513 on FL1, 36 days out from exam

[deleted867660]

Just got a 513 on my FL1. If my goal score is around 519-520, should I jump ship/push my exam back? I am testing on 4/23.

Here is my score breakdown:

C/P - 126 (42/59)
CARS - 130 (47/53)
B/B - 128 (47/59)
P/S - 129 (51/59)

C/P is pretty abysmal, and is my worst section on the exam, but I think can be feasibly pulled up. P/S is my second strongest after CARS and I can see being more of a tossup. B/B I am okay at, still working at finishing up the memorization of some metabolic pathways.

I am currently in school as well. I have done about 1700 UWorld questions, am using MilesDown for Anki, and am almost done with the AAMC questions.

Any comments/thoughts appreciated. Thanks!

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[Hzreio]

Finish Uworld and do ALL the aamc materials, especially section bank and FLs. I wouldn't push back if I were you. 513 is fine. If you pushed back what would you use the additional time for? More time doesnt always equal higher score. Just keep consolidating weaknesses by very carefully reviewing what questions you missed and understanding exactly why you missed them. Is it content? Critical thinking? If you do the next month right you can do 515+ I think.

 

[deleted867660]

Finish Uworld and do ALL the aamc materials, especially section bank and FLs. I wouldn't push back if I were you. 513 is fine. If you pushed back what would you use the additional time for? More time doesnt always equal higher score. Just keep consolidating weaknesses by very carefully reviewing what questions you missed and understanding exactly why you missed them. Is it content? Critical thinking? If you do the next month right you can do 515+ I think.

Looking back my missed questions is like 50/50 - 50% like oh, shoot, didn't know that, and 50% are stupid mistakes, like "am I mentally okay??? tf am I doing putting that answer?"

 

[Hzreio]

Looking back my missed questions is like 50/50 - 50% like oh, shoot, didn't know that, and 50% are stupid mistakes, like "am I mentally okay??? tf am I doing putting that answer?"

Don't just dismiss stupid mistakes so quickly. A lot of the time the answer to a puzzle is really easy after you are given the answer. So be sure to really internalize what the disconnect was. For the other 50% consolidate content and make flashcards.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

I'd do at least one more practice test to see how you do. My first FL was roughly 1 month before my actual exam and I did see improvement like you did in that last month.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[deleted867660]

I'd do at least one more practice test to see how you do. My first FL was roughly 1 month before my actual exam and I did see improvement like you did in that last month.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

Thanks! You guys are always so helpful. Should I score around the same, or worse, what would your recommendation be?

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks! You guys are always so helpful. Should I score around the same, or worse, what would your recommendation be?

Please forgive me if this sounds harsh, because I honestly don't mean to beat you up. 513 with a month to go is great, and you are going to be fine. That said, you indicated that you are targeting the top 2% of a very competitive pool, and want to know what you should do if you can't go from top 13% to top 2% in a month. The answer is - nothing!

You will probably see some improvement, but maybe not what you are hoping for. If getting a 520 was as easy as just wanting it and being willing to grind away, a lot more people would get it, and it wouldn't be top 2%! You are doing everything right and are sure to maximize your results. Maybe that will be a 515, maybe a 525. Delaying after doing your best is not going to make your best better.

My advice is to keep doing what you are doing, and then to be happy with your results and resist the urge to beat yourself up just because there are going to be people who do better than you, because that will be the case no matter what you get. 513 is a very respectable score that will make you competitive for most schools. You are likely to do somewhat better than that, even if you don't hit 520. Honestly, just try to relax and not obsess on a single metric, which could end up in self sabotage if you fixate on it.

 

[deleted867660]

Please forgive me if this sounds harsh, because I honestly don't mean to beat you up. 513 with a month to go is great, and you are going to be fine. That said, you indicated that you are targeting the top 2% of a very competitive pool, and want to know what you should do if you can't go from top 13% to top 2% in a month. The answer is - nothing!

You will probably see some improvement, but maybe not what you are hoping for. If getting a 520 was as easy as just wanting it and being willing to grind away, a lot more people would get it, and it wouldn't be top 2%! You are doing everything right and are sure to maximize your results. Maybe that will be a 515, maybe a 525. Delaying after doing your best is not going to make your best better.

My advice is to keep doing what you are doing, and then to be happy with your results and resist the urge to beat yourself up just because there are going to be people who do better than you, because that will be the case no matter what you get. 513 is a very respectable score that will make you competitive for most schools. You are likely to do somewhat better than that, even if you don't hit 520. Honestly, just try to relax and not obsess on a single metric, which could end up in self sabotage if you fixate on it.

Why are you my favorite person on here?

Thanks for your sound, kind, and realistic and rational advice. I wish you were the voice in my head instead of the lunatic gunner premed that lives there.

 

[KnightDoc]

Why are you my favorite person on here?

Thanks for your sound, kind, and realistic and rational advice. I wish you were the voice in my head instead of the lunatic gunner premed that lives there.

Thanks for the massive compliment. Trust me, you are on track to do just fine, based on the resources you are using and where you are with a month to go. I just don't want you freaking out if you get a 517 instead of a 519. 520 would be great, but a 7 point improvement would be atypical, although far from impossible.

As you progress, you will see the improvement in your FLs (or not -- mine were all within 1 point of each other, up and down, and my actual score was only 1 point above my highest FL!), and you will gain confidence. My takeaway from my own experience is that some people start low and steadily improve, while others hit their natural limit early on. I'm only repeating what my dad told me -- I worked my butt off, worked through all the material (UWorld, AAMC and Altius FLs, other than a few Altius FLs because I ran out of time -- spent a little too much time on SDN! ), and did my best, which is all anyone can expect. You are going to do the same, again, whether it's 515 or 525.

 

[Riceisyummy]

I would keep prepping. If you scored a 130 on cars (which means you have top 2% brains), that means your lower scores on other section is due to poor content review. This should be good news because you can always work harder and a 520 is definitely in grasp.

 

[deleted867660]

I would keep prepping. If you scored a 130 on cars (which means you have top 2% brains), that means your lower scores on other section is due to poor content review. This should be good news because you can always work harder and a 520 is definitely in grasp.

Yep, exactly what I did. FL3/FL4 were 519s and I had a bad day with FL2 with a 517.

 

[KnightDoc]

Yep, exactly what I did. FL3/FL4 were 519s and I had a bad day with FL2 with a 517.

And, +/- 2 points isn't even a bad day -- it's the confidence band built into the exam!!!

It's important to understand that, depending on what form of the exam you happen to receive, a report of 519 literally means that your actual score could be anywhere from 517 to 521!!!!!

 

[Riceisyummy]

FL3/FL4 were 519

Just as predicted CARS represents your mcat iq. If it's high, then the only and I really mean only reason your overall score would still be low is because of poor content (unless you are really bad at science compared to reading). That's why Canadian schools only look at CARS. Your GPA will more than necessary demonstrate science knowledge, but they want a way to essentially test your IQ (without outright giving an IQ test) and cars is a pretty good way to do it.