AAMC practice exams- are they worth it?

[sparksfly21]

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Hi, so I'm taking my mcat on sept 7th and obviously like anyone else; I'm extremely nervous about it. I will be starting to take practice exams but I'm not sure where to go for that. I know AAMC offers free test #3 for practice but should I also purchase other ones? I have studied off of the Kaplan books, mcat osmosis, and chad's videos so far. I haven't taken a practice exam so I'm not entirely sure how much info I know but I know Kaplan has 2 practice tests after the review has been done but are those tests similar to the actual mcat exam? If you suggest buying the AAMC practice exams, which one would be the best to purchase? Any other studying tips/ resources will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

P.S- not sure if this was posted before, if so, then I'm sorry for the repost!

 

[MacNCheesy]

I definitely found the AAMC exams helpful when studying for the MCAT. The more recent ones are probably the best. I would definitely do AAMC10 as found from my friends and my own experience that it tends to be quite representative of your score (it was my exact score on the real test actually). I found that doing practice exams was the most helpful way to study because it helps you get used to the exam, helps you practice your timing, and allows you to work out how you like to take the exam. Good luck!

 

[r92]

Would you say using JUST chads videos for chem, orgo, and physics is enought? Or did kaplan help you? I used EK for bio.

 

[kmp0410]

I would say Chads videos are not enough. They are great, but I used them and did TBR. Chads videos more for concepts I wasn't sure about and for clarification. The best practice for the MCAT is tons of passages.

But in reality you should take every AAMC exam. They are the only real diagnostic tool. Particularly for verbal. But also to become comfortable with the style of the exam. If your really crunched for money then you can focus more on the later ones (11 is best, then prolly 9 and 10). But I wouldn't recommend that. Retaking is more expensive.

Personally I would have started taking them earlier if I was you. Gives you more time to work on weaknesses. Go ahead and take 3 ASAP since its free. If your not close (within 5 points id say) to your desired score then I would probably save the other ones and reschedule.

 

[r92]

k that helps a lot! thanks!

 

[FeinMS]

AAMC practice tests are the bible.

 

[kmp0410]

Also I would strongly recommend going to a library and taking your test under exact conditions. Experiment with the timing of your morning, your breakfast, your snacks, bathroom breaks etc. Psych yourself out, be nervous. Do that whole routine a number of times and the stress of test day shouldn't bother you.

 

[gettheleadout]

Definitely worth it.

 

[SN12357]

Hi, so I'm taking my mcat on sept 7th and obviously like anyone else; I'm extremely nervous about it. I will be starting to take practice exams but I'm not sure where to go for that. I know AAMC offers free test #3 for practice but should I also purchase other ones? I have studied off of the Kaplan books, mcat osmosis, and chad's videos so far. I haven't taken a practice exam so I'm not entirely sure how much info I know but I know Kaplan has 2 practice tests after the review has been done but are those tests similar to the actual mcat exam? If you suggest buying the AAMC practice exams, which one would be the best to purchase? Any other studying tips/ resources will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

P.S- not sure if this was posted before, if so, then I'm sorry for the repost!

Yes, definitely worth it. Some people here say that the later ones are the best, I didn't notice much of a difference. But definitely get at least some of them.

 

[inycepoo]

Best thread title question ever.

Yes.

 

[hippiedoc14]

Yes! In less than three weeks I raised my score 8 points by just doing all of the AAMC tests. It will really help you if your problem is NOT content info but stamina.

After I took a bootcamp prep class I was still NOT where I wanted to be scorewise. So started taking a practice test every other day. I took them like they were the REAL thing every time and it was extremely helpful on test day. I did not wear out towards the end like some of the other students I tested with.

I found even the easier ones 3-5 helped me prep because each time I took a p test it gave me a chance to develop a rhythm and become more familiar with real MCAT questions. The prep books I had weren't as helpful as the practice tests.

Good luck prepping!