3rd time taker...need serious help

[qazwsxedc]

I took the mcat twice before. The first time I only got 23, and the second time I only got 25! The first time I got 8,6,9 and the second 9,7,9. i don't know what to do or what went wrong. I do well in school (I have close to a 4.0 gpa) so I don't understand what happens to me on the MCAT.

I did about half of the EK verbal reasoning, and was doing well. I don't get why I only got a 7 on the real thing. The first time I got a 6 because I didn't finish, but this time I actually finished and still only got a 7. English is my first language. Why is that I could well on the practice Ek but still get a bad score on the real test?

For the sciences, I don't know how to break the 9s. The highest I got on the PS was a 12 on the practice tests, and the lowest I got was a 9, so I ended up with my lowest score. For BS, the highest I ever got was a 9 and that is what I actually got. How do I improve, especially Bio?? At least with the PS, I could break the 10s on the practice tests, but the BS is stubbornly not changing.

I want to break a 30 on the real thing so I can apply in this coming application cycle. Should I use Princeton now? I was mostly using bits and pieces of kaplan and Examkrackers, but I did not go through all of their material. When should I re-write this test? I was aiming for May so I can get my score by June, but I also have full time school next semester.

Please please help me! I really need to go from the 25 to a 30. It's only five points but its proving to be very difficult for me to get there!

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[SN2ed]

I did about half of the EK verbal reasoning

I was mostly using bits and pieces of kaplan and Examkrackers, but I did not go through all of their material.

These are two HUGE reasons why you didn't do well. You cannot go into this test without preparing yourself. You must study ALL of the topics present in the MCAT. You must do tons of TIMED practice practices. You must take numerous practice tests.

Do not become over-confident because you have a good GPA. Your GPA means very little for this test.

Check out the MCAT FAQ for some help.

Here's a book list that should also help:

Originally Posted by TheBoondocks
This question gets asked like every three days. In short, EK series are stripped down with the basics you need to know. Get EK bio, it is by far the best for bio, all the responses on SDN say this. Know this book cold. If you don't believe me, type in EK bio in the search function. Personally, you learn the best from passages, If you have time and the cash I highly suggest purchasing Berkeley Review Gen Chem and Ochem. There physics is good too, but with PR it may be redundant. You will thank me later. You'll probably want EK biology review and EK 101 biology passages and EK verbal 101. PR is good, however, if you want to kill the MCAT you have to be able to integrate material. That's what BR does better than anyone else. Like, be able to answer questions if you see the circulatory system wired in parallel series.

bio - 1. EK bio and 101 bio passages 2. Kaplan 3. PR/BR however, these don't suck, they're just detailed which turns off many people.

Physics 1. BR/Nova 2. PR 3. Kaplan I really think BR but they're are a lot of people who swear by Nova on this site

Verbal 1. Ek verbal and 101 passages 2. PR 3. BR 4. Kaplan (read stay from)

Gen Chem 1. BR by far 2. PR 3. Kaplan/EK

O Chem 1. BR by far 2. toss up between Kaplan/PR/Ek

That is a general list of what i have read on SDN for the past 4 years, i came here and lurked throughout highschool. Good luck and hopefully this will help. EK is for people who KNOW the material and want review. If you are weak in something BR is the best since it's the most detailed and PR is detailed too, Kaplan is in the Middle, and EK is the least detailed but that doesn't mean it's bad. Just depends on the person. If you can I would buy the BR Chemistry books and Physics book. If you complete the PR science workbook along with BR passages and EK bio, you will kill the sciences. Ek Verbal should help you out with verbal.

 

[midwesterner]

I focused on AAMC practice tests because I think they'd be more reliable. Timed and on the computer if you think that throws you off. I got a 13 in verbal...I just try to read the passage as if I'm really interested in it, and things seem to sink in better.
For PS/BS, I'd say use a test prep book and go through all the concepts first. Once you've mastered those, then work on how to apply your knowledge to passages.
You can study as much as you can over winter break then maybe take a prep course if you think it'd help during the semester.

 

[junkct]

what might be your problem is that you're attempting to take the MCAT when your practice scores aren't even close to where you want your real score to be... if 9 is the highest you can get in BS, don't be expecting to get a 12 on the real thing. If you're aiming for a 30, get your practice average to 30+. Don't walk in with a 26 average and be surprised when you get a 25.