Best Practice Exam

[futuredoctor10]

I wanted to take a practice full-length exam as a diagnostic of sorts prior to starting my MCAT preparation.

What is the most accurate full-length I can take, excluding AAMC tests?
[I would like to save AAMC tests until closer to my actual MCAT test date / after doing the content and subject review, when I mainly focus on doing practice tests toward the 2nd half of my preparation]

Right know I have the following exams available:
Examkrackers #1H
Free Computer-Based Exam from The Princeton Review online
Free Practice Exam from Kaplan online
Hyperlearning (Princeton Review) MCAT Practice Tests A-D

* also will have all AAMC full-lengths and Kaplan full-lengths that come with the Kaplan course but saving those for when the course starts

Any suggestions on which would be more accurate to AAMC (the real MCAT) in its scoring?

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[mmc48]

I'd be curious to know this also. I have EK 1H. Don't know whether that would be better than TPR's free practice as far as an initial diagnostic. I took Kaplan's free one back in Jan. before I finished physics. That wasn't really uplifting...

 

[ColombianDoc]

I'm not sure about the others you mentioned, but you'll want to stay away from Kaplan's if you want as close to the real thing as you can get. They make their tests much harder than the real thing, and give a more generous (though sort of misleading) curve. Too bad you're already ruling out AAMC's though. They're the best real indicator.

But good too. Because I did the same thing (leaving AAMC's until the very end) and it worked out great. Boosted my confidence before the real thing.

 

[ColombianDoc]

I don't check these forums that often anymore, but definitely feel free to PM me whenever if you have more questions.

 

[Mandarin142]

To be honest, I think the best thing you should do your diagnostic test with is a real AAMC MCAT (might I suggest #3, the free one) Because that way you know what a real MCAT feels like as you start to prepare. Trust me, by the time you've studied for 3 weeks you wont remember a thing about practice test #3. So far, I have purchased and taken AAMC tests 10, 9, 8, 3, and 7 each two times over the course of 4-5 weeks and I was hard pressed to recall information from the first time I took them (plus, I dont look at the answers after I finish them)

I have taken a Kaplan and a Princeton Review practice MCAT and they really don't compare...

 

[futuredoctor10]

People say the AAMC3 freebie is easier than the real MCAT. So which would you suggest as a diag- AAMC 3 or Kaplan's free online test or TPR's free online test?

if AAMC3 is easier than the real MCAT (but more accurate types of questions) and Kaplan/TPR are harder, I don't know which to do as a diag

 

[LikeClockWork]

The AAMC tests are made up of past real MCAT passages and questions, so they should be pretty spot on. They are easier, probably because of the reduced pressure, stress, and you get to pick your own environment. At any rate, its the type of questions and passages that you could expect.

I liked the Kaplan tests better because they were harder. It helped me find my weaknesses more efficiently, IMO. You can learn a lot more from questions you miss than ones you get right and I definitely missed more Kaplan questions.

 

[Excelsius]

I was wondering the same thing and now it seems that the best thing to do is to take both tests: AAMC3 and Kaplan. Maybe take AAMC3 and then study for two weeks (based on the mistakes, like forgotten formulas) and take a Kaplan diagnostic.

 

[futuredoctor10]

I was wondering the same thing and now it seems that the best thing to do is to take both tests: AAMC3 and Kaplan. Maybe take AAMC3 and then study for two weeks (based on the mistakes, like forgotten formulas) and take a Kaplan diagnost

Yeah this is a good idea so you get a somewhat realistic idea of what your initial/diagnostic score is by taking a little-easier one (AAMC3) and a harder one (Kaplan).

On a side note, of course this is just a diag so if you take the "harder" one (Kaplan or TPR) can't hurt- even if your score is "low" it'll be extra motivation to work harder in your prep!

 

[SamuraiPanda]

I actually wanted to know why the AAMC3 was so easy. Personally, I struggle with the TPR online practice exams. Not because the subject matter is difficult or anything, but because the questions are just worded bad.

On Friday I took a TPR practice exam and scored a 23, with a 10/9/5. I'm taking the actual MCAT next Friday, so I was rather discouraged by the score. Given, I'm not really motivated to study (thats a different story), so I haven't really done much at all, but I didn't expect so low. So for the next few days I just studied nothing but verbal. Yesterday, when I wanted to take another exam, out of curiousity, I took the AAMC3 exam instead of another TPR one. I scored a 32 with 11/10/11. I only did a few passages a day to study, but my score went up that much...

I wanted to ask on SDN what people thought about that. Going from a 23 to a 32 in a matter of days isn't normal, and just because the TPR exams are a "little harder" (although its only the wording of the questions thats hard for me) doesn't mean there should be such a large discrepency. I was worried that the AAMC3 exam was just ridiculously easy, or that the TPR exams are just not a suitable resource for me to personally use when I study. Should there really be such a substantial difference in my scores when I take a TPR vs an AAMC practice?

 

[supafield]

TPR's depending on the one are brutal.... they're tough
AAMC 3 is easier than the other aamc's in my opinion.... the verbal is tricky though I found...

You'd be well off to take an AAMC in the 7-10 range and see how you score if you're looking for a better indication.....

 

[tncekm]

I actually wanted to know why the AAMC3 was so easy. Personally, I struggle with the TPR online practice exams. Not because the subject matter is difficult or anything, but because the questions are just worded bad.

On Friday I took a TPR practice exam and scored a 23, with a 10/9/5. I'm taking the actual MCAT next Friday, so I was rather discouraged by the score. Given, I'm not really motivated to study (thats a different story), so I haven't really done much at all, but I didn't expect so low. So for the next few days I just studied nothing but verbal. Yesterday, when I wanted to take another exam, out of curiousity, I took the AAMC3 exam instead of another TPR one. I scored a 32 with 11/10/11. I only did a few passages a day to study, but my score went up that much...

I wanted to ask on SDN what people thought about that. Going from a 23 to a 32 in a matter of days isn't normal, and just because the TPR exams are a "little harder" (although its only the wording of the questions thats hard for me) doesn't mean there should be such a large discrepency. I was worried that the AAMC3 exam was just ridiculously easy, or that the TPR exams are just not a suitable resource for me to personally use when I study. Should there really be such a substantial difference in my scores when I take a TPR vs an AAMC practice?

That's not too abnormal. TPR tests can be very difficult. Excluding my "diagnostic (post review)" AAMC, my AAMC average is 4 pts higher than my TPR average. And, I know quite few people who see a similar trend. I also have an acquaintance who never broke 20 on her practice TPR's but got a 27 on her MCAT.

However, I'd still say that if you got a 23 on a TPR your content needs touchup for sure.