Quite a few posts for this topic are just plain nasty, and please stick to the topic (the original post was not a University vs. Community College debate!).
I think that the PCAT is just another part of the application process. I have a University degree from years and years ago, just recently completed my science pre-reqs from a local Community College (so I've done both, and to be honest, it depends on the teacher wherever you take your course). I have a fairly high GPA (3.6 or so), but I suck at standardized tests.
I was never surprised of my scores and in fact, each time I took the PCAT, my scores went all over the map (eg, one time Verbal would be low, the next time it would be high). The only subject I consistly improved on was Chem, partly due to the fact that that was what I was enrolled in during each test (as I completed my English Comps, Maths, and Biologies when I completed my undergraduate).
I've taked the ACT, SAT, GRE, and GMAT in the past as well. No consistency in those test scores either. One tidbit for the panel: I have never made below an "A" for any English Comp or literature class in my life, but have struggled with Math classes forever (C in Calculus, and if it wasn't for the first half of the class/tests being easier, I would have FAILED). Therefore, can I explain the reason why on some tests my Math score was better than my Verbal? No. But I also know that each test version is a crapshoot. Although there is normalization that occurs between tests, there is a bit of luck involved in knowing how to answer PARTICULAR test questions that miraculously show up on my test.
But some people that struggle with classes may score well on the PCAT. Are they smarter? To you I say this: How do you define "smart?" Does "smart" mean getting good grades in classes or scoring exceptionally well on the PCAT? I think the more correct word that should be used is "gifted." I have to admit that I am a little more gifted than the average person in taking an academic test because tests tend to focus on centralized themes/principles/concepts,etc. I know how to engross myself with an academic class's theme (for the most part).
However, I feel that I am at a disadvantage in taking a standardized test because I don't see central themes anywhere. I am rushed to bubble in anything that sounds "good" because I only have 30 seconds for each question. Also, how are scores/percentiles "really" determined (ie, how many questions can I miss in order to receive a particular score)? Highly secret information for standardized tests, but in academic classes, I know how my grade will be determined for each exam as well as my final grade at the end of the semester.
Pharmacy school will be difficult for me, but I don't expect it to be a breeze. I fear the NAPLEX in a way because it is my next hurdle to jump through in four years, but unlike other standardized tests before, the NAPLEX is only Pass/Fail. Thank goodness for that.
Sorry to ramble, but I really think that the PCAT simply is meant to give people with lower GPAs a fighting chance at gaining admission. Yes, a person with the high GPA can screw up their chances by scoring poorly on the PCAT (ie below 50 percent), but if this happens, the battle is only from "within" to get an average to slightly above average score. For the person with a low GPA, scoring high on the PCAT means battling the entire pool of applicants, which is a lot tougher to do.
For those that have both high GPAs and PCAT scores, you can sleep easy (sorry for the grammar there).
Funny stuff (and love your signon name too) - hope you get an acceptance real soon!
