512+ score without too studying too many calculations for C/P?

[Gcuvier]

So I'm ~4 weeks out from my exam and have yet to go all out on C/P studying (my weakest section besides CARS). I am especially dreading the math portion of this section and was wondering if I could get away with simply solidifying concepts. So far I've only taken 3 FLs, 2 of which were pre-content review and therefore horrible scores. Originally I was hoping for a 515+ score but given I cannot and probably won't improve in CARS, it's looking like I'm going to have to settle with anything 510+. My method will be to keep drilling all the other sections so I can almost guarantee near-perfect scores on them. That way I can allow P/S and CARS to take a dive without hurting my overall goal of a 510+. Is this doable? My fl scores are below although I'm highly concerned with my NS score since I hear they tend to be inflated for scores in the lower 500s. Please advise. In addition, what should I keep doing from here on out until test day?

Pre-content review FLs

Kaplan
-FL 1: 490 (123/121/124/122)

AAMC
-SAMPLE: (50%/60%/66%/50%)

Post-content review FLs

NextStep
-NS 1: 504 (126/123/127/128)

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[Cornfed101]

it’s really difficult to say where you are at without a recent AAMC fl. It’s true that NS is inflated close to 500, but you can’t really use 3rd party FLs to gauge how you will score on the real thing. They are just a little too different in style.

It was a bad idea to leave your worst subject for last. You should have started with C/P. Not much you can do about that now, but it makes it difficult to know if you need to push your test back at this point. You need to be comfortable with basic math for chemistry and physics. You will miss easy points if you are not.

My recommendation would be to take AAMC FL 1 and if you are above 500-502 I think you can still get to 510 if you are pumping out 2 FLs a week until your test and reviewing them for 7+ hours each, if you are below that I think you need to reschedule

 

[deleted966164]

I guess, the best indicator would be to do the AAMC FL1/FL2/FL3...

Also, are these (50%/60%/66%/50%) you percentage correct? If yes, this roughly converts to a 493. So it will take some work in the next 4 weeks to accomplish: "Originally I was hoping for a 515+ score but given I cannot and probably won't improve in CARS, it's looking like I'm going to have to settle with anything 510+."

 

[Gcuvier]

it’s really difficult to say where you are at without a recent AAMC fl. It’s true that NS is inflated close to 500, but you can’t really use 3rd party FLs to gauge how you will score on the real thing. They are just a little too different in style.

It was a bad idea to leave your worst subject for last. You should have started with C/P. Not much you can do about that now, but it makes it difficult to know if you need to push your test back at this point. You need to be comfortable with basic math for chemistry and physics. You will miss easy points if you are not.

My recommendation would be to take AAMC FL 1 and if you are above 500-502 I think you can still get to 510 if you are pumping out 2 FLs a week until your test and reviewing them for 7+ hours each, if you are below that I think you need to reschedule

I figured the closer to test day, the fresher the material would be. Out of all subjects tested in that section, I'd say physics is my weakest. I think that as long as I don't get a math-heavy test, I should be able to get at least a 126 on that section. Basic math isn't an issue either, I just panic when I do see math lol

I guess, the best indicator would be to do the AAMC FL1/FL2/FL3...

Also, are these (50%/60%/66%/50%) you percentage correct? If yes, this roughly converts to a 493. So it will take some work in the next 4 weeks to accomplish: "Originally I was hoping for a 515+ score but given I cannot and probably won't improve in CARS, it's looking like I'm going to have to settle with anything 510+."

Correct, but note that I took the sample before doing any content review which was around April.

 

[deleted966164]

Good point. My bed. I can only reiterate that taking the AAMC FL1/FL2/FL3 in a simulated environment (like a library) will be the best indicator of your performance.

 

[Gcuvier]

Good point. My bed. I can only reiterate that taking the AAMC FL1/FL2/FL3 in a simulated environment (like a library) will be the best indicator of your performance.

No worries! Thank you!

 

[HKSZYU]

I'm also weak in physics. What helped me was:

1. Review any topics you're uncertain about. I recognized that I remembered kinematics pretty well, but had forgotten almost everything about electricity. Reviewing light, optics, radioactive decay, and fluids was all high yield for me as well. Khan Academy is fine for overview, AK lectures or Chad's videos is good if you need more depth.
2. Find an Anki deck of all MCAT physics equations. Understand what the equation is used for and the units of each term within the equation. Go through it several times per week between now and your exam.
3. Review simple division, exponents, and times tables. It sounds silly, but often I'd get physics questions wrong even when I used the right equations because I was hazy on an exponent rule or my division was sloppy.
4. Do the physics QPack. I did a combination of some timed and some untimed questions, then reviewed all concepts for missed questions.

You don't need to be a math superstar, but I'd try to get as confident with calculations as you can between now and your exam. You'll just feel more confident and it'll positively impact your whole C/P section.

 

[deleted966164]

Just out of curiosity - what is the logic behind taking the MCAT for the first time in September? It's too late for the MD cycle in the same year (you'd be verified in October/November), almost too late for the DO cycle. It's also very early for the next cycle and if you are not sure about a part of the MCAT, why not postpone it by a month or two a spend this time reviewing?

U may also look into UWorld for review questions.

 

[Gcuvier]

Just out of curiosity - what is the logic behind taking the MCAT for the first time in September? It's too late for the MD cycle in the same year (you'd be verified in October/November), almost too late for the DO cycle. It's also very early for the next cycle and if you are not sure about a part of the MCAT, why not postpone it by a month or two a spend this time reviewing?

U may also look into UWorld for review questions.

I want to get it out of the way to prepare for next year's cycle (I'm trying to be an early bird here). Given I get anything above a 510, I feel like I should be okay for decent MDs even though I was originally aiming for T20s. This thing has been consuming my life since April lol.

 

[deleted853480]

I heard c/p has a lot of physics on it this year. So
Make sure to review your physics.

 

[deleted853480]

I’ve read a bunch of tests discussions and what I’ve gotten from it is c/p and p/s are the tough sections this year. For example know that magnetic force doesn’t do any work.

 

[Cornfed101]

I’m sorry, I’m gonna actually have to disagree on this lol.

My PS was straightforward - in fact almost all tests for the month I tested said so as well. CP and BB varied, as expected. CARS is CARS.

I get what you’re saying, but there’s no way to predict what minutiae will show up. Go by the AAMC content guide if anything to see if you have any weaknesses and drill those

Agree with this. Mine was very orgo heavy and almost no physics. My P/S felt tough, but it was my best section.

Just review the stuff that the AAMC says to. Do all the AAMC questions, multiple times if you can. Don’t try to game the system. They’ve been doing this for a very long time.

 

[Gcuvier]

it’s really difficult to say where you are at without a recent AAMC fl. It’s true that NS is inflated close to 500, but you can’t really use 3rd party FLs to gauge how you will score on the real thing. They are just a little too different in style.

It was a bad idea to leave your worst subject for last. You should have started with C/P. Not much you can do about that now, but it makes it difficult to know if you need to push your test back at this point. You need to be comfortable with basic math for chemistry and physics. You will miss easy points if you are not.

My recommendation would be to take AAMC FL 1 and if you are above 500-502 I think you can still get to 510 if you are pumping out 2 FLs a week until your test and reviewing them for 7+ hours each, if you are below that I think you need to reschedule

Just took AAMC FL 1 and got the exact same score: 504 (126/123/128/127). Given I've been practicing CARS every single day since March, I have no clue how I'm going to improve within two weeks. I believe I have until this Friday to cancel. Please advise. Thanks.

 

[Cornfed101]

Just took AAMC FL 1 and got the exact same score: 504 (126/123/128/127). Given I've been practicing CARS every single day since March, I have no clue how I'm going to improve within two weeks. I believe I have until this Friday to cancel. Please advise. Thanks.

Unfortunately, I think CARS is the toughest to improve on, but it can definitely be done. Have you done the AAMC CARS qpacks? I recommend going through those and understanding why every single answer choice is correct or incorrect.

For CARS passages what are you currently doing strategy-wise?

 

[Gcuvier]

Unfortunately, I think CARS is the toughest to improve on, but it can definitely be done. Have you done the AAMC CARS qpacks? I recommend going through those and understanding why every single answer choice is correct or incorrect.

For CARS passages what are you currently doing strategy-wise?

Since March, I’ve been doing about a passage a day using Jack Westin. Only recently did I move to the CARS qbacks.

 

[Cornfed101]

Since March, I’ve been doing about a passage a day using Jack Westin. Only recently did I move to the CARS qbacks.

Don't do anything besides AAMC questions and FLs until you take the test. Jack Westin is good for initial CARS practice, but I didn't use anything but AAMC questions for the last 6 weeks and my score on CARS increased from a 125 to a 129. You have to learn how the AAMC does it. Make sure you do all of the CARS qpack questions. Eat, sleep, and breathe that stuff. Understand why every single answer choice is right or wrong.

You still didn't really answer my question though. What is your actual strategy when you are doing a passage? Are you just wily nily going through the passage and letting your mind wander? Are you actively thinking about the main point and what the author is trying to say? Work on doing the latter.

 

[Gcuvier]

All due respect, I think you should have the thought of rescheduling in the back of your head. I was in the same spot as you (with near 505 NS Fls in the summer) and decided to reschedule for the following year because I wanted a 510+ at the minimum. If you have time, don't rush. Take it in January, but you can study part-time during the school year and then full-time during winter break to get it over with. I'm very glad I waited - went from a 505 (NS practice) to a 516 on the real deal (though I could've done better imo).

To answer your q though, Kaplan quicksheets have a solid source of equations in the back - it isn't comprehensive but if you memorize all that it should be a solid start.

Thank you for your advice! So I ended up doing just that—postponing for January. However, I am now a bit clueless as to how to approach studying. Should I redo content review or continue where I left off (practice)?

 

[Cornfed101]

Thank you for your advice! So I ended up doing just that—postponing for January. However, I am now a bit clueless as to how approach studying. Should I redo content review or continue where I left off (practice)?

Continue working on weak points in content and doing practice. You don't need to relearn stuff that you already know. This is really the value of spaced repetition programs like Anki. It helps you to focus on what you struggle with. Continue working through problems. I recommend making mini AAMC exams that consist of 20-30 questions per section (ex: 30 chemistry problems, 30 biology problems, 30 CARS, and 20 psych) that you can use to test your knowledge every week or so.