6 practice exams and can't even break 19! WTF

[mcatwoes]

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I can't believe this. I am enrolled in TPR course and have taken 6 practice exams and my highest score so far has been a 19. This is absurd. I'm tired of people telling me that my score will improve after take a LOT of exams. I consider 6 exams A LOT and the fact that I can't even break 19 is pathetic. I took the MCAT over a year ago and barely studied half as much and took like 2.5 exams and scored a 14. Obviously that is terrible and have avoided taking/studying for this MCAT till now. The course is now over and my exam is Jan 24th and I am making no progress.

Here's what I've done:

Recent to oldest P V B

MCAT AAMC Test 7 5 4 7 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 5 6 5 5 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 4 5 8 6 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 3 4 3 6 J 0 0
MCAT Practice Test 1 4 4 3 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 10 7 4 6

I've skipped all the writing parts since it won't be tested. I've never been a strong tester but I usually did average. At this point I'm thinking there is no way I can even get a good score and might as well postpone it. I'm really ready to just give up on this whole thing. I was planning on going to a caribbean school but this score isn't even good enough for that.

Any advice?

 

[kgpremed11]

I can't believe this. I am enrolled in TPR course and have taken 6 practice exams and my highest score so far has been a 19. This is absurd. I'm tired of people telling me that my score will improve after take a LOT of exams. I consider 6 exams A LOT and the fact that I can't even break 19 is pathetic. I took the MCAT over a year ago and barely studied half as much and took like 2.5 exams and scored a 14. Obviously that is terrible and have avoided taking/studying for this MCAT till now. The course is now over and my exam is Jan 24th and I am making no progress.

Here's what I've done:

Recent to oldest P V B

MCAT AAMC Test 7 5 4 7 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 5 6 5 5 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 4 5 8 6 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 3 4 3 6 J 0 0
MCAT Practice Test 1 4 4 3 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 10 7 4 6

I've skipped all the writing parts since it won't be tested. I've never been a strong tester but I usually did average. At this point I'm thinking there is no way I can even get a good score and might as well postpone it. I'm really ready to just give up on this whole thing. I was planning on going to a caribbean school but this score isn't even good enough for that.

Any advice?

In order to answer this, we would have to know a lot more about you. Do you like science? Can you understand science? What was your undergrad performance like? Maybe you should talk to Noshie, maybe she can help you. view this thread.


http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=774396

 

[kimicurtis]

I can't believe this. I am enrolled in TPR course and have taken 6 practice exams and my highest score so far has been a 19. This is absurd. I'm tired of people telling me that my score will improve after take a LOT of exams. I consider 6 exams A LOT and the fact that I can't even break 19 is pathetic. I took the MCAT over a year ago and barely studied half as much and took like 2.5 exams and scored a 14. Obviously that is terrible and have avoided taking/studying for this MCAT till now. The course is now over and my exam is Jan 24th and I am making no progress.

Here's what I've done:

Recent to oldest P V B

MCAT AAMC Test 7 5 4 7 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 5 6 5 5 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 4 5 8 6 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 3 4 3 6 J 0 0
MCAT Practice Test 1 4 4 3 J 0 0
MCAT AAMC Test 10 7 4 6

I've skipped all the writing parts since it won't be tested. I've never been a strong tester but I usually did average. At this point I'm thinking there is no way I can even get a good score and might as well postpone it. I'm really ready to just give up on this whole thing. I was planning on going to a caribbean school but this score isn't even good enough for that.

Any advice?

Can you give us a run through of how you study. Like, do you read the chapters, take notes and then do practice problems. How did you do in your science classes and how far removed are you from school. Do you review and analyze the tests, working out problems one by one after you take them or do you just take them and set them aside?

 

[deleted480308]

I would say your problem is not a "more testing" issue, but a knowledge issue. At a 19 there are serious gaps in knowledge. You need to work on mastering the concepts of the questions you are missing

 

[nisarg2010]

I think with those score, you have a very high content deficiency. Practice can only take you so far. You have to know the material before practice can help. I would advise you to defiantly postponing the test and starting over. How did you perform in your pre-req classes? What is your science GPA? If you have a science GPA of 3.5 or above, that means you knew the material while taking the classes and you need an in depth refresher in all the subjects. If you gpa is lower, you need to relearn everything.

My advise would be to 1) move your test back to probably the April date. 2) start from the beginning. Go through all your TPR books while practicing passages from the practice materials that they provide. Dont skip anything saying "I know this stuff" because your don't really know it as well as you think you do. Make sure you read actively and practice the material you read. 3) Dont give up because its not over yet. You still have lots of time to improve for the upcoming cycle. 4) When you do take practice tests, make sure you review them thoroughly. There are "post-phrasing" techniques available on SDN that you can look up and follow.

 

[gettheleadout]

The important thing here is you probably don't want to take the exam January 24th...

 

[angldrps]

you MUST postpone your test date. Getting <20 score is an indicator of lack of content knowledge.I think you have spent your time memorizing all the facts instead of truly understanding everything. Your approach towards studying for the exam needs to be completely revamped. Do NOT take any more practice exams until you know all the content cold because you are just wasting away valuable practice material. Did you go to office hours of your TPR instructors or stay after class to ask them for help? You may need to work with a tutor to figure out exactly what it is that you are doing wrong. Had you posted more details about how you study in your post, we would be able to provide you with more guidance on what changes you should consider making.

 

[solitarius]

The important thing here is you probably don't want to take the exam January 24th...

^ this.

No point in wasting a precious MCAT attempt for a projected score of 19. In fact, there was no point wasting it the first time around on a 14 either. But at least you could always explain away the first score as a massive fluke and it would be believable if you scored say a 32 the second time around.

What is your cGPA and sGPA like? How well did you do in your pre-reqs? That might give an inkling as to why your MCAT science score is sub-par. As for verbal, I don't know what to say really.

 

[mcatwoes]

So for the past few days I've been quite depressed about my situation and didn't bother to look at what people have written here. I've always had depression problems (and ADD) and so this just made everything so much worse. But I'm trying to get myself together.

I apologize for not giving more info. I graduated with a BS in chem. I have an overall GPA of 2.75 and science GPA was around 2.6. I have never been very good at taking exams. I tend to give up half way through when I am stuck. The worst part about university is that I felt like I didn't learn anything. I pretty much gave up senior year and was just coasting along. I do think my problem is that I really don't know the material and that's really hard to admit after studying for 3 months.

I graduated from school in the summer and I can honestly say that I never learned how to study. I get really bored and easily distracted. I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. I dont take any medicine to help me focus because finding a good doctor is damn near impossible. All I have is willpower and that is clearly not enough anymore.

I took TPR because I said to myself that if I have structure then I will do way better than trying to tackle it on my own with Berkley books. I feel like I wasted all that money.

Let me try to answer some questions:

In order to answer this, we would have to know a lot more about you. Do you like science? Can you understand science? What was your undergrad performance like? Maybe you should talk to Noshie, maybe she can help you. view this thread.


http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=774396

I do like chemistry more than biology because chemistry is more conceptual while biology is memorization. I realize I need to learn to memorize but it isn't easy for me. That doesn't mean I hate biology. I like biology that is applied. I worked in the medical field for several years. I like applying biology in a clinical setting. But I guess you have to learn to walk before you can run.

That story in the link sounds like me. I am happy that she found something that worked for her. But I feel this brute force technique wouldnt work on me. Everyone is different, it is hard for me to stick to routines and force myself to do anything. I want to blame my depression and ADD for this, or perhaps I am looking for an excuse. I dont expect a bunch of strangers to know what is best for me, but maybe someone has some good ideas or someone I could talk to.

Can you give us a run through of how you study. Like, do you read the chapters, take notes and then do practice problems. How did you do in your science classes and how far removed are you from school. Do you review and analyze the tests, working out problems one by one after you take them or do you just take them and set them aside?

I mostly highlight stuff in my books. I don't really write anything down because I say to myself that I'll never actually go back to my handwritten notes. Ironically, I don't go back to my highlighted notes either. I usually read each chapter prior to answering any questions. I do this mainly because I dont know anything about the topic. I mean, I pretty much studied/touched base on everything that is covered in the TPR books during undergrad, but I cant say I know anything well. I am ashamed to say that I am even weak in chemistry even though I spent 5 years of my life studying it. As you probably guessed, I dont review my exams. My genius thought process was that if I dont review them, then I can reuse the exam later since I wont have memorized the right answer. Pretty big mistake I'd say.

I think with those score, you have a very high content deficiency. Practice can only take you so far. You have to know the material before practice can help. I would advise you to defiantly postponing the test and starting over. How did you perform in your pre-req classes? What is your science GPA? If you have a science GPA of 3.5 or above, that means you knew the material while taking the classes and you need an in depth refresher in all the subjects. If you gpa is lower, you need to relearn everything.

My advise would be to 1) move your test back to probably the April date. 2) start from the beginning. Go through all your TPR books while practicing passages from the practice materials that they provide. Dont skip anything saying "I know this stuff" because your don't really know it as well as you think you do. Make sure you read actively and practice the material you read. 3) Dont give up because its not over yet. You still have lots of time to improve for the upcoming cycle. 4) When you do take practice tests, make sure you review them thoroughly. There are "post-phrasing" techniques available on SDN that you can look up and follow.

I think my biggest hurdle is #3. I'll keep working on it. I never use to be a quitter but for the past 3 years that's all I have been feeling like.

I completely agree, content deficiency is my issue. The issue I have with the content is that I JUST KEEP FORGETTING and rereviewing material feels like a waste of time (when I could be learning new material instead) and not to mention, really boring.

The important thing here is you probably don't want to take the exam January 24th...

I might take and void it or might skip it all together. I want to take it in March.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Sorry if there are grammatical errors and typos. I'm on my tablet and it doesn't have autocorrect 😛

I hope someone can guide in the right direction.

 

[gettheleadout]

So for the past few days I've been quite depressed about my situation and didn't bother to look at what people have written here. I've always had depression problems (and ADD) and so this just made everything so much worse. But I'm trying to get myself together.

I apologize for not giving more info. I graduated with a BS in chem. I have an overall GPA of 2.75 and science GPA was around 2.6. I have never been very good at taking exams. I tend to give up half way through when I am stuck. The worst part about university is that I felt like I didn't learn anything. I pretty much gave up senior year and was just coasting along. I do think my problem is that I really don't know the material and that's really hard to admit after studying for 3 months.

You don't even need to be worrying about the MCAT at this point, you won't get in to a US school with those GPA's. Figure out what you're going to do about that. A lengthy post-bacc of some kind? An SMP? Both?

 

[IlDestriero]

If you're scoring 19 on the practice tests, don't waste your time and money taking the MCAT anytime soon. There is no way that you will do well, and your score can only hurt you. Your GPA is horrible, so all that you have to prove that you can succeed in medical school at all is a solid mcat score.
It sounds like you need much more than a review course and a couple extra months to study. The sooner you accept that, the more likely you are to improve. Honesty, you should consider other career choices as well. The rigor of medical school, Caribbean or mainland, is significant. If you study slowly or inefficiently you will be crushed and left behind. If you fall behind, it's game over.

 

[mcatwoes]

You don't even need to be worrying about the MCAT at this point, you won't get in to a US school with those GPA's. Figure out what you're going to do about that. A lengthy post-bacc of some kind? An SMP? Both?

I figured a US school was out of the question but with a decent score I think a Caribbean school is possible. At least that is what the admission advisor at the school told me.

If you're scoring 19 on the practice tests, don't waste your time and money taking the MCAT anytime soon. There is no way that you will do well, and your score can only hurt you. Your GPA is horrible, so all that you have to prove that you can succeed in medical school at all is a solid mcat score.
It sounds like you need much more than a review course and a couple extra months to study. The sooner you accept that, the more likely you are to improve. Honesty, you should consider other career choices as well. The rigor of medical school, Caribbean or mainland, is significant. If you study slowly or inefficiently you will be crushed and left behind. If you fall behind, it's game over.

I think if I figure out how to study then I'll be fine. Just need some helping finding out what to try and how to overcome this hurdle. Yea, my gpa blows but chemistry was the hardest undergraduate degree available at my university and with everything going on at the time, coupled with the fact that I lost motivation at the end, I'm glad I finished.

I know I can do it, just need a real plan. Someone mentioned something called an SN2. Can someone shine some light about that?

 

[gettheleadout]

I figured a US school was out of the question but with a decent score I think a Caribbean school is possible. At least that is what the admission advisor at the school told me.



I think if I figure out how to study then I'll be fine. Just need some helping finding out what to try and how to overcome this hurdle. Yea, my gpa blows but chemistry was the hardest undergraduate degree available at my university and with everything going on at the time, coupled with the fact that I lost motivation at the end, I'm glad I finished.

I know I can do it, just need a real plan. Someone mentioned something called an SN2. Can someone shine some light about that?

Please don't go to the Caribbean. You will likely not graduate, if you do you will likely not match, and if you do you will likely not match in a field other than FM or IM, and likely not in a good program.

Do some research here on SDN about the Caribbean med schools first, please. SN2ed is a user here who created a 3-4 month study plan for the MCAT. It's stickied in the top of this forum.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile

 

[mcatwoes]

Please don't go to the Caribbean. You will likely not graduate, if you do you will likely not match, and if you do you will likely not match in a field other than FM or IM, and likely not in a good program.

Do some research here on SDN about the Caribbean med schools first, please. SN2ed is a user here who created a 3-4 month study plan for the MCAT. It's stickied in the top of this forum.

I've been researching Caribbean schools for a while. I have my heart set on AUC. It's a great school with good matching and high step one pass rates. I'm actually okay with FM or IM.

But I don't want to get ahead of myself. Get a decent MCAT first, then worry about the rest.

Thanks

 

[wholeheartedly]

I've been researching Caribbean schools for a while. I have my heart set on AUC. It's a great school with good matching and high step one pass rates. I'm actually okay with FM or IM.

The good matching and high step one pass rates are most likely calculated without factoring in the massive amount of attrition in students. Things are changing now with the fact that by 2016 there will be more US MD school grads than residency spots available. That's going to limit you severely. Do more research on here, and don't take the schools presentation of match lists and step scores as fact. That's like law schools saying 95% of their grads got jobs after graduating, except not all of them were in law and quite a few were working at places like Starbucks.

Back to the topic at hand. Try SN2EDs plan and see if you improve, don't take it til your practice tests are hitting the score you'd like to achieve. Then reassess your situation.

 

[Jepstein30]

How well did you learn the material when you took the classes? How long ago were the classes?

Definitely postpone the test. March may not even be long enough. Why not take it in June/July? You have serious content deficiencies. Most people take 3-4 months to REVIEW the material they already have a good grasp of, so that's not enough time for you IMO.

A few things you may consider:
* Look into auditing the courses at a local community college or university. Seems to me like you need to LEARN the material again as opposed to just reviewing. All these books don't do a good job of teaching the material, they're just supposed to refresh/review and fill in gaps.
* When you take a practice test, don't just take the practice test and move on. I also wouldn't worry about timing right now. Make sure you review each and every question: right, wrong or skipped.
* Don't do SN2ed right now. Focus on one subject and master it. Get your hands on primary textbooks if you can, look through your old notes. Look at the AAMC MCAT topic list and make sure you are familiar with every single topic mentioned. After you go through each subject, then I would recommend doing SN2ed. Right now, that study plan won't be effective for you as it involves a lot of jumping back and forth between subjects (to increase retention of information) but I think in this case, it would hurt.

Best bet is definitely to push off until the summer at the earliest. Audit some classes (your weakest 1-2 since you likely won't have enough time to do them all), use more primary study materials.

 

[flodhi1]

You wasted a lot of practice exams with a weak command on the material so you've royally screwed yourself. You need to postpone the exam right away. Stop taking anymore practice exams and fully focus on knowing the material very very well first.

 

[wehttamrrek]

The important thing here is you probably don't want to take the exam January 24th...

It's totally agree with this. Don't take the test until you are ready for it. I would definitely go through some review books and highlight whatever problem areas you have for the subjects and focus the majority of studying on them. I have my review books I used while taking the Kaplan course, let me know if they might be any help.

 

[Strawberries310]

Just read ur post, I'm taking the Mcat second time. On Jan 24th as well. Tonight I made the smart decision to POSTPONE IT. I am doing total crap in verbal ok in everything else but verbal is dragging me down. I strongly recommend u push it back, i know u probably wana get it out of the way but in the long run u won't regret it. U need to totally re do ur study habits. N force yourself to focus, that means turning off ur phone, no face book, instagram, or whatever.

If you can't focus pull it together n study now, how will u perform in med which will be way harder.

 

[mcatwoes]

Thanks for all the suggestion guys. My problem is not the comprehension aspect of learning, it's the retention. I realized my mistake was that after all the highlighting, I wasn't going back to quiz myself. How the heck do I expect myself to know the material if I only looked at it once? That's my issue and so far I have created a modified SN2ed schedule for myself. I canceled my MCAT and I will just take it when I am ready.

Here's what I posted on another thread. This is my new way of attacking the material.

Here's what I do and I think it is helping me really nail the material. I read the whole chapter and while I am reading the chapter, I make notes in question form. For my first physics chapter I had around 70 questions that I created on my own. Then I went to my workbook and did every 3rd question in the workbook for physics. I believe it says 1-62 on your syllabus so I just did 1/3 of it. I stupidly marked all the answers in my book the first time around so the night before, I just covered up all the answers with post sticks while doing something mundane like watching tv. That way I didn't focus on any particular answer.

I am happy to say that all the answers that I got wrong the first time around, I got them all right this time! Mind you, I haven't touched physics in quite a while cuz I sort of gave up for a few weeks after I realized I wasn't taking the MCAT when I wanted to (and more disappointingly, I realized I didn't learn a thing from lectures). I basically had to relearn everything. I waited till the next day to go over my answers and I was quizzing myself with my flashcards (the 70 questions) and I feel like I understand the material way more now. Oh, and before reading the chapter, I did two verbal passages from EK and then went over them the next day in great detail.

Another thing that really helped me was getting out of the effin' house! I was unable to really concentrate in my 'man-cave' so I had to find somewhere where I could go and easily kill 7-8 hours studying. I finally found a place like that and so I think I am on my way now. The most important thing is that I REVIEW the material. Making these flashcards allow me to study whenever and since they are on my phone, I can do them where ever! I'm all ears for anymore advice. Thanks a lot guys!