498 --> 510+ In 10 Weeks?

[1993SLE]

I'm gearing up to retake the MCAT to repply to med school if I don't get off a waitlist this summer. I was able to score a 508 back in 2016 and used the Kaplan 7-subject review books, took a Kaplan online class, and about 7 practice FLs before that test.

I took a the Princeton Review free FL test as a diagnostic last week and got a 498, which is a bummer. My complete breakdown is CHEM/PHYS 122, CARS 125, BIO/BIOCH 123, and PSYCH/SOCIO 128. I would ideally like to score a 512 (128 in each section), but I would honestly be happy with at least a 510. I was planning on signing up for the MCAT on 8/17, which gives me about 10 weeks to study.

I would love to get any advice and tips about bringing up my score with only 10 weeks to study. Stories of encouragement are always helpful too!

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[Hi_I'mPaul]

Doable? yes, but that really depends on you

 

[1993SLE]

1.5 it’s a week is doable if you’re studying full time, and especially if you’ve had. A50i in the best. Princeton review exams are typically harder!

Sorry, did you mean to say that 10 weeks is doable if I'm studying full time, especially if I had a 508 in the past? I will be working 30 hours a week for the rest of June and possibly working 10-15 hours a week from July until the test day. I didn't realize that Princeton review exams were harder, but that makes me feel better. As far as future FL tests go, I'm planning on doing ones from Kaplan, NextStep, and the AAMC. If anyone has any guidance as to which order to do those in, that would help.

 

[mirandalola]

I would be absolutely shocked if the third-party "diagnostic tests" aren't actually harder. They want you to think you need help so you'll buy their course. Forgive me for being a cynic... I made a pretty crappy score on a Kaplan practice test, but made a pretty good score on an AAMC practice test after only 2 weeks of study, so I don't think the Kaplan test was accurate.

 

[1993SLE]

@mirandalola I would honestly rather have the practice FLs be harder than the real thing, but it's good to know that the AAMC practice tests are probably more consistent with the actual test. I would rather be "surprised" with a higher MCAT score than one that's lower than I would have predicted.

 

[Cornfed101]

@mirandalola I would honestly rather have the practice FLs be harder than the real thing, but it's good to know that the AAMC practice tests are probably more consistent with the actual test. I would rather be "surprised" with a higher MCAT score than one that's lower than I would have predicted.

It’s not that they are necessarily harder, but they are graded more harshly. One of the Kaplan FLs I took I missed 6 questions in one section and got a 128.

Third party FLs are good for content and timing, but are not very accurate to predict your score (no matter what people from those companies say).

How much studying have you already done? I worked full time while studying for the MCAT, but I also studied for 9 months. To do really well on the test I would recommend 500-700 hours of studying.

 

[1993SLE]

It’s not that they are necessarily harder, but they are graded more harshly. One of the Kaplan FLs I took I missed 6 questions in one section and got a 128.

Third party FLs are good for content and timing, but are not very accurate to predict your score (no matter what people from those companies say).

How much studying have you already done? I worked full time while studying for the MCAT, but I also studied for 9 months. To do really well on the test I would recommend 500-700 hours of studying.

When I first studied for the MCAT in 2016, I'm 99% sure I only used Kaplan FLs to practice. This time I'd definitely want to mix it up w/ FLs from different testing companies and use the AAMC FLs closer to the actual test date.

Re: the number of hours, I've heard its recommended to study for around 300 hours for the MCAT, but this is definitely situational. I've only studied for ~15 hours so far.

 

[Cornfed101]

Re: the number of hours, I've heard its recommended to study for around 300 hours for the MCAT, but this is definitely situational. I've only studied for ~15 hours so far.

The general rule of thumb I have found is ~50 hours per point increase. I studied for 700 hours and improved from a 500 to a 516