Can someone help me interpret my pearson practice test scores?

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bottlecap1990

bottlecap1990

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Ok. I just took one of the pearson practice test and I think I did horrible on it. I did not do any studying for it and I just wanted to see where I am at. (note: I have only taken gen chem I and II and Bio I). I actually saw many questions on the chem section that I did not understand! ( i feel so dumb)

I have only done Verbal, Chem, and Bio. I will go ahead and do Math and RC tomorrow. Here are my scores

Verbal
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/michaelrosenbaumm/IMG_0180.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/michaelrosenbaumm/IMG_0181.jpg



Chemistry
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/michaelrosenbaumm/IMG_0176.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/michaelrosenbaumm/IMG_0177.jpg


Biology

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/michaelrosenbaumm/IMG_0178.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/michaelrosenbaumm/IMG_0179.jpg



I am planning on taking the june 2011 PCAT. Do you guys think I have enough time to improve my score? (maybe at least a 70 percentile on each sect?)

AND also if these were my real score, NO pharmacy schools will admit me right? even with my 4.0 GPA? L
 
those arrows give the percentile range that your score (# correct) would yield out of 99%.
 
bottlecap1990 said:
I actually saw many questions on the chem section that I did not understand! ( i feel so dumb)

I am planning on taking the june 2011 PCAT. Do you guys think I have enough time to improve my score? (maybe at least a 70 percentile on each sect?)

AND also if these were my real score, NO pharmacy schools will admit me right? even with my 4.0 GPA? L
Click to expand...

1) If you were taking the PCAT tomorrow, you would be in serious trouble. Auto-reject. (unless you are applying to west coast schools only)

2) You are not taking the PCAT tomorrow. You have nearly a year to prepare. You will be fine.

3) You haven't had organic chemistry. O-chem made up a decent portion of my test form. If you are registered for that this year (you should be), that will be of great help.

4) I just took this sucker without having any chem in a decade, and I did fine. Taught myself gen chem in 6 weeks. You can do it, you just have to put the work in.

5) If I had taken a practice test prior to studying, I probably would have given up. I did all three Pearson tests within a couple of weeks of the test itself. Study first, then use diagnostics to find your weak areas.
 
First image shows your percentile rank.

Second image shows what you need to work on
 
Also, when you practice, finish a test completely. Do not split it into a few sections first and then complete the rest the next day. You can take a small breaks after 2 or 3 sections, but it's important to simulate an actual test environment and a continuous mindset, just like you'd do with practice SATs.

I'd wait until you take orgo b/c there are a few fundamentals on the real exam. Since you have a year until you take the actual test, you should be okay.
 
You have more than enough time to study.

I found my rankings on the practice test to be pretty similar to what I actually got.
 
I don't really get how they come up with the percentiles though. I got more than half of the questions right on each section. Shouldn't I at least pull of 50 % percentile on the sections where I got more than half of the total questions right?
 
bottlecap1990 said:
I don't really get how they come up with the percentiles though. I got more than half of the questions right on each section. Shouldn't I at least pull of 50 % percentile on the sections where I got more than half of the total questions right?
Click to expand...

No, it's not % based on how many you answered correctly. The percentile just shows where you fall in comparison to past PCAT takers. Basically, you may have answered 50% correctly, but that's still only better than 40% of the people who took it... so they base your percentile on that.
 
bottlecap1990 said:
I don't really get how they come up with the percentiles though. I got more than half of the questions right on each section. Shouldn't I at least pull of 50 % percentile on the sections where I got more than half of the total questions right?
Click to expand...


It's how you compare to everyone else... the % of the population you are above. If 10% of the testing population answers every question correctly, the highest %-tile you'd get would be ~90 percentile if you scored a perfect score on that section. You would be better than 90% of the population and tied with 10%.
 
How many questions out of 48 questions can I get wrong in order to still pull off at least a 70 percentile?
 
bottlecap1990 said:
How many questions out of 48 questions can I get wrong in order to still pull off at least a 70 percentile?
Click to expand...

It depends on everyone's performance... there's no definitive answer to that question. Just do your best and don't settle for anything less
 
kmoogs said:
It depends on everyone's performance... there's no definitive answer to that question. Just do your best and don't settle for anything less
Click to expand...


I am not sure what you mean by "it depends on everyone's performance" do you mean everyone that are taking the tests on the same day as me?

Thanks.
 
The percentile score rates how well your performance is compared to the other test takers.

for example, out of 100 test takers...

If 99 people score 1 out of 48 questions correct and and you answer two correctly, you are now 99th percentile because you scored better than 99% of the test taking population.

If you score 47 out of 48 questions correct and 99 people score 48/48. Then you end up with a bottom 1st percentile even though you scored 98% of the questions correctly but 99% of the test takers scored BETTER than you.

It's a statistical tool to help schools judge your performance compared to all of the other test takers. I'm sure when they design the test, they try to adjust the difficulty of the test so the scores follows a general gaussian distribution but the percentile number is there to help them gauge your performance compared to others. Especially with any changes they make to the test, it helps offset any increased or decreased difficulties that may occur from year to year.

The SAT's are probably an example you're familiar with ... To score 99th percentile in Verbal, you only needed a score of ~760 but to score 99th percentile in Math, you would need a perfect score with 0 answers omitted... On some years you would need an 800, on other years you would need a 790. It depends on the overall statistics after everyone's taken the exam.

Do you still not understand?
 
kmoogs said:
The percentile score rates how well your performance is compared to the other test takers.

for example, out of 100 test takers...

If 99 people score 1 out of 48 questions correct and and you answer two correctly, you are now 99th percentile because you scored better than 99% of the test taking population.

If you score 47 out of 48 questions correct and 99 people score 48/48. Then you end up with a bottom 1st percentile even though you scored 98% of the questions correctly but 99% of the test takers scored BETTER than you.

It's a statistical tool to help schools judge your performance compared to all of the other test takers. I'm sure when they design the test, they try to adjust the difficulty of the test so the scores follows a general gaussian distribution but the percentile number is there to help them gauge your performance compared to others. Especially with any changes they make to the test, it helps offset any increased or decreased difficulties that may occur from year to year.

The SAT's are probably an example you're familiar with ... To score 99th percentile in Verbal, you only needed a score of ~760 but to score 99th percentile in Math, you would need a perfect score with 0 answers omitted... On some years you would need an 800, on other years you would need a 790. It depends on the overall statistics after everyone's taken the exam.

Do you still not understand?
Click to expand...


I think I get it..I should just pray for the other test takers to BOMB the PCAT? LOL
but Still is there a way to figure out how many questions can you get wrong (out of 48) in order to get a certain percentile? let say 70?
 
Look at the PCAT statistics from year to year. It should be relatively consistent since it's a standardized test. I don't know the statistics since I've never taken the PCAT ...
 
"Your percentile rank scores are based on the current norm group each time
you take the PCAT. The current norm group is defined as all first-time
examinees who took the test between October 2004 and May 2007. Your
scaled scores are based on the number of live items that you answered
correctly for each subtest. Each multiple-choice subtest is calculated
separately."

Taken from http://www.pearsonassessments.com/hai/Images/dotCom/pcatweb.info/PCAT_FAQs.pdf


So no, it's not based on the group that you're taking it with. You're only being compared to the group of FIRST time test takers between Oct 2004 and May 2007.

Also just to add, stop focusing on how many you can get wrong. What's the point when you know there's 8 experimental questions anyway? Focus on the material and getting each question RIGHT.
 
SparkLy09 said:
"Your percentile rank scores are based on the current norm group each time
you take the PCAT. The current norm group is defined as all first-time
examinees who took the test between October 2004 and May 2007. Your
scaled scores are based on the number of live items that you answered
correctly for each subtest. Each multiple-choice subtest is calculated
separately."

Taken from http://www.pearsonassessments.com/hai/Images/dotCom/pcatweb.info/PCAT_FAQs.pdf


So no, it's not based on the group that you're taking it with. You're only being compared to the group of FIRST time test takers between Oct 2004 and May 2007.

Also just to add, stop focusing on how many you can get wrong. What's the point when you know there's 8 experimental questions anyway? Focus on the material and getting each question RIGHT.
Click to expand...

I agree. Thanks.
 
NO pharmacy schools will admit me right? even with my 4.0 GPA? L
Click to expand...
I got into UA with a PCAT composite score of 35 (no, that's not a typo), a chemistry score in the 40s and 3.67 GPA. I've actually taken it three times, almost four except I got in to UA. I also got into USC, but they don't require a PCAT so you could always go that route. I knew my scores weren't very competitive so I applied to a few non-PCAT schools, too.

In my defense, my orignal score report for the test I used for the UA app was higher in all categories back in 2007 when I took it. I couldn't find my original report when I was applying back in December, so I had to order one online. I found out that the "norm group" had changed, so my orignal composite dropped from 43 to 35, and my original chem score dropped from a 55 to 43. I was so mad.
 
Passion4Sci said:
I'm sure you'll find some diploma mill willing to take a 40th percentile PCAT...


A piss-poor PCAT + really high grades = questionable grading practices.
Click to expand...

I usually tend to think - someone who works the grading system and crams hard for tests (short term memory and pure memorization) but doesn't actually learn much...
 
b1234 said:
I usually tend to think - someone who works the grading system and crams hard for tests (short term memory and pure memorization) but doesn't actually learn much...
Click to expand...

Yeah that's a possibility, too, I suppose.

But more likely it is that the individual's institution has questionable grading practices (no +/-, easy curves, push over professors, the like).

But yeah I like yours too.
 
I've already been accepted to two schools (U of AZ and USC) and I'd hardly call them diploma mills. I've maintained a 3.5 GPA or higher since grade school, so the grading practices are just fine. I choked on the PCAT. Everyone has a weakness or two in their application, that was mine.

I did have a +/- system and there were no curves in any class I took, unless you count rounding an 89.9 to a 90, and I can count only 2 professors who even did that.
 
PharmGirl14 said:
I've already been accepted to two schools (U of AZ and USC) and I'd hardly call them diploma mills. I've maintained a 3.5 GPA or higher since grade school, so the grading practices are just fine. I choked on the PCAT. Everyone has a weakness or two in their application, that was mine.

I did have a +/- system and there were no curves in any class I took, unless you count rounding an 89.9 to a 90, and I can count only 2 professors who even did that.
Click to expand...

Those were generalizations...

In your particular case since you're just now getting into pharmacy school and you took the PCAT in '07, I'm going to hazard a guess that you weren't really all that ready for it based on not having had all of the "proper" classes yet to cover all of the material.

Also, 50 ish PCAT really isn't that bad... it's average... and consider that most of the people taking the PCAT probably have fairly high GPA's... With current grade inflation it's sort of similar to getting a B-...
 
Passion4Sci said:
Did you 40th percentile choke?

It's barely above minimum for anywhere. I just don't buy it.
Click to expand...
Yes. My original composite was a 43. I got a 54-65 in chem, bio, and verbal. I got a 20-something in math because I hadn't had calculus and I didn't finish the section. My reading was pretty low, but I expected that because I read slower than average and being timed didn't help. Then, once Pearson set the new norm group, my scores got re-done and my composite dropped to a 35.
 
Passion4Sci said:
I'm sure you'll find some diploma mill willing to take a 40th percentile PCAT...


A piss-poor PCAT + really high grades = questionable grading practices.
Click to expand...

How do you get a high PCAT? if let say you go to a community college?
I am not saying that my professors are easy. They are actually very tough when it comes to grading.
 
Last edited:
PharmGirl14 said:
Yes. My original composite was a 43. I got a 54-65 in chem, bio, and verbal. I got a 20-something in math because I hadn't had calculus and I didn't finish the section. My reading was pretty low, but I expected that because I read slower than average and being timed didn't help. Then, once Pearson set the new norm group, my scores got re-done and my composite dropped to a 35.
Click to expand...
.
You got into USC and UGA. Did you have a BA when you applied to those schools?
 
bottlecap1990 said:
How do you get a high PCAT? if let say you go to a community college?
I am not saying that my professors are easy. They are actually very tough when it comes to grading.
Click to expand...

Learn (and retain) the information covered in your chemistry, biology, and mathematics courses, read, read some more, develop a large vocabulary...
 
b1234 said:
Learn (and retain) the information covered in your chemistry, biology, and mathematics courses, read, read some more, develop a large vocabulary...
Click to expand...

I am not trying to be defensive but english is a 2nd language to me. Although I have lived here for 5 years now(I moved at the age of 15) I still don't do very good with RC and verbal.
Yes I have taken chemistry I and II and I believe I have retained much of the information my teacher taught me. Same with Biology and math. (well I had a horrible trig teacher last semester and she often made mistakes and had to refer to the book like 1000 times)
 
bottlecap1990 said:
I am not trying to be defensive but english is a 2nd language to me. Although I have lived here for 5 years now(I moved at the age of 15) I still don't do very good with RC and verbal.
Yes I have taken chemistry I and II and I believe I have retained much of the information my teacher taught me. Same with Biology and math. (well I had a horrible trig teacher last semester and she often made mistakes and had to refer to the book like 1000 times)
Click to expand...

Then start doing a lot of "leisure" reading (in English). There are some "tricks" you can use for the RC - like skimming first then looking for answers, etc. but...
For verbal really it takes time to develop a big vocabulary. Just reading a lot is one of the better ways to do it...
 
b1234 said:
Then start doing a lot of "leisure" reading (in English). There are some "tricks" you can use for the RC - like skimming first then looking for answers, etc. but...
For verbal really it takes time to develop a big vocabulary. Just reading a lot is one of the better ways to do it...
Click to expand...

I agree.
Also, do you know if Dr. Collins' notes are any good? I am currently taking their practice tests right now and I did not do good but not horrible either (I got like 36/50, 31,50, 29/50 (verbal). Are these tests similar to the actual PCAT? As for the analogies, is it better to memorize them and hope to encounter some on the PCAT or try to memorize the definition of the words? I know you need to figure out the relationship between the first and the second word first.

thanks.
 
bottlecap1990 said:
I agree.
Also, do you know if Dr. Collins' notes are any good? I am currently taking their practice tests right now and I did not do good but not horrible either (I got like 36/50, 31,50, 29/50 (verbal). Are these tests similar to the actual PCAT? As for the analogies, is it better to memorize them and hope to encounter some on the PCAT or try to memorize the definition of the words? I know you need to figure out the relationship between the first and the second word first.

thanks.
Click to expand...

roots. prefixes. suffixes.
 
I had success with the brute force method to vocab building. Years ago, I was getting ready to take the GRE and realized that my vocab was largely inadequate for that task. I got a GRE vocab list and flash cards and set out memorizing them. I cut my 3x5 cards into quarters and always carried a stack with me so when I was waiting for a bus or walking around campus, I was learning words. I would learn the words, put them in my "known" pile and go to a new set. But every so often, I would go back through the known pile to make sure the words made it to my long term memory. If I didn't know them well, they went back into my working pile. I ended up doing that for months and months and learned thousands of words. I ended up scoring really well but I never ended up applying to grad school. However, that effort wasn't wasted because most of the words ended up in my long term memory and now I have an awesome vocabulary.

If you are going to try memorizing words, I'd start with an SAT list. This will work best if you start now and learn the words gradually. Try to see them used in a sentence. And you could try playing freerice.com for fun.
 
PharmGirl14 said:
I've already been accepted to two schools (U of AZ and USC) and I'd hardly call them diploma mills. I've maintained a 3.5 GPA or higher since grade school, so the grading practices are just fine. I choked on the PCAT. Everyone has a weakness or two in their application, that was mine.

I did have a +/- system and there were no curves in any class I took, unless you count rounding an 89.9 to a 90, and I can count only 2 professors who even did that.
Click to expand...

I was the opposite. 2.7 sGPA, 2.9 cGPA, but a 93 PCAT lol
 
bottlecap1990 said:
I am not trying to be defensive but english is a 2nd language to me.
Click to expand...

The same applies to me as well. Even though I grew up here, my first language was Cantonese. I went to pre-k and watched Sesame Street and eventually learned English. My reading comprehension has always been horrible despite the fact that I'm a "native" speaker of English. Maybe it's because I learned another language instead of English as my first...

Anyway, reading comp. is only one section on the PCAT. If you do really well in the other sections, it will overshadow the low reading score. Trust me, my read comp score is pretty pathetic :laugh:
 
nexus14 said:
The same applies to me as well. Even though I grew up here, my first language was Cantonese. I went to pre-k and watched Sesame Street and eventually learned English. My reading comprehension has always been horrible despite the fact that I'm a "native" speaker of English. Maybe it's because I learned another language instead of English as my first...

Anyway, reading comp. is only one section on the PCAT. If you do really well in the other sections, it will overshadow the low reading score. Trust me, my read comp score is pretty pathetic :laugh:
Click to expand...


What if I am not good at anything else? 😕
The only section that I believe I can score decent in is Bio. I actually think I could do better in verbal than math or chem.
 
bottlecap1990 said:
What if I am not good at anything else? 😕
The only section that I believe I can score decent in is Bio. I actually think I could do better in verbal than math or chem.
Click to expand...

from your previous post history, it seems you have a 4.0. i don't see how you can do badly on everything else. granted, there are schools that are probably "easier" than other schools to get high grades... but that's why the PCAT exists. it's a standardized test that's designed to put everyone on the same playing field and to test his/her ability regardless of previous education experiences.

for the bio/chem material, is the stuff completely new to you or do you remember going over it before?
 
what level of calc do the even test on in the precat, would calculus 2 do suffice or do i need to take a multivariable calculus class? right now im going to be taking calc 2 in the fall as a sophmore, would i be better off taking as much math(differential equations+) as i can so id stand out a little more and keep my mind a little fresher till i get ready to take the exam or is it a waste?
 
zhajifathali said:
what level of calc do the even test on in the precat, would calculus 2 do suffice or do i need to take a multivariable calculus class? right now im going to be taking calc 2 in the fall as a sophmore, would i be better off taking as much math(differential equations+) as i can so id stand out a little more and keep my mind a little fresher till i get ready to take the exam or is it a waste?
Click to expand...

Calc 2 will suffice.
 
nexus14 said:
from your previous post history, it seems you have a 4.0. i don't see how you can do badly on everything else. granted, there are schools that are probably "easier" than other schools to get high grades... but that's why the PCAT exists. it's a standardized test that's designed to put everyone on the same playing field and to test his/her ability regardless of previous education experiences.

for the bio/chem material, is the stuff completely new to you or do you remember going over it before?
Click to expand...


Nah It is not completely new to me. I definitely understood most of the questions on the pearson's test. I didn't score well because I haven't had any organic yet. And yet I still managed to get some of the questions right. I think I always feel that I am inept because of the institution I go to.
I averaged a 96 on the tests in my bio 101 class. Each test has 75 multiple choice question. Very tough questions. I also haven't had bio 102, a&p 102, and microbio. I think I'll be ok if I study for this section.

I wouldn't say my school is easy. It is the best cc in NJ.

Also, why is it that people who have high GPA always get low or mediocre PCAT and people with low GPA get high PCAT? It is so rare to have both high GPA and PCAT.
 
pharm B said:
I would disagree with your statements, bottlecap. My GPA was a 3.8 and I scored an 89 composite on the PCAT. It's not an either/or kinda deal. The ideal applicant does his or her best to do both.
Click to expand...

👍 it's not that black and white.
 
bottlecap1990 said:
Nah It is not completely new to me. I definitely understood most of the questions on the pearson's test. I didn't score well because I haven't had any organic yet. And yet I still managed to get some of the questions right. I think I always feel that I am inept because of the institution I go to.
I averaged a 96 on the tests in my bio 101 class. Each test has 75 multiple choice question. Very tough questions. I also haven't had bio 102, a&p 102, and microbio. I think I'll be ok if I study for this section.

I wouldn't say my school is easy. It is the best cc in NJ.

Also, why is it that people who have high GPA always get low or mediocre PCAT and people with low GPA get high PCAT? It is so rare to have both high GPA and PCAT.
Click to expand...

Um, didn't we suggest to you not taking the PCAT without taking more science classes first?
 
b1234 said:
Um, didn't we suggest to you not taking the PCAT without taking more science classes first?
Click to expand...

Yea. I guess I just need to stop being a pusillanimous person and stop thinking about these crazy scenarios. :laugh:
 
pharm B said:
Is someone on the word-a-day program? 🙄
Click to expand...

:laugh: it is one of the words from my kaplan book I did not understand. I literally picked up 242 words from the kaplan and dr. collins' notes.
 
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