- Joined
- May 15, 2011
- Messages
- 156
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Pre-Medical
Buying AAMC Practice Tests
- Thread starter Hexon
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2007
- Messages
- 7,545
- Reaction score
- 197
- Points
- 5,166
- Resident [Any Field]
From the E-MCAT FAQ:
How many times can I take the practice tests?
There is no limit to the number of times you can take the practice test.
I strongly suggest you do NOT take them multiple times.
How many times can I take the practice tests?
There is no limit to the number of times you can take the practice test.
I strongly suggest you do NOT take them multiple times.
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2009
- Messages
- 6,157
- Reaction score
- 4
- Points
- 4,571
- Location
- On an island, in NY
- Pre-Medical
Once you take it, you already know the answers, so it won't be in your favor to redo old material. That's why you have to do a thorough post analysis of what you got right/wrong so you don't make the same mistake again.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2007
- Messages
- 7,545
- Reaction score
- 197
- Points
- 5,166
- Resident [Any Field]
Should I retake FL X?
I don't suggest it for a few reasons. First, your score will be inflated. This alone negates the predictive power of the test. If you don't need it to gauge where you are, fine, retake them. For instance, you could simply be going over the problems again to, as others have mentioned, understand the thinking behind it. However, if you are using it as a practice FL, don't.
One of the most important aspects of a FL is that it's material you've never seen before. It forces you to quickly analyze an unknown passage, tap into your knowledge, and answer questions you've never seen. If you knew exactly what was going to be on the test, it would take away from the somewhat frantic experience of getting that weird passage. It also makes you more relaxed overall because you know what's coming. Unfortunately, you will not have the luxury of either on the test. You will have to deal with weird passages. You will have to get out of your comfort zone of knowing what's ahead.
Then, you get into the timing issues which you MUST get down before the test. When you have prior knowledge of the material, you miss the chance at gaining more experience with the clock. Too many people underestimate the effect of the timer. Again, you have to get used to it and retaking problems won't help.
Think of the whole thing like sports practice. Sure, you go over some standard plays again and again to get a feel for them. However, to practice for a real game, you have a scrimmage match or an exhibition game. The other team doesn't tell you what plays they're going to run. If they did, it would eliminate the usefulness of the scrimmage or exhibition game.
I don't suggest it for a few reasons. First, your score will be inflated. This alone negates the predictive power of the test. If you don't need it to gauge where you are, fine, retake them. For instance, you could simply be going over the problems again to, as others have mentioned, understand the thinking behind it. However, if you are using it as a practice FL, don't.
One of the most important aspects of a FL is that it's material you've never seen before. It forces you to quickly analyze an unknown passage, tap into your knowledge, and answer questions you've never seen. If you knew exactly what was going to be on the test, it would take away from the somewhat frantic experience of getting that weird passage. It also makes you more relaxed overall because you know what's coming. Unfortunately, you will not have the luxury of either on the test. You will have to deal with weird passages. You will have to get out of your comfort zone of knowing what's ahead.
Then, you get into the timing issues which you MUST get down before the test. When you have prior knowledge of the material, you miss the chance at gaining more experience with the clock. Too many people underestimate the effect of the timer. Again, you have to get used to it and retaking problems won't help.
Think of the whole thing like sports practice. Sure, you go over some standard plays again and again to get a feel for them. However, to practice for a real game, you have a scrimmage match or an exhibition game. The other team doesn't tell you what plays they're going to run. If they did, it would eliminate the usefulness of the scrimmage or exhibition game.
- Joined
- May 7, 2011
- Messages
- 126
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Pre-Medical
What about retaking verbal tests? Are those going to be as inflated? I've taken them a month ago and would love some additional practice. I don't see how I would remember the specifics of a passage (maybe parts of the main idea).
VR might be the only section I'd feel OK about re-taking, but your brain is still going to have subconsciously remembered some stuff. I took CBT10 in 2009, and when I retook it in 2011 prepping for this MCAT, all of the VR still felt vaguely familiar, and that was after two years.
If you could only pick two tests, I would buy 10 and 11. 11 is most reflective of what you'll see these days.
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 11,799
- Reaction score
- 2,808
- Points
- 5,251
- Resident [Any Field]
So here's a question: If you purchase an AAMC FL, and they retire the test, do you retain access to it?
If one plans to take the MCAT significantly further in the future, would it be prudent to buy access to the available FL's now, so that in the case that between now and then a particular test is retired and a new one introduced, one has both the new and retired tests?
If one plans to take the MCAT significantly further in the future, would it be prudent to buy access to the available FL's now, so that in the case that between now and then a particular test is retired and a new one introduced, one has both the new and retired tests?
