August MCAT or April MCAT

[ohgee]

This is my first time posting!! ..

Is August MCAT usually harder to score higher than April MCAT? Or is it about the same?

My situation is that I was going to apply to medical school this year, and I am currently taking Kaplan courses for MCAT. However, lately I decided to give myself an extra year to boost up my EC and research experiences. Since I am going to apply next year, I can decide if I should take MCAT this April or this August.
I would like to take the April test, but since I am a ESL student, my verbal score is pretty low. (My first diagnostic test is v7, p8, b9) I think that taking the test during August would give me time to strengthen the verbal areas, and I can finish my physics III before I take MCAT.

Again, what concerns me is if August MCAT might be a lot tougher than April MCAT?

Thanks.

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[Doctora Foxy]

OK, so if you are planning to matriculate in 2004, it is to your advantage to take the august mcat if you feel like studying all summer. However, that is not bad for a diagnostic score!!!! As far as I know, the august and april mcat are the same difficulty...maybe more people take it in april, causing a better curve...ask your kaplan teacher about that, cuz I'm not sure....you may be able to try and apply this year if you want...you may not need another year of ECs. Also, my diagnostic was a 15, and I scored close to a 30 on the real thing last April..the practice tests are not accurate!

OK sorry if this makes no sense...time for bed

 

[katiep]

I believe they're both curved, so even if the test is harder (which I don't believe it necessarily is although people last August reported that it was harder from what I remember), the score will be scaled accordingly.

In my opinion, if you're definitely sure you are not applying this year, then take the August and use the extra time to boost up your verbal.

And welcome to SDN.

 

[Street Philosopher]

I would say take it now. When you're studying for the August one, you're going to be thinking "I can take it next April since I'm applying in '04." Then next year you will say "Hmmm taking it in August won't really hurt my chances right? I'll take it in August." So what I'm saying is that you'll keep pushing it back, so might as well take it now so you don't get in that trap.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

haha Schoolboy LOL <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> .....but you're right. I won't take the this august mcat if I have to cuz I should have been studying this whole time, so I'll take it next Arpril and take a million years off after graduating. <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

 

[Neuronix]

Last year I was in the same boat as you ohgee. I couldn't decide whether I should take April MCAT and go for med school for this fall or should wait till August and wait a year for med school.

I decided that preparing for MCAT and taking MCAT during a full semester of classes would be too much of a risk and that I'd be better off waiting. Hell, I'm kind of young anyways, so I am no rush. So I studied for the MCAT all Summer (I didn't study hardly at all in the Spring) and pulled a 37 in August.

So that's what I'd recommend to you. If you're going to wait to go to med school, wait till August to take the MCAT. Don't procrostinate on your studying or push the test back any further though.

Good luck!

 

[Yogi Bear]

I'll be taking it this April. I have a month left before the test and hopefully, I'll do decently enough that I won't have to take it again. From personal experience of what friends/aquaintances have told me, it's easier to do well in april if you didn't study than to do well in august. august mcatters pretty much devote entire summer to mcat, so the overall curve may be more difficult since everyones more preppared. thus, those that do well will score really well, while those who are mediocre will score less well than if they had taken april, when everyone is busy w/ classes. downside of august- adcom: "so what did u do all of last summer"..."umm...i studied for mcats?!?"

 

[Sprockette]

•••quote:•••Is August MCAT usually harder to score higher than April MCAT? Or is it about the same?
••••I took both the April and the August MCATs last year, and I did much, much better on the August test (we're talking a difference of 5 points and two writing sample scores). The August test was much, much harder for me, both in terms of content and external factors such as distractions in the room, so I'm not sure why I did so much better on it. I think that having a harder test is actually slightly better, because it allows for a greater margin of error than an easy test does. For example, if you make a couple of stupid mistakes on an easy test, but most people don't make those mistakes, you could end up with a 10 instead of a 12 on that section. In a harder test, though, fewer people will score as well, and the number of questions you can get wrong and still get a 12 on that section will be higher, thus allowing you a little more room to make stupid errors.

That said, I think they strive to make both tests relatively equal in terms of difficulty. If you are wondering whether you'll be ready, you should try taking one of the later AAMC practice tests (like IV, V, or VI), because those are pretty good indicators of how well you should score on the real thing.

Good luck!

 

[UCLA2000]

Is the MCAT harder in August. No but at the same time a resounding yes. Allow me to explain.

The test itself is not harder in August however over the summer all the premeds have a hell of a lot of time on their hands to study and prepare for the MCAT. Since the MCAT is scored on a curve, it's harder to score higher if everyone has alot of time to study.

On the other hand if you're able to fully devote your time to studying for the April MCAT, and everyone else is juggling a full load of classes then you should have the advantage.

 

[nap]

I'm not sure if this is true, but my TPR teacher told my class that the August test is curved based on the April test.

But I dont know if that is true--its just what he told us.

 

[WonderBoy]

August MCAT is not harder or easier than the April MCAT.

Now that thats out of the way. You should take the August MCAT if you feel you are not ready for the April MCAT. Its better to take the MCAT when you are prepared rather than just take the MCAT so you can apply early. Its not going to help if you take the April test and get a 25.

If you are applying for the entering class of 2003 just send in your AMCAS in early June than finish all your secondaries. So by the time your MCAT comes back in OCtober your application will be complete.