Compilation 509+ MCAT Study Habits

[supremus]

Use the template below:

1) Your individual scores and composite score
2) The study method used for each section
3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)
4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)
5) What was your undergraduate major?
6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

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[TexasSurgeon]

I bought a Kaplan Course (with a scholarship). It was originally like 2000, but with the scholarship I had it was about 800. It began in February, and went to May. And the site remained accessible until this month actually (September)

I have the Kaplan books but not the online course. Do you recommend reading through them and using TBR passages for chem, physics, and bio and maybe Khan for psyc/soc? I also have the TPR science workbook

 

[LopsidedTurtle]

I am barely 17 and I'm about 6 credits from my AA. I am nervous that I will be just physically too young to fully comprehend the material because I will be just over 18 when I take the test. Should I just take a few extra years in college? (I really don't have the money to do that, but if it is recommended in the long term, I definitely will.)
Also, when did most of you take the MCAT (as in, what month and what year of college).
Additionally, how does one go about finding and picking a medical school?
Thanks.

 

[FindingNismo]

1) Your individual scores and composite score
518 (97%)
C/P - 131 (99%)
CARS - 126 (70%)
B/B - 130 (97%)
P/S - 131 (98%)
2) The study method used for each section
I have been out of school for a while (3 years) and needed extensive content review. I am a terrific procrastinator, and I have tried several times to study on my own and not been able to do so, so I enrolled in the EK course to give myself the needed structure. I don't recommend this for everyone - it is very expensive and unnecessary if you are still in undergrad / just completed undergrad and if you're very motivated. But, if you're a non-trad with a full-time job and need the structure, I highly recommend a course.

I studied for a period of 3 months for all sections. Physics has always been my weakest point, so I spent a lot of time drilling and solidifying those concepts. I've also never taken a psych course - I knew this would be a weakness and I spend a lot of time on KA reviewing videos. I felt comfortable with most of the bio topics after brief content review and did not spend too much time on this, except for the areas I was able to identify as weaknesses after analyzing my FLs.

First, I used EK to review all content. This took about a two months. I took EK1 and EK2 during this time. I wouldn't say that I did well on those (scores below, don't judge)

I analyzed the **** out of my FLs. I looked at every question, figured out why I got it wrong, and examined trends in my errors to reveal topics that I was weak in. I made Anki flash cards for those topics and they eventually sunk in.

I think the EK material is enough if you have a good understanding of a topic (read: good instructors in undergrad) but for the topics that I struggled on, I hit the KA videos like an animal. I attribute a lot of my success on the test to the information and videos that are presented on KA and I would highly recommend them to any test taker.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)
I took the EK course, so I used primarily EK materials. I supplemented this with the old TBR books (mainly Physics 1 and 2 and Organic Chemistry 1 and 2). I made extensive use of the Khan Academy materials - any concept that I didn't fully understand in EK or I felt wasn't fully explained I watched on KA. I did several C/P passages on KA and a few B/B passages. I found the quality of those mixed - some were absurdly hard, others seemed to accurately capture the feel of the MCAT.
4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)
EK and AAMC.

EK1 - 69%
EK2 - I got so frustrated midway through that I ragequit the test in the basement of Yale's library. Sorry kids.
EK3 - 73%
EK4 - 73%
AAMC FL - C/P 83%, CARS 87%, B/B 85%, P/S 90%
AAMC Bio QPack 1 - 91%
AAMC Physics QPack - 83%
AAMC CARS V1 QPack - 82%
AAMC CARS V2 QPack - 89%
AAMC OG - B/B 80%, C/P 80%, P/S 83%, CARS 77%
5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biological Sciences with most coursework in Molecular and Cellular Biology.
6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
I want to say that I am happy to answer any individual questions that any of you may have via PM. I will do my very best to answer what I can and I really want to help all of you.

This test hung over me for five years, and I think I've learned a few things that might make it easier for others. The best advice that I can offer is to know yourself. Know how you learn best, know what you're good at and what you're ****ty at. Focus on making yourself better at those ****ty things. Take an honest evaluation of yourself, be humble, and really examine your strengths and weaknesses, because the MCAT is not a fun test and most likely won't play to your strengths. Don't read too much into the random bits and pieces of info. on here if you don't think it'll honestly work for you. You are the only one taking this test - not anybody else, so be honest with yourself and really give it everything you have.

Also, if you haven't taken a psych course: don't worry about it. I never have, psych was consistently my highest section during prep, and I finished with a 131. Others have said that P/S feels like CARS Pt. 2, and I completely agree. With the basic conceptual knowledge that you can get from KA and EK (mostly KA), a very solid grasp on research methods, design, and analysis, you can kill P/S. It's not the bizzare and obscure section that it might seem to be. It's quite manageable.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3 months.

 

[Krabbeman]

I have the Kaplan books but not the online course. Do you recommend reading through them and using TBR passages for chem, physics, and bio and maybe Khan for psyc/soc? I also have the TPR science workbook

Honestly... I think as long as you bust your butt, put your time in, are smart about your studying, and get adequate practice, you'll do fine. I think that would work.

 

[purplefrog13]

Thanks! I did use the old one for the old MCAT, and yeah, there's a ton of overlap between the two books. I'd say go ahead and use the old version, but try and get your hands on the Psychology section of the new version. It's more 30 passages for you to do! I did use the NS Strategy and Practice books (but didn't finish all of the CARS one). I'll post the schedule of my last month, and you'll see how I incorporated them. I can't say whether or not the NS content review is better than TPR, since the NS books I used were only passage based (with a glossary in the back).



Since I had just taken biochem, I barely watched any Khan for biochem. Specifically, I only really remember watching vids on the Pentose phosphate pathway. Seemed to do a good job covering it. If you watch all their vids, you may end up being overwhelmed by too much information. If you're up for it, go for it haha.


Thank you!! I only have my schedule for a little bit more than the last month, since that's the only time I made a schedule for
For the most part, my time before the schedule was spent doing content review, and some TPR Science Workbook passages.
The exam review days may seem crazy, but I would at most spend 3 hours reviewing one test. It generally ended up being ~2 hours each. Feel free to let me know if anything is confusing. There's some random notes at the end on last minute topics I was hitting, but I'm too lazy to delete them lol

Where did you find the TPR science workbook for 2015?? I can't seem to find it anywhere online. Is it just practice problems and passages for bio/chem/phys/psych?

 

[Happy_Puppy5000]

Where did you find the TPR science workbook for 2015?? I can't seem to find it anywhere online. Is it just practice problems and passages for bio/chem/phys/psych?

Keep checking EBay and the "for sale" section of this website. They were on EBay recently for about $70. I heard that the only real difference between the 2015 book and the ones before is about 30 pages of passages for Psychology/Sociology section.

 

[Sarahka74]

I bought a Kaplan Course (with a scholarship). It was originally like 2000, but with the scholarship I had it was about 800. It began in February, and went to May. And the site remained accessible until this month actually (September)

Which kaplan course was this? Was it the self-paced?

 

[Krabbeman]

No, the regular in class course

 

[ChrisMack390]

I always hoped I would get to post here

1) Your individual scores and composite score

• 518 total (129/128/131/130)

2) The study method used for each section

• My primary studying was the Kaplan self-paced online course. Not the one with the weekly webcam sessions, just the one that you pay 1800 bucks for all of their books and access to their Q-bank, videos, practices, and the AAMC materials. I spent about 3 months aggressively studying content and going through all of the 7 book series (I followed Kap's schedule which was 1 week of CARS, 1 week of C/P, 1 week of bio, and 1 week of psych repeated 3 times). During this time I did 1 full length per week, every Saturday. Then I took Saturday night off, reviewed my full length answers on Sunday morning, and also took Sunday evening and night off.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)

• I only used Kaplan and AAMC. I also used the EK101 Verbal book which was highly recommended on here and I did think was very good. Occasionally if I thought Kaplan's explanation wasn't enough I would check out the relevant Khan videos.

4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)

• Kaplan - 502, 500, 502, 502, 503, 506, 509, 509
• AAMC Full Length - 66% / 89% / 82% / 78%
• I also did the AAMC question packs but I can't remember my scores and don't have access to see them anymore. I highly recommend all AAMC material though (which should go without saying considering they make the tests).
• Khan academy passages aren't especially representative of the style of MCAT questions, but they do make for great content review.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

• It was biology. I graduated in 2013. I am a graduate student in biology now, which was MASSIVELY helpful. At least in my graduate school, almost all of my science classes have primarily focused on experimental design, research techniques, reading primary lit, etc. Grad school and my fairly extensive research experience are definitely big reasons I did so well in B/B. I also had a bit of a chip on my shoulder due to a C in undergrad biochem.

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

• I did this while working full time, and so can you! It isn't easy, and you will need a lot of discipline to get up way too early and study before work and then keep it going for several hours after work, but it is doable. If anyone has specific questions on the full time work/MCAT studying balance feel free to PM me. Just remember - 14 hour days seem ****ty now, but they are still easier than your surgical rotation is going to be.

• Listen to your brain and take some breaks. I'm not encouraging slacking, but if you find yourself completely exhausted and forcing yourself to read some chapter that you are barely comprehending, then stop! Maybe switch to flash cards or non-passage questions or Khan videos. Maybe even take the day off and study extra the following two days. I don't suggest taking extended breaks from studying, but its always better to do something like than you are benefitting from rather than something heavy that you aren't retaining.

• Most important tip - The MCAT is NOT a chemistry test, a reading test, a biology test, and a psychology test taken serially. The MCAT is really just a critical reading/thinking exam. Master CARS and take the same approach to the other sections as you take in CARS. They are exactly the same with the only difference being that the non-CARS sections require some outside knowledge to be brought in and CARS does not. Be deliberate when bringing in outside knowledge though. 9 times out of 10 you can answer the biology question using the passage and not by remembering some little detail you are kicking yourself over. Only when you are absolutely certain that a question is stand alone and not answered in the passage should you start racking your brain for details.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

• I did 3 months of intensive content review with weekly practice tests followed by ~5 weeks of as many practice passages as I could get my hands on. If I could do it all again I would probably reduce the content time and increase the practice time.

If anyone has any specific questions please PM me! (I probably won't check this thread again).

 

[CHoge25]

So I need some advice/guidance... Currently enrolled in a post bac program where I am taking 2 classes (upper level biology) and also working part time (where I get time when I am not doing lab work to study)... I am planning on taking the test on jan 23rd, but feeling a little time crunched . I am enrolled in the Kaplan on demand course (if anyone took this course it would be extra helpful to get your opinions)... A lot of this class is watching videos of a person explain topics rather slowly, and I feel like this wastes valuable time I could use... Do you guys think I should skip over videos, but use all of kaplans resources to study on my own? Also one thing j am seeing is for CARS studying, do practice problems for test, don't waste time of the Kaplan book (is this recommended?) I have about 13 weeks... I am hearing a lot of people say do close to a 50/50 content review/practice tests with time.. I can realistically study about 6-8 hours a day. Any recommendations and insight would be awesome, as I hope to be in the 509+ club in a couple months!

 

[Happy_Puppy5000]

So I need some advice/guidance... Currently enrolled in a post bac program where I am taking 2 classes (upper level biology) and also working part time (where I get time when I am not doing lab work to study)... I am planning on taking the test on jan 23rd, but feeling a little time crunched . I am enrolled in the Kaplan on demand course (if anyone took this course it would be extra helpful to get your opinions)... A lot of this class is watching videos of a person explain topics rather slowly, and I feel like this wastes valuable time I could use... Do you guys think I should skip over videos, but use all of kaplans resources to study on my own? Also one thing j am seeing is for CARS studying, do practice problems for test, don't waste time of the Kaplan book (is this recommended?) I have about 13 weeks... I am hearing a lot of people say do close to a 50/50 content review/practice tests with time.. I can realistically study about 6-8 hours a day. Any recommendations and insight would be awesome, as I hope to be in the 509+ club in a couple months!

I have not taken any course, so I may not be the best person to answer your question. However, remember that practice with all of Kaplan's Question Bank and AAMC questions should be your priority. Sure do content review and if there is something that you do not fully understand in the book on your own, then and only then would I suggest that you watch any of these "slow" videos. Again the most important part of your MCAT study is timed practice problems. I believe that Kaplan has provided a lot through their Question Bank. So in the next 13 weeks that you have, be sure to do all of Kaplan's questions and all the available AAMC's stuff twice. Then if there are still topics that you need to clear up, watch some of these videos on those specific topics. Best of luck.

 

[orgogogo]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

524 total (132/132/132/128)

2) The study method used for each section

I took The Princeton Review's in-person course (which also comes with online access). For everything except CARS, I tried to keep up with the class schedule that we had, e.g. I'd try to do all of the content review and practice associated with bio class 1 before bio class 2.
For each chapter in each book, I'd read the chapter (thoroughly if it was a weak area for me, or a quick skim if it was something I was already confident in), do the end of chapter questions/passage, and then do the TPR "amplifire" questions online (basically these are just a ton of freestanding questions). Then, I would do the online passages (unless I was confident in the material, then I would just skip them for now). I pretty much did this for ~3 months until I finished it all. For CARS, I originally tried to do the "homework" prescribed by the TPR course, but I really didn't like their CARS method, so I just switched to trying to do two CARS passages a day, everyday, starting about 1-2 months into my studying. Throughout the studying, I intended to do a FL every 2-3 weeks, but I found this to be very time consuming and it would take up my entire weekend (I did research full time, so during the week I could only study in the evenings), so I ended up doing less FLs than originally intended. In the last ~2 weeks before my test date, I (quickly) went through all of the TPR books again and wrote down all of the stuff that I was not confident in, and then in the last few days before my test I used those notes to do my last minute studying. I took the AAMC FL about 1 week before my test date and reviewed that thoroughly. Unfortunately I did not have time to do the qpacks, which was not a big deal for me since they don't have psych/soci ones anyway (this is my weakest area).

3) What materials you used for each section (Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)

I relied on the TPR books for all sections, which I thought were very nicely written, easy to understand, and gave an appropriate amount of detail. I also had the online content from the TPR course. I also watched some Khan Academy videos, but I found these to be way too detailed for some concepts (ex: nervous system).

4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)

9/6/15 AAMC FL: 90.5% (92%/94%/90%/86%)
8/29/15 TPR Course Test 4: 512 (129/126/130/127)
8/09/15 TPR Course Test 3: 504 (127/126/125/126)
7/14/15 TPR Course Test 2: 505 (126/126/126/127)
6/13/15 TPR Course Test 1: 506 (126/126/128/126)
6/09/15 TPR Complete Test 1: 505 (126/125/127/127)

Note: I thought the TPR FLs were much harder than the AAMC FL or the real MCAT, which is pretty clear based on my scores here.

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Biochemistry

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Don't beat yourself up over bad practice test scores, bad scores on passages, etc. Keep in mind that test prep companies make everything harder than the actual MCAT. The most important thing is to study efficiently. For me, this meant gauging what I felt confident in and what I was struggling with. Every week on Sunday, I would go through the AAMC outline and rank my confidence for each topic on a scale of 1-5 (I did this in a spreadsheet). For 5s, I would skim the associated chapter in my TPR books, but beyond that I would put no effort into studying that topic. The things that I ranked as 1 were topics that I had not covered at all in my previous courses (so things like organ systems, optics, fluids), so I spent a lot of time on those. I also used this spreadsheet to keep track of which concepts I had already studied or not. I think that in general, self-evaluation is the absolute most important part of studying. This includes ranking your confidence levels like I did here, but it also includes effectively reviewing your FLs, passages, etc, to see which types of questions you get wrong, which concepts you keep forgetting, etc, and looking for patterns in that to determine what is the best use of your time. Since I was doing research full time over the summer, I had limited time to study (compared to people who only had the MCAT to focus on), so time management was absolutely necessary.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?

About 4 months total

Please feel free to PM me for any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

 

[Doctor Dream]

I owe this site so much, thanks a ton SDN. Let me preface my post by saying I wanted to limit my costs as much as possible, and did NOT want to drop $2000 on a prep course. My study plan turned out pretty cost effective I think, I was able to do all the prep I wanted without draining my bank account. I am also NOT the smartest person on campus by any means and really think anyone with reasonable intelligence who works hard and studies effectively can do well!

1) Your individual scores and composite score
514 (129/126/131/128)

2) The study method you used for each section
2 months before starting my actual study schedule (which I'll talk about later) I started going through the AAMC 2015 content outline and made flashcards for every bullet point using a program called Anki. I found some handy websites like mcat-review.org and premedhq.com which had brief explanations for most of the points, and used those to make my cards. My Anki deck was an ongoing project that took about 4 months to finish, and I continued to add cards even after I'd finished going through the outline. I'd review the cards which were due every day, and I really think this was a vital part of my content review.
I started out using the NextStep 100 day schedule found here. You can read the schedule for yourself if you're interested, but I basically followed this for the first couple months. I used the EK set for general content review, bought a TPR book which had 3 TPR FL's included, and a Kaplan book which also came with an FL. I made sure I knew the EK books inside and out, and anything I didn't feel confident in or had never learned I watched Khan academy videos on. I'd also add any additional information to my flashcards from the EK books or Khan. I don't think I touched the TPR or Kaplan books though, other than to take FL's. I used the NS CARS book for CARS practice, which I thought did a good job.
After following this schedule for a couple months, I felt like there was too much content review and not enough FL practice, so I abandoned it. I felt like one FL per week was okay for the beginning of my prep, but felt too long later on. I instead did an FL every two or three days, and reviewed that FL the day after I took it. I used the Gadwin print screen app to take pictures of questions I got wrong and turned them into flashcards which I could study. As I got closer to my exam, I started doing more and more AAMC material, to get acclimated to the style of the real thing.

3) Materials you used for each section
Like I mentioned, I used EK for my main content review, and knew those books inside and out, and supplemented it with Khan for topics I still struggled with. I also used all the AAMC material which was released (the FL, official guide, and practice packs). These materials were invaluable, in fact the CARS section of my actual MCAT felt exactly like another AAMC CARS practice pack. I bought the Kaplan and TPR books along with the set of NS books mentioned in the study schedule I linked but I never really used them. I only used the Kaplan and TPR books for their FL's and out of the NS set I only used the CARS book for practice. If I could do it over, I'd only buy the NS CARS book and not the whole set.

4) What practice tests did you use? (Optional: Include score)
I took my first exam in early June and the last on Sept. 10th, two days before the exam. Here they all are, ordered chronologically earliest to most recent
NS half length diagnostic - 495 (121/124/125/125)
AAMC FL - 77% (83%/85%/76%/66%)
NS 1 - 505 (126/124/128/127)
TPR 1 - 501 (124/124/125/128)
NS 2 - 504 (127/123/128/126)
TPR 2 - 502 (126/125/124/127)
Kaplan 1 - 501 (125/125/127/124)
NS 3 - 511 (127/128/128/128)
TPR 3 - 502 (124/126/125/127)
NS 4 - 508 (127/127/128/126)
EK 1 - 73% (63%/74%/78%/76%)
NS 5 - 508 (127/126/128/127)
AAMC FL (again) - 92% (92%/92%/92%/90%)
AAMC OG - half length - 82.5% (86.6%/86.6%/76.6%/80%)

Note - DO NOT get discouraged if you score low when you first start. That 495 diagnostic scared the crap out of me initially, but everything turned out fine in the end.

5) What was your undergrad major?
Biochemistry

6) Any tips for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Don't underestimate the importance of practice exams. Content review is important, but taking practice exams is by far more important I feel. People who say taking the MCAT is a skill that can be learned are 100% right I think. If I could do it over again, I'd stop my content review earlier and start taking more exams sooner. I think it's important to divide your study schedule into two sections, the first consisting mainly of content review for a month or two, and second consisting of practice exams for another two months. During the content review section, refresh your brain with all the concepts you learned in your classes, work on things you struggled with, and learn important topics if need be. The second section is for learning how to take FL's, improving mental endurance, and ironing out the gaps of knowledge in your content review.
Also, don't put too much stock into your practice FL scores. They can kind of be a predictor of your actual MCAT score, but completely off other times. I've seen people post on here that you shouldn't take the real thing without consistently scoring 510+ on NS exams, or stuff like that. I 100% disagree. Let the AAMC material be your gauge if anything.

EDIT: Adding this bit because I think it's really important. When you are taking your practice FL's, REPLICATE TEST DAY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I can't tell you how much this helped me. Every day I planned to take an FL, I would wake up at the same time I would on test day, eat the same breakfast, wear similar clothes, drive the same route. Hell, I even drove to the Prometrics site those days and would walk around and envisioned myself going in their office and taking the MCAT, then drive off and take my exam in a different place. Maybe some of that is overkill, but doing all that REALLY helped reduce my anxiety on test day. When I woke up, it literally just felt like another FL day. I was actually surprised how calm I was. Point being, simulating test day as much as possible helps get your brain conditioned and really reduces anxiety.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
2 months of passive content review, 3 months hardcore studying and taking practice exams.
I started making my flashcards in early March, but had classes simultaneously, so I didn't really dive into my studying until classes were out in May.

If anyone has any questions about anything MCAT, feel free to PM me, I'm more than happy to help. I remember how it feels to be totally lost and confused with all this stuff! I'm also willing to share my Anki deck with anyone interested, I think it's ~900 cards total.

Best of luck to everyone reading this! Work hard, believe in yourself, and you'll slay this thing.

 

[DOrocker0930]

I used Next Step for Biochem and Psych. I used TBR for Chem and Physics. I didn't formally prepare for CARS.

I think how you study is pretty critical. Create a study schedule that suits you. For example, I studied for a little over a month for 12-14 hours a day. This worked for me, but it might not work for you.

How do you formally not prepare for CARS and still get such high score on it?? I'm boggled by the fact that I do so many different CARS passages and still I get a 122 -_______- Am I just dumb????

 

[gannicus89]

How do you formally not prepare for CARS and still get such high score on it?? I'm boggled by the fact that I do so many different CARS passages and still I get a 122 -_______- Am I just dumb????

I didn't score that high lol, did alright. You aren't dumb, verbal just has always been somewhat of a strength for me. Just like physics has always been my weakness. I've read a lot since I was a kid so maybe that's related to it too.

 

[MCAT Guru]

What do you all think about Khan academy for psychology? I heard it was best for learning everything you need to know (and nothing more) for the MCAT.

 

[janeteyre]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

516 CP 130 CARS 129 BBC 128 PS 129

2) The study method used for each section

CP -- Learned general physics concepts in depth by going through TBR Physics 1,2. I didn't cover general chemistry well enough -- don't underestimate general chem knowledge on the CP portion of the exam -- I recommend going through TBR Chem 1,2 as well. The CP portion has lots of gen chem trivia (hybridization, orbitals etc). Most of CP is really a deep mixture of physics and biology -- I would recommend working through and paying attention to the physical biochemistry questions that appear by working through the practice exams. Currently, I don't think there is a good practice set for CP beyond the practice exams.

CARS -- Use AAMC QPack Verbal 1,2 to come up with your own CARS strategy. Use TPR Verbal Hyperlearning and EK 101 Verbal Passages for additional practice. After working through these CARS problem sets, you will develop a method for approaching CARS. I also recommend reading through old posts on SDN, /r/Mcat and Kaplan's CARS book for different strategies worth trying out. The most important thing is to continue to improve your CARS strategy with each problem set.

BBC -- Used TBR Biology 1,2. I love TBR Biology -- those books represent the current MCAT the best (especially TBR Biology 2). Don't get discouraged by the difficulty of TBR Biology -- work through it.

PS -- Khan Academy psych videos for content review. Didn't do any problem sets (mostly because they don't really exist at this point). Only did practice exams.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)

CP -- TBR Physics 1,2; AAMC QPack Physics / Chem
CARS -- EK 101 Verbal; TPR Hyperlearning Verbal; AAMC QPack Verbal 1,2
BBC -- TBR Biology 1,2; AAMC QPack Biology 1,2
PS -- Khan Academy Psychology

4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)
EK1-3; AAMC0; Kaplan 1-3

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biochemistry

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
The last practice exam you should take is the AAMC0. If you score above a 80% on each section, you are golden for the exam.

Don't get discouraged your results on any other practice exam -- those things are really difficult. I would score 40-50% on the EK exams.

In terms of practice exam quality, I use the following rank:

1. EK4 -- the best exam not made by AAMC.
2. EK1-3
3. Kaplan 1-3
4. TPR -- I tried out some of their exams. Looking back, I felt like they weren't really representative.

NEVER retake a practice exam. Retaking old exams are worthless. Also remember that practice exams are precious -- only take them when you feel ready to do your best on them.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3 months.

 

[Chelsea FC]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

516 CP 130 CARS 129 BBC 128 PS 129

2) The study method used for each section
3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)

CP -- TBR Physics 1,2; AAMC QPack Physics / Chem
CARS -- EK 101 Verbal; TPR Hyperlearning Verbal; AAMC QPack Verbal 1,2
BBC -- TBR Biology 1,2; AAMC QPack Biology 1,2
PS -- Khan Academy Psychology


4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)
EK1-3; AAMC0; Kaplan 1-3

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biochemistry

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
Study.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
3 months.

Thanks for the detailed help. Seriously this just looks like a humble brag because this is not beneficial at all to anyone . If you are going to spend the time doing this at least put some effort in it so its beneficial to people. I guess beggars cant be choosers so I will shut my mouth. Enjoy your day

 

[Doctor Dream]

Thanks for the detailed help. Seriously this just looks like a humble brag because this is not beneficial at all to anyone . If you are going to spend the time doing this at least put some effort in it so its beneficial to people. I guess beggars cant be choosers so I will shut my mouth. Enjoy your day

Lol #6 of that post is my favorite.

EDIT: Actually #2 is pretty solid as well.

 

[janeteyre]

Thanks for the detailed help. Seriously this just looks like a humble brag because this is not beneficial at all to anyone . If you are going to spend the time doing this at least put some effort in it so its beneficial to people. I guess beggars cant be choosers so I will shut my mouth. Enjoy your day

Sorry. I updated my post.

 

[janeteyre]

What do you all think about Khan academy for psychology? I heard it was best for learning everything you need to know (and nothing more) for the MCAT.

I feel like the PS section in its current form is a CARS section with psych trivia thrown in. Use Khan academy to learn that psych trivia [memorize those terms!]. Use your CARS practice to develop the critical thinking skills you need to solve passage questions.

 

[Chelsea FC]

Sorry. I updated my post.

WOW , thanks for doing that . I hope I wasn't rude . And great job scoring so high and your help was appreciated

 

[MCATThrowaway]

[deleted]

 

[kb0275]

1) 521 total 130 PC/129 CARS/130 Bio/132 Psy/Soc
2)Explicitly used Kaplan's materials and study guide for each section
3)I used only Kaplan and aamc material. Kaplan for content studying. Kaplan Q-bank and aamc Q packs for daily practice. Kaplan FLs 1-7. And AAMC FL right before exam. Also did the 120 Qs in the official guide to the MCAT.
4)Kaplan FLs 1-7 scoring ranged from 501-508. AAMC practice right before exam ~86%
5)Biology @ top 100 state school
6)I did every single little thing my Kaplan Course had to offer. I swear by them, they helped me so much. Which is why I now teach for them I strongly suggest taking a course. When you do, do every single reading, watch every single video, every practice Q they got. Suck everything you can out of that course.

My schedule was this. I followed their instructions to a Tee, except didn't just do "recommended" material, I did everything the course had to offer. around 5 hours a day. When the course was over, I still had 8 weeks till my exam. So I took a FL every weekend, and spent the rest of the week doing focused content on what I got wrong. And doing practice specific to that area. Thats it folks. I simply followed Kaplan, and did FLs after the course ended.

One thing I think REALLY heped.... do one practice passage from each of the 4 section EVERY DAY (except test days). I used the aamc Qpacks and official guide, and the Kaplan Q bank for these practice passages. Don't skip this ever. Do them. Do them Do them Do them. Oh one more thing. DO THEM. one P/C, one CARS, one BIO, and one Psy/soc every day.

5) 5 months for at least 5 hours a day...... yes folks... thats 5 x 30 x 5=750 hours... its actually more than that because FLs were 7 hours long.

Note: I'm not that bright... AT ALL. I do have a 3.99gpa, but thats only because I work myself to the bone!!!! Most people won't have to put in nearly 750 hours to do this well... probably around 300-350 from what I can see. BUT... if you're dumb like me... DON"T BE DISCOURAGED!!!! JUST WORK YOUR @$$ off. You can do it! WHO CARES IF THEY SAY 300-350 hours to prepare???!!! TRY TO DOUBLE THAT IF YOU KNOW YOUR NOT SMART!! I guarantee you can out work people smarter than you, and grab a disgusting score.

Good luck

How were you able to retain the information without forgetting it by the time you took the exam. I feel like I forget the material too quickly

 

[Krabbeman]

How were you able to retain the information without forgetting it by the time you took the exam. I feel like I forget the material too quickly

I think the way it worked for me was that I did forget some. But if you're doing enough practice, when you come across it again, you'll need to re learn it. Each time you have to re-lean it, it takes longer to forget, and I think eventually, it sticks permanently into your memory.

 

[dodo22]

I think the way it worked for me was that I did forget some. But if you're doing enough practice, when you come across it again, you'll need to re learn it. Each time you have to re-lean it, it takes longer to forget, and I think eventually, it sticks permanently into your memory.

Did you go over your notes on a weekly basis ?

 

[Krabbeman]

Did you go over your notes on a weekly basis ?

My schedule was like this...

M-S I reviewed what I got wrong on the last practice exam
Sunday I took a practice exam

So yes, I re-went over stuff every week. But as you keep doing practice exams, you remember more and more, and so that list of things you keep reviewing gets smaller and smaller

 

[medmed8]

My schedule was like this...

M-S I reviewed what I got wrong on the last practice exam
Sunday I took a practice exam

So yes, I re-went over stuff every week. But as you keep doing practice exams, you remember more and more, and so that list of things you keep reviewing gets smaller and smaller

I also have the Kaplan materials and was wondering for the Psych/Soc. and Bio/Biochem sections, if you ever made any notecards to memorize terms or did you just do practice problems as you said earlier in order to keep the material fresh in your mind?

 

[ieatshrimp24]

This post is hope for anyone who bombed the MCAT and is looking for a retake. Good luck and do your absolute best!

1) Your individual scores and composite score
Old MCAT 26 (55th percentile): 8/8/10
Current MCAT 516 (95th percentile): 129/129/131/127

2) The study method used for each section
I studied by myself using TBR the first time I took the MCAT and went through the Princeton Review prep course the second time. I followed their schedule as best as I could and finished all the assignments (except for CARS) after the course. I put a lot of effort in understanding the big concepts of the sciences, memorizing definitions for psych/soc, and building stamina for CARS. I took 5 FLs in the last month before my test. I took a TPR FL as the last FL a week before the real MCAT instead of the AAMC FL just so I could challenge myself (TPR tests are much harder than the real test which made the real test seem easier).

My typical day of studying during the prep course (9 weeks)
Prep course 3 hours
Passages 2-3 hours
Read content review books 2 hours

My typical day of studying after the prep course (5 weeks)
CARS passages 1 hour
Study/review 2 chapters from review books 3-4 hours
Passages 2-4 hours
1 FL per week (reviewed the FL on the same day)

3) What materials did you use for each section?
TPR (their online biology passages are fantastic, only available in the course though)
TPR science workbook and CARS workbook (HIGHLY recommended)
Kaplan for Biochemistry
Khan Academy for some psych/soc content review

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Taken in order

TPR1: 506 (127/126/127/126)
TPR2: 505 (126/125/127/127)
TPR3: 505 (125/125/128/127)
AAMC FL: 78%/81%/81%/73%
TPR5: 507 (126/126/127/128)

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
I would recommend a prep course if (1) you really need motivation to stick to a schedule and (2) you need a teacher to highlight the most important concepts in your review books. A big difference between the first time I studied for the MCAT and the second time was that I had a schedule provided to me by TPR and, while I was not able to keep up with the schedule, I eventually finished it about a week before my test. In addition, my biology teachers in the course elaborated extensively on the key points of every chapter and drilled those points in our brains.

I recommend TPR if you need a good foundation for content and TBR if you’re really smart. While TBR is a great resource, the difference for me was that I understood the information/explanations/passages TPR used in their books. TBR is good for really smart people who need that extra boost in their score. After bombing my first MCAT, I realized that it’s not worth it to spend three months of your life to study material that you’re only studying because a lot of people tell you to do so. This is just my opinion.

Biochemistry is somewhat overrated on this test. Memorize the amino acid structures, the three letter abbreviations (Met, Leu, etc.), the one letter abbreviations (H, K, R, etc.), and the chemical properties of each amino acid. Know the enzymes of glycolysis and Krebs and know the structures of glycolysis. Understand how the metabolic systems converge with one another. Don’t stress out.

Know the main idea of each paragraph in CARS, then take 10-15 seconds to tie all the ideas together when you finish the passage. Highlight vigorously. I didn’t do ANY of this until about 2 months before my second MCAT. It changed my life forever.

Do yourself a favor and save time on the science passages by not reading the graphs before you answer the questions. The strangest thing about this MCAT is that there are 2-3 graphs/tables/charts in each passage and there are paragraphs explaining these graphs. However, there’s like ONE question on ONE of the graphs, making the rest of the passage total garbage. Maybe it was just my exam, but that was a huge time-waster.

Do 2-3 CARS passages per day at least 5 days a week. TIMED. Do NOT cheat on the number of passages. Do NOT cheat on the timing. Do NOT check answers after every passage. You will not only build stamina but also the discipline to trudge through extremely boring passages.

Every day that I studied, I did the following 2-4 times: do 4 passages (TIMED) and reviewed them after I did all 4 passages. This takes about an hour. So basically 2-4 hours a day. Again, this builds stamina and your test speed, especially since TPR (and TBR) has about 5-7 questions per passage when the real MCAT has 4-5 questions per passage. This will also knock out a ton of passages every week.

Word on the street is that the psych/soc section is definition-based, memorization heavy, and like taking a shot in the dark. This is not false.

For all those crazy studiers out there: take 1-2 days off a week to do non-MCAT related stuff. Relatedly, do not procrastinate until the last week. You think you’re fine but your brain will be fried. If at some point during your studying you feel like you're not retaining any information, take that day off (just don't get carried away).

My best advice: put zero pressure on yourself before, during, and after this test. During my first MCAT, my mind was foggy and I freaked out too much whenever I had a 50/50 question. For my second MCAT, it didn’t hit me that I was actually taking the MCAT again until I was in the testing room. Put it this way: you do not want to put all of your efforts to waste just because for one day out of 100 your mind is all of a sudden blank. Just chill.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
~14 weeks

 

[kb0275]

This post is hope for anyone who bombed the MCAT and is looking for a retake. Good luck and do your absolute best!

1) Your individual scores and composite score
Old MCAT 26 (55th percentile): 8/8/10
Current MCAT 516 (95th percentile): 129/129/131/127

2) The study method used for each section
I studied by myself using TBR the first time I took the MCAT and went through the Princeton Review prep course the second time. I followed their schedule as best as I could and finished all the assignments (except for CARS) after the course. I put a lot of effort in understanding the big concepts of the sciences, memorizing definitions for psych/soc, and building stamina for CARS. I took 5 FLs in the last month before my test. I took a TPR FL as the last FL a week before the real MCAT instead of the AAMC FL just so I could challenge myself (TPR tests are much harder than the real test which made the real test seem easier).

My typical day of studying during the prep course (9 weeks)
Prep course 3 hours
Passages 2-3 hours
Read content review books 2 hours

My typical day of studying after the prep course (5 weeks)
CARS passages 1 hour
Study/review 2 chapters from review books 3-4 hours
Passages 2-4 hours
1 FL per week (reviewed the FL on the same day)

3) What materials did you use for each section?
TPR (their online biology passages are fantastic, only available in the course though)
TPR science workbook and CARS workbook (HIGHLY recommended)
Kaplan for Biochemistry
Khan Academy for some psych/soc content review

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Taken in order

TPR1: 506 (127/126/127/126)
TPR2: 505 (126/125/127/127)
TPR3: 505 (125/125/128/127)
AAMC FL: 78%/81%/81%/73%
TPR5: 507 (126/126/127/128)

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
I would recommend a prep course if (1) you really need motivation to stick to a schedule and (2) you need a teacher to highlight the most important concepts in your review books. A big difference between the first time I studied for the MCAT and the second time was that I had a schedule provided to me by TPR and, while I was not able to keep up with the schedule, I eventually finished it about a week before my test. In addition, my biology teachers in the course elaborated extensively on the key points of every chapter and drilled those points in our brains.

I recommend TPR if you need a good foundation for content and TBR if you’re really smart. While TBR is a great resource, the difference for me was that I understood the information/explanations/passages TPR used in their books. TBR is good for really smart people who need that extra boost in their score. After bombing my first MCAT, I realized that it’s not worth it to spend three months of your life to study material that you’re only studying because a lot of people tell you to do so. This is just my opinion.

Biochemistry is somewhat overrated on this test. Memorize the amino acid structures, the codes, and the chemical properties of each amino acid. Know the enzymes of glycolysis and Krebs and know the structures of glycolysis. Understand how the metabolic systems converge with one another. Don’t stress out.

Know the main idea of each paragraph in CARS, then take 10-15 seconds to tie all the ideas together when you finish the passage. Highlight vigorously. I didn’t do ANY of this until about 2 months before my second MCAT. It changed my life forever.

Do yourself a favor and save time on the science passages by not reading the graphs before you answer the questions. The strangest thing about this MCAT is that there are 2-3 graphs/tables/charts in each passage and there are paragraphs explaining these graphs. However, there’s like ONE question on ONE of the graphs, making the rest of the passage total garbage. Maybe it was just my exam, but that was a huge time-waster.

Do 2-3 CARS passages per day at least 5 days a week. TIMED. Do NOT cheat on the number of passages. Do NOT cheat on the timing. Do NOT check answers after every passage. You will not only build stamina but also the discipline to trudge through extremely boring passages.

Every day that I studied, I did the following 2-4 times: do 4 passages (TIMED) and reviewed them after I did all 4 passages. This takes about an hour. So basically 2-4 hours a day. Again, this builds stamina and your test speed, especially since TPR (and TBR) has about 5-7 questions per passage when the real MCAT has 4-5 questions per passage. This will also knock out a ton of passages every week.

Word on the street is that the psych/soc section is definition-based, memorization heavy, and like taking a shot in the dark. This is not false.

For all those crazy studiers out there: take 1-2 days off a week to do non-MCAT related stuff. Relatedly, do not procrastinate until the last week. You think you’re fine but your brain will be fried. If at some point during your studying you feel like you're not retaining any information, take that day off (just don't get carried away).

My best advice: put zero pressure on yourself before, during, and after this test. During my first MCAT, my mind was foggy and I freaked out too much whenever I had a 50/50 question. For my second MCAT, it didn’t hit me that I was actually taking the MCAT again until I was in the testing room. Put it this way: you do not want to put all of your efforts to waste just because for one day out of 100 your mind is all of a sudden blank. Just chill.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
~14 weeks

What do you mean memorize the structures of glycolysis? The actual structure of pyruvate for example?

Why so much emphasis on highlighting verbal passages?

 

[Krabbeman]

I also have the Kaplan materials and was wondering for the Psych/Soc. and Bio/Biochem sections, if you ever made any notecards to memorize terms or did you just do practice problems as you said earlier in order to keep the material fresh in your mind?

Personally, I never used flash cards, I just reviewed stuff in the books and did practice.

 

[ieatshrimp24]

What do you mean memorize the structures of glycolysis? The actual structure of pyruvate for example?

Why so much emphasis on highlighting verbal passages?

It would not be a bad idea to learn the structures of the glycolysis intermediates. Passages on any of the chemistry sections can give you pictures of mechanisms and familiarizing yourself with the structures can make things easier for you.
When I didn't highlight passages in CARS, I sped through the passages without getting the big picture. Not knowing the whole point of the passage caused me to go back and forth too many times when reading the questions. I would end up reading the passage multiple times and then end up guessing. On the other hand, highlighting the main ideas of each paragraph allowed me to go through the passage at a slower but more efficient pace because I was able to comprehend the passage usually after the first read. This method worked for me best but it may not work for others.

 

[Doctor Dream]

It would not be a bad idea to learn the structures of the glycolysis intermediates. Passages on any of the chemistry sections can give you pictures of mechanisms and familiarizing yourself with the structures can make things easier for you.

I get what you're saying but from my own MCAT experience I personally wouldn't (and didn't) memorize the intermediate structures of glycolysis, or the enzymes. I think getting that specific in your studying is kind of a waste of time. Sure, looking at the mechanisms provides good organic review, but I wouldn't recommend sitting down and actually memorizing any organic structures. It'd be a good idea to know the three(I think?) enzymes that are regulated though.

I also wouldn't recommend memorizing the codons and their corresponding amino acids. Just know AUG = start and methionine, UAG, UGA, and UAA = stop and no amino acid. I definitely agree with you though that memorizing the 20 amino acid structures is a good idea.

 

[ieatshrimp24]

I get what you're saying but from my own MCAT experience I personally wouldn't (and didn't) memorize the intermediate structures of glycolysis, or the enzymes. I think getting that specific in your studying is kind of a waste of time. Sure, looking at the mechanisms provides good organic review, but I wouldn't recommend sitting down and actually memorizing any organic structures. It'd be a good idea to know the three(I think?) enzymes that are regulated though.

I also wouldn't recommend memorizing the codons and their corresponding amino acids. Just know AUG = start and methionine, UAG, UGA, and UAA = stop and no amino acid. I definitely agree with you though that memorizing the 20 amino acid structures is a good idea.

If you don't want to memorize the structures, then that's fine I guess. I already had them in my head since I took a biochemistry course beforehand. It made my review easier.

And I didn't mean codons when I had said codes. I just changed that to abbreviations. Thanks for pointing that out. Didn't mean to cause confusion.

 

[drink02]

What did you think of the kaplan biochem for review? I felt like it was really dense during the last 3 chapters or so, its hard to know what i need to know and what i don't...what would you suggest when using that book for review? thank you!

This post is hope for anyone who bombed the MCAT and is looking for a retake. Good luck and do your absolute best!

1) Your individual scores and composite score
Old MCAT 26 (55th percentile): 8/8/10
Current MCAT 516 (95th percentile): 129/129/131/127

2) The study method used for each section
I studied by myself using TBR the first time I took the MCAT and went through the Princeton Review prep course the second time. I followed their schedule as best as I could and finished all the assignments (except for CARS) after the course. I put a lot of effort in understanding the big concepts of the sciences, memorizing definitions for psych/soc, and building stamina for CARS. I took 5 FLs in the last month before my test. I took a TPR FL as the last FL a week before the real MCAT instead of the AAMC FL just so I could challenge myself (TPR tests are much harder than the real test which made the real test seem easier).

My typical day of studying during the prep course (9 weeks)
Prep course 3 hours
Passages 2-3 hours
Read content review books 2 hours

My typical day of studying after the prep course (5 weeks)
CARS passages 1 hour
Study/review 2 chapters from review books 3-4 hours
Passages 2-4 hours
1 FL per week (reviewed the FL on the same day)

3) What materials did you use for each section?
TPR (their online biology passages are fantastic, only available in the course though)
TPR science workbook and CARS workbook (HIGHLY recommended)
Kaplan for Biochemistry
Khan Academy for some psych/soc content review

4) Which practice tests did you use?
Taken in order

TPR1: 506 (127/126/127/126)
TPR2: 505 (126/125/127/127)
TPR3: 505 (125/125/128/127)
AAMC FL: 78%/81%/81%/73%
TPR5: 507 (126/126/127/128)

5) What was your undergraduate major?
Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
I would recommend a prep course if (1) you really need motivation to stick to a schedule and (2) you need a teacher to highlight the most important concepts in your review books. A big difference between the first time I studied for the MCAT and the second time was that I had a schedule provided to me by TPR and, while I was not able to keep up with the schedule, I eventually finished it about a week before my test. In addition, my biology teachers in the course elaborated extensively on the key points of every chapter and drilled those points in our brains.

I recommend TPR if you need a good foundation for content and TBR if you’re really smart. While TBR is a great resource, the difference for me was that I understood the information/explanations/passages TPR used in their books. TBR is good for really smart people who need that extra boost in their score. After bombing my first MCAT, I realized that it’s not worth it to spend three months of your life to study material that you’re only studying because a lot of people tell you to do so. This is just my opinion.

Biochemistry is somewhat overrated on this test. Memorize the amino acid structures, the three letter abbreviations (Met, Leu, etc.), the one letter abbreviations (H, K, R, etc.), and the chemical properties of each amino acid. Know the enzymes of glycolysis and Krebs and know the structures of glycolysis. Understand how the metabolic systems converge with one another. Don’t stress out.

Know the main idea of each paragraph in CARS, then take 10-15 seconds to tie all the ideas together when you finish the passage. Highlight vigorously. I didn’t do ANY of this until about 2 months before my second MCAT. It changed my life forever.

Do yourself a favor and save time on the science passages by not reading the graphs before you answer the questions. The strangest thing about this MCAT is that there are 2-3 graphs/tables/charts in each passage and there are paragraphs explaining these graphs. However, there’s like ONE question on ONE of the graphs, making the rest of the passage total garbage. Maybe it was just my exam, but that was a huge time-waster.

Do 2-3 CARS passages per day at least 5 days a week. TIMED. Do NOT cheat on the number of passages. Do NOT cheat on the timing. Do NOT check answers after every passage. You will not only build stamina but also the discipline to trudge through extremely boring passages.

Every day that I studied, I did the following 2-4 times: do 4 passages (TIMED) and reviewed them after I did all 4 passages. This takes about an hour. So basically 2-4 hours a day. Again, this builds stamina and your test speed, especially since TPR (and TBR) has about 5-7 questions per passage when the real MCAT has 4-5 questions per passage. This will also knock out a ton of passages every week.

Word on the street is that the psych/soc section is definition-based, memorization heavy, and like taking a shot in the dark. This is not false.

For all those crazy studiers out there: take 1-2 days off a week to do non-MCAT related stuff. Relatedly, do not procrastinate until the last week. You think you’re fine but your brain will be fried. If at some point during your studying you feel like you're not retaining any information, take that day off (just don't get carried away).

My best advice: put zero pressure on yourself before, during, and after this test. During my first MCAT, my mind was foggy and I freaked out too much whenever I had a 50/50 question. For my second MCAT, it didn’t hit me that I was actually taking the MCAT again until I was in the testing room. Put it this way: you do not want to put all of your efforts to waste just because for one day out of 100 your mind is all of a sudden blank. Just chill.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
~14 weeks

 

[Gibbward]

What did you think of the kaplan biochem for review? I felt like it was really dense during the last 3 chapters or so, its hard to know what i need to know and what i don't...what would you suggest when using that book for review? thank you!

I also used the kaplan biochem for review, and I thought it was very helpful for me to get a great score on the MCAT. Yes, the chapters on glucose/lipid metabolism are extremely dense with a lot of information. You probably don't need to know all the structures/enzymes for all the pathways, but you should definitely know the reactants, products, and cofactors associated with each of the processes. Something like knowing where the process happens (in the mitochondria/cytoplasm/cell membrane/etc.) is also very important. Lastly, I highly recommend that you focus on the bioenergetics chapter. It's really great with tying different pathways together, and the effects of different horomes/situations in metabolism. Good luck!

 

[dodo22]

My schedule was like this...

M-S I reviewed what I got wrong on the last practice exam
Sunday I took a practice exam

So yes, I re-went over stuff every week. But as you keep doing practice exams, you remember more and more, and so that list of things you keep reviewing gets smaller and smaller

Thanks, I thought I'm the only one that goes over the material every week )

 

[Gibbward]

Thought I'd chime in with my strategy especially because I really focused on getting the costs down because I was unemployed for the entire time I was doing my MCAT studying. I spent only ~$500 dollars on my prep. I also started studying at around the middle of May and took the very last September test date.

1) Your individual scores and composite score
C/P: 131
CARS: 128
B/BC: 128
P/S: 130
Total: 517

2) The study method used for each section
C/P
The shift to a more biochem focused C/P section really worked in my favor. I have a strong chemical biology/inorganic chem background from grad school and so things like protein structures, metal analysis, M/M plots, lipid/carbohydrate/small molecule analysis, spectroscopy, and the synthesis/purifications were pretty easy for me from the get go, and didn't focus too much attention on those.

In terms of actual studying, I used 2012 Gen Chem and Physics TPR prep books (given to me so they were free, but these would be pretty cheap on amazon). I simply read through them, and jotted down important trends or the equations. I would then do stand alone questions using a 2012 TPR Hyperlearning book or the in class compendium I got for free. This really helped in familiarizing how to manipulate equations, and nail down concepts. When I felt comfortable with the material, I would try out some of the passages in the TPR HL again.

When I got closer to my test date (~1.5 months or so), I started mixing some of the AAMC Q-packs and Khan academy stand alone questions and passages, just so I can orient myself on the tone/style of the questions that might actually be asked.

I was really lucky that my actual test was very biochem/protein chem heavy, with gen chem/organic chem material that I was very comfortable with, and physics problems that were pretty simple plug and chug calculations.

CARS
I struggled the most with this section, both with the studying and in the actual test. I bought the 2015 TPR CARS book, but I realized after that all the content was exactly the same as the 2012 TPR verbal prep book... I also had the TPR hyperlearning verbal book. I spent the first month or so doing practice passages untimed and really focusing on getting questions right. But when I tried doing passages timed, I SUCKED. So first I would do passages with a 12 minute limit. I did my best to figure out the questions I typically got incorrectly (not reading questions/answer choices completely for instance... or the kinds of questions I usually missed).

When I was getting 5/6 questions right, I set my passage time limit to 10 minutes. Then from here, I had to now focus on the right way for me to quickly read through passages. For me, the most important thing was to read most of the passages word for word, except if examples were given. In which case I would highlight "For example" and scan through the examples. I realized that really understanding the tone/main idea of the passage was the easiest way to get answers correctly. The correct answers were mostly very obvious if you understand the tone of the author. Is he trying to persuade you to choose a side? Does he agree or disagree with a topic? Is he simply narrating a story?

Also, right before starting my CARS practice, I always wrote notes to myself telling me of all the things I keep doing wrong and things that I need to correct, so I can really focus on what I need to improve on.

Then, I switched to official AAMC prep material and khan academy passages when I was closer to the test date.

Last, tip. I suggest that you spread out your CARS practice. Do 3 or 4 passages each night, or every other night. This way, you can get constant practice while also getting some time to reflect on what you need to work on.

B/BC
I just memorized as much as I could, straight up from the kaplan biology and biochem prep books. I also tried to think of how different systems are connected to each other and how an imbalance in one system could affect another. So, if something is messed up with a specific hormone, what would happen to the liver, or muscles, or the lungs or kidneys? The last chapter of the kaplan biochem book I think is really really helpful. Everything is there for you and they're all really pretty simple to understand. There's just a lot of information to absorb. I also used the TPR Hyperlearning science book for my practice passages to nail down concepts. Much like the other sections, I used as much khan academy as I could and did the AAMC Q-banks. Khan academy is especially useful, because there are quite a few experimental type passages there and it really helped in getting into the mindset of seeing figures and understanding how the data is related to the pathway/hypothesis presented in the text. It was important for me too to keep reviewing all the chapters, so I would always try to "re-memorize" 2-3 chapters of my prep books every 2-3 nights, and then going back and re-reading specific topics after doing practice questions.

P/S
Again, just like B/BC, I just really focused on memorizing everything that I could from the TPR P/S prep book. There was also a word document of someone's notes on the khan academy videos, which I also used for a bit. This was the simplest section to prepare for, mainly because there wasn't much to work with haha I also did all the khan academy practice passages, and I thought those were very very good. There was a lot of experimental passages, and some of the questions were excellent in helping you understand the difference between different, but similar sounding terms.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)
Kaplan biology and biochemistry prep books, 2012 TPR Gen Chem and Physics prep books, 2012 TPR Hyperlearning science and verbal work book, 2012 TPR in class compendium, 2015 TPR CARS and P/S prep books, all of AAMC Q-banks, and khan academy passages.

4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)

TPR Demo - 501 (124/125/124/128)
TPR Review Test 1 - 500 (124/126/125/125)
TPR Review Test 2 - 503 (125/125/125/128)
NS 1 - 508 (127/125/128/128)
AAMC FL - 85%/89%/86%/85%
NS 3 - 509 (126/127/128/128)

5) What was your undergraduate major?

BS Health Science Chemistry Minor, MA in Chemistry

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

1. ALWAYS HAVE A REST DAY. A lot of people think that going all out MCAT 24/7 is important when prepping, and I disagree. I always took Friday nights off and never started studying until afternoon of Saturday, because I know I would get lazy and burnt out if all I did and think about was the MCAT. You need to be healthy physically and mentally to properly prepare for this test, and if what you need is a day off every week to get into that groove, so be it.

2. 2-3 hour bursts of intense studying is way better than forcing yourself to study for 10 hours straight. Maybe this is just me, but I lose focus after maybe an hour or so of staring at my prep book and trying to memorize all the crap on there. So again this goes back to being in the right mindset. You need to figure out the study schedule that could best maximize your time. For me, it was hardcore memorizing for 1:30-4:30 in the afternoon, then I wouldn't do any studying until 9 pm.

3. Spread out your practice passages!!! Don't binge practice all your Q-packs and khan passages in 4 days!!! Do 3 passages of physics, 3 of chem, 5 of bio, 3 of CARS and 3 of P/S, or whatever. Just make sure you're practicing every day a month or so leading to your MCAT.

4. Do your practice FLs with timed test taking conditions. That means your sections are timed, and your breaks are timed as well. No stopping the test in the middle of CARS because you gotta pee! Also, practice your entire MCAT day! This was really important for me, because I have a weak bladder and I gotta pee very often. When I did my FLs, I would wake up the time that I would for the real test, and have breakfast that I would eat for the actual day of the test, so I know that I'll have my breaks by the time I gotta use the bathroom. This is extra neurotic, I know, but you gotta know your body! The test is already really stressful as it is, so if timing your bathroom breaks accordingly will reduce your overall stress level, then do what you gotta do!

5. Also, practice writing the equation sheet/notes you want to have for each section! This way you already know which equations you want to write, where it would be written on your scratch paper so it'll be easy to find later, and also figure out if you have enough time and space to write down all the notes you want!

6. Be aggressive with using Process of Elimination. It'll save you a ton of time.

7. If you don't know the equation what equation to use to solve a problem, check the units of the answers! That's a good hint to see what values you'll need to multiply/divide together.

8. HAVE FUN!!! JK that's impossible this test is as horrible as it can get.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
~5 months

 

[drink02]

r

 

[Gibbward]

Thank you for your advice!

Could you please give an example of knowing reactants, products, and cofactors? Like do you mean citrate turns into isocitrate, then a keto?

Also read your post on the mcat, congrats on the great score!!!

Thanks! So using Kreb's cycle as an example, the main thing you need to memorize would be the net result of the process. Acetyl CoA comes in, then you get a certain number of NADHs, FADH2s, and GTPs. Also, know which steps you make these products. This'll also help if you need to figure out how many ATPs you can yield, or how many Acetyl-CoAs you will make if you're given X molecules of glucose. You probably wouldn't need to memorize each and every step, or every product of each step. You might get 1 question that'll require you to recognize if a certain enzyme is a part of a certain pathway, but that's not worth memorizing every step in every pathway IMO.

 

[medgirl1993]

Do you guys recommend TPR, Kaplan, or EK? I'm debating between them and don't know which books to get! Please help me

 

[dreee]

Why do you think there's such a large difference between your actual MCAT score and your practice ones? Were the Kaplan exams more difficult or curved stronger in your opinion?

I know for me Kaplan was so much more difficult. After doing Kaplan for months, the MCAT seemed like a piece of cake.

 

[Doctor Dream]

I know for me Kaplan was so much more difficult. After doing Kaplan for months, the MCAT seemed like a piece of cake.

Yea not only that but the scores are way deflated. I didn't score above 503 on any Kaplan or TPR, but ended up getting a score I'm really happy with.

 

[dreee]

Yea not only that but the scores are way deflated. I didn't score above 503 on any Kaplan or TPR, but ended up getting a score I'm really happy with.

Same, I hit a 500 one time on a Kaplan test and got a score I was fairly pleased with as well.

 

[Youngm2194]

1) Your individual scores and composite score

515- 128/128/131/128

2) The study method used for each section

EK 2015 books- 1 chapter a day...alternated sections. For example day 1 bio ch.1, day 2 cars ch.1, day 3 psych ch.1 etc.

3) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)

EK 2015 for all and TPR psych

4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)

Free TPR tests (3), never did the whole test at once but always scored 500 or 501, never below. Always 126 on CARS and Psych, usually 123 on the other 2.
AAMC Sample Test: 81% CARS 76% Psych 76% Bio 78% Physics
Question packs with similar percent correct as well, usually did 15-20 of one topic per day(15 bio day 1, 15 CARS day 2, etc.)

5) What was your undergraduate major?

Physiology and Neurobiology. I think this prepared me very well as I had to take physics, chem, orgo chem, biochem, genetics, bio of nervous system diseases, endocrinology, year of anatomy and phys, brain bio, literally a whole class about synapses, etc.and many more so I was exposed to biochem and bio stuff a lot

6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

Don't have a goal for "hours per day studying." I honestly never studied more than 3 hours in a day for 3-4 months because 8hrs a day is insane and a human can not concentrate for that long. If you intensely study for 2-3 hours a day while varying the topic and reviewing it quickly every couple of days you'll be golden. Practice writing down all the physics equations by heart. Know all AA as well.

7) How long did you study for the MCAT

Started mid May for september 11th but only studied around 1-2hrs a day (if that as some days i didn't study at all as I was working) for the first 2-3 months. Last month before test studied more intensely daily, but still maybe 3 hours max a day if that. Just structure studying smart and the hours spent on some topics won't be as long.

 

[Krabbeman]

Yea not only that but the scores are way deflated. I didn't score above 503 on any Kaplan or TPR, but ended up getting a score I'm really happy with.

My highest was a 508 and my average was like a 504, and I scored a 521 on the real deal lol "deflation" isn't even the word man. When I was taking the Kaplan course, I didn't realize they were so off on the scoring, and I thought I was legit going to never get into medical school.

 

[Doctor Dream]

My highest was a 508 and my average was like a 504, and I scored a 521 on the real deal lol "deflation" isn't even the word man. When I was taking the Kaplan course, I didn't realize they were so off on the scoring, and I thought I was legit going to never get into medical school.

Yea I for sure would have voided my exam and thought med school was a lost cause without SDN haha. Thanks Kaplan and TPR. Even NS was deflated, I averaged like 508 on those and ended up with a 514 on the real thing.

 

[Krabbeman]

Yea I for sure would have voided my exam and thought med school was a lost cause without SDN haha. Thanks Kaplan and TPR. Even NS was deflated, I averaged like 508 on those and ended up with a 514 on the real thing.

The SDN trend seems like averaging 500-510 on practice exams translates to a pretty great score lol

 

[Miguel Mendieta]

It's hard to say for sure since I will never know my raw score for the actual test, but based on my experience and that score spreadsheet, Kaplan scores are severely deflated for the new test. I figured maybe they were doing this to prevent having to give refunds for their score guarantee if they didn't have any actual scales from the AAMC to base their FL scores off of for the new test. I also just don't think the Kaplan exams are all that representative of the questions styles or passages that I saw in the AAMC FL or the actual test, but that's probably a matter of opinion too- personally I found all of the AAMC material much more straightforward.

agree with you! Kaplan exams are all that representative of the questions styles in the AAMC FL

 

[CHoge25]

Hello Everyone!

I want to thank everyone for their input... it has SERIOUSLY helped me a lot in my prep and not freaking me out about this test. So I need a little study advice.....

I have been studying for about a month... I feel pretty good about the Biology/Biochem section and Psych/Soc.... I am enrolled in the Kaplan Course and have taken 2 biology section tests (8+9) and scored 125 on both of them (felt like I could score higher but I know it is OKAY for Kaplan). I also scored a 129 on the Psych/Soc section (8) (Which I am PUMPED About).... On the two CARS section tests (8 + 9) I have taken I have gotten 125/124..... I am going to take a Chem/Physics one later tonight, and I am assuming it is going to be my lowest section.... I am having a hard time studying this section, and everytime I practice I feel like I get the problems wrong and get discouraged (Even though I was a good chem/physics student in my undergrad).

I am going to take FL 1 on Tuesday (which will be 60 days prior to my test).... Hoping to get a 500 on it.....

After this I need some study advice... Kaplan gives us access to all the AAMC material, which is HUGE... The last two months of my studying, should I focus on doing all the AAMC Question Packs with a couple Kaplan FL's? They also have a new scaled exam, so I have two AAMC practice tests to take before my date on January 23rd. I guess I am just asking if you were in my situation how would you feel/what would be your plan going forward..... Especially in the Chem/Physics section.....

Thank you everyone!