Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Warning: ***This is going to be a long post. It covers my overall experience, tips, and recommendation. You have been warned 😉***
Hi guys, I promised myself that if I do get a 99% on the PCAT on my first try I would write a post to help those in the same boat as I am…mainly those with a low GPA but are struggling to improve and impress by scoring well on the PCAT. And yes, by low I mean low, like seriously LOW---like a 2.5. As dramatic as this may sound, I pulled off a 99% with a 2.5 GPA. If I can do it, so can you! I hope my advice can provide some help🙂
Before we get into it, I'll put up my scores first:
Verbal Ability 416 (74%)
Biology 484 (99%)
Reading Comprehension 413 (75%)
Quantitative Ability 447 (97%)
Chemistry 505 (99%)
Composite 453 (99%)
This is the test score I received as of 01/09/13. This is my 1st time taking it. I almost teared up after seeing my composite score, because I knew my effort paid off!
A little about myself
I graduated with a B.S. degree from one of the top universities in the U.S., but with a miserable undergrad GPA due to the competitive nature of my school as well as my own mental immaturity. I feel a low GPA is something that really haunts some of us, whether it is academic advancement, job search, research opportunities, hey, there's even a car insurance program that lets you pay less per month if you have a decent enough GPA. I qualify for none of those. It wasn't after a year and a half after graduation, after countless failed job searches/interviews in between (even minimum waged jobs!), that made me really contemplate and reevaluate my life goal, what I truly wanted to do. I knew pharmacy school would be a great choice since I have worked at a pharmacy and always had a passion for chemistry/pharmaceuticals, but the process of applying made me flinched—not only does it require a strong GPA from its candidates, it also implores a standardized test that I have not taken in years. However, shortly after realizing that it was something that would benefit me if I did well, I viewed it as an opportunity instead. I was aiming for the very top score in order to prove myself in the eyes of the school committee—a score that really tells them that I am making the first step toward improving myself—a 99th percentile.
Here are the 3 goody fairies I'd recommend on a mental level before & while you're studying:
1. Faith
2. Hope
3. Determination
Being an academically-underachieved student it really wasn't so easy to tell myself that I would be fine. I had constant doubt whether I would be able to pull it off with the best composite score. That's where these goody fairies come in—you need to have faith in yourself! I know it is easier said than done, but always, no matter how many wrong you've got on your practice tests, tell yourself that you are learning the mistakes and it is going to get better. Finally, be determined. It is going to be a mental marathon that stresses lots of hard work and studying, so be prepared! It means nothing in the end if you're giving up halfway. For me, I never intend to repeat the failures and mistakes in my life. I want a stellar score to really impress the school that I am looking to apply to. These are some of my sources of determination. Come up with yours.
How I started:
I started about three months ago, at the beginning of October, to give myself some time. It's been a while since I graduated from college so I had forgotten almost everything I learned after I started working. I had no idea what hormones my body controls, forgot the differences between Sn1/Sn2/E1/E2 reactions, how to solve for the domain of a function…none! So there was no way I could just study for a month and get good scores like some people do. I knew I needed time.
I read good reviews on the forum about Dr. Collin's packet, so I immediately ordered it online. While I was waiting for it to arrive in the mail, I began studying off the Kaplan Review Book. The one that I have is for the DAT, which my sister used to study for her exam six months ago, and so on days where I didn't have work I would find a coffee shop or a library and start studying. If it helps drink some coffee to help you stay awake and focus. Caffeine will be your best friend if you're like me who gets tired easily after reading for a while.
A list of materials that I recommend:
1. Dr. Collins' packet
2. The three Pearson Practice Tests
3. The Kaplan Big Book (I have the DAT version)
4. Cliff's Quick Review on Microbiology
5. Chad's Videos (for Chemistry/Biochemistry)
6. PatrickJMT's Videos (for Quantitative Ability)
Some additional resources I used were:
1. Kaplan New GRE Verbal Workbook
2. Cliff's AP Biology
3. PCAT Destroyer
4. Review books for MCAT (You can find them at your local library)
My first advice is that it is more helpful if you have more than one resource to study from. Try to avoid using one resource only. Personally I attribute my top score mainly to Dr.Collin's packet and the 3 Pearson practice tests, but the other ones were equally valuable. Both Dr.Collin's and the Pearson tests really offered excellent practice questions that are similar in difficulty to the real PCAT. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that there will be repeat of questions from the packet/practice tests, but at least you know how to tackle the problems on the real PCAT. That is really important.
As aforementioned, I used the Kaplan DAT review book to study for the Chemistry/Biology section. I didn't want to buy the PCAT one because I wanted to save money, and the fact that I found the DAT book provided just as much information as I needed. I used it to study along with Dr. Collin's packet. I feel the Kaplan Book goes more in depth in terms of material, but I feel being overprepared is better than underprepared.
If you are someone who needs help with chemistry, WATCH CHAD'S VIDEOS! I have always excelled in chemistry in high school and undergrad (it's the only subject that I am really good at), but even so I still find Chad's videos incredibly helpful. I know his videos mainly cater to DAT students, but his videos are equally as good for PCAT students, especially there are concepts you find difficult grasping. So if you have trouble predicting what product(s) would form at the end of an organic reaction or don't understand the concepts of orbital hybridization, definitely check out his videos!
I see a lot people asking about microbiology. Yes on the real PCAT I have seen several questions asking about the microbes and diseases. If you have never taken microbiology, I would really recommend this book—Cliff's Quick Review on Microbiology by Dr. Alcamo. The book covers many common diseases as well as the pathogenic agents associated. It also covers the immune system and the ecological roles the microbes play, which are some common questions expected. It is a small book so you can carry it in your bag and read when you have time.
Finally, if you are someone who has trouble with math, like me, be sure to watch Patrick's videos to clear up some of the confusion! Patrick is a really great math teacher. His videos are concise and easy to understand. He covers basically all the topics you will see on the PCAT, from algebra to calculus.
The additional materials I used were also very helpful. I purchased the PCAT Destroyer because I wanted additional practice. Like many have experienced, the questions are very challenging and is overkill as a whole, but it really helped me understand the concepts better by reading the solutions in the back. I also went to the local library near where I live to borrow some MCAT test prep books. I used the book mainly to prepare the reading comprehension section, since as many of you already know, the MCAT is a passage based exam that stresses on critical thinking, exactly what I needed to study for the reading comprehension portion.
My study plans
The first month (October) I spent time studying whenever I wasn't working, job searching, and volunteering. Basically whenever I had time I would study. I wanted to really buckle down and study before I hit the practice tests, that way I would get a better evaluation without wasting time going over things I should have known already.
The second month (November) I began working on the practice tests while learning actively (using various resources). If there was anything I wasn't sure of I would write down and look it up online. If you're still in college it's better to refer back to your textbooks. I know I wish mines were still around when I was studying.
The last month (December-Early January) By this time I had most of the information in my head. All I needed was practice. I practice doing the subtests while timing myself. Time management is extremely important, especially for the Quantitative, Reading, and Chemistry section. Try taking at least two subtests a day to constantly refresh your knowledge. This is a constant process and requires days after days of practice. I will elaborate my experience with each section below.
Writing
I've always enjoyed writing, so I didn't prepare much for this section. The only thing I did was looking at the list of essay topics in my package the night before my exam. I felt I had enough time to write on the exam, although one of the essay topics was worded in a very confusing way to me that I wasn't sure if I answered the question correctly. So you may want to practice brainstorming ideas should you come across anything you are unfamiliar with.
Verbal
I used primarily the GRE verbal workbook as well as Dr.Collin's for this section. I actually saw a few on the real PCAT that had the exact same questions as that of Dr.Collin's, so practice doing all the verbal tests. If you feel unsecure about not knowing many vocabularies, feel free to use the prep books for GRE/SAT. Personally, though, the GRE verbal workbook was of little help to me. My score for this section was not very good because I did not spend that much time memorizing vocabularies. All I did was doing Dr.Collin's test and GRE verbal questions (analogies/sentence completion/reading) and reviewing them consistently.
Biology
I felt comfortable with biology from the very start because of my major/affiliation with science back in undergrad. I needed to brush up some details like human physiology and cell biology, so I spent some time reading the Kaplan book before doing Dr.Collin's practice tests. One challenge that I had while preparing for biology was that sometimes I'd forget something I studied—you know, with so many different hormones in our body, the various diseases and disorders, the structural features of numerous body cells, it is completely understandable that you forget the details. My solution was that I would write down the details that I forget easily and tape it on the wall near my desk where I studied. Another really helpful way of studying is by watching videos. For me, some processes are harder for me to visualize, for example, the contraction of the muscle fibers, or the immune response following a foreign antigen encounter, and so I would Google and watch the videos online. I am both a visual and auditory learner, so this method worked perfectly for me.
Reading Comprehension
Growing up being bilingual since the age of 12, I admit my proficiency with the English language just can't compare to that of my native friends. While I thoroughly enjoy writing and reading during my leisure time, reading on a standardized test is a different story to me. I studied the MCAT and DAT verbal section using Kaplan primarily, with Dr.Collin's and the Peason Practice Tests as supplements. One important thing to watch out for is that, the real Reading Comprehension, as many have pointed out, is indisputably more difficult than Dr.Collin's or the Pearson Practice Tests. I had the impression that the passages would be science based, but that wasn't the case for me. I was scoring on the 80-99th percentile on all three Pearson Practice Tests, but keep in mind that the test is more of an indicator of where you are RELATIVELY at instead of the real representation of the test itself. One strategy I adopted was to take quick notes. The first paragraph is very important. It usually introduces an idea that is encompassed in the whole passage. Make sure you understand what that is. As you're progressing, pay attention to the author's tone and his/her viewpoints. Jot down a quick phrase or a short sentence associated with that paragraph. Avoid making the mistake of choosing a seemingly objective answer that sounds coherent, I know I made that mistake. And lastly, always refer back to the passage.
Quantitative Ability
This is the section I worried the most about while prepping despite scoring a 97th on the real test. During my preparation time, I would constant read about people complaining that they ran out of time on this section. Not having had any serious math in the past 9 years, this had me worried. What made the matter worse was that I constantly ran out of time too having skipped many questions on my Dr.Collin's practice tests, and still got many wrong. It was frustrating. So I decided that I would review some basic arithmetic and algebraic properties as well as the rules for calculus before doing more practice tests. I watched Patrick's videos on topics I wasn't quite sure of. Then, I would go back to see how I got the questions wrong and really learned from my mistakes. Do the practice tests several times until you feel comfortable doing that type of problem. I didn't believe the whole "practice makes better" thing at first because I thought doing math was more of an innate ability, you know, how some people just know how to approach a problem the instant they see it (like my sister). Well, that is actually not true. Through practice, you WILL be able to tackle a problem just by reading the question. For example, when a problem talks about a tangent line, you know it has something to do with the derivative of the equation, or when you have both x and y on the same side and you're asked to take the derivative, you know it is implicit differentiation. It's small things like that that build up to make you more prepared. Also, having a friend who is good at math around can really help. I can't thank my little sister enough who helped me many times with my math questions. Lastly, on the test if you can't figure out the problem after reading it, or it is simply too wordy, SKIP IT! You are not obligated to answer the questions in order. Just move on and come back to the questions later. I skipped at least 8 questions in a row on the real test at the beginning because they required more thinking. I seriously thought I was screwed. But in the end I was able to finish and had about 8 minutes to go back to the ones I left blank. This section stressed time management wayyy heavier than that of other sections. So be sure to time yourself!
Chemistry
This was my favorite and most confident subject throughout. However, that doesn't mean I was scoring in the upper 90's every time while I was doing Dr.Collin's practice tests. In fact, there were several ones where I missed quite a lot, and it made me worried a little. My approach was basically the same as that of biology and math: write down things that I did wrong and tape in on my wall so I can look at the whenever. I spent more time preparing for gen chem more than ochem, but on my real test I would say the two were about equal. As for biochemistry, know the basic structures of all the macromolecules. I went hardcore and memorized all the amino acid structures as well as the DNA bases, but that was just me. The idea is, you should be able to at least identify what the given molecule is. That's important. Again, Dr.Collin's packet and the Pearson tests should be sufficient, but if you're like me who stresses to achieve a higher score in a certain section, you can subscribe to Chad's videos (and work on his quizzes!).
My tips
Tip 1. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. You can do a practice test of each section to determine which section is your strongest and which is your weakest, and come up with your studying plans. I knew instantly that Chemistry and Biology were my strongest, Verbal and Reading the second, Math being my weakest due to years of lack of practice. One thing I did differently, however, was that instead of spending most of my time trying to compensate my weaker areas, I would spend an equal amount of time enhancing my strongest subjects. My strategy was that I would score very high on my strongest to really pull my overall score as high as it can be. And it worked! I got over a 500 on chemistry, while (I believe) you only need somewhere around a 450 to be placed in the 99th percentile in chemistry. So this extra 50 points really set a distinction and pulled myself up. Instead of spending time memorizing vocabs which may never appear on the test, focus on your strongest! Math is a different story, however, as practice can really improve your speed of doing problems.
Tip 2. Buy the Pearson Practice Tests early. Ideally you should have them ready at least a month prior to your exam date so you have ample time to space them out in between the tests and review the answers. I waited less than two weeks before my exam date because I was waiting for my check from my employer, but doing that gave me less time to go over my mistakes. So make sure you have them ready and early.
My final words
Overall, it was a mixed feeling. There were numerous occasions where giving myself the pressure of achieving 99% on the test almost crushed me. Fortunately, if there was one thing I learned back in my competitive undergrad years it was knowing how to handle stress. I would always listen to my favorite singer's album whenever I felt I needed a reason to continue. Music really provided me with support and gave me strength to go on. Sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed, I would take a break by doing exercises, or simply watch my favorite shows. Studying intensely doesn't mean you can't have a life. As long as you manage your time well you can still have a lot of free time. I know I needed it 😉 It simply means you need to work a little harder than other people if you want to achieve a high score.
I know many people think that PCAT is only a part of the application and that the score really doesn't mean that much. While I agree with that completely—yes, the PCAT is just one component of the whole application and getting a good score probably isn't that big of a deal, to me it is something more. With my situation, I need something better to justify that I can do equally as well…that I am no longer the irresponsible student that I was in undergrad. Achieving a 99th score really means something to me. It really boosted up my confidence and made me feel better about myself, knowing that next time, no matter how difficult the situation I am going through, I will be able to handle it, because I know I can!
This is the end of the chapter of my experience with PCAT. I know I've learned so much from the past three months of intense studying. The stress was an emotional burden but I learned to handle it well. Now that I am done with my exam I feel I have a lot more time to commit to other important things in my life, mainly my new job, classes, and working on a masters degree.
Thank you for reading, and I wish the best of luck to all of you! And remember, have faith in yourself! I know I did 🙂
Hi guys, I promised myself that if I do get a 99% on the PCAT on my first try I would write a post to help those in the same boat as I am…mainly those with a low GPA but are struggling to improve and impress by scoring well on the PCAT. And yes, by low I mean low, like seriously LOW---like a 2.5. As dramatic as this may sound, I pulled off a 99% with a 2.5 GPA. If I can do it, so can you! I hope my advice can provide some help🙂
Before we get into it, I'll put up my scores first:
Verbal Ability 416 (74%)
Biology 484 (99%)
Reading Comprehension 413 (75%)
Quantitative Ability 447 (97%)
Chemistry 505 (99%)
Composite 453 (99%)
This is the test score I received as of 01/09/13. This is my 1st time taking it. I almost teared up after seeing my composite score, because I knew my effort paid off!
A little about myself
I graduated with a B.S. degree from one of the top universities in the U.S., but with a miserable undergrad GPA due to the competitive nature of my school as well as my own mental immaturity. I feel a low GPA is something that really haunts some of us, whether it is academic advancement, job search, research opportunities, hey, there's even a car insurance program that lets you pay less per month if you have a decent enough GPA. I qualify for none of those. It wasn't after a year and a half after graduation, after countless failed job searches/interviews in between (even minimum waged jobs!), that made me really contemplate and reevaluate my life goal, what I truly wanted to do. I knew pharmacy school would be a great choice since I have worked at a pharmacy and always had a passion for chemistry/pharmaceuticals, but the process of applying made me flinched—not only does it require a strong GPA from its candidates, it also implores a standardized test that I have not taken in years. However, shortly after realizing that it was something that would benefit me if I did well, I viewed it as an opportunity instead. I was aiming for the very top score in order to prove myself in the eyes of the school committee—a score that really tells them that I am making the first step toward improving myself—a 99th percentile.
Here are the 3 goody fairies I'd recommend on a mental level before & while you're studying:
1. Faith
2. Hope
3. Determination
Being an academically-underachieved student it really wasn't so easy to tell myself that I would be fine. I had constant doubt whether I would be able to pull it off with the best composite score. That's where these goody fairies come in—you need to have faith in yourself! I know it is easier said than done, but always, no matter how many wrong you've got on your practice tests, tell yourself that you are learning the mistakes and it is going to get better. Finally, be determined. It is going to be a mental marathon that stresses lots of hard work and studying, so be prepared! It means nothing in the end if you're giving up halfway. For me, I never intend to repeat the failures and mistakes in my life. I want a stellar score to really impress the school that I am looking to apply to. These are some of my sources of determination. Come up with yours.
How I started:
I started about three months ago, at the beginning of October, to give myself some time. It's been a while since I graduated from college so I had forgotten almost everything I learned after I started working. I had no idea what hormones my body controls, forgot the differences between Sn1/Sn2/E1/E2 reactions, how to solve for the domain of a function…none! So there was no way I could just study for a month and get good scores like some people do. I knew I needed time.
I read good reviews on the forum about Dr. Collin's packet, so I immediately ordered it online. While I was waiting for it to arrive in the mail, I began studying off the Kaplan Review Book. The one that I have is for the DAT, which my sister used to study for her exam six months ago, and so on days where I didn't have work I would find a coffee shop or a library and start studying. If it helps drink some coffee to help you stay awake and focus. Caffeine will be your best friend if you're like me who gets tired easily after reading for a while.
A list of materials that I recommend:
1. Dr. Collins' packet
2. The three Pearson Practice Tests
3. The Kaplan Big Book (I have the DAT version)
4. Cliff's Quick Review on Microbiology
5. Chad's Videos (for Chemistry/Biochemistry)
6. PatrickJMT's Videos (for Quantitative Ability)
Some additional resources I used were:
1. Kaplan New GRE Verbal Workbook
2. Cliff's AP Biology
3. PCAT Destroyer
4. Review books for MCAT (You can find them at your local library)
My first advice is that it is more helpful if you have more than one resource to study from. Try to avoid using one resource only. Personally I attribute my top score mainly to Dr.Collin's packet and the 3 Pearson practice tests, but the other ones were equally valuable. Both Dr.Collin's and the Pearson tests really offered excellent practice questions that are similar in difficulty to the real PCAT. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that there will be repeat of questions from the packet/practice tests, but at least you know how to tackle the problems on the real PCAT. That is really important.
As aforementioned, I used the Kaplan DAT review book to study for the Chemistry/Biology section. I didn't want to buy the PCAT one because I wanted to save money, and the fact that I found the DAT book provided just as much information as I needed. I used it to study along with Dr. Collin's packet. I feel the Kaplan Book goes more in depth in terms of material, but I feel being overprepared is better than underprepared.
If you are someone who needs help with chemistry, WATCH CHAD'S VIDEOS! I have always excelled in chemistry in high school and undergrad (it's the only subject that I am really good at), but even so I still find Chad's videos incredibly helpful. I know his videos mainly cater to DAT students, but his videos are equally as good for PCAT students, especially there are concepts you find difficult grasping. So if you have trouble predicting what product(s) would form at the end of an organic reaction or don't understand the concepts of orbital hybridization, definitely check out his videos!
I see a lot people asking about microbiology. Yes on the real PCAT I have seen several questions asking about the microbes and diseases. If you have never taken microbiology, I would really recommend this book—Cliff's Quick Review on Microbiology by Dr. Alcamo. The book covers many common diseases as well as the pathogenic agents associated. It also covers the immune system and the ecological roles the microbes play, which are some common questions expected. It is a small book so you can carry it in your bag and read when you have time.
Finally, if you are someone who has trouble with math, like me, be sure to watch Patrick's videos to clear up some of the confusion! Patrick is a really great math teacher. His videos are concise and easy to understand. He covers basically all the topics you will see on the PCAT, from algebra to calculus.
The additional materials I used were also very helpful. I purchased the PCAT Destroyer because I wanted additional practice. Like many have experienced, the questions are very challenging and is overkill as a whole, but it really helped me understand the concepts better by reading the solutions in the back. I also went to the local library near where I live to borrow some MCAT test prep books. I used the book mainly to prepare the reading comprehension section, since as many of you already know, the MCAT is a passage based exam that stresses on critical thinking, exactly what I needed to study for the reading comprehension portion.
My study plans
The first month (October) I spent time studying whenever I wasn't working, job searching, and volunteering. Basically whenever I had time I would study. I wanted to really buckle down and study before I hit the practice tests, that way I would get a better evaluation without wasting time going over things I should have known already.
The second month (November) I began working on the practice tests while learning actively (using various resources). If there was anything I wasn't sure of I would write down and look it up online. If you're still in college it's better to refer back to your textbooks. I know I wish mines were still around when I was studying.
The last month (December-Early January) By this time I had most of the information in my head. All I needed was practice. I practice doing the subtests while timing myself. Time management is extremely important, especially for the Quantitative, Reading, and Chemistry section. Try taking at least two subtests a day to constantly refresh your knowledge. This is a constant process and requires days after days of practice. I will elaborate my experience with each section below.
Writing
I've always enjoyed writing, so I didn't prepare much for this section. The only thing I did was looking at the list of essay topics in my package the night before my exam. I felt I had enough time to write on the exam, although one of the essay topics was worded in a very confusing way to me that I wasn't sure if I answered the question correctly. So you may want to practice brainstorming ideas should you come across anything you are unfamiliar with.
Verbal
I used primarily the GRE verbal workbook as well as Dr.Collin's for this section. I actually saw a few on the real PCAT that had the exact same questions as that of Dr.Collin's, so practice doing all the verbal tests. If you feel unsecure about not knowing many vocabularies, feel free to use the prep books for GRE/SAT. Personally, though, the GRE verbal workbook was of little help to me. My score for this section was not very good because I did not spend that much time memorizing vocabularies. All I did was doing Dr.Collin's test and GRE verbal questions (analogies/sentence completion/reading) and reviewing them consistently.
Biology
I felt comfortable with biology from the very start because of my major/affiliation with science back in undergrad. I needed to brush up some details like human physiology and cell biology, so I spent some time reading the Kaplan book before doing Dr.Collin's practice tests. One challenge that I had while preparing for biology was that sometimes I'd forget something I studied—you know, with so many different hormones in our body, the various diseases and disorders, the structural features of numerous body cells, it is completely understandable that you forget the details. My solution was that I would write down the details that I forget easily and tape it on the wall near my desk where I studied. Another really helpful way of studying is by watching videos. For me, some processes are harder for me to visualize, for example, the contraction of the muscle fibers, or the immune response following a foreign antigen encounter, and so I would Google and watch the videos online. I am both a visual and auditory learner, so this method worked perfectly for me.
Reading Comprehension
Growing up being bilingual since the age of 12, I admit my proficiency with the English language just can't compare to that of my native friends. While I thoroughly enjoy writing and reading during my leisure time, reading on a standardized test is a different story to me. I studied the MCAT and DAT verbal section using Kaplan primarily, with Dr.Collin's and the Peason Practice Tests as supplements. One important thing to watch out for is that, the real Reading Comprehension, as many have pointed out, is indisputably more difficult than Dr.Collin's or the Pearson Practice Tests. I had the impression that the passages would be science based, but that wasn't the case for me. I was scoring on the 80-99th percentile on all three Pearson Practice Tests, but keep in mind that the test is more of an indicator of where you are RELATIVELY at instead of the real representation of the test itself. One strategy I adopted was to take quick notes. The first paragraph is very important. It usually introduces an idea that is encompassed in the whole passage. Make sure you understand what that is. As you're progressing, pay attention to the author's tone and his/her viewpoints. Jot down a quick phrase or a short sentence associated with that paragraph. Avoid making the mistake of choosing a seemingly objective answer that sounds coherent, I know I made that mistake. And lastly, always refer back to the passage.
Quantitative Ability
This is the section I worried the most about while prepping despite scoring a 97th on the real test. During my preparation time, I would constant read about people complaining that they ran out of time on this section. Not having had any serious math in the past 9 years, this had me worried. What made the matter worse was that I constantly ran out of time too having skipped many questions on my Dr.Collin's practice tests, and still got many wrong. It was frustrating. So I decided that I would review some basic arithmetic and algebraic properties as well as the rules for calculus before doing more practice tests. I watched Patrick's videos on topics I wasn't quite sure of. Then, I would go back to see how I got the questions wrong and really learned from my mistakes. Do the practice tests several times until you feel comfortable doing that type of problem. I didn't believe the whole "practice makes better" thing at first because I thought doing math was more of an innate ability, you know, how some people just know how to approach a problem the instant they see it (like my sister). Well, that is actually not true. Through practice, you WILL be able to tackle a problem just by reading the question. For example, when a problem talks about a tangent line, you know it has something to do with the derivative of the equation, or when you have both x and y on the same side and you're asked to take the derivative, you know it is implicit differentiation. It's small things like that that build up to make you more prepared. Also, having a friend who is good at math around can really help. I can't thank my little sister enough who helped me many times with my math questions. Lastly, on the test if you can't figure out the problem after reading it, or it is simply too wordy, SKIP IT! You are not obligated to answer the questions in order. Just move on and come back to the questions later. I skipped at least 8 questions in a row on the real test at the beginning because they required more thinking. I seriously thought I was screwed. But in the end I was able to finish and had about 8 minutes to go back to the ones I left blank. This section stressed time management wayyy heavier than that of other sections. So be sure to time yourself!
Chemistry
This was my favorite and most confident subject throughout. However, that doesn't mean I was scoring in the upper 90's every time while I was doing Dr.Collin's practice tests. In fact, there were several ones where I missed quite a lot, and it made me worried a little. My approach was basically the same as that of biology and math: write down things that I did wrong and tape in on my wall so I can look at the whenever. I spent more time preparing for gen chem more than ochem, but on my real test I would say the two were about equal. As for biochemistry, know the basic structures of all the macromolecules. I went hardcore and memorized all the amino acid structures as well as the DNA bases, but that was just me. The idea is, you should be able to at least identify what the given molecule is. That's important. Again, Dr.Collin's packet and the Pearson tests should be sufficient, but if you're like me who stresses to achieve a higher score in a certain section, you can subscribe to Chad's videos (and work on his quizzes!).
My tips
Tip 1. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. You can do a practice test of each section to determine which section is your strongest and which is your weakest, and come up with your studying plans. I knew instantly that Chemistry and Biology were my strongest, Verbal and Reading the second, Math being my weakest due to years of lack of practice. One thing I did differently, however, was that instead of spending most of my time trying to compensate my weaker areas, I would spend an equal amount of time enhancing my strongest subjects. My strategy was that I would score very high on my strongest to really pull my overall score as high as it can be. And it worked! I got over a 500 on chemistry, while (I believe) you only need somewhere around a 450 to be placed in the 99th percentile in chemistry. So this extra 50 points really set a distinction and pulled myself up. Instead of spending time memorizing vocabs which may never appear on the test, focus on your strongest! Math is a different story, however, as practice can really improve your speed of doing problems.
Tip 2. Buy the Pearson Practice Tests early. Ideally you should have them ready at least a month prior to your exam date so you have ample time to space them out in between the tests and review the answers. I waited less than two weeks before my exam date because I was waiting for my check from my employer, but doing that gave me less time to go over my mistakes. So make sure you have them ready and early.
My final words
Overall, it was a mixed feeling. There were numerous occasions where giving myself the pressure of achieving 99% on the test almost crushed me. Fortunately, if there was one thing I learned back in my competitive undergrad years it was knowing how to handle stress. I would always listen to my favorite singer's album whenever I felt I needed a reason to continue. Music really provided me with support and gave me strength to go on. Sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed, I would take a break by doing exercises, or simply watch my favorite shows. Studying intensely doesn't mean you can't have a life. As long as you manage your time well you can still have a lot of free time. I know I needed it 😉 It simply means you need to work a little harder than other people if you want to achieve a high score.
I know many people think that PCAT is only a part of the application and that the score really doesn't mean that much. While I agree with that completely—yes, the PCAT is just one component of the whole application and getting a good score probably isn't that big of a deal, to me it is something more. With my situation, I need something better to justify that I can do equally as well…that I am no longer the irresponsible student that I was in undergrad. Achieving a 99th score really means something to me. It really boosted up my confidence and made me feel better about myself, knowing that next time, no matter how difficult the situation I am going through, I will be able to handle it, because I know I can!
This is the end of the chapter of my experience with PCAT. I know I've learned so much from the past three months of intense studying. The stress was an emotional burden but I learned to handle it well. Now that I am done with my exam I feel I have a lot more time to commit to other important things in my life, mainly my new job, classes, and working on a masters degree.
Thank you for reading, and I wish the best of luck to all of you! And remember, have faith in yourself! I know I did 🙂
Last edited:
