a question for those who took MCAT in April 2001

[Legend]

Hi.

I will be taking MCAT in 3 days, and I am dead worried if Biological Science section will be ridiculously hard again just like the one in April.(I had form 'BT' but I am sure many April takers also thought Biol Sci was hard and weird.) Since I voided April test, I have no idea what score I would have gotten in BS.

For those of you who took April MCAT and thought BS was really hard, do you feel the curve was generous?

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[spacecadet]

Hi Legi,

I took it in April, and yes, I thought the BS section was very hard (my form was CG). I didn't think I had done that well on it, and I got a 13. So maybe you're right that the curve was generous.

Good luck on Saturday!

Pam

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by spacecadet:
•Hi Legi,

I took it in April, and yes, I thought the BS section was very hard (my form was CG). I didn't think I had done that well on it, and I got a 13. So maybe you're right that the curve was generous.

Good luck on Saturday!

Pam•

thanks.

Pam, how did you feel about verbal?

 

[moo]

legi, I thought the curve was generous. I had form CH (I think, I know it was C-something).

 

[DJ W.R.]

The B.S. section in April wasn't too bad. I think what makes that section a little more difficult is that it's at the end of the test...fatigue and sometimes panic may set in for some people. Don't worry about the curve! Concentrate on doing the best that you can and you'll be fine...good luck!

 

[spacecadet]

Originally posted by Legi:
•thanks.

Pam, how did you feel about verbal?•

Well, I was in a bad situation on Verbal because they sat me right by the door and people were coming in and out (including proctors) for the first 30 minutes after the test started. I was very upset about that. Also, I always do Passage 9 first and work backwards, and it turned out that Passages 8 & 9 were the hardest. I was wondering if I knew anything by the time I hit Passage 7.

Anyway, aside from those two passages, it wasn't too bad. After all my complaining, I got a 13-15 on Verbal.

Sorry for posting my scores. I know some people think it's bragging. I'm just trying to let you know that your perceptions aren't always right. After the test, I guessed that I had gotten a 29 or 30 (based on my Kaplan experiences). I ended up with a 39. So, you never know.

I hope this inspires you not to void your scores this time.

Pam

 

[serpiente]

I thought BS was my worst section (can't remember the form right now), it ended up being my highest score, so I defintely think the curve was generous. Don't void again!

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by serpiente:
•I thought BS was my worst section (can't remember the form right now), it ended up being my highest score, so I defintely think the curve was generous. Don't void again!•

DAMN!!!

feel bad voiding it but too late. I decided to void it after verbal anyways.
Anyways, thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Benji Courtney]

spacecadet, how long did you study for MCAT? I still got a while before I take it, and I want a score like yours!!!

 

[spacecadet]

Originally posted by Benji Courtney:
•spacecadet, how long did you study for MCAT? I still got a while before I take it, and I want a score like yours!!!•

Hi Benji. I didn't study one bit until my Kaplan class started in January. I am a non-trad (engineer), so I'm working full-time rather than going to school right now. I took no classes in the spring so I'd have time to study after work.

The Kaplan courses were ok, but the study materials are the real goldmine. On my first diagnostic I got a 26 (don't remember the breakdown).

I did every single thing in the course - watched the foundation videos, went to class, read the notes, did the topical and section tests, did all the AAMC practice materials (including AAMC V, which I bought), and went to all 5 full-length tests (and wrote the essays each time too). I went back over every question I missed to find out why. I also marked every question I wasn't sure about and checked the solution even if I got it right.

I didn't buy any additional materials except AAMC V (online). My classes went from the middle of January to two weeks before the test. We had two class modules on Saturday (7 hours) and one on Sundays (3 hours).

The week before the test, I did AAMC III & IV. I also did the Kaplan free half-test on their website about 3 days before the test. I crammed organic and biology until the last second.

I know everyone wouldn't agree, but I felt like I got my $1100 worth. BTW, the best score I got on a Kaplan full-length was a 34.

Although I didn't study for that long, I put in a lot of hours. Besides class, I spent about 20 or more hours a week doing practice materials.

 

[Tideguy]

I totally agree with spacecadet. I took Kaplan and used all of their materials and took the practice tests seriously and got the same score as she did (I assume anyway since she didn't indicate her range). Before the actual exam, my highest Kaplan diagnostic was a 35, but I thought that the actual MCAT was scored far more generously than Kaplan. I think that I definitely got my money's worth from Kaplan (I took the one in the DC area) and now I'm actually teaching for them. (It's a great part-time job if you do well on the MCAT.) If you are planning on taking a review course, take full advantage of everything that they offer and you'll do great.

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by Legi:
•I decided to void it after verbal anyways.•

If you decided to void the test after verbal, why'd you sit in the test center the rest of the day, taking each of the other sections? Just wondering, because if I had decided to void after verbal, I would have been out of there.

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by Jamier2:
•If you decided to void the test after verbal, why'd you sit in the test center the rest of the day, taking each of the other sections? Just wondering, because if I had decided to void after verbal, I would have been out of there. •

Good question.
I paid $175 for the test, and I really wanted to see how other sections were like.
Even though I had one hour of sleep the night before, I forced myself to stay awake until the end of the test. (fell asleep during WS thouth)
I am glad I sat for the whole exam because I learned that 'sleep' is the most important thing!