3rd Time Taking the MCAT. Similar Scores 1st 2 Times. Need Tips.

[Jay023]

Hey all,

I recently got my 2nd round of MCAT results back, and somehow I scored almost exactly the same as I did last time I took it a year ago (1 point lower actually).

The first time I took it, I was poorly prepared, so the score I got was to be expected (501).

But this second time around I followed a study plan similar to MCAT Jelly's here on these forums. Went through all the Berkeley Review and EK books including all of the passages, did most of the AAMC question packs and practice tests, and overall just felt 10x more prepared for this test than the first one.

I even felt confident going into and coming out of the test. I thought for sure I did far better than last time. So I was pretty bummed when I got the results back and it was a 500.

I want to take it again, but I'm not sure what I should focus on for studying since I did truly feel prepared.

I had close to a 4.0 in my undergrad biomedical science program, so the subjects themselves aren't really where I'm weak at (aside from gen chem and physics, both of which I can't stand).

I think it's just something about the MCAT style of test that I'm struggling with. And I'm not good on time because I tend to obsess over some questions.

I'll start by taking more practice tests to get more comfortable with it, but since I've been through just about all the AAMC tests and material already, any other good practice tests you guys recommend?

Any other tips in general would be appreciated. Maybe there's something I'm missing.

Thanks!

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[de Ribas]

Hey all,

I recently got my 2nd round of MCAT results back, and somehow I scored almost exactly the same as I did last time I took it a year ago (1 point lower actually).

The first time I took it, I was poorly prepared, so the score I got was to be expected (501).

But this second time around I followed a study plan similar to MCAT Jelly's here on these forums. Went through all the Berkeley Review and EK books including all of the passages, did most of the AAMC question packs and practice tests, and overall just felt 10x more prepared for this test than the first one.

I even felt confident going into and coming out of the test. I thought for sure I did far better than last time. So I was pretty bummed when I got the results back and it was a 500.

I want to take it again, but I'm not sure what I should focus on for studying since I did truly feel prepared.

I had close to a 4.0 in my undergrad biomedical science program, so the subjects themselves aren't really where I'm weak at (aside from gen chem and physics, both of which I can't stand).

I think it's just something about the MCAT style of test that I'm struggling with. And I'm not good on time because I tend to obsess over some questions.

I'll start by taking more practice tests to get more comfortable with it, but since I've been through just about all the AAMC tests and material already, any other good practice tests you guys recommend?

Any other tips in general would be appreciated. Maybe there's something I'm missing.

Thanks!

sometimes you just hit the ceiling

 

[deleted888443]

What was your score by section on the first and second exam? Were you able to finish each section?
Usually from my experience if you leave an MCAT feeling good that means the test WAS easy and the 'curve' will be harsh, might be true in this case. It doesnt make sense to prepare that hard and score lower on the second exam.

-huncho

 

[Lawpy]

Hey all,

I recently got my 2nd round of MCAT results back, and somehow I scored almost exactly the same as I did last time I took it a year ago (1 point lower actually).

The first time I took it, I was poorly prepared, so the score I got was to be expected (501).

But this second time around I followed a study plan similar to MCAT Jelly's here on these forums. Went through all the Berkeley Review and EK books including all of the passages, did most of the AAMC question packs and practice tests, and overall just felt 10x more prepared for this test than the first one.

I even felt confident going into and coming out of the test. I thought for sure I did far better than last time. So I was pretty bummed when I got the results back and it was a 500.

I want to take it again, but I'm not sure what I should focus on for studying since I did truly feel prepared.

I had close to a 4.0 in my undergrad biomedical science program, so the subjects themselves aren't really where I'm weak at (aside from gen chem and physics, both of which I can't stand).

I think it's just something about the MCAT style of test that I'm struggling with. And I'm not good on time because I tend to obsess over some questions.

I'll start by taking more practice tests to get more comfortable with it, but since I've been through just about all the AAMC tests and material already, any other good practice tests you guys recommend?

Any other tips in general would be appreciated. Maybe there's something I'm missing.

Thanks!

Feeling confident about the exam and yet doing poorly means that you likely fell for the traps and chose the answers that seemed good rather than picking the answers that are least wrong. Unfortunately, this ties into test taking skills and the only way to get better is to do a lot of timed practice passages and throughly reviewing your answers, making sure you understand the reasons to the correct answer (or the answer that is least wrong).

Picking the least wrong answer is a key test taking skill that is difficult to master, since in many cases, the MCAT will tempt you into picking an answer choice that seems so good to be true and yet has a detail that's flawed; compare this with another answer choice that is just mediocre but there is nothing wrong with it. The correct answer is the mediocre and flawless one.

Besides that, you need to work on your timing, which reflects on your pacing. If you see a hard question, stop wasting time (i.e. don't take more than 2 min for one question), guess, mark the question, and move on. You will have time to go back to marked questions in the end. Good timing is also a key test taking skill to master to do well.

Consider practicing from NextStep and ExamKrackers practice tests as well as using the newly released AAMC FL 3. But ensure that this 3rd attempt will be your final attempt since many schools average all scores. Make sure you do well on it (aim for 505+ for US DO and 512+ for US MD).

 

[DBC03]

This must be so frustrating for you. I agree with what was said above (you probably had an “easier exam”, fell for traps, etc.). Did you take practice exams leading up to both attempts? Did you do an AAMC timed exam a week before? If so, what score did you get on those?


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[thinkchangeflow]

Hey all,

I recently got my 2nd round of MCAT results back, and somehow I scored almost exactly the same as I did last time I took it a year ago (1 point lower actually).

The first time I took it, I was poorly prepared, so the score I got was to be expected (501).

But this second time around I followed a study plan similar to MCAT Jelly's here on these forums. Went through all the Berkeley Review and EK books including all of the passages, did most of the AAMC question packs and practice tests, and overall just felt 10x more prepared for this test than the first one.

I even felt confident going into and coming out of the test. I thought for sure I did far better than last time. So I was pretty bummed when I got the results back and it was a 500.

I want to take it again, but I'm not sure what I should focus on for studying since I did truly feel prepared.

I had close to a 4.0 in my undergrad biomedical science program, so the subjects themselves aren't really where I'm weak at (aside from gen chem and physics, both of which I can't stand).

I think it's just something about the MCAT style of test that I'm struggling with. And I'm not good on time because I tend to obsess over some questions.

I'll start by taking more practice tests to get more comfortable with it, but since I've been through just about all the AAMC tests and material already, any other good practice tests you guys recommend?

Any other tips in general would be appreciated. Maybe there's something I'm missing.

Thanks!

What were your subsection scores for each attempt?

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[thinkchangeflow]

sometimes you just hit the ceiling

disagree....OP please don't listen to this...it will cause a limiting belief about your abilities.

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[thinkchangeflow]

Feeling confident about the exam and yet doing poorly means that you likely fell for the traps and chose the answers that seemed good rather than picking the answers that are least wrong. Unfortunately, this ties into test taking skills and the only way to get better is to do a lot of timed practice passages and throughly reviewing your answers, making sure you understand the reasons to the correct answer (or the answer that is least wrong).

Picking the least wrong answer is a key test taking skill that is difficult to master, since in many cases, the MCAT will tempt you into picking an answer choice that seems so good to be true and yet has a detail that's flawed; compare this with another answer choice that is just mediocre but there is nothing wrong with it. The correct answer is the mediocre and flawless one.

Besides that, you need to work on your timing, which reflects on your pacing. If you see a hard question, stop wasting time (i.e. don't take more than 2 min for one question), guess, mark the question, and move on. You will have time to go back to marked questions in the end. Good timing is also a key test taking skill to master to do well.

Consider practicing from NextStep and ExamKrackers practice tests as well as using the newly released AAMC FL 3. But ensure that this 3rd attempt will be your final attempt since many schools average all scores. Make sure you do well on it (aim for 505+ for US DO and 512+ for US MD).

you usually give great advice....but being in a very similar position to the OP, I have done a ton of reaearch on this and can tell you most schools take the most recent MCAT score and explicitly state it on their websites. There are few schools that explicitly say they average but the majority use the most recent set of scores...a few even superscore and take the highest subsection score from each attempt.

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[asus177]

I took the MCAT 3 times so the advice I would give is that focus on taking practice tests. I took 10 practice tests from ExamKrackers, Next Step and AAMC and when I found that my practice scores were near my target score I felt confident with the exam. For content, I used Anki for P/S and B/B. Good luck!! there is no ceiling or anything it's not an IQ test. You just learn the content and then take practice questions.

 

[878956]

sometimes you just hit the ceiling

There is a ceiling but I don't think it is a 500. I believe that everyone taking this exam is capable of getting a 508. However, not everyone is capable of getting a 511+. Lets not even talk about 517+....

 

[Lawpy]

you usually give great advice....but being in a very similar position to the OP, I have done a ton of reaearch on this and can tell you most schools take the most recent MCAT score and explicitly state it on their websites. There are few schools that explicitly say they average but the majority use the most recent set of scores...a few even superscore and take the highest subsection score from each attempt.

Sent from my SM-A300H using SDN mobile

What schools say on their websites regarding multiple MCATs and what they actually do when evaluating applications may not be the same. Adcoms can still average all scores behind closed doors while publicly reporting they take the most recent or superscore, because they are still looking for the most academically qualified students while also boosting their own matriculant academic medians. Not to mention multiple studies clearly show that averaging all scores is the best predictor of future performance, so screeners may instinctly use that to select for certain applications and weeding out the rest.

Basically, I wouldn’t take the school multiple MCAT policy seriously because it doesn’t accurately reflect what actually happens behind closed doors. Averaging is a solid predictor of success, and I recommend it to have a realistic lower bound and a conservative estimate on how you will fare. So when making school lists, it is far safer to average all scores and plan accordingly.

In a competitive application process, it is far safer to prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised than aiming too high because of trusting school policy too much and ending up disappointed.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

i.e. don't take more than 2 min for one question)

I would honestly say to limit it to 1 minute a question, even falling behind by a minute can really hurt you at the end of the section. Better to just flag it and come back at the end if you have time.

and can tell you most schools take the most recent MCAT score and explicitly state it on their websites.

No, most schools average when they consider applicants for admissions. They might consider the most recent attempt when they report their average though. The best way to do the MCAT is to have a single, good score. This isn’t to say that people get in with multiple tries, just that it can be more difficult.

 

[de Ribas]

disagree....OP please don't listen to this...it will cause a limiting belief about your abilities.

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You might disagree, but taking MCAT second time with studying and doing worse than before means something. There was something wrong with studying or not enough practice.

I doubt that even with studying for 3rd time, OP can break 505+.

3 MCAT scores within the same range won't look too good. Worse case if 3rd score will be even lower.

 

[787593]

Hey all,

I recently got my 2nd round of MCAT results back, and somehow I scored almost exactly the same as I did last time I took it a year ago (1 point lower actually).

The first time I took it, I was poorly prepared, so the score I got was to be expected (501).

But this second time around I followed a study plan similar to MCAT Jelly's here on these forums. Went through all the Berkeley Review and EK books including all of the passages, did most of the AAMC question packs and practice tests, and overall just felt 10x more prepared for this test than the first one.

I even felt confident going into and coming out of the test. I thought for sure I did far better than last time. So I was pretty bummed when I got the results back and it was a 500.

I want to take it again, but I'm not sure what I should focus on for studying since I did truly feel prepared.

I had close to a 4.0 in my undergrad biomedical science program, so the subjects themselves aren't really where I'm weak at (aside from gen chem and physics, both of which I can't stand).

I think it's just something about the MCAT style of test that I'm struggling with. And I'm not good on time because I tend to obsess over some questions.

I'll start by taking more practice tests to get more comfortable with it, but since I've been through just about all the AAMC tests and material already, any other good practice tests you guys recommend?

Any other tips in general would be appreciated. Maybe there's something I'm missing.

Thanks!

Do not take another MCAT until you've taken 20 full-length practice exams, simulating test day conditions (no phone, use full break period, eat lunch, start exam at 8 am).

Space each exam 1-2 weeks apart. Spend 2-3 days after each practice exam reviewing questions and reading the explanations for each question, including the ones you got correct.

Take the MCAT when you're consistently getting your desired score. If you're getting that desired score before you hit 20 practice exams, great! If not, consider a different field.

 

[de Ribas]

If not, consider a different field.

I agree with the rest of the post, but OP can get into DO schools with 500-501 score if the rest of the app looks good.

 

[787593]

I agree with the rest of the post, but OP can get into DO schools with 500-501 score if the rest of the app looks good.

Oh that's a good point, I was referring to MD but I should have specified.

 

[thinkchangeflow]

You might disagree, but taking MCAT second time with studying and doing worse than before means something. There was something wrong with studying or not enough practice.

I doubt that even with studying for 3rd time, OP can break 505+.

3 MCAT scores within the same range won't look too good. Worse case if 3rd score will be even lower.

The reason I disagree is b/c I had consecutive lower scores than OP and scored >505 on third attempt.....OP has not hit his ceiling, he likely just isn't studying correctly and needs to fix that before medical school anyway. This experience for him will be benefical if he gets his desired score on his third attempt....much more beneficial than OP developing limiting beliefs about personal ability.

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[787593]

The reason I disagree is b/c I had consecutive lower scores than OP and scored >505 on third attempt.....OP has not hit his ceiling, he likely just isn't studying correctly and needs to fix that before medical school anyway. This experience for him will be benefical if he gets his desired score on his third attempt....much more beneficial than OP developing limiting beliefs about personal ability.

Sent from my SM-A300H using SDN mobile

No way to know unless OP tries!

 

[Jay023]

Thank you so much for the responses so far everyone.

sometimes you just hit the ceiling

I wouldn't consider trying something 2 times "hitting the ceiling."

Especially since on the 1st attempt I didn't study the way I was supposed to (only 1 practice exam, not too much passage work, zero CARS practice). Yes this was my fault, but I don't think I can consider it a legit attempt.

If I studied my ass off and did everything I could both times, then I might start to think otherwise, but I'm in no way ready to give up.

What was your score by section on the first and second exam? Were you able to finish each section?
Usually from my experience if you leave an MCAT feeling good that means the test WAS easy and the 'curve' will be harsh, might be true in this case. It doesnt make sense to prepare that hard and score lower on the second exam.

-huncho

1st attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 124 (44%)
• CARS: 125 (61%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 125 (52%)

2nd attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 125 (56%)
• CARS: 124 (49%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 124 (41%)

What's also ironic is that on the first attempt, I ran out of time on the chem/physical sciences section and had to guess on like 20 of them. I was severely unprepared for this section so it took me forever and I ran out of time with several passages to go. I knew I tanked it right away.

On the second attempt, I was cutting it close on time for that section, but I finished them all and felt pretty good. Still barely did any better.

Feeling confident about the exam and yet doing poorly means that you likely fell for the traps and chose the answers that seemed good rather than picking the answers that are least wrong. Unfortunately, this ties into test taking skills and the only way to get better is to do a lot of timed practice passages and throughly reviewing your answers, making sure you understand the reasons to the correct answer (or the answer that is least wrong).

Picking the least wrong answer is a key test taking skill that is difficult to master, since in many cases, the MCAT will tempt you into picking an answer choice that seems so good to be true and yet has a detail that's flawed; compare this with another answer choice that is just mediocre but there is nothing wrong with it. The correct answer is the mediocre and flawless one.

Besides that, you need to work on your timing, which reflects on your pacing. If you see a hard question, stop wasting time (i.e. don't take more than 2 min for one question), guess, mark the question, and move on. You will have time to go back to marked questions in the end. Good timing is also a key test taking skill to master to do well.

Consider practicing from NextStep and ExamKrackers practice tests as well as using the newly released AAMC FL 3. But ensure that this 3rd attempt will be your final attempt since many schools average all scores. Make sure you do well on it (aim for 505+ for US DO and 512+ for US MD).

Thank you. I will definitely check out NextStep and the EK practice tests.

And yeah I know what you mean about it feeling like multiple answers can be correct. It throws me off because sometimes I will pick the obvious answer and it's right, but other times it's wrong and the less obvious one was correct. So there doesn't seem to be a pattern and it's tough to know when to go with your intuition and when to go against it.

I guess that just comes with more practice.

This must be so frustrating for you. I agree with what was said above (you probably had an “easier exam”, fell for traps, etc.). Did you take practice exams leading up to both attempts? Did you do an AAMC timed exam a week before? If so, what score did you get on those?


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I took both of the AAMC scored FLs and I also did all of their other online material like the question packs, sample tests, section banks, etc.

I got a 508 on both practice FLs. The first one I scored in the top 97% in the biological/biochemical section too, which are my strongest subjects, so I was surprised to only be in the 75th percentile on the actual exam.

What were your subsection scores for each attempt?

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1st attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 124 (44%)
• CARS: 125 (61%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 125 (52%)

2nd attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 125 (56%)
• CARS: 124 (49%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 124 (41%)

You might disagree, but taking MCAT second time with studying and doing worse than before means something. There was something wrong with studying or not enough practice.

I doubt that even with studying for 3rd time, OP can break 505+.

3 MCAT scores within the same range won't look too good. Worse case if 3rd score will be even lower.

I guess I will have to prove you wrong then 🙂

 

[de Ribas]

Thank you so much for the responses so far everyone.



I wouldn't consider trying something 2 times "hitting the ceiling."

Especially since on the 1st attempt I didn't study the way I was supposed to (only 1 practice exam, not too much passage work, zero CARS practice). Yes this was my fault, but I don't think I can consider it a legit attempt.

If I studied my ass off and did everything I could both times, then I might start to think otherwise, but I'm in no way ready to give up.



1st attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 124 (44%)
• CARS: 125 (61%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 125 (52%)

2nd attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 125 (56%)
• CARS: 124 (49%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 124 (41%)

What's also ironic is that on the first attempt, I ran out of time on the chem/physical sciences section and had to guess on like 20 of them. I was severely unprepared for this section so it took me forever and I ran out of time with several passages to go. I knew I tanked it right away.

On the second attempt, I was cutting it close on time for that section, but I finished them all and felt pretty good. Still barely did any better.



Thank you. I will definitely check out NextStep and the EK practice tests.

And yeah I know what you mean about it feeling like multiple answers can be correct. It throws me off because sometimes I will pick the obvious answer and it's right, but other times it's wrong and the less obvious one was correct. So there doesn't seem to be a pattern and it's tough to know when to go with your intuition and when to go against it.

I guess that just comes with more practice.



I took both of the AAMC scored FLs and I also did all of their other online material like the question packs, sample tests, section banks, etc.

I got a 508 on both practice FLs. The first one I scored in the top 97% in the biological/biochemical section too, which are my strongest subjects, so I was surprised to only be in the 75th percentile on the actual exam.



1st attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 124 (44%)
• CARS: 125 (61%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 125 (52%)

2nd attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 125 (56%)
• CARS: 124 (49%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 124 (41%)

I guess I will have to prove you wrong then 🙂

I wish you luck. Truly. Do your best. Study well and you will be fine.

 

[DBC03]

I know at least one other person who scored that much worse after good practice test scores. That is really frustrating because you did everything correctly and practice indicated you would be successful. I agree with the NS and EK exams - they are much harder in some ways, but will get you thinking through those outside the box questions. I think your second test might have been a bit of a fluke. Best of luck!


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[thinkchangeflow]

What schools say on their websites regarding multiple MCATs and what they actually do when evaluating applications may not be the same. Adcoms can still average all scores behind closed doors while publicly reporting they take the most recent or superscore, because they are still looking for the most academically qualified students while also boosting their own matriculant academic medians. Not to mention multiple studies clearly show that averaging all scores is the best predictor of future performance, so screeners may instinctly use that to select for certain applications and weeding out the rest.

Basically, I wouldn’t take the school multiple MCAT policy seriously because it doesn’t accurately reflect what actually happens behind closed doors. Averaging is a solid predictor of success, and I recommend it to have a realistic lower bound and a conservative estimate on how you will fare. So when making school lists, it is far safer to average all scores and plan accordingly.

In a competitive application process, it is far safer to prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised than aiming too high because of trusting school policy too much and ending up disappointed.

There is good discussion to be had here and I appreciate the insights. Remember though, as applicants, since we never can truly know what happens behind closed doors, we must take things at face value for how they are reported on admissions websites and the msar. The most recent score also makes the most sense if there is a large difference between "most recent" vs all other previous attempts. But, like you said, I agree if OP gets 501,500 then like a 503....taking the average of similar scores rather than the 503 will likely be used. But lets say first attempt was a 490 and second attempt was a 510....I highly doubt adcoms average the applicant to a 500 and will instead consider the 510 more heavily....you can't get a 510 on accident but there are many factors that could lead to a 490.

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[thinkchangeflow]

Thank you so much for the responses so far everyone.



I wouldn't consider trying something 2 times "hitting the ceiling."

Especially since on the 1st attempt I didn't study the way I was supposed to (only 1 practice exam, not too much passage work, zero CARS practice). Yes this was my fault, but I don't think I can consider it a legit attempt.

If I studied my ass off and did everything I could both times, then I might start to think otherwise, but I'm in no way ready to give up.



1st attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 124 (44%)
• CARS: 125 (61%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 125 (52%)

2nd attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 125 (56%)
• CARS: 124 (49%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 124 (41%)

What's also ironic is that on the first attempt, I ran out of time on the chem/physical sciences section and had to guess on like 20 of them. I was severely unprepared for this section so it took me forever and I ran out of time with several passages to go. I knew I tanked it right away.

On the second attempt, I was cutting it close on time for that section, but I finished them all and felt pretty good. Still barely did any better.



Thank you. I will definitely check out NextStep and the EK practice tests.

And yeah I know what you mean about it feeling like multiple answers can be correct. It throws me off because sometimes I will pick the obvious answer and it's right, but other times it's wrong and the less obvious one was correct. So there doesn't seem to be a pattern and it's tough to know when to go with your intuition and when to go against it.

I guess that just comes with more practice.



I took both of the AAMC scored FLs and I also did all of their other online material like the question packs, sample tests, section banks, etc.

I got a 508 on both practice FLs. The first one I scored in the top 97% in the biological/biochemical section too, which are my strongest subjects, so I was surprised to only be in the 75th percentile on the actual exam.



1st attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 124 (44%)
• CARS: 125 (61%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 125 (52%)

2nd attempt:

• Chem/Phys: 125 (56%)
• CARS: 124 (49%)
• Bio: 127 (75%)
• Psych/Soc: 124 (41%)

I guess I will have to prove you wrong then 🙂

Your Bio score is solid. CARS is solid as well, especially if you can just keep the 125. Luckily, I think your two lowest scores are by far the easiest to fix. Get EK1001 Chemistry and do every single question in it. Then go through the Chemistry and Physics Qpacks and make sure you understand every concept from each question. I did that and increased CP over 40 percentile points.

For Psych/Soc, do more content review of all the terms, then redo the P/S section bank and make sure you understand every concept from each question.

You 100% can get a 505+ on your third attempt.

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[Altius Premier Tutor]

Ahh...the common SDN/AAMC response "there is a ceiling to your potential"..."you'll never improve significanlty on a retake, the data 'prove it'"...as my Grandpa used to say, "Hogwash!!" If it is not possible to improve on a third attempt then I have been in some kind of twilight zone because a swear I see students do this ALL THE TIME. Student from Newark, NJ...490s after two attempts, 514 on third attempt, student from Portland, OR 500 after two attempts 520 on the third...underrepresented minority from south Texas who had to have both sides of his family pool all their resources to fund one "last and final" attempt at the MCAT before giving up...sub 500 to 516.

The problem with most students retaking the MCAT is that they did not ever truly understand the MCAT and what it requires the first time, then they crammed and memorized a bit more, and then they took it a second time, still not understanding the MCAT or what it requires...and on and on they go.

Do it right. No short cuts. LEARN what is actually going on. This is not uber-complex stuff. If you cannot explain to your roomate in layman's terms why something is happening during a chemical reaction, or what forces are actually interacting at the molecular level...you do NOT understand it. You might know some terms, have read some prep books, taken some practice questions (which usually reward you for memorization and do nothing to WAKE YOU UP to what you actually need to be doing...) and then voila...you take the MCAT again and get another crappy score.

If you want to improve, if you drastically change your A) Conceptual Mastery of basic science and B) your comfort level with experiment-based AAMC-style passages/questions, you will absolutely improve.

Very few students make any such metamorphosis between attempt 1 and attempt 2...or 3...so I do not know why they even expect to improve? That said, students do change thier conceptual mastery, experimental logic, and DISCIPLINE dramatically each and every year, and those students do improve.

So, the ball is really in your court. If you plan to just "add more studying" on top of your old habits, don't retake it. If you are willing to reinvent yourself, retake it--you'll like how things turn out!

 

[Jay023]

Ahh...the common SDN/AAMC response "there is a ceiling to your potential"..."you'll never improve significanlty on a retake, the data 'prove it'"...as my Grandpa used to say, "Hogwash!!" If it is not possible to improve on a third attempt then I have been in some kind of twilight zone because a swear I see students do this ALL THE TIME. Student from Newark, NJ...490s after two attempts, 514 on third attempt, student from Portland, OR 500 after two attempts 520 on the third...underrepresented minority from south Texas who had to have both sides of his family pool all their resources to fund one "last and final" attempt at the MCAT before giving up...sub 500 to 516.

The problem with most students retaking the MCAT is that they did not ever truly understand the MCAT and what it requires the first time, then they crammed and memorized a bit more, and then they took it a second time, still not understanding the MCAT or what it requires...and on and on they go.

Do it right. No short cuts. LEARN what is actually going on. This is not uber-complex stuff. If you cannot explain to your roomate in layman's terms why something is happening during a chemical reaction, or what forces are actually interacting at the molecular level...you do NOT understand it. You might know some terms, have read some prep books, taken some practice questions (which usually reward you for memorization and do nothing to WAKE YOU UP to what you actually need to be doing...) and then voila...you take the MCAT again and get another crappy score.

If you want to improve, if you drastically change your A) Conceptual Mastery of basic science and B) your comfort level with experiment-based AAMC-style passages/questions, you will absolutely improve.

Very few students make any such metamorphosis between attempt 1 and attempt 2...or 3...so I do not know why they even expect to improve? That said, students do change thier conceptual mastery, experimental logic, and DISCIPLINE dramatically each and every year, and those students do improve.

So, the ball is really in your court. If you plan to just "add more studying" on top of your old habits, don't retake it. If you are willing to reinvent yourself, retake it--you'll like how things turn out!

I like this response a lot. Thank you for that.

With that being said, what direction would you point me in to really change my conceptual mastery of the sciences?

I think you're onto something here. When it comes to understanding and explaining biology/biochemistry on a conceptual level, I can do that **** fluently. Physics and general chem I have the most trouble with. I did well on them in my undergrad, but I don't think I ever fully "understood" them. Organic is somewhere in the middle but needs more work too.

So what you're saying does make sense, I just wasn't sure what else to do differently I guess.

Regarding comfort level, I assume the comfort level with AAMC-style passages just comes from more practice tests?

 

[Jay023]

Your Bio score is solid. CARS is solid as well, especially if you can just keep the 125. Luckily, I think your two lowest scores are by far the easiest to fix. Get EK1001 Chemistry and do every single question in it. Then go through the Chemistry and Physics Qpacks and make sure you understand every concept from each question. I did that and increased CP over 40 percentile points.

For Psych/Soc, do more content review of all the terms, then redo the P/S section bank and make sure you understand every concept from each question.

You 100% can get a 505+ on your third attempt.

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Is a 125 on CARS considered solid? I'm looking at it as the 61st percentile, which seems pretty low. I scored in the top 90% on one of the practice tests somehow and thought I was gonna kill it on the exam too haha, but that wasn't even close to the case. For that one I will just do way more of the verbal practice passages from my books.

 

[thinkchangeflow]

Is a 125 on CARS considered solid? I'm looking at it as the 61st percentile, which seems pretty low. I scored in the top 90% on one of the practice tests somehow and thought I was gonna kill it on the exam too haha, but that wasn't even close to the case. For that one I will just do way more of the verbal practice passages from my books.

Looking at school data in MSAR, many have less than 125 CARS as their 10th percentile which indicates a 125 CARS is acceptable and not likely to be a deal breaker at many schools.

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[Altius Premier Tutor]

To dramatically improve your conceptual master of the sciences you need spend considerable time studying the why and how behind every concept. You'll need to go beyond the pat answers and basic ways that most students "think about" or "explain" a science concept. For example, try to explain to me what equilibrium is? What is Keq? When does it change? When does it not? Why? You'll need to be able to draw out an illustration of equilibrium, Keq, Q, etc; as if you were the author of the textbook creating an infographic to help students crystallize and truly capture these concepts. You'll need to be able to teach those ideas to a friend clearly in layman's terms. You'll need to be able to come up with specific, clear, real-life examples for everything you are studying--so that NOTHING is just abstract facts or memorization--you have a real application of everything you learn.

As for comfort level with the AAMC-style of passages and questions, I strongly recommend that you begin authoring your own AAMC-style passages and questions. Then show them to someone who scored very high on the exam (say 99th+) and see if they agree that you are creating questions that match the AAMC. At Altius we call this process "Becoming an MCAT Author" and it works. Every week my students are required to bring me 5 science questions they have written and also 5 CAR questions. I critique them and help them see where they are missing the way AAMC authors do things. Also, take serious look at the AAMC Section Bank--that is the type of question I would target (even more so that the AAMC full-lengths). Once you feel you have the AAMC style dialed in, be very critical of any practice exams you use. I find most all of them to have egregiously inaccurate question types that would never be on the MCAT; practicing with stuff that doesn't replicate the exam only adds complications to your problem.

These are the kinds of things a quality tutor or prep program may do for you authomatically, but I realize you may not be able to afford that kind of help. If not, you'll simply have to design your own program to do the same. It is do-able, but it isn't a quick fix (I don't know of ANY of those). It could take you many months of applying a completely new system of study that is more conceptual and more focused on becoming an AAMC author, but the dividends will pay off big time.

Good luck!

 

[Jay023]

To dramatically improve your conceptual master of the sciences you need spend considerable time studying the why and how behind every concept. You'll need to go beyond the pat answers and basic ways that most students "think about" or "explain" a science concept. For example, try to explain to me what equilibrium is? What is Keq? When does it change? When does it not? Why? You'll need to be able to draw out an illustration of equilibrium, Keq, Q, etc; as if you were the author of the textbook creating an infographic to help students crystallize and truly capture these concepts. You'll need to be able to teach those ideas to a friend clearly in layman's terms. You'll need to be able to come up with specific, clear, real-life examples for everything you are studying--so that NOTHING is just abstract facts or memorization--you have a real application of everything you learn.

As for comfort level with the AAMC-style of passages and questions, I strongly recommend that you begin authoring your own AAMC-style passages and questions. Then show them to someone who scored very high on the exam (say 99th+) and see if they agree that you are creating questions that match the AAMC. At Altius we call this process "Becoming an MCAT Author" and it works. Every week my students are required to bring me 5 science questions they have written and also 5 CAR questions. I critique them and help them see where they are missing the way AAMC authors do things. Also, take serious look at the AAMC Section Bank--that is the type of question I would target (even more so that the AAMC full-lengths). Once you feel you have the AAMC style dialed in, be very critical of any practice exams you use. I find most all of them to have egregiously inaccurate question types that would never be on the MCAT; practicing with stuff that doesn't replicate the exam only adds complications to your problem.

These are the kinds of things a quality tutor or prep program may do for you authomatically, but I realize you may not be able to afford that kind of help. If not, you'll simply have to design your own program to do the same. It is do-able, but it isn't a quick fix (I don't know of ANY of those). It could take you many months of applying a completely new system of study that is more conceptual and more focused on becoming an AAMC author, but the dividends will pay off big time.

Good luck!

Thank you for all of that. I'm sending you a PM now.

 

[Master Thinker]

you usually give great advice....but being in a very similar position to the OP, I have done a ton of reaearch on this and can tell you most schools take the most recent MCAT score and explicitly state it on their websites. There are few schools that explicitly say they average but the majority use the most recent set of scores...a few even superscore and take the highest subsection score from each attempt.

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Many schools state that the most recent MCAT is the one they find the most value in, but they look at the other scores also. During one medical schools presentation, the adcom said as much. It is generally unadvised to take the MCAT more than twice for this reason.

Retaking the MCAT is good only if you get a higher score the second time around.