAT was straight forward for me, it was getting used to the inference questions that took some work.

VR

EK101 and AAMC

Used EK101 at first and this seemed to help get my scores >10, but past that it didn't seem that useful. The passages were to easy to read and some of the questions are kind of out there. I did the verbal sections in the kaplan FL but nothing else of theirs. The Kaplan stuff is decent practice in terms of pacing, dense reading, and the questions, but it is different than the AAMC stuff and I would stop using Kaplan a few weeks before you test.

Verbal isn't really logic in the formal sense. At first i would consistenly miss questions because the test writers clearly didn't understand how to use "if, or, and" in the formal logic way. Once you realize that this section is a test of your ability to recognize and reproduce another persons faulty reasoning the better off you will be.

WS

Tried to write at least one essay on the tests leading up to my test date. Sat down the night before and wrote a few essays trying to copy the style out of the back of the Kaplan book.

BS

Kaplan, AAMC
This was my most difficult section. I had only taken intro bio, orgo, and a biochem class so I had to learn everything else. I did all the kaplan topicals, and would heavily review this section on tests, if there was a single thing I didn't know in the passage or the answer choices I would look it up. This helped on a few questions as certain topics seem to come up over and over. Don't go overboard though, after a while you get a sense of what content could come up again and is worth reviewing and what is something that you should be able to get from the passage. I can't give much help here other than "the answer is in the passage." Whenever I would find myself stumped on something I didn't know the content for, I would remind myself of this. The answer is almost always in the passage.


4) Which practice tests did you use?
All the Kaplans except 10
All the AAMC's

I've attached the excel file that shows the score on every FL tests i got, every section test, every EK test, as well as averages, st. deviations, etc.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Mathematics

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Stay calm, get there early, and take the day off before your test. Make sure and bring food and go to the bathroom on breaks, I had to go so bad during bio.

Also, you have a 10min break between sections, but when it goes to the screen that shows what section you are doing next, there is no timer. I sat at those screens for an extra few minutes just clearing my head.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

about 2.5 months, usually 5-6hrs/day on the weekday and 1-4hrs on saturday and sundays off. In the month leading up to the test I really only studied every other day because my review tests starting going super fast once I switched to AAMC tests.

 

[AlphaMagnum]

0) Test Date:

August 6, 2011. This was my first actual MCAT exam.

1) Your individual scores and composite score:

Individual Scores: 12 Physical, 12 Verbal, 15 Biological
Composite Score: 39S

Immediately after taking the exam, these were my expectations:

Physical Sciences:

Straightforward; matched the difficulty level from AAMCs 9-11. I expected a scaled score similar to my later AAMCs on this section.

Verbal Reasoning:

Somewhat difficult; I expected a scaled score of 10 or 11 here.

Biological Sciences:

Very easy, perhaps easier than the last few AAMCs. I expected a high score from this section.

Writing Sample:

I was quite happy with my essays. If only I could see them now to really understand what I did well (I can barely remember what I wrote at this point).

Having seen my actual scores, the only real outlier was Verbal Reasoning in my experience, in a good way.

2) The study method used for each section:

Physical and Biological Sciences:

Read the book. I had one prepatory book and that's all I used. I read the sections corresponding to these subjects and found that they had precisely the depth I wanted/needed, though many posters on these forums tend to disagree.

Verbal Reasoning:

Nothing. Took the AAMC FLs and hoped for the best. My results on those first few practice exams told me that I was fine to take things this way with respect to VR.

Writing Sample:

I'm not some kind of novelist or poet but I wasn't worried about the Writing Sample once I saw how it was to be approached. I copy-pasta'd the absolutely massive list of prompts found on the AAMC website into a Word file, from which I grabbed a prompt at random every so often during the last 2 weeks before the exam. I didn't write sample essays either, outside the last 3 FLs. When I pulled prompts at random, all I did was try to generate the 'meat' for the three necessary stages of the paper. In other words, I briefly described the statement, found a counter-example that fit but didn't go into depth trying to explain it, and finally determined the general rule, which was where most of my difficulty came initially. It was actually the last stage which took the most time out of the three, in my experience.

3) What materials did you use for each section?

Physical and Biological Sciences:

Kaplan's 2010-2011 MCAT Premier Program book, which cost me $100 or so when I bought it new in Montreal in March 2011. That is the only practice material I used to study for the MCAT, except for the odd jaunt to Wikipedia when I wanted a wee bit more depth. I didn't use any sort of practice questions or other materials while I did content review but that was a personal choice that I don't necessarily recommend to anyone else.

Verbal Reasoning and Writing Sample:

Nothing, unless that enormous list of WS prompts on the AAMC site counts. AAMC FLs were the only study materials I utilized for these sections, other than the odd prompt I used as described earlier for WS.

4) Which practice tests did you use?

The only practice exams I used were AAMC Full-Lengths, taken in succession once I finished content review. The "X days later" refers to the number of days it had been since I completed content review.

AAMC 3 (Taken just after I finished content review): 11PS/11BS/13VR (35)
AAMC 4 (2 days later): 12PS/11BS/13VR (36)
AAMC 5 (4 days later): 12PS/10BS/11VR (33)
AAMC 7 (7 days later): 11PS/13BS/12VR (36)
AAMC 8 (10 days later): 12PS/13BS/11VR (36)
AAMC 9 (13 days later): 13PS/14BS/11VR (38)
AAMC 10 (16 days later): 12PS/12BS/11VR (35)
AAMC 11 (19 days later): 13PS/14BS/11VR (38)

I personally predicted that I'd score between 36 and 38, but perhaps that was just confidence after the last few practice exams.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Anatomy and Cell Biology at McGill. I studied for and took the MCAT after completing my second year of that program and I just started my third year a week ago. Notable courses which I had completed as of my MCAT administration, divided by the year in which I took them:

First Year, 2009-2010:
2 Semesters of Organic Chemistry (covered everything needed for MCAT - EXTREMELY USEFUL)
2 Semesters of Introductory Physics (covered everything needed for MCAT - EXTREMELY USEFUL)

Second Year, 2010-2011:
2 Semesters of Mammalian Physiology (all I needed to know and more - EXTREMELY USEFUL)
1 Semester of Molecular Biology (reasonably useful)
1 Semester of Biochemistry (somewhat useful)
1 Semester of Histology (not useful at all)
1 Semester of Human Anatomy (not useful at all)

My other university courses had little bearing on what I needed for the MCAT.

Note: I completed the equivalent of 2 semesters of General Chemistry by taking IB Chemistry HL in High School. Chemistry was indeed my weakest subject, before content review, thanks to the 2+ year gap between learning the material and being tested on it during the MCAT.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Post-test analysis was the greatest factor in improving my scores. I left 2 and 3 day gaps between practice tests so I could review every question, correct or incorrect, on the day after taking an exam, and potentially further review entire topics which I found difficult on the day after that.

Note: I agree that content review is incredibly important and that it would be very unwise to begin using precious AAMC FLs before you're good and ready, however.

Good scores in Physical and Biological Sciences are just a product of good content review and some background knowledge, imo. Practice exams help a lot as well, but you need a solid foundation if you want to get anywhere.

Verbal Reasoning and Writing Sample success came as a result of practice. Learning to thoroughly and speedily read and analyze the passages is key, for VR. Doing well on the Writing Sample takes practice. I was total garbage before I really sat down and figured out precisely what they wanted. I read a few sample essays but more importantly I started planning out my own. Five minutes devoted to outlining where you want to go with your paper before starting will save you the headache of figuring out what to do when you've gone off course twenty minutes down the line. That five minutes of planning is precisely what I did with the random prompts I pulled from the AAMC site. Once I'd written a few essays, I was confident that I could identify whether my 5-minute outline was sufficient or insufficient to be used as the basis for the essay to answer a new prompt.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

2.5 to 3 months, give or take. May, June, and July of 2011 were officially designated as study months, though vacations and such cut that down to 2.5 months. Furthermore, my study schedule looked something like this:

For the first 2 months, content review in which I read from Kaplan's book for an hour a day or so. That's it. I annotated the book as I went with personal notes to simplify subjects in a way which made them easy to digest. I did not attempt any practice questions during those two months. (That might have been a mistake, in hindsight.)

On occasion I flipped to a random page from an earlier section and did my best to summarize the key details and any important links to other areas within the same subject area or other subject areas entirely. This was rare, however.

During the final month I completed practice exams. As stated earlier, the only ones I used were AAMC FLs, so I left 2 and 3 day gaps between exams. This was to take thorough notes on any question I found confusing, whether I got it correct or incorrect, and then review those notes and subjects over the next day or so, before taking another exam. In effect, each exam pointed out flaws in my knowledge and thinking, which I sought to fix in the following two days, before exposing myself to the next gauntlet which would (ideally) expose new and different holes to me, so to speak.

Taking a practice exam required roughly 4 hours of my time, as I chose not to complete the Writing Sample until my final 3 exams. On days when I wrote an exam, I did nothing else and took the rest of the day off. Writing in the morning, as soon as I woke up, freed up the rest of the day for my own devices and somewhat simulated test day conditions.

The day after writing an exam I would spend roughly 2 or 3 hours just reviewing each question, right or wrong. I took notes on the subject areas and topics which confused me and made it a point to clarify any ambiguities then and there. I then spent an hour or so, tops, looking through and reviewing those areas which I had noted down, using a combination of Wikipedia and the Kaplan book.

If I had a third day before the next exam, I spent another few hours reviewing the notes and subject areas from previous practice exams to ensure that everything was sticking.

The day before the exam, I drove up 3 hours to get to the town which contained our province's only testing center. I didn't really study or review much, except for a few glances at my notes sheet. Mostly I sat around and read a fanfic which I'd discovered a few days prior. Good times.

8) Addendum

I realize that my study habits are incredibly meager for the score which I received on the MCAT. I cannot identify the reason why this is the case, though I wish I could have taken an FL before starting content review just to see where I stood with just my background knowledge.

Still, I cannot (in good conscience) recommend my study habits to anyone else, because I really don't know why I didn't need to spend as much time with the MCAT as other successful individuals might have done. Regardless, there are likely a few things you can take away from this:

1) Content review is important but you don`t necessarily need multiple books.
2) Thorough review of practice exams is key. You should ideally be improving your score as you proceed through the FLs.
3) Taking courses in the subjects tested on the MCAT is an incredible boon in several cases. Conveniently, many of these courses are pre-requisites for entrance to most medical schools in the United States and in some cases Canada as well.
4) Study hard and be sure to review, review, review. Otherwise you`ll never know what you don`t know. See what I did there?

 

[mitchlucker]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS- 12, VR- 10, BS- 10
32R

2) The study method used for each section
PS- Kaplan review book. Read the book and took notes on what I read. Made myself an annotated version of the book that I could read through in about an hour.
VR- EK101 for practice
BS- Kaplan review book. Read the book and took notes.
Writing- Didn't bother. Never did any practice for it. Never even looked at the prompts on the practice tests. Waste of study time IMO. I know I'm a decent writer and I would be fine on test day.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS- Kaplan
VR- EK101
BS- Kaplan

4) Which practice tests did you use?

AAMC3- PS- 12, VR 10, BS 12
AAMC8- PS 14, VR 10, BS 13
AAMC9- PS 12, VR 9, BS 15
AAMC10- PS-12, VR 11, BS 15
AAMC11- PS-13, VR 10, BS 12

As you can see my practice test scores were much higher than my actual exam. I never, ever, ever would have guessed a 10 in BS. Every BS I looked up after the actual exam I got correct.

After doing so well on my practices I considered retaking. A 13.5 BS average dropping to a 10...come on. When I saw my score I was happy with PS and VR but was in shock about my BS score. However, I'm not retaking a score in the 84-88th percentile. I can do better but the time/money for a retake isn't worth it IMO.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
1) Don't take your practice scores for granted. Don't get lazy with your studying after getting your target scores on your practices. That's what I did and I kind of screwed myself from getting an elite score.

2) To be honest, I suggest looking up every question you even for a second had a second thought about. On my practices I got most of the ones I was unsure of correct, and just assumed I would do so on test day. If I had to do it again I would spend the time to go through every single question. Look on wikipedia, look on premedwiki, look anywhere to find as much information about the concept as you can. You never know what you'll see on test day, and the things you stumble upon online could very well show up.

3) Verbal can be defeated with practice. I was happy with a VR score of 10 or above so don't really care that I only got a 10. If you want a good score then just practice, practice, practice and review the ones you got wrong.

4) Go above and beyond what studying asks from you. If you know that Mendelian genetics could be on your exam, ****ing know Mendelian genetics. Don't think "Well, it was easy on the practices, what could the real test throw at me that's harder?" because you'll find out and it'll be too late.

5) AAMC11 is the best predictor of what you will see on test day IMO. I took it as my last practice, a couple days before my exam. Take it as your last practice, but leave yourself enough time to attack your weaknesses effectively.

6)Set goals. Set a reach goal and a safe goal. My reach goal was a 37+ and my safe goal was a 31-36. Don't set a goal of 40+ if you know you realistically don't have the time, patience and ability to achieve it. Don't sell yourself short, either. A 3.8+ student should get a 31+ MCAT score...

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
4 weeks, 4 hours per day.

I would suggest studying a lot longer than this if you want an elite score, but if you do well in your classes and just want a score that will get you in somewhere then this should be enough.

If you spent the time to read this, then thanks. I know it's not a 40+ like most of you reading these want to see, but it's a realistic score and I think I offered some good advice. Good luck.

 

[deep122]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=13 VR=11 WS=N BS=12 Composite=36N

2) The study method used for each section
I took a TPR class, which wasn't all that helpful for me. Their materials are amazing though. That workbook is part of why I scored so well. Get your hands on one if possible. Their other MCAT books are also great, but their Bio is far too detailed. EK Bio was absolutely perfect.

PS: Read over the book and went to class. I made flashcards for every single topic. I essentially summarized the TPR chem and physics books, but excluded the examples. It wasn't until I went through these flashcards 2-4 times that I felt truly comfortable with the information. Of course practicing is a must. Alot of people say practicing is more important than content review. I disagree. It's half and half. If you don't know the content, then practicing it is going to be useless.

BS: EK Bio was amazing. I basically just tried to memorize as much of it as I could. I forgot alot of the details along the way, which is okay. Bio is very very passage based and alot of the time, outside information isn't going to help all that much. However, you must be familiar with the information in the passage. Again, practice passages are key. You need to be able to understand experiments and explain the results. If you don't understand the experiment, you probably aren't going to be able to answer the questions.
I didn't make flashcards for bio, because I felt like that would be excessive, but I did make them for Orgo reactions.

VR: EK101 and TPR Verbal Workbook were both great. Neither is exactly like AAMC, but I felt like EK was closer. I started VR at around 7-8 and bumped it to an 11 over the course of my studying. I used EK strategy with a few adjustments. After each paragraph, I would take a second and summarize what I just read. I felt like this helped ingrain the information a little bit, instead of just barreling through the passage.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
TPR for everything except bio, which I used EK for.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
All AAMC. My average was around a 34. I only hit 36 on one exam actually. AAMC11 was very representative of my actual MCAT. After each practice exam, I would review each and every question (took me about a day or two, but I did it pretty slowly and took alot of breaks).

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Human Physiology. I did very well in my undergraduate classes, which helped alot in studying. Even topics I hadn't seen in 3 years came back relatively quickly.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Know what you can and can't handle. Some people can study for this exam in 2 months while taking 4 courses and doing research. That wasn't me. I was drowning just while taking two courses. Also, make time for fun. I was studying constantly and burned out a few times, which was really annoying. This exam really is just about working hard. I'm not the smartest kid out there, but I work my butt off and it paid off. Also, this was an incredibly helpful strategy: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6695902&postcount=273

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
A LONG time. I studied from the end of January to the end of July. I'd say I took around 2 months off for studying for exams (one week here, one week there). I kept up with my TPR class, and once school was over, I made all my flashcards and went over them throughout June. July was spent doing AAMC exams. I actually postponed my exam twice and I'm very glad I did so. You don't want to take this exam until you're really ready. I knew I was ready when I was comfortable with the material, was doing well on my practice exams, and was just tired of the material. Good luck to anyone that read this. My biggest tip: flash cards for PS (keep them conceptual).

 

[frisbeeguy]

Hey all, I benefited a ton from reading these posts before and during my MCAT prep, and I figured I'd make an account so that potentially someone else will benefit from my experiences!

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS-VR-BS 15-13-14-> 42Q

2) The study method used for each section

I took a Kaplan class and followed their schedule thoroughly but added more - I took more practice tests, more section tests, and lots of verbal practice.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

PS: Kaplan
VR: Kaplan and EK
BS: Kaplan

4) Which practice tests did you use?

Everything I had, more or less. Here's my practice test schedule:

5/22: Kap Diag = 25 (had not taken physics or gen chem 2)
5/29: AAMC 3 = 26
6/16: Kap FL8 = 33
6/26: Kap FL7 = 36
7/5: AAMC 4 = 32
7/10: Kap FL1 = 38
7/14: Kap FL6 = 39
7/16: Kap FL2 = 42
7/20: AAMC 5 = 37
7/23: Kap FL3 = 43
7/26: Kap FL4 = 40
Then Kap FL5 (40), AAMC 9-11 in pretty rapid succession the week before the test:
AAMC 9: 39
AAMC10: 40
AAMC11: 40

I think taking lots of practice tests is ABSOLUTELY the most crucial thing you can do to get into the high 30's/low 40's once your knowledge base is extremely solid. Taking all these tests prepped me perfectly for the real deal.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Understand everything. If you can't understand something conceptually, you're much more apt to get tricked up on the real deal. I think conceptual understanding beats memorization any day of the week for this test. Good luck!!!

I forgot to mention this earlier, but the High-Yield problems in the back of the kaplan books were superb. Yes, they can be quite difficult, but if you can do them all without any problem, you'll probably be in pretty darn good shape for the real thing. I did literally all the physics and gen chem high-yield problems (did not really need to do them for bio/organic) until I had every concept and method down perfectly, and it got me a 15 on the real PS section.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

I really started studying 6/1, so about 9 weeks of fairly intense study.

 

[KaplanKrackers]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=10 WS=P BS=15 Composite=39P

2) The study method used for each section

PS: Didn't study all that much. I've taken high school physics, chem, AP physics, AP chem, college physics I and II and Gen Chem I and II, plus I do research in a chem lab. Having the experience and doing well in class is really the best way to prepare, although obviously not always an option if you're taking the test in a few months. What I did study I used the physics and chem books from the Kaplan 5 book series, and practice tests.

VR and W: Well I sucked at writing. I studied more for verbal that any other section, and my score increased a grand total of 0 points from my first practice test...so I shouldn't be giving advice.

BS: I hadn't taken physiology so I studied quite a bit -- all self taught from the Kaplan bio book from their 5 book series. I think they did a good job on this book (although the practice tests at the end of it are way to hard and unrealistic...not to mention full of errors).
Also, Princeton Review's elite strategies for a 45 WAS HANDS DOWN THE MOST VALUABLE BOOK I USED!!! The night before the MCAT I did a few last minute bio passages from the online material that comes with the book. I was sitting there thinking to myself, 'these are stupid unrealistic passages, they don't require any outside knowledge...I'm wasting my time'. Turns out the next day the MCAT had 2 passages that were extremely similar. Instead of freaking out, I was able to go back and re-read the passages and figure out the answer based on the provided information. No other practice material simulated the real thing so closely.
For Ochem, again, I was good at it from my classes in college, so I didn't study all that much.


3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Kaplan 5 book series (good content review, verbal sucks though)
AAMC official guide (got it for free, not that useful)
Barrons (waste of money)
Princeton Review elite strategies for a 45 (best book ever...seriously)
EK 101 (I think it's very over rated and unrealistic)

4) Which practice tests did you use?

Kaplan free diagnostic
Gold standard free diagnostic
The two PR tests that came with the book
AAMC 9-11

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biochem

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

If the MCAT is a long way off, do well in your classes, and really learn the material. Don't just memorize for the test, but have a thorough understanding of concepts. Sorry, I know this isn't the most practical advice for most people.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

3.5 months, averaging ~2 hrs/day.

 

[animosity]

I can finally post in here, after reading through this thread about 4 times over!!

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=12 WS=R BS=14

Composite=40R

2) The study method used for each section

Princeton review class for BS and PS. took every PR test, every AAMC, did every practice problem, read each review book about 3-4 times over, then listened to EK audio osmosis like 3 times in the last month while doing the other stuff.

VR: Just did practice, no strategy in particular, my verbal was always solid because I'm a liberal arts honors major.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

Princeton Review, EK Audio Osmosis

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Princeton review at first, then exclusively AAMC's 1 starting 1 month before the test.

AAMC Avg: 36

highlights: AAMC #11: 38
AAMC #4 39

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Liberal Arts Honors


6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

As hard as it is stay calm during the real thing, if you've studied you'll know all the material. Practice reading faster so the time crunch doesn't weigh on you, and you have time to review. Try to hit every topic from at least 2 sources, whether it be test explanations, one prep company, another, or the internet. You don't wanna lose points because you forgot content. Other than that, luck luck luck.



7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3 months, anywhere from 6-10 hours a day. Best of luck to everyone!

 

[vin5cent0]

I'm honored and slightly surprised that I actually scored high enough to post in here (just barely!). Really didn't expect that

1) Your individual scores and composite score

PS = 9, VR = 11, BS = 10

Composite = 30R

2) The study method used for each section

I created my own 'study' guide, essentially alternating each day between a new subject in the EK books. I made sure that my schedule had me hitting each chapter 3 times (along with doing a 1/3 of the corresponding 1001 each time). Unfortunately I stuck to that plan about as well as Rosie O'Donnell sticks to a diet

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

EK + EK 1001 for every section


4) Which practice tests did you use?

All AAMC except 11

Scores In order:
3 = 21
4 = 29
5 = 26
7 = 27
8 = 27
9 = 26
10 =31

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Make a plan, and more importantly, STICK WITH IT.

I had a 3 month study plan. The first month I just kind of glanced through the books and put in zero effort. The other two months I read, but didn't learn/absorb anything. I just figured, "hey, I'm reading it, I must know it!". Clearly not the case.

Study diligently, and don't move on until you can convince yourself that you know what is going on. Moving on when you have a shaky understand is just detrimental in every way possible.

Finally, AVOID EK unless you have a really nice foundation to build on. I'm positive that had I used TBR or TPR (as well as applied myself a bit more) that a 32+ would've been easily attainable. I'm now going to retake it with TBR as my study guide and I'm positive I can attain a ~35 before the next one.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

About 2 solid weeks of studying at the end, preceded by about 2 months of light reading.

 

[Integrated MCAT Course]

For Physics and Chemistry, I used TBR Physics and TBR Chemistry. These books are gold. I supplemented them with http://www.wikipremed.com and a little bit of http://www.khanacademy.org These websites are excellent free resources for MCAT prep, and are as good, if not better, than traditional MCAT prep materials. I'm giving a shout out here to John Wetzel.

Thank you! The past couple of weeks have been good with a lot of folks reporting their MCATs have been going well. This kind of feedback really means a lot to me. It keeps me going. Congratulations!

Now if only Verbal Reasoning at WikiPremed were a bit more effective . . .

 

[zeppelinpage4]

Wow, I never imagined that I would be posting here one day. This thread was very inspiring for me while I was studying and I am really excited to be able to contribute.

1)Your individual scores and composite score

Composite: 34Q
8 VR/ 13 PS/ 13 BS

2) The study method used for each section

For Physical sciences and Gen Chem I followed the Kaplan syllabus and read the required chapters in the Physics and Gen Chem Review Notes. I also did every end of chapter problem after finishing the chapter. I like to take notes on the margins while reading (this helps me retain certain things and I know what I was thinking if I go back to review that chapter) and I did the required practice quizzes that were offered from Kaplan to further solidify what was covered. On some occasions if I still felt a little uncomfortable with a topic, I took the Kaplan topical tests.

For Biology, I kept up with reading the chapters with my Kaplan course and also made sure to do all the end of chapter problems and relevant quizzes to further solidify concepts. One important thing I did do for biology, which I did not do for any other section is that I made outlines for the various systems in the body. The molecular bio stuff was conceptual, so I approached it much like physics and gen chem. However for things like the digestive system or the circulatory system, where there was a lot of material you needed to memorize. I wrote out full diagrams with arrows, detailing enzymes and locations of the body. It was very time consuming, but seeing all of it drawn out in one big picture really helped me understand what was going on and I retained the material a lot better (Also this gave me condensed notes to look through the week before my exam).

For Organic, I read the Kaplan Review notes and did end of chapter problems with any required Kaplan quizzes. However I did not do much else beyond what my Kaplan class covered because I had just taken organic and felt pretty comfortable with the material.
I also kept my text books from the pre-reqs and referred to them if I needed better explanations or if the Kaplan book overlooked a topic.

For verbal, I didn't have the most organized approach and my score probably shows that. I followed Kaplan's verbal reasoning review notes for the first half of the summer and then shifted focus to EK 101. Both were helpful and I would switch around between using Kaplan verbal and EK 101 verbal. Pretty much for this section, I just did a lot of practice passages and heavy post-game analysis. I also would classify wrong answer question types and classify wrong answer choices. This helped give an idea of what type of question I was struggling with or what type of answers I was falling for. The last two weeks before my exam date, I started practicing verbal passages from earlier AAMC exams.

Writing I didn't really practice, but made sure to write the essays each time I did a full length. Also practiced a bit in the Kaplan class.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
-For the sciences it was all Kaplan materials/Kaplan Review Notes with my old text books and Wikipedia as supplement.
-For verbal it was a combination of Kaplan and EK 101, then AAMC verbal sections towards the end.
-Kaplan MCAT Quicksheet (This is pure gold, it has all the basic formulas/things to know for each of the sciences by topic condensed into a couple laminated sheets, I used it to review the few days before the test).

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Kaplan 1,2,3,4 and AAMC 7,8,10,11

AAMC Average: 32

Kaplan FL 1: 7 VR, 8 PS, 10 BS (25)
Kaplan FL2: 10 VR, 10 PS, 10 BS (30)
Kaplan FL3: 10 VR, 10 PS, 9 BS (29)
Kaplan FL4 10 VR, 14 PS, 11 BS (35)

AAMC 7: 8 VR, 10 PS, 12 BS, (30)
AAMC 8: 7 VR, 10 PS, 13 BS, (30)
AAMC 10: 11 VR, 12 PS, 12 BS, (35)
AAMC 11: 10 VR, 11 PS, 13 BS, (34)

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biochemistry, I had taken genetics and cell biology which I feel helped a ton for the Biological Sciences sections.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

It's a long road and there were a lot of times when I felt like I was going to bomb this exam and that my studying would be worth nothing. As an example, I got a 22 on my diagnostic, studied for a whole month and on my next Kaplan FL only scored a 25. Other times I would level off at 30 or my score would drop. There are a lot of times where you can get discouraged and it's okay to feel that way. Take a day off, rest/meditate and then get back on the saddle. The test really is like a marathon, you have to take it day by day and not get too caught up with how you think you will perform. Just make a good schedule, stick with it and keep chugging along. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. And most important of all, when all is said and done, this is just a standardized test. Work hard, but don't lose sleep over it and take time out for friends and family. Being with the people I loved always helped me regain perspective and made the exam seem like "slightly" less of a big deal. Keep faith in yourself and stick with it, but also give yourself time off. Basically try to stay relaxed and don't feel discouraged, it's a bumpy road but persistence can pay off.

Also for those who are taking/will take the pre-reqs. Learning the material well in the classes can help a lot, at least it did for me. I think my strong science scores were due to me having worked a lot to get the material down when I took the course.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
-Mid-May through Mid-August (around 3 months)
I made sure to take days off when needed (This was very important). Not counting my days off, I studied maybe 3-4 hours a day in May, pushed it up to 5-6 hours in June/July and the one or two weeks before my exam in August, I probably studied close to 8 hours a day.

 

[Nontraditional9]

I lurked the SDN forums for the last couple weeks before my exam. I wish I had found the forums sooner, as there are many excellent posts.

I de-lurked in the 8/18/2011 thread but thought I would post here as well in hopes that my experience will help others in the future!

#1 take-away: You do NOT know the material until you can teach it to someone else entirely from memory.


1)Your individual scores and composite score

• PS: 14
• VR: 14
• BS: 14

• Composite: 42P

2) The study method used for each section

PS and BS:

• I read through each EK book section 3 times and worked the problems 2 times each
• Anything I didn't understand fully, I researched on-line or in textbooks
• I made a list of every term I wanted to be able to define - then made sure I could define each term from memory
• I made a list of every system I wanted to be able to draw - then made sure I could draw it from memory

VR:

• I prepped for this just by doing the AAMC practice exams

Writing:

• no prep

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

• ExamKrackers Complete Study Package (set of 5 books)
• Kaplan 45

4) Which practice tests did you use?

• AAMC 3: 37 - after first read-through of EK books
• AAMC 4: 41 - after second read-through of EK books + EK exams
• AAMC 5: 43 - after first read-through of Kaplan 45
• AAMC 9: 42 - after third read-through of EK books
• AAMC 11: 41 - one week before exam

AAMC Average: 40.8


5) What was your undergraduate major?

• Chemistry, class of 2003*

*I did nothing science-related between graduation and studying for the MCAT


6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

• You do NOT know the material until you can teach it to someone else entirely from memory.

• You do NOT know the material until you can teach it to someone else entirely from memory.
• A day or two before the test, consider driving to the test center to scout out the route, find a good breakfast / lunch place, and make sure everything is in order at the testing facility.
• Try to fit in regular physical exercise. I did 30-120 minutes of physical exercise per day (6 days per week), and it did wonders for my mood and concentration.
• On the morning of the exam, consider a short run to clear your mind and calm your nerves.
• If I had to do it over again, I would have stretched the studying out over a much longer time period. Studying all day every day to the exclusion of social contact is bad for one's mental state and relationships.
• You do NOT know the material until you can teach it to someone else entirely from memory.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

I studied for 8-12 hours a day for two full months.

 

[PhaseShift11]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS 14
VR 11
BS 14
Composite: 39Q

2) The study method used for each section
I took a Kaplan course (was not worth the money IMO). I mainly followed Sn2ed's schedule except I compressed it in a shorter time, and added more Kaplan quizzes on top of my BR passages. I felt that Sn2ed's method was great but some days were too light so I doubled up on chapters and such.

3) What materials you used for each section (Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
PS: Mainly BR, some Kaplan
VR: Mainly AAMC passages, all of EK 101, a bit of Kaplan
BS: EK, some Kaplan, BR passages
WS: Kaplan, and mostly talking about examples and databases with a friend to give me some new perspective and ideas.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Kaplan 1-5. AAMC 5-11.
Kaplan 1: 35
Kaplan 2: 41
Kaplan 3: 40
Kaplan 4: 39
Kaplan 5: 39
AAMC 5-9 were essentially 36-39
AAMC 10: 39
AAMC 11: 36

Average for Kaplan is about 39
Average for AAMC is about 37.5-38

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Life Sciences

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Use BR for physical sciences (gen chem and physics).
Use EK for bio and VR. (though BR bio passages)
Do as many passages as you can, and learn to do them quickly. I was routinely finishing sections 25-30 minutes early. This gives me tons of time to go through and really think about the hard questions, which is the difference between those who score in the low thirties to those who score in the high 30s.

7) How long did you study?
89 days.

 

[vashka]

Great score! What strategy did you use to get through the passages so fast? 25-30mins early is A LOT of free time.

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS 14
VR 11
BS 14
Composite: 39Q

2) The study method used for each section
I took a Kaplan course (was not worth the money IMO). I mainly followed Sn2ed's schedule except I compressed it in a shorter time, and added more Kaplan quizzes on top of my BR passages. I felt that Sn2ed's method was great but some days were too light so I doubled up on chapters and such.

3) What materials you used for each section (Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
PS: Mainly BR, some Kaplan
VR: Mainly AAMC passages, all of EK 101, a bit of Kaplan
BS: EK, some Kaplan, BR passages
WS: Kaplan, and mostly talking about examples and databases with a friend to give me some new perspective and ideas.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Kaplan 1-5. AAMC 5-11.
Kaplan 1: 35
Kaplan 2: 41
Kaplan 3: 40
Kaplan 4: 39
Kaplan 5: 39
AAMC 5-9 were essentially 36-39
AAMC 10: 39
AAMC 11: 36

Average for Kaplan is about 39
Average for AAMC is about 37.5-38

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Life Sciences

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Use BR for physical sciences (gen chem and physics).
Use EK for bio and VR. (though BR bio passages)
Do as many passages as you can, and learn to do them quickly. I was routinely finishing sections 25-30 minutes early. This gives me tons of time to go through and really think about the hard questions, which is the difference between those who score in the low thirties to those who score in the high 30s.

7) How long did you study?
89 days.

 

[TeddyBoomBoom]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=9 VR=14 WS=M BS=10 Composite=33M

2) The study method used for each section
Lots of content review for all sciences, passage based practice, USED SN2s STUDY PROTOCOL!!!!!!
3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Berkeley Review + EK

4) Which practice tests did you use?
AAMCs

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
As a first time, non trad applicant who hadn't taken many of the science classes in YEARS, SN2s study program was hard, but effective.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
4 months, 3 hrs/day

 

[firstborn]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=14 VR=11 WS=S BS=15 Composite=40S

2) The study method used for each section
Physics and Gen Chem- Read one (sometimes two) chapters of BR a day, followed by passages in back.
Verbal- One full length set of passages (7) every other day.
Writing- Did essays on AAMC 11 just to familiarize myself with the section.
Biology and O. Chem- Read one chapter of EK Bio/O. Chem a day and did corresponding BR passages.
Started Full Lengths 30 days before MCAT. Did one every three days (Take test, correct/review test, correct mistakes, repeat).

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
PS (Physics/G. Chem)- Berkeley Review 100%. Content & passages.
BS (Bio/O. Chem)- Examkrackers for content. BR for passages.
VR- Examkrackers strategy. EK 101 and TRPH for passages.
Wiki for anything I didn't know.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
AAMC 3-11 (found an old paper version of AAMC 6)
I was averaging 35 on 3-6, 37/38 on 7-9, and 39/40 on 10 & 11.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Humanities

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Each person is different. What I did worked well for me, but as always may not work for someone else. In my case, it was important to start slow, maybe 2 hours a day, and work my intensity up to about 6 at the end. I timed it knowing when I would peak (mentally and intensity wise) for the actual exam without burning out. The worst thing you can do is go into the MCAT burned out and lacking intensity, so avoid that at all costs. Whenever you need to, take a day to yourself to enjoy and relax. And make sure to not study the day before. I did however, read random editorials or light reading to keep my brain engaged.
For me, the most important thing was confidence. When I sat down to take my exam, I knew that I had all the necessary knowledge, and that it was just about breaking down the passage and questions. This is especially important for the BS section, because you are worn down and don't want to think, but if you can identify simple relationships in the passage/data/tables, you can get 90% of the questions.
Above all else, know that this is a test. Sure it's important, only a fool would say otherwise. At the end of the day, however, your ability and competency as a physician will not be determined by your MCAT score. That said, do try your best to score as high as possible, for it will certainly make things easier later on. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions! Good luck!!

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
9 weeks. 2-4 hours a day. Cranked it to ~6 in final 2 weeks.

 

[PhaseShift11]

Great score! What strategy did you use to get through the passages so fast? 25-30mins early is A LOT of free time.

Well my biggest concern before writing the MCAT was that a lot of people said they were pressed for time, and that those who normally finished early had barely any time left on the real thing.

So I figured I would aim to have 30 mins left on both science sections in my practice, and so even if it took me longer on the real thing I wouldn't really be punished for it.

Note, this strategy was NOT used for verbal whatsoever, only the two sciences.

I essentially read the passage as normal, and went to the first question. Read it - do you know how to solve it? If no, put something down, mark it, move on. If yes, will it take a long time? If yes, put something down, mark it, and move on. If no, solve it.

Now, with me, I wouldn't ever pick a "random" answer and move on, I would still make a guess based on my intuition. And when I had 30 minutes left and 12 marked questions, I would go back, and often my intuition would be right. So by 20 minutes left I would be confident in my answers.

Then I would check over every question again and usually have a couple minutes left over at the end of the section.

 

[Code Blah]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS=15 VR=12 WS=O BS=15 Composite=42O

2) The study method used for each section
Read review books and do questions.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
Separate study guides for each section, all were kaplan except orgo which was princeton review. Kaplan Q-bank. Aamc tests you buy on the site.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
AAMC 3-11 (found an old paper version of AAMC 6)

5) What was your undergraduate major?
MCB

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Do what fits your schedule. I was doing research as I was preparing for the exam. So reviewed the topics (physics, bio, orgo, gen chem) monday through thursday about 2 to 3 hours a day. Friday I did a whole practice exam. I gamed (diablo 2 and starcraft 2) saturday and 1/2 of sunday. I did another practice test or kaplan question bank sunday night.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
About 8 weeks. 2-3 hours on weekdays. Friday and Sunday 5-hours.

 

[kevlar917]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
PS =11
VR =10
BS = 10
Composite: 31Q

2) The study method used for each section
EK books, nothing else. I studied one chapter each day Tuesday-Friday, doing the 3 in-section quizzes as well. Saturday I re-read all the chapters. Sunday was a break day, then on Monday I took the 30-minute test for each chapter I had studied the previous week. Rinse and repeat until every chapter is studied.

As a side note, I did not do all biology, then all physics, etc, I mixed it up. At the beginning I would do a chapter from each book (bio, ochem, chem, and physics), and then later I would double up on bio and skip ochem (bio has twice as many chapters as ochem), so I wouldn't be done with ochem half way through my study schedule.

After finishing the material, I took a practice test, then took two days to review it. Rinse and repeat for each AAMC FL.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)
EK books. I had the EK101/1001 on-hand in case I needed more practice, but I never even opened them.

4) Which practice tests did you use?
AAMCs. All of them.

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Electrical engineering. Only science classes I took were the pre-reqs.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
I used the summer to do nothing but study for the MCAT, and I strongly recommend it. I started studying on May 31, and my test was August 19. Point is, plan on taking 2+ months to study, and doing nothing else during that time.

Also, make sure you take breaks. I had my breaks on Sundays, when I would do nothing MCAT related. Literally nothing. Go outside, read a fiction book, watch a movie.

Lastly, I STRONGLY recommend you finish studying/taking practice tests 4-5 days before the test. My test was on Friday, I reviewed my last FL on Monday and did some light review on Wednesday, but nothing on Tuesday or Thursday. At the very least, the day before the test should have nothing MCAT related to let your mind clear.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
80 days (yes I counted), ~3 hours/day.