aamc 7

[wetlightning]

i got a 37 on the aamc 7 test, but have gotten the following scores on the kaplans : 32, 35, 31. i have one more kaplan full length until the real thing (ahhh), and i really want a 34 or above on the mcat. what does anyone think about these scores? i heard aamc practice tests are way easier than the real thing, and that kaplan's are harder, so i'm pretty confused.

thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SilvrGrey330]

ur more than fine. dont worry about it. 35+ with solid gpa will get you into a ivy league

 

[BaylorGuy]

aamc are more like the real mcat than kaplan tests

 

[wetlightning]

thanks!

i guess my question was more: why are the kaplan scores so vastly different from the aamc, and what would a 31 on this last kaplan full length translate to...

also, i have a 3.89 gpa (english/german double major, chem minor) at a top 25 school, and my top choices for med school are duke, baylor, (harvard/wash u if i'm lucky with the mcat)

what do you guys think of my chances?

 

[SilvrGrey330]

i think if u get 35+ you will have a 90% chance of at least getting interviewed at those places mentioned.

 

[place]

I think that at least for Harvard, they will be looking at your personal attributes heavily as well. Were you active as an undergrad or did you just study all the time and do nothing else? If the latter, you wont get in even if you get a 43 on the MCAT. Your interview will count too. You have to show that you have people skills and arent just a unsociable science nerd. I guess my point is that medical schools dont let you in just b/c you have a high GPA and MCAT. I know of people who had 3.8 and 33 on the MCAT and didnt get in to a lot of schools b/c they had nothing to show besides numbers.
Just something to consider.

 

[BaylorGuy]

Finished up aamc 7...got a 32 (PS=12 VR=8 BS=12). meh, i'll learn and do better on the last practice test...i need to go out with a bang so i have the confidence going into saturday.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Finished up aamc 7...got a 32 (PS=12 VR=8 BS=12). meh, i'll learn and do better on the last practice test...i need to go out with a bang so i have the confidence going into saturday.

I had a similar dip in verbal performance on aamc 7 (13P, 10V, 12B). Verbal was brutal....

 

[BaylorGuy]

Does anyone have the right solutions to AAMC 7?? I somehow got some janckity solution manual that doesn't have the corresponding answers as do the questions in my test booklet (I.E. the questions and responses do not match up in the test and the solution)

 

[Shredder]

i got a 37 on the aamc 7 test, but have gotten the following scores on the kaplans : 32, 35, 31. i have one more kaplan full length until the real thing (ahhh), and i really want a 34 or above on the mcat. what does anyone think about these scores? i heard aamc practice tests are way easier than the real thing, and that kaplan's are harder, so i'm pretty confused.

thanks!

tsk 3 short, keep working

 

[TommyGunn04]

i guess my question was more: why are the kaplan scores so vastly different from the aamc, and what would a 31 on this last kaplan full length translate to...

My theory is that Kaplan purposely makes its exams or its scaling system more difficult so that when you take the real MCAT you'll end up with a higher score than they "predicted," and therefore be happy that you paid the ridiculous amount of money it costs to take the class. This happened to me and most of my friends who took Kaplan. Of course, everyone's different, but I think the general trend is there...Kaplan tests are definitely tougher, so if you're scoring a 31 then you're probably on track to do well on the real thing.

I think I took 6 full length exams before my MCAT, and I never scored higher than a 31. I actually started doing worse right before the MCAT, getting 28s and 29s. But when I took the real thing I ended up with a 36R! I was ecstatic! My friends had similar jumps in their scores. I also think this is Kaplan's way of making you want to spread the word about how great their course is, and basically give them free advertising via recommending it to your friends.

 

[codliveroil]

My theory is that Kaplan purposely makes its exams or its scaling system more difficult so that when you take the real MCAT you'll end up with a higher score than they "predicted," and therefore be happy that you paid the ridiculous amount of money it costs to take the class. This happened to me and most of my friends who took Kaplan. Of course, everyone's different, but I think the general trend is there...Kaplan tests are definitely tougher, so if you're scoring a 31 then you're probably on track to do well on the real thing.

I think I took 6 full length exams before my MCAT, and I never scored higher than a 31. I actually started doing worse right before the MCAT, getting 28s and 29s. But when I took the real thing I ended up with a 36R! I was ecstatic! My friends had similar jumps in their scores. I also think this is Kaplan's way of making you want to spread the word about how great their course is, and basically give them free advertising via recommending it to your friends.

Kaplan exam difficulty and scale:

Kaplan exams are DESIGNED to be hard because hard practice exams prepare you best for the real MCAT. (benefits student)

Kaplan exams are SCALED poorly so that a student's improvement from the diagnostic/full lengths to the real MCAT is ensured. (benefits Kaplan)

My theory.

 

[wetlightning]

NOW after taking the MCAT,

I'm officially saying that April 2005's MCAT was HARDER than kaplan (at least PS) and INSANELY harder than AAMC 7 or 8

Hopefully I'll be proven wrong in June, but that's my 2 cents...

 

[typerlover]

NOW after taking the MCAT,

I'm officially saying that April 2005's MCAT was HARDER than kaplan (at least PS) and INSANELY harder than AAMC 7 or 8

Hopefully I'll be proven wrong in June, but that's my 2 cents...

I had kaplan exams and didn't pay much weight to them destroying me and was doing decently on aamc tests. So I came into april 16, 2005 feeling like a champ and left that place like a chump. AAMC tests are practice, and thats that nothing more. Kaplan tests will tell you how you will feel on test day

 

[gujuDoc]

I had kaplan exams and didn't pay much weight to them destroying me and was doing decently on aamc tests. So I came into april 16, 2005 feeling like a champ and left that place like a chump. AAMC tests are practice, and thats that nothing more. Kaplan tests will tell you how you will feel on test day

With the exception of AAMC 8's Physical science section, I think a lot of AAMC tests can be much easier then the real deal.

But in my case, this time there was a lot of math related questions. Last time, I barely had to know one equation on the real deal. All depends on the form. I took TPR, and their Physical was pretty tough.

As per verbal, that is what scares me the most on the real deal that I took on the 16th. Moreso then bio or physical, because I thought the sciences were pretty fair, except that I wish I had a bit more time on the sections. But then again, don't we all

 

[wetlightning]

i got a 32 on my last kaplan test (not even close to what i was scoring on aamc's)...do you guys think that i'll get that on my real deal? i always heard that most people went up a few points on the real thing, which is what i wanted, but now i'm not sure...i feel ripped off

 

[TommyGunn04]

Kaplan exam difficulty and scale:

Kaplan exams are DESIGNED to be hard because hard practice exams prepare you best for the real MCAT. (benefits student)

Kaplan exams are SCALED poorly so that a student's improvement from the diagnostic/full lengths to the real MCAT is ensured. (benefits Kaplan)

My theory.

Basically what I said...So we agree then. I think we're right!

 

[j8131]

I'd like to point out what has already been said a few times but is still ignored . . . the AAMC tests are real MCATs. They're made from real questions using the same scaling system. Not surprisingly, people's scores on the real test tend to be really similar to their AAMC practice scores.

I didn't think the test last week was any harder than the practice tests.

 

[codliveroil]

I didn't think the test last week was any harder than the practice tests.

test last week

 

[wetlightning]

test last week

AGREED

 

[j8131]

Sorry, I don't mean to lower anyone's spirits. I'm sure you all did fine. Maybe you had harder test forms than I did. (Or maybe there were tricks I didn't get).

Everyone seems to have the same complaint after they take the MCAT. Look back to last year. But most end up doing as well as they did on the practice tests. Some do better.

 

[gujuDoc]

I think there is something we all have to realize. Taking the MCAT, was enduring enough, but waiting takes even greater strength.

We all complain the test was harder then any diag, but at its most basic levels, if we had to wait one or two weeks or more for our results, with no clear indication of how we did on these diagnostics, we would think equally horrible thoughts and be on edge.

We are so used to knowing we can find out our diag scores, that we don't obssess over the questions. The soln's are given to us, right a way too. But the real test, always takes two months to grade and no one ever knows exactly how it is scaled. I think that is what the toughest part of it all is.

So in essence, at the end of day, it is not a surprising fact that people do as well as their diags present on the real deal too. In other words, stop stressing because your diags are a great predictor of where you will stand come two months. Let's try to focus on the next step.

 

[TommyGunn04]

I'd like to point out what has already been said a few times but is still ignored . . . the AAMC tests are real MCATs. They're made from real questions using the same scaling system. Not surprisingly, people's scores on the real test tend to be really similar to their AAMC practice scores.

I was under the impression that the AAMC tests were comprised of questions that, for one reason or another, have been "thrown out" of the running for being on actual MCATs. While they may have been real test questions in the past, they might appear on the AAMC tests simply because they're too vague, too easy, too difficult, etc. Has anyone else heard this? I certainly may be wrong, but this is what I recall hearing a few years ago. If this is true, the AAMC tests would not necessarily simulate the difficulty level of the real MCAT, particularly since it's recent change. Perhaps scores may still be similar if it's using the same scaling system, but that doesn't change how you feel on test day.

 

[j8131]

Many of the AAMC qustions come from tests that were "compromised" by stolen copies of the test. They're not bad questions. Somewhere on the AAMC website they have a FAQ about this. I couldn't find it, but one question is "Are the practice tests as hard as the real MCAT?" and the answer begins "These are real MCATs!".

 

[codliveroil]

Many of the AAMC qustions come from tests that were "compromised" by stolen copies of the test. They're not bad questions. Somewhere on the AAMC website they have a FAQ about this. I couldn't find it, but one question is "Are the practice tests as hard as the real MCAT?" and the answer begins "These are real MCATs!".

They were real MCATs...

YEEEEEEEEEARS ago...

But the focus and challenge presented by the MCAT has changed.

Consider this example:

On AAMC practice exams, it was very necessary to have many equations memorized.

On my real April 05 MCAT, very few equations needed to be memorized:

1) angular momentum (I missed this question)
2) P = i^2 R
3) deltaG = deltaH - TdeltaS (I missed this too - variables were cleverly "disguised", scattered throughout the passage and tables. This could have been so easy, but nooooo - gotta trick the premeds into thinking it doesn't even apply...)
4) KE = WorkFunction - hv

Many other equations were on the exam (NASTY fluid equations, optics equations), but ALL of them were provided in a passage.

 

[j8131]

The focus hasn't changed that significantly in the last few years. The changes they did make were reflected in the revisions to the practice tests. I think it's just human nature to think that old questions must be outdated somehow.

I really don't understand your comment about needing equations for the practice tests. I could count on one hand the equations needed. In fact I think this was another consistency between the practice tests and the "real" thing.

 

[codliveroil]

The focus hasn't changed that significantly in the last few years. The changes they did make were reflected in the revisions to the practice tests. I think it's just human nature to think that old questions must be outdated somehow.

I really don't understand your comment about needing equations for the practice tests. I could count on one hand the equations needed. In fact I think this was another consistency between the practice tests and the "real" thing.

Feel free to have your own opinion. My opinion is that the April 2005 MCAT was much more of a thinking test. The AAMC practice exams weren't so thought intensive; they seemed to be more knowlegde based.

What part is unclear? The real MCAT - to me - appeared to require fewer equations than the AAMC practice exams. This is in-line with a shift in focus: the exam becomes less a test of memorization and more a test of on-the-spot thinking when presented with new, abstract science.

 

[j8131]

The AAMC practice tests required like 2 equations. I really didn't see a difference.

But you're right that it's silly to argue over this. Unfortunately, we never get to see our tests, which sucks. Good luck with your scores.