6VR, 12PS, 11BS - Retake?

[pateltr1]

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Should I retake to improve my 6VR? This is suprising because I usually get 8,9,10 in VR.

 

[shock827]

GOD YES. I got a 7VR last year. I studied for VR this year by doing a bunch of passages. I got a 12 this year. I made it my strength. It can be done.

I'm living proof. 😀

 

[pateltr1]

I hope i can improve it to 10 by August. This really sucks.

 

[DemonDeacon]

🙁 I got a 6, too 🙁 Goodbye summer vacation.

 

[Athomeonarock]

I would not retake, verbal is worthless ( it, ironically is the section i got my highest score in) an 11 and 12 in the sciences is very respectable

 

[pateltr1]

I would not retake, verbal is worthless ( it, ironically is the section i got my highest score in) an 11 and 12 in the sciences is very respectable

I wish I didn't have to retake it. But I think I will have to. There is no school in the world that will accept me with 6 in verbal!!!.

Since, English is my second language, I think I will have to prove that I can communicate well in english by getting at least 9 in VR.

 

[blz]

I got an 8 the first time I took the MCAT (with 12s in the sciences). So I was basically in the same situation you were in. I decided to suck it up and take it again and I ended up getting an 11 in verbal (and a 35 overall). I would retake it - who knows, you may be passing up the opportunity to get a much higher score judging from your science scores.

 

[Medikit]

GOD YES. I got a 7VR last year. I studied for VR this year by doing a bunch of passages. I got a 12 this year. I made it my strength. It can be done.

I'm living proof. 😀

You are amazing.

 

[the_cipher]

I would not retake, verbal is worthless ( it, ironically is the section i got my highest score in) an 11 and 12 in the sciences is very respectable

I'm going to have to disagree with you on that one. The VR score has been shown to correlate best with success in medical school, so it is actually a very important score. My pre-medical advisor, my teachers at Kaplan, and the dean of my institution's medical school all stressed the importance of the VR section and to not take it lightly. If I were in the individual's position who scored the 6, I would work hard to up that score in August.

Both Kaplan and TPR have excellent "VR methods" of analyzing the passage and extracting the most info in the least amount of time. Analyzing passages truly is different than just chilling on Sunday and reading your favorite book. Good luck to you!! With a little work, you'll be in double digits in no time! 🙂

 

[pyra]

GOD YES. I got a 7VR last year. I studied for VR this year by doing a bunch of passages. I got a 12 this year. I made it my strength. It can be done.

I'm living proof. 😀

Can you please share how did you improve, which company did you use? Examkrackers or just AAMC? Did you do any additional outside reading? Did you map the passages or use EK method to reduce going back to the passage?

 

[krebse]

6 is pretty low...if you think you can improve it to a 9 or 10, by all means still apply this year but take the beast again in August...

No matter what you all tell me, I don't think I'll take it again, but anyone care to comment on 11 VR, 8 PS, 11 BS? That 8's bugging the crap out of me, even though I went in well aware that I suck at gen chem and my form was packed with it...

 

[shock827]

For last april's mcat I didn't do that many passages, honestly. I took TPR and followed their strategy to rank passages and do the easy ones. As a result, I wasted so much time and never ever finished all of the passages because I am a pretty slow reader. I got flustered on last year's MCAT and it really screwed me because of the time pressure. I didn't finish 2 passages.

This year the only prep I used was EK 101 Passages in VR. I did not use any strategy books and tailor-made a strategy that worked best for me. I just went straight through the passages instead of ranking them which saved me a lot of time. I also kept some of the TPR strats like reading the questions first. Basically, the biggest change I made was on my time management and I made sure I finished every passage no matter what. Actually, the highest I ever got in the EK book was a 10 or 11 with a 10 average mostly. On the real MCAT it just seemed to make sense. I was in the zone and finished with 5 minutes to spare. Part luck, part prep!

I would say the most important thing is to find something you're comfortable with and make sure you finish the damn section!!! If I would have used TPR's strat to pick my 7 or 8 best passages I would have gotten a 10 AT BEST.

PS is another story though 👎

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Should I retake to improve my 6VR? This is suprising because I usually get 8,9,10 in VR.

6 is low. I'd retake. 🙁

 

[Andrew_Doan]

No matter what you all tell me, I don't think I'll take it again, but anyone care to comment on 11 VR, 8 PS, 11 BS? That 8's bugging the crap out of me, even though I went in well aware that I suck at gen chem and my form was packed with it...

I know you only need reassurance. Your total score of 30 with an 8 on PS is fine. If your GPA is good (i.e. >3.5), then apply.

With retaking, you always risk:

1) scoring lower
2) staying the same

Both are very bad.

 

[Wahooali]

You guys who did leaps and bounds better in VR taking it again, what did you do to improve. I am in the same boat. Just got my scores back. 9BS, 10PS, averaging 9-11 in both in practices. So, respectable sciences. Got a 7 in VR. Ouch. So if I retake, it would be in April 2005. What can I do in this year, to boost that stupid score!!! I'm really frustrated. This is my second time taking it, and I don't know if it is worth it anymore.

 

[efex101]

Hey to the person that received 11V, 11B, and 8PS that was my exact score last April do NOT retake! although the PS is a little low it is still on the nose for the average of test takers. I am going to medical school btw.

 

[Nuel]

I am taking this exam for the last time this August--it must be good, it has to be. crappy verbal.

 

[krebse]

I am taking this exam for the last time this August--it must be good, it has to be. crappy verbal.

I can't comment here as one of those people that have boosted their verbal score by 3+ points, it's always been the section I've felt best about just because that's how my mind happens to work - I'm better at comprehending something I'm reading than I am at remembering and applying a bunch of science information - because people are different is why there are different scores for each section, there are advantages to being good at either of the types of intellect the MCAT tests, but I agree with other people that have posted that the verbal is less about knowledge and more about inherent ability. Not to say your ability can't be improved, the EK verbal method really makes sense to me. It's basically how I was subconciously doing it before, but being more systematic about things and being taught to look at aspects besides the passage (like question stems) was really helpful. There's one exercise they go through a few times in the books where they show you how you can answer almost all of the questions asked about a passage using the information you get in the question stems only, you don't read the passage at all and it really is amazing how much you can infer from the way things are stated and by considering how well each answer choice fits the overall theme of the passage (well, what you know of the passage based only on question stems). After you go through that a few times, see what logic they're using, apply that logic, then go back and read the passage and reanswer the questions you'll be amazed. Next try to still use their method of getting to the answer but have read the passage, it'll seem like a piece of cake. Trust EK, they might be arrogant, but they know what they're doing 🙂

Liz

 

[rapshi]

I wish I didn't have to retake it. But I think I will have to. There is no school in the world that will accept me with 6 in verbal!!!.

Since, English is my second language, I think I will have to prove that I can communicate well in english by getting at least 9 in VR.

Dude, apply and explain on secondary/ interview, that english is your second language, and if not for the time constraint you would've done an easy 11!
My Kaplan BS teacher is MD-Phd in Hopkins and that is how he explained the 6 he got on verbal.
Take the test again if you have the time and are sure you will improve your score. But apply now regardless.
It can't hurt.

 

[mdsadler]

I know you only need reassurance. Your total score of 30 with an 8 on PS is fine. If your GPA is good (i.e. >3.5), then apply.

With retaking, you always risk:

1) scoring lower
2) staying the same

Both are very bad.

I am considering reapplying and I scored 11PS 8VR Q 11BS. I would have been very happy with the 11s but the 8 dampens all of that. I am canadian and a couple schools that I want to apply to look down on anything below 9 so now I think it will be best to reapply. However, like you said, I am very afraid of doing the same or worse, especially in physics because this was my highest physics score. Any advice??

 

[lakersfan]

ive been trying to get some help here on this forum.
i got an 8 in vr and a 12 in bs and 13 in ps.
i usually averaged 12,13 in bs and ps but i was averaging a 9 or 10 in vr so a 8, while a little out of my norm, was only a point below.
should i take the test again and study my butt off or should i just apply. thanks for any help.

 

[adamj61]

How about retaking with a 12 12 7V? I really dont want to retake since I am trapped at the mayo clinic this summer

 

[Andrew_Doan]

How about retaking with a 12 12 7V? I really dont want to retake since I am trapped at the mayo clinic this summer

How's your GPA?

 

[lola]

Dude, apply and explain on secondary/ interview, that english is your second language

i agree

 

[adamj61]

3.55 with a 4.0 my last year...biochem is my major

 

[adamj61]

I think we should decide as a group, it probably depends on where you apply though. I am not planning on it...maybe verbal goes up, but the others could go down

 

[Andrew_Doan]

3.55 with a 4.0 my last year...biochem is my major

I would not retake. Apply broadly (20+).

 

[adamj61]

I am actually applying to Iowa...what do you guys think there?

 

[Andrew_Doan]

I am actually applying to Iowa...what do you guys think there?

I think you're okay with a VR 7. If you're out of state, then you need a MCAT of at least 30 and GPA of 3.5+ to be competitive.

 

[adamj61]

Just like Madison! Good to hear you guys belive the sum is greater than the parts...

 

[trahuidio]

You Should Definately Retake With A 6 In Verbal, It Is Highly Unlikely You Will Get Accepted. You May Have A Chance If You Are Urm But I Doubt It. Cut Your Losses & Retake. I Know It's Painful!! But That's The Beast Of The Game...

 

[IndyZX]

But That's The Beast Of The Game...

That's the funniest thing I've ever read.

 

[bullsI]

How about retaking with a 12 12 7V? I really dont want to retake since I am trapped at the mayo clinic this summer

Trapped? How about spoiled and unappreciative? how much do you think a single score means if you've done research there for a summer? you shouldn't have any trouble getting into state schools.