AAMC Practice Tests Sufficient

[NigerianBull87]

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Hey guys,

As I continue to study for my upcoming exam I find myself contemplating using other prep companies practice exams after being pressed for time. I know that I am going to take all 8 AAMC practice exams prior to the exam, but plan to review them thoroughly. Obviously, if enough time is permitted I will take other practice exams as well, but I guess the question I have is, can one take solely the AAMC practice tests and be prepared well enough to take the exam as compared to taking a plethora of exams from Kaplan, TPR, etc..

 

[utjsm08]

TPR Physical Science will give you a kick in the ass you need to rock the AAMC physical science....worked for me.

 

[Tourterm]

Absolutely. One can take only the AAMC exams and do great (plus some content review, as needed, of course). For many people, they are plenty sufficient on their own.

However, it really depends on what you feel you need though. If, after taking the AAMC tests, you feel you would benefit from having some other tests, then get some more. But if you can't, for reasons of time, money, whatever - don't worry about it.

 

[ldnk]

It's more than enough, but keep in mind that the larger the sample size, the more accurate a result you can get. If you do AAMC 3-10 you have 8 exams which should do you just fine.

 

[NigerianBull87]

Thanks guys I really appreciate the input. Its just that I hear testimonies about people taking 15+ practice tests and feel that I would rather focus on my MiniMCATs and get the content down to a T by reviewing information and take the last 2 weeks in cracking all those exams after all my content review is done. I have roughly 20 exams but just feel that it would not help me to take exams when enough content review has not been done.

 

[Tourterm]

Thanks guys I really appreciate the input. Its just that I hear testimonies about people taking 15+ practice tests and feel that I would rather focus on my MiniMCATs and get the content down to a T by reviewing information and take the last 2 weeks in cracking all those exams after all my content review is done. I have roughly 20 exams but just feel that it would not help me to take exams when enough content review has not been done.

Just my personal take on it, but I think practice tests are best utilized spaced throughout your test prep / content review, rather than taken in bulk at the end (though as you approach test day you are going to want to focus more on practice tests than content).

Content is certainly important. But keep in mind the test is much more so about application of that content and critical thinking. Generally speaking, practice tests are far more important than content review, and you want to make sure you give yourself adequate time to go through them all. Not just taking them, but learning from them.

You have 20 exams? Why not do a few now? You would be very hard pressed to do them in such a short time span as two weeks. Even if you didn't fully finish your content review yet, they are still very valuable. They are useful in directed what / how much content you need to review.

Among other benefits, they can help you pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps on the practice tests, for example, you notice you do great on the acid / base questions, but not so great on solution chemistry. That's very helpful in making sure you study what is most high yield to you.

Additionally, you get to see what sort of topics and problems come up frequently. For example, several practice tests I took had a dihybrid cross problem on it. Something certainly worth going over in content review and making sure I knew. Sure enough, one of them was on my real exam too.

Long story short: Even if your concern at the moment is content review, the practice tests can still help you. And a greater familiarity with the format and style of the MCAT is always helpful.