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6-8 weeks intense studying enough to add 5 points?
- Thread starter bayer
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Let's be honest here. You will most likely not be studying 8-10 hours a day. If that was the case, you'd be able to get through every major prep book close to 10 times before you take your exam.
Now, is it realistic to improve that much? Absolutely, but it's likely to be less effective for someone in the "low-mid 30's". Why? Because you are already scoring better than most people who take the exam.
Even a 2 point improvement would be great. I certainly don't mean that it's not possible, there are people who score 38+. But I believe it's around 3% or less?
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Less than or around 1%.
Also, OP, it depends on if you were peaking or not when you were taking practice exams prior to the real thing. If you were peaking (i.e. no noticeable gains towards the end of your studying), then probably not.
Would you say that the 3-4 hours a day I'm studying right now (due to full-time job) will be just as effective as the 8 hours a day I would do if I studied full-time?
That ballpark is based on a diagnostic exam I took. I hadn't reviewed >80-90% of the sciences when I took t. I'm in the process of taking a course right now.
I know that improvement is tough in this range. My goal is to consistently get around 36-38's on full length exams before the real thing in two months. I'm not sure what the best way is to get there, but I think thorough studying of content could help?
I haven't taken practice exams yet. I will take my first FL in about 2 weeks (due to my course), so I will get a better idea then. I have all of AAMC, TBR and Kaplan's FL's to practice with.
Are you a re-taker since you have not taken your first FL yet and you already can score low to mid 30? With 6-8 weeks to go and having (8) AAMC, (7) BR and at least (10) Kaplana FLs, you surely can increase 5 points without any problem. In fact, your only probem is which FL to use and how to effectively layout your FL test schedules.
I assume you are in Kaplan class and they require you to take some FLs (mix of Kaplan & AAMC?). The trick to improve scores using FL is the "review" of the test and NOT just the test. To be effective "absorbing" information, you can only do 2 FLs & may be "stretching" to 3FLs per week. If I am in your shoes and of course depends on how you overlay and map out Kaplan class time with the following: (min16 FLs in 8 weeks)
********** (there are approx 19 FL/events in sequential order)
Kp 2
Kp 4
AAMC 3
Kp 6
AAMC assessment
Kp 8
Kp 10
AAMC 4
AAMC 5
BR 1
BR 2
AAMC 7
BR 4
BR 5
AAMC 8
BR 3
AAMC 9
AAMC 10
AAMC 11
If you have the package of BR1-7, then you may have more squeeze 😱
The following is the BR rating from BerkReviewTeach dated 3/2/11.
BR1 - PS (difficult), VR (easy), BS (medium)
BR2 - PS (medium), VR (hard), BS (medium)
BR3 - PS (difficult), VR (difficult), BS (difficult)
BR4 - PS (medium), VR (medium), BS (hard)
BR5 - PS (hard), VR (medium), BS (hard)
BR6 - PS (semi-easy), VR (medium), BS (medium)
BR7 - PS (hard), VR (medium), BS (hard)
Hope that helps!
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Personally i think 6-8 weeks is more than enough time to pull your score up to the high 30s, especially if you're not working or doing anything else. I only had 4 weeks to study (spent 100% on content review), and I felt like that was *almost* enough. Note that I completed all my pre-reqs within the last two years though.
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This depends what you want to increase in. You want 5 points in verbal? I don't think it'll happen. Do you want 5 points across all subjects? It could happen.
Thanks for the BR FL info!
Yes, I'm in that course. I have 11 Kaplan, 7 TBR and 8 AAMC. If I'm studying full time, I think I can do three per week: 1 day for the exam, 1 day for review of the exam, alternate, with one day rest per week. I will also be sprinkling in content review for the next month. Do you think this will be viable?
Your schedule looks pretty good. What is the rationale for that order in particular?
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I don't think 3 per week for 2 months are mentally sustainable "generally speaking"……..a couple to 3 weeks may be. You really need 8 to 9 hours of review time for each FL. That is at the top of other stuff you like to accomplish daily. In order to sustain this high level of intensity mentally and physically, it will tax your body big time. You probably will not notice the negative change immediately until when it is matter and that is…………..You don't want to walk in the MCAT test center feel like a robot with NO brain function. But that is your call.
The following is my 2 cents thought:
1. Kaplan FL may not be totally representative with the real test or at least like AAMC 11 as many SDN folks feel. I don't see any difference. Some VR passages may be questionable and some PS passages have too many layers of calculations; but I already discount that in the score/percentage calculation. So, it didn't bother me.
2. Do the Kaplan ones at the front end as many as you can, not to interfere your thought process when your 2 months run is at the last stage of straight road namely the last 2/3 weeks before D day. (Not sure how many Kaplan FLs you are required to do and when. That may influence your schedule.)
3. To get a sense of your initial baseline on how you react on the "true" AAMC test using #3 ASAP.
4. To get a sense of your content knowledge ASAP. Two months move lightning quick. You need this baseline at the front end. The results from the "assessment" may influence your study strategy.
5. Start the BR FLs as soon as the assessment is done & the Kaplan is out of way. Mix and match with AAMC to intentionally throw your mind off but take the advantage of the difficulty of the BR FLs when it does not count yet namely not at the end of the 2 months cycle. You want to push your brain to the limit and watching your scores like a hawk.
6. Many people feel AAMC 8 is harder than others. I don't see any difference myself. I suggest putting it at the place when it matters.
7. It seems BR3 is the ugly one. Well, take it close enough to the D Day to make you humble but far enough not to discourage you.
8. Put BR7, AAMC8, and BR3 together before the stretch to challenge yourself.
9. AAMC all the way for the final 2 hundred meters.
******************
Suggest option: (assume Kp is incremental harder on higher #?) (BR has 45 days access license counting backward from D Day. You need to watch when it starts) [x] means taking out if you need.
Kp1 [x]
Kp2 [x]
Kp3 [x]
-----
Kp4
AAMC3
Kp5 [x]
-------
Kp6
AAMC Assessement
Kp7
-------
Kp8 [x]
Kp9
Kp10
-----
AAMC4
Kp11
BR1
-----
AAMC5
BR2
AAMC7
------
BR4
BR5
BR6
------
BR7
AAMC8
BR3
------
AAMC9
AAMC10
AAMC11
------
D Day
Hope that makes sense? 🙄
[edit] I just saw from another thread a SDNer said that Kaplan 1-5 are better than 6-10. I didn't take Kaplan class and only did 1-4 and still have 5 and 6. So I can't tell. You just have to decide by yourself if that is the option you wish to take at the end.
[edit#2] I forgot to inform you that the complete assessment package(s) is the size of 3 & 2/3 CBT FL (AAMC FL1R,2R&6R).
It probably contains 98% of the PS & BS for those 3 FL-R except the VR part that has 2/3. You may want to think about the time consumed within your schedule.
The following are the breakdown of the assessment(s).
PS => G-Chm (104Q) + Phys (109Q) = 213Q
BS => Bio (128Q) + O-Chm (80Q) = 208Q
VR => (120Q)
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Lol. I'm hoping the exact same thing for my Sept MCAT. Well maybe +2 for verbal🙂
I'm averaging low 30s as well, but I'm hoping to get mid-high 30s. I'm getting my ass kicked on Kaplan's PS though🙁
This is amazing. I'm going to try and follow this plan as closely as possible. Thanks so much for typing all that up! I think I will take AAMC 3 this weekend to get a better feel for where I actually stand.
I also have to go through:
- Princeton review hyperlearning workbooks (science, verbal) and review books
- EK review books (possibly)
- All of the EK 1001 series
- The rest of the TBR books and their passages
This will be so much fun.
I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for burnout, though, like you say. It's also tough because in the last 3 weeks of the 9 weeks I have, classes start up again.
This is amazing. I'm going to try and follow this plan as closely as possible. Thanks so much for typing all that up! I think I will take AAMC 3 this weekend to get a better feel for where I actually stand.
I also have to go through:
- Princeton review hyperlearning workbooks (science, verbal) and review books
- EK review books (possibly)
- All of the EK 1001 series
- The rest of the TBR books and their passages
This will be so much fun.
I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for burnout, though, like you say. It's also tough because in the last 3 weeks of the 9 weeks I have, classes start up again.
Holy, 3 weeks of classes in session when you are on the last leg of 2 miles run when your legs are getting weak. That is the curve ball you didn't mention before I proposed my suggestion. You are going to need packed full of superfood green and berry drink, trace mineral drops in your drink etc.
Best luck to you
Yes, that is worrying. I'll just have to put in 14 hours a day and eat a lot of wheaties ... maybe one FL per day or something, while saving the tough ones for a little bit later. And I've got like 5000 extra problems to do from all my other practice material.
It looks like you have all the best material one can obtain in the world for this MCAT beast.
2 months come and gone very quick. You can do it. It is all mental. 14 hours a day sounds long. It is not. Invest 2 months for your life long dream is a bargin.
Fighting! 👍👍👍
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