april vs. may mcat curves

[JoeNamath4Eva]

several people i know explained this to me, but they all gave me differing explanations... so i just want to know:
1. is my score based on all other national testers on that same day or is every question already "standardized" somehow?
2. april vs. may? as far as which date ppl think mean scores would be lowest. i know this is all speculation, but i wouldn't be suprised if the mean score between april and may mcat exams was ~1+pt difference either way.

i know in yrs past that the aug exam mean was lower by ~1pt but the crappy thing about being in the 1st yr to take this cbt exam w/ 20-some testing dates is that no stats like this exist.

i'm sure someone will say: "just take it when your schedule allows and don't worry about the curve." I agree w/ the sceduling thing and going at my own pace of prep but i still wonder...

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[DrBowtie]

The mean approaches 24 with the more testers that take the test. August was always lower than the April average.

 

[JoeNamath4Eva]

bumpalump

 

[Schaden Freud]

As has been answered ad nauseam:
1. Any given administration of the MCAT isn't curved to itself, but rather to the curves established on previous administrations by the "experimental items."
2. This means that it doesn't matter when you take the MCAT.
3. Back when the test was offered only twice a year, April tended to have a higher mean since August had more re-takers (who score lower than first-timers).
4. April 2006 has a much higher mean than usual, probably due to the fact that people who felt they were ready for the MCAT all decided to buckle down and take it to avoid dealing with the CBT.

bumpalump

 

[JoeNamath4Eva]

thanks freud-

i was just hearing the opposite from my kaplan instructor.. saying we were measured against all the people from that day.. so the same percentage correct on one administration could get a different score on a different administration. but thanks for setting me straight...
i should say that i have a lot of respect for helpful people like you who will offer advice and answer questions w/o asking for anything in return. i think qualities like that (a genuine desire to help) will make you a great doc.

 

[Schaden Freud]

Well thanks!

Yes, your Kaplan instructor is wrong. And being a Kaplan instructor myself, I can tell you that half the stuff that comes out of Kaplan instructors' mouths tends to be BS. Well-kept secret...

thanks freud-

i was just hearing the opposite from my kaplan instructor.. saying we were measured against all the people from that day.. so the same percentage correct on one administration could get a different score on a different administration. but thanks for setting me straight...
i should say that i have a lot of respect for helpful people like you who will offer advice and answer questions w/o asking for anything in return. i think qualities like that (a genuine desire to help) will make you a great doc.