aamc vs kaplan

[rwabdu]

so i have been doing the aamc tests and on 6 and 7 I scored a 31 but I'm looking at the Kaplan free practice test online and feel like i know nothing on the physical sciences. should i be worried? should i order more kaplan tests? and not finish the aamc 8-10?

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[Rabolisk]

Kaplan is designed to be harder. Don't worry. Definitely do the other AAMCs before taking the MCAT. I would be more worried about a 31 than Kaplan.

 

[phltz]

The Kaplan exams were written by idiots. They're better than no practice at all, but they are absolutely not as representative of the real MCAT as the AMCAS exams. If you're doing well on the AMCAS exams, you'll probably do fine on the real MCAT.

 

[bullsfan1986]

I wouldn't say that kaplan exams are equivalent to "no practice at all." If anything, kaplan exams you do increase your test taking stamina.

 

[phltz]

I wouldn't say that kaplan exams are equivalent to "no practice at all." If anything, kaplan exams you do increase your test taking stamina.

I hope you show better reading comprehension on your VR section. I said Kaplan exams are "better than no practice at all", not that they were equivalent.

 

[bullsfan1986]

hahaha. yea, it's not a coincidence VR (RC on the ACT) is/was my weakest section. I guess I saw the phrase "people who write kaplan exams are idiots" and misread your following sentence. This was also after a FL. Cut me some slack .

 

[hanzz]

Do AAMC practice tests change every year? I'm reading over old threads about particular practice threads, and I want to be sure I took the same test that those people did. What's everyone's opinion of AAMC 4?

 

[epsilonprodigy]

I know people say that Kaplan's huge curve makes up for the difficulty, but I would have to disagree. I consistently score 2-3 points higher on AAMC's. I have not topped 32 on a Kaplan but have a max of 35 so far on AAMC (10).

Oddly, everyone says that Kaplan exams after the first 5 are soooo much harder that they completely desecrate your scores and are not representative, while the first 5 Kaplan exams are. I have noticed a similar trend: In ALL Kaplans, I score 2-3 points below AAMC average. I took Kaplan 9 yesterday and got a 32. Today I got a 35 on AAMC 10.

Kaplan PS pretty much rapes you, but as long as you go over the explanations well, you'll pick up a lot of info.

But DO take ALL AAMC's. IMO Kaplan should be mainly used for review and troubleshooting. Space them out so that you're using Kaplan to brush up on weaknesses exposed in the AAMC's.

 

[bullsfan1986]

So would it be wise to take an AAMC and follow it two day later with Kaplan and so on and so forth?

 

[LeoGer]

I hope you show better reading comprehension on your VR section. I said Kaplan exams are "better than no practice at all", not that they were equivalent.

You also said "the Kaplan exams were written by idiots." So you're still a douche.

 

[rwabdu]

should i be worried about a 31 on aamc 6 and 7? i mean i hope to get at least a 31 on the mcat in two weeks...

 

[phltz]

You also said "the Kaplan exams were written by idiots." So you're still a douche.

I may or may not be a douche, but the material that Kaplan puts out is still an embarrassment. The first egregious example that comes to mind: my Kaplan book claims that a typical eukaryotic cell is 10-100 mm across. That a range of about half an inch to 4 inches. This same error has been there for years and years. They keep releasing a "new version" with a new year printed on the cover, and they don't even put in the slightest effort to be right.