- Joined
- Apr 7, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 2
I just don't know what else to do. This is my 5th practice test and and I've never broken 506. I've never felt so low...
505 on AAMC Practice MCAT. Test in 3 days. Should I give up hope?
- Thread starter decentlydope
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2014
- Messages
- 721
- Reaction score
- 345
Which practice test was it, @decentlydope ? What were your subsection scores? How long have you been studying for?
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2015
- Messages
- 218
- Reaction score
- 390
5 is about half the practice tests you should have completed by test day. 8 is considered the "minimum", usually most recommend 10.
If you're using TPR or Kaplan tests and getting a 506, you will do STELLAR on the actual MCAT.
If you're using TPR or Kaplan tests and getting a 506, you will do STELLAR on the actual MCAT.
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 2
Been studying for 4 months. It was AAMC FL 1. It goes 127/123/128/126. I've taken four next step practice tests. I'm worried because I heard the AAMC FL is very predictive on your actual score
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2015
- Messages
- 218
- Reaction score
- 390
I think you'll be fine. Work on some CARS passages. The CARS for FL1 was pretty difficult. Otherwise your other subscores actually suggest that you'll perform quite well on test day.
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 2
Thanks for the spreadsheet. I'm just gonna try to focus on section bank material for the rest of the week. My problem is that I wasted way too much time with content review. I've only been really doing passages for the past 3 weeks. I'm praying that I get a good score. I need more than a miracle at this point.
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2016
- Messages
- 1,541
- Reaction score
- 584
Would you recommend which 10 practice tests one should aim for? (E.g. Kaplan 1, TPR 2, EK 3, NS 4)
10? I think 5-8 should be good. Based on OP's problem he should be working on CARS not doing entire FLs, unless he wants higher than a 508-510
I'd recommend:
AAMC Sample
AAMC FL1
AAMC FL2
NS diagnostic and 1-4 or EK1-4, or some combination of the two
AAMC section bank, which will help you more than any of the 3rd party FLs IMO
I'd recommend:
AAMC Sample
AAMC FL1
AAMC FL2
NS diagnostic and 1-4 or EK1-4, or some combination of the two
AAMC section bank, which will help you more than any of the 3rd party FLs IMO
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2015
- Messages
- 218
- Reaction score
- 390
@Danny L covered it pretty well. Avoid TPR and Kaplan at all costs except for MAYBE the B/B portion. If you have some extra time, it might be a good idea to run through the questions packs as well just for a quick content review reminder. But please keep in mind the QPacks are not representative of anything you'll see on test day at all. But they're good if you just want to see if you know all your content cold.
For OP, I agree that he should complete the two QPacks for CARS from the AAMC as @Danny L suggested. Honestly those were so on point compared to the real exam and for me it really helped me hone in on the types of new mistakes I was making when I moved from the TPR CARS to the AAMC CARS. Made all the difference imo (CARS was my weakest section but after finishing the QPacks it was just as strong as my sciences)
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2016
- Messages
- 1,541
- Reaction score
- 584
Would you elaborate on why to avoid TPR and Kaplan? Is it worth to do if they are included in the MCAT prep course?
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2015
- Messages
- 218
- Reaction score
- 390
Because their passages are against an impossible curve and are just so incredibly content heavy that it's really not realistic for the MCAT to test you on so many concepts that lean on the more difficult side of it the spectrum all at once (have you seen questions weaving biochem, cellular signaling, orgo sterics, orgo mechanisms, equilibrium, and physics all in to one passage-based question? If you want to, TPR is your best bet).
Quite frankly, the tests came to a point where I was just giving up mid-exam and canceling the entire exam since it would take me almost 30-35 minutes for their hardest passages. They were essentially unproductive after a certain point in my studying (and even more true after I look deeper in to the MCAT 2017 Spreadsheet of scores and took the AAMC full lengths.... even now after I've taken the actual MCAT).
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2016
- Messages
- 1,541
- Reaction score
- 584
Sorry to hear that. Did you prep that MCAT with solely Kaplan/TPR passages?
My last Kaplan FL had the exact same things...many different topics intertwined in a single passage. During C/P, even the prevalence of a disease formula came up.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2015
- Messages
- 218
- Reaction score
- 390
Yeah that's exactly what I mean, they're buffing you on understanding content but you're going to find on the actual exam that knowing the content cold and not being able to simply apply and connect things conceptually and quickly will be your doom, not so much knowing the formula for every little thing (anyone can memorize).
What you need to know cold are your basic formulas: F=ma, big 5 of kinematics, PV=nRT, Lens Makers, Buoyancy, etc. The more in depth ones that are derivative of these basic formulas I can GUARANTEE you they will give it to you in the exam or provide an alternate formula that can be used to get the same value.
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 2
I don't know, I was just basing that on your other subscores/assuming your work on CARS would bump up your score to a similar range. There's no strong correlation so it's impossible to tell. A lot of people make 5-10 pt jumps from FL to actual MCAT so it could be higher
Also AAMC apparently bases the scaling off how other people do on the FLs, so your scores on FL1 might be deflated a little
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 2
I did notice that because I scored an 80% in B/B and 83% in P/S and I still ended up with only a 128 and 126 in the sections.
Pray for me guys.
Pray for me guys.
Don't lose hope on CARS.
Use OBAMA method !!
Read the passage as if OBAMA with his snickering, varied paced speaking tone is talking to you. Snickering, fast paced, slow paced, loud and quiet.
A friend of mine was distraught 3 days before MCAT that her CARS was hopeless, not up to par with her other scores.
OBAMA really came to rescue.
Used OBAMA snickering voice, she improved her CARS by 5 freaking points !!!
OBAMA will keep you engaged.
You can do it !!
You can do better !!
Use OBAMA method !!
Read the passage as if OBAMA with his snickering, varied paced speaking tone is talking to you. Snickering, fast paced, slow paced, loud and quiet.
A friend of mine was distraught 3 days before MCAT that her CARS was hopeless, not up to par with her other scores.
OBAMA really came to rescue.
Used OBAMA snickering voice, she improved her CARS by 5 freaking points !!!
OBAMA will keep you engaged.
You can do it !!
You can do better !!
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2009
- Messages
- 1,682
- Reaction score
- 1,656
- Joined
- May 25, 2007
- Messages
- 4,098
- Reaction score
- 943
Have to agree 100% that knowing information cold without knowing how to apply it is the demise of many people. Doing well on the MCAT means applying the basics to new and often weird passages (such as journal articles you may not fully understand) with doable questions if you extrapolate from the basic principles. You get to this point only by doing tons and tons of passages and questions, not by reading review text.
I'm not sure I agree with your formula opinion though. It is true that they give you many formulas, so memorizing a formal sheet is often pointless. You are absolutely correct about that. But the trick to doing well on formula-based questions is knowing the formulas in sentence form AND being able to manipulate them into a modified form that can be used to get an answer faster. A great example involves the FOUR kinematics equations (if you feel there are 5, then you have likely included the same equation written two different ways). You can memorize them, but if you don't know which of the four to apply to a question, you won't do well. Recognizing what they don't give you and don't ask for is essential in selecting the best of the four kinematics equations. For an object dropped from rest from an elevation of 42.1 m where they ask for speed at impact but don't give you the time, you need to use the kinematics equation that lacks t (vf2 - vi2 = 2ad). Students who have mastered our chart method will tell you almost immediately that it will be slightly less than 30 m/s, which should be more than good enough to select the best answer.
Another example of why memorizing the basic equations is not as good as knowing them in a modified form involves the lens maker equation, which can be rewritten into our much easier to use form [i = (o x f)/)o - f)]. Memorizing the typical version from your physics text book may lead you to (a) make a common calculation error that the test writer preys upon or (b) take too much time to get an answer. For instance, for a diverging lens with o = 11 cm and f = 7 cm, you should come up with roughly i = -4.3 in roughly five seconds if you use the modified version of the equation we emphasize in class. Someone who is well prepared will immediately know that diverging systems have images that form between 0 and -f (in this case -7), so they can eliminate some wrong answers right away. If it ends up that more than one answer remains, then it is best to plug into our rewritten form of that equation.
