Bottom line on Verbal

[Marvin O'Connor]

Either you've got it...or you don't! There is no amount of prep that can get your VR score from an 8 to a 12. If you are making an 8, you could do the passages ad infinitum, try to do some type of meditation before the VR section, and still get a 9. So I'd say study for the Sciences and get you 9's in those up to 11's or 12's to compensate for your VR.

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[shock827]

not true

 

[UCLAstudent]

I agree, not necessarily true. I can definitely see improvement in my score (starting out with 7-8 and now at 10-11).

 

[CanIMakeIt]

Originally posted by UCLAstudent
I agree, not necessarily true. I can definitely see improvement in my score (starting out with 7-8 and now at 10-11).

I would be so happy if I can get a 10 but I will be totally satisfied with 9 and > 30 total

 

[UCLAstudent]

Originally posted by CanIMakeIt
I would be so happy if I can get a 10 but I will be totally satisfied with 9 and > 30 total

It is still possible for you to get a 10! I am just hoping that I can be more consistent with my verbal because that is the section that seems to fluctuate the most.

 

[CanIMakeIt]

Originally posted by UCLAstudent
It is still possible for you to get a 10! I am just hoping that I can be more consistent with my verbal because that is the section that seems to fluctuate the most.

word man

 

[jhk43]

8 ---> 10~13 in about a month.

 

[ajnak182]

August MCAT VR practice tests: 8,7,9,9,10
August MCAT: 6 Rock on, ******. Me no read so good
April Practice tests: 9, 10, 11, 12
April MCAT: Please god be higher than a bloody 6

You can definitely improve your verbal score... I'm living proof... beefcake

Good luck all of you poor souls who are wallowing in the filth that is MCAT prep. Come April 17th, though, we can celebrate, at the very least for being able to put up with the months of grueling prep. For those of us who are ever so fortunate to take this test for the second, third, etc. time, we get to party that much harder. It's been awhile since I've gazed upon already digested organic matter, I guess I'm about due. I really hate this test, I really do. GOOD LUCK!

AJ

 

[Blade28]

On my initial Kaplan diagnostic, I think I scored around a 7. My verbal score then went steadily up throughout each weekend's simulation MCAT until it was in the low-teens. Seemed to work for me!

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Originally posted by hamjaso
Either you've got it...or you don't! There is no amount of prep that can get your VR score from an 8 to a 12. If you are making an 8, you could do the passages ad infinitum, try to do some type of meditation before the VR section, and still get a 9. So I'd say study for the Sciences and get you 9's in those up to 11's or 12's to compensate for your VR.

I disagree. Not true.

 

[sacrament]

I would posit that the improvements in your scores are due to a growing familiarity and comfort with the testing style, pacing, etc., and certainly not to any fundamental changes in actual "verbal reasoning," which is a trait that takes years to develop and, unlike a fund of o-chem knowledge, is very resistant to a few weeks or months of even intense study.

Of course, I feel this way about the MCAT in general, which I've always seen as a test that doesn't lend itself well to "review." Preparing for the MCAT means getting used to taking a long test and pacing yourself correctly; my controversial opinion is that reviewing the material leads to very diminishing returns extremely quickly. This is why I think review courses are a poor investment of $.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Originally posted by sacrament
This is why I think review courses are a poor investment of $.

I agree with this.

 

[Wahooali]

Still struggling on Verbal despite practice and doing a lot of extra reading. I've read the other Verbal posts with suggestions, and I still can't break a 9 on Verbal. I'm starting to believe that you do either get it or you don't. Any other recommendations to get that up in the next 1.5 weeks???

 

[Cerberus]

My verbal has stayed fairly constant since I started studying (10,13,11,12).

 

[Nuel]

People actually improve on the verbal, at least anecdotal accounts abound. Some people score in 7's and 8's on practice tests but get 10's or better on the actual thing. It is all a personal phenomenon and there is no fool-proof, cut-and-dry formula to apply.

The EK strategies book has moved me from close to 6 to about a 10 now. I made an 11 on AAMC 5R, but, as someone mentioned somewhere, this section can fluctuate depending on you and external factors come test day.

This leads us to what can give a good score on the MCAT. The MCAT combines good test-taking skills, knowledge, outright confidence in yourself, and luck. The fourth component of the four is what you literally can't control and can decide between scoring high or poorly. However, all you can do is pray for luck. Good luck to us all.

 

[PhysicsDoc]

The "better verbal score on a real MCAT" phenomenon may simply be due to the fact that the passages are so damn boring it's hard to take them (completely) seriously on a practice test.