6.5 weeks until exam date, don't know what direction I should go from here. :-/

[MajesticMoose5291]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So my exam date is August 5th. I am still working on some review (see: Physics and Some Gen Chem). I currently have the TBR full set (Including the new 2015 Bio books), The EK 9th Edition full set, and the Next Step Bio/Biochem Review Question book.

I'd like to start passages, but I'm really confused on how to start. How many passages should I aim for per day? Should I mix the passages up, or stick to one subject? Also, I plan on Purchasing the AAMC Q-Packs and the Section Banks. When should I start those?

There's just so many different materials out there! Any help would be awesome. Thanks!

 

[DoctorCakes]

I am also taking the exam Aug 5th. I really suggest trying to get done with content as quick as possible. I only spent around ~1 month on content because I had a good pre-req base and probably should have finished it sooner. One you get to passages you'll realize content does not help as much as raw passages do. You only need a rough knowledge of the concepts and use passages to fill in the gaps. Passages should always be timed and personally I have been making my own section tests consisting of ~59 questions each and timing myself ~90 minutes. I try to do a section test every day and review it the following day. I would start AAMC stuff the last month and really hone in on content they present reviewing all the questions, not just the ones you got wrong. Again, I recommend rushing through content because test-taking skills will get you a way higher score than knowing the layers of the skin for example. I have been seeing pretty good results on my practice exams.

 

[sleepyhead22]

Are you doing the EK 30 min exams at the end? That's a good way to start looking at passages. I'd also recommend starting to take full length exams each weekend until your exam (NS and EK are most representative, obviously the AAMC sample and unscored are gold. Use those closer to test day to judge where you're at and what you need to drill). Don't worry about not having finished content review, educated guessing is a major part of the test. Save the section banks til the last few weeks or so when you feel like you have a pretty good handle on things (they're tough). Question packs are questions taken from the old mcat that are on relevant topics. They're good for reviewing content but the passages are definitely in a different (ie more straightforward) style than the newer stuff. The CARS passages in the question pack are still really similar tho so those are good practice. Bio Q pack isn't bad but is missing some high yield topics. Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[MajesticMoose5291]

Are you doing the EK 30 min exams at the end? That's a good way to start looking at passages. I'd also recommend starting to take full length exams each weekend until your exam (NS and EK are most representative, obviously the AAMC sample and unscored are gold. Use those closer to test day to judge where you're at and what you need to drill). Don't worry about not having finished content review, educated guessing is a major part of the test. Save the section banks til the last few weeks or so when you feel like you have a pretty good handle on things (they're tough). Question packs are questions taken from the old mcat that are on relevant topics. They're good for reviewing content but the passages are definitely in a different (ie more straightforward) style than the newer stuff. The CARS passages in the question pack are still really similar tho so those are good practice. Bio Q pack isn't bad but is missing some high yield topics. Hope this helps, good luck!

I was saving the EK 30 minute exams for the end (That was my plan at least). I AM doing the questions contained within the chapters. My plan was to start FL's ~ 3 weeks before my exam and do 2 FL's a week (Tues/Thursdays are my off days from work). Thanks for the info.

 

[Necr0sis713]

This is only the beginning. Just start pumping passages and full lengths, to work on endurance and problem solving skills.

 

[Sarahka74]

I am also taking the exam Aug 5th. I really suggest trying to get done with content as quick as possible. I only spent around ~1 month on content because I had a good pre-req base and probably should have finished it sooner. One you get to passages you'll realize content does not help as much as raw passages do. You only need a rough knowledge of the concepts and use passages to fill in the gaps. Passages should always be timed and personally I have been making my own section tests consisting of ~59 questions each and timing myself ~90 minutes. I try to do a section test every day and review it the following day. I would start AAMC stuff the last month and really hone in on content they present reviewing all the questions, not just the ones you got wrong. Again, I recommend rushing through content because test-taking skills will get you a way higher score than knowing the layers of the skin for example. I have been seeing pretty good results on my practice exams.

How long have you been doing this and do you feel that its helped your score improve?

 

[MajesticMoose5291]

This is only the beginning. Just start pumping passages and full lengths, to work on endurance and problem solving skills.

I think I am going to do Content review through this week, and then start Practice Passages starting Monday.

I appreciate the input. 🙂

 

[DoctorCakes]

How long have you been doing this and do you feel that its helped your score improve?

Few a couple weeks now, I am planning on moving up to 2 sections a day and then increasing as the weeks go by. I will work up to 4 section tests (full-length exam) every few days towards the end of my studies. It helps build stamina as opposed to taking too many practice exams early on and burning out. Although you should still take a practice exam every week to guage your stamina and scare yourself into studying more.

 

[MajesticMoose5291]

Few a couple weeks now, I am planning on moving up to 2 sections a day and then increasing as the weeks go by. I will work up to 4 section tests (full-length exam) every few days towards the end of my studies. It helps build stamina as opposed to taking too many practice exams early on and burning out. Although you should still take a practice exam every week to guage your stamina and scare yourself into studying more.

Where are you getting your questions from?

 

[DoctorCakes]

Where are you getting your questions from?

Kaplan atm which try to trip you up alot. Aside from AAMC stuff i don't think it matters which questions you do cause their mostly there to fill in gaps and practice timing.

 

[MajesticMoose5291]

Kaplan atm which try to trip you up alot. Aside from AAMC stuff i don't think it matters which questions you do cause their mostly there to fill in gaps and practice timing.

The Kaplan Q-Bank, or something like Kaplan 528?

 

[alpha-GTP]

When I first started doing content review, I accompanied it with Kahn Academy passages. They are not the best in terms of matching the AAMC style, but they were free and at worst were somewhat useful for testing my retention of content. I also got the section banks. As demoralizing as these were to take and evaluate, they matched the most difficult passages of the actual MCAT and made the exam feel a little easier than it should have. I didn't bother with the question packs since they were simply regurgitations of the old exam.

When I had 1.5-2 months left before the MCAT, I began doing one exam a week, approximating test conditions as much as possible. I did 3 practice exams in the last 2 weeks, saving the 2 AAMCs for last. As much as I loathed spending perfectly good Saturdays at the school library doing these full length exams, I'm glad that I just jumped right into them and got them over with. I'm just glad to close that very dark chapter in my life.🙂